Goals for Gav Newcombe, Rich Brook (2) and Jon Andrews saw a winning start to pre-season

FC Drury 1st Half (4-3-3) – D Smith; Rayner, Ricky, Beeton, Taylor; Newcombe, Andrews, Gary; Taverner, Crissell, Love
FC Drury 2nd Half (4-4-2) – D Smith; Rayner, Ricky, Beeton (Taylor), Taylor (Bond); Love (Taverner, Wheaton), Newcombe, Andrews (Love), Long; Crissell, Brook

FC Drury kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 4-1 win over Chelmsford and District Sunday League Premier Division side, Rivermead in the Community Challenge Cup held at Shrub End.

FCD finished second to Bayern Monkwick in last season’s tournament and were keen to do well again in 2008.

New boy’s Christian Crissell and Ricky, formerly of Bayern Monkwick and Halstead Town amongst others respectively, pulled on the blue of the Positive Parrots for the first time and both impressed, while triallist Gary also had his first run out in midfield to similar acclaim.

Despite the score-line, it has to be said the game was a close one, with Rivermead dominating possession, if not territory, during the opening 15 minutes, keeping the ball well. Drury, though, stuck to their pre-match instructions to defend zonally and not knacker themselves out chasing the ball in the searing heat.

But for all Rivermead’s careful possession, it was Drury who took the lead with less than 5 minutes on the clock; Gav Newcombe fizzing home a heavy volley from 25 yards to get pre-season off to a spectacular start.

The first half of the match settled into a gritty midfield contest, before Rivermead produced an eye-catching equalizer of their own with around 35 minutes played; a similar long-range sizzler beating Daniel Smith. And it was no more than the Chelmsford outfit deserved as there was little to chose between the teams in the opening period, though Crissell was disappointed to hit the woodwork when through one-on-one. Another Crissell effort also came back off the post before being cleared off the line, while Bobby Love flashed a drive across the goal mouth, but no one could put it in.

Rivermead had probed, but had generally been dealt with well by the impressive Ricky and Beeton at the back, and Drury had had the better chances, despite the ‘mead having had the share of possession.

Half time saw striker Rich Brook take to the field, and the Parrots switch to a 4-4-2 formation to counteract the width and space ‘mead had used in the first half; changes that were to prove the difference in the second as Drury took control of the game;  it was their turn to keep and use the ball well. Newcombe and Andrews had competed well in the centre of the park in the first half, and now began to run the game, linking the team together, and keeping the ball moving. Crissell seemed to revel in having a strike partner in Brook, and the pair began to pick up an early understanding, linking well on several occasions.

But it was centre-back Ricky who forced the breakthrough, when his bionic 100 year old legs took him surging down the centre of the pitch from the edge of his own area to set up Brook for a simple strike to put the Drury 2-1 up. Love then missed a tap-in at the far post after an excellent team move involving Andrews, Newcombe, Long, Crissell and Brook.

Brooky grabbed his second of pre-season shortly after to open up a 2 goal gap, clearly motivated by winning 2008’s Player of the Year award, forcing the Rivermead keeper into an error, and tackling the ball in from 4 yards out.

Both flanks started to produce opportunities and even left-back Tim Rayner went on a couple of forays, overlapping returning winger Dom Long to good effect. On the right, Tav got in some excellent positions, but unfortunately his crossing didn’t match his quality approach play.

Rivermead probed, but the Drury backline was in excellent form, reducing the Chelmsford side to weak and wild long-rangers in the second half, and even indulging in some prime and traditional “fannying around” that, fortunately, avoided calamitous results when comedian/fullback Ross Taylor lobbed a 30 yard bouncing back-pass to toblerone-footed goalkeeper Dan Smith. Smith, for once, thankfully just put it safely out for a throw.

As the game wore on, Drury were looking more comfortable going forward and were producing some good, simple football, keeping it short and to feet, and Brook was to be involved decisively once more. A sweet chipped throughball was met by a marauding Jon Andrews run, who composed himself, chested the ball down and swept it violently past the keeper for the 4th on 74 minutes to complete an impressive first outing in midfield for the converted should-be (once was) centre back. Andrews was then rested for the final quarter of an hour to prevent a heart attack as Drury saw the game out, Love coming close to netting a fifth.

Drury Man of the Match – Gav Newcombe