This week's match reporting effort comes courtesy of @TobyGrainger
Carlo Ancelotti once said "Football is the most important of the less important things in life" and, on a weekend that will be long remembered for reasons other than football, Boundary Estate travelled to the North Marshes to take on Eastway Olympia, looking to build on last week's resounding 5-1 victory.
Lining up in a rough 4-2-3-1 formation, Captain Jack Pegg emerged victorious from the toss and the Los Colchoneros (look it up) gradually settled in the game playing with the wind in fairly breezy conditions.
After a scrappy opening fifteen minutes Sam Kidby came closest to opening the scoring with a deft flicked header from a lovely Joe Burdon cross, the ball agonisingly kissing the crossbar before landing safely in the keepers arms.
Boundary did eventually get the goal their superiority deserved as defensive midfielder Grainger, on long (or more realistically, medium) throw duty in Stuart Cooper's continued absence, saw one of his chucks headed back to him on the right flank. His left footed cross-cum-shot (shot according to him, cross according to 90% of his teammates) evaded the Eastway keeper whose cry of 'KEEPERS…..oh shit' gave the goal a lovely Sunday league vibe.
The rest of the first 45 saw plenty of Boundary possession but passed mainly without incident; despite some slick interplay between Boundary’s new look attacking quartet of Ben Watson, Burdon, Anthony Bridger and Greg Hall.
Facing the wind in the second half, the Boundary back four knew they would be tested aerially. But, led by the magnificently bearded Pegg and the Mascherano to his Pique, Daniel Bowmar, they coped admirably with the expected aerial onslaught. The versatile Sam Kidby at right back (who may have well have nailed down this position as his own with an assured display) and new signing, Louis Collin, at left back dominated Eastway's wingers.
It gave the Boundary defensive midfield pivot of Double and Grainger the perfect platform to feed the ball to AMC Joe Burdon, Boundary’s chief creator on the day. One surge from Burdon, coupled with a Marseille roulette, drew comparisons with a young Zidane, whilst centre forward Hall was a constant menace, deserving a goal for his powerful all round display.
When Boundary’s second goal did arrive, it came via a sumptuous right footed finish from Substitute Nick Harvey, smashing home Hall’s precise layoff. From a fairly acute angle, Harvey took one touch before lashing the shot across the keeper’s body. It was a finish that will live long in the memory.
By this point Boundary had made all three allotted substitutions, with the aforementioned Harvey, Andrew Knapp and Connor Hardy adding fresh legs and boundless enthusiasm to replace the tireless running of Collin, Bridger and Watson, all of whom had impressed with good shifts.
Knapp and Hardy combined instantly down the left flank, the former bombing forward at every opportunity but a third goal just wouldn’t arrive.
There was still time for a superb tactical foul from Double (for which he somehow evaded a booking) as well as some classic Sunday league handbags after Burdon lashed out slightly at an Eastway defender.
Keeper Tom Bennett was calm throughout, dealing with any danger with his customary coolness, and making one world class save near the end to ensure Bowmar, Pegg, Kidby and co got the clean sheet their defensive performance warranted.
Overall it was an excellent Boundary display, with the two nil scoreline against decent opposition no more than they deserved for a solid and fluid performance. Carlo Ancelotti would have approved.
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