17/04/2004
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2

IJLW Brazil
Wilkinson, Davison, Churchley, Kennedy, Paterson, McGowan, Hinks, Harrison, Slack, Thompson, Goodliff.

It was top versus bottom at Norham Community College, with The Bush needing just a draw in order to clinch the division 2 title. Brazil made a couple of enforced changes, following their excellent midweek performance, most notably playing with just three defenders.

Neither side created any early openings although the home side did look the most likely. Brazil were defending well but did look quite stretched on several occasions. Their attacks were limited to quick breaks and long, wind-assisted, balls over the top from Lee Wilkinson. With half an hour gone, The Bush had the first meaningful shot at goal. Wilkinson, diving to his right, pushed the ball against the post and Dave Churchley was the quickest to react in the box and he scrambled it behind for a corner. The well-delivered corner was unfortunatley headed into his own goal by a Brazil player, under heavy pressure from two attackers. Brazil reacted well to going behind though, and got back into the game almost immediately. Wilkinson’s goal kick cleared The Bush’s left back allowing Ewan Paterson to run clear. His volleyed cross found Chris Thompson’s run perfectly and the young striker confidently lobbed the keeper with a header to register his first goal for Brazil.

Some good work from Peter Slack and Les Goodliff, on the left wing, allowed Jonny McGowan to break into the box. Just as he was about to shoot the ball got caught up under his feet. Slack kept up his fine run of goalscoring form in controversial fashion. His corner from the right was dropped, by the keeper, onto the shoulder of a defender and bounced over the line before being cleared by another defender. Despite the protests, the goal stood and Slack claimed it. Brazil felt that they deserved the lead but it wasn’t to last long. Just before the interval, they conceded a soft goal as Brazil’s markers in the box stood too far off their men to allow an easy finish from close range.

In the second half, to combat the threat of the wind, Brazil made a tactical change. Mark Kennedy and Gary Davison were assigned man-marking jobs on The Bush’s strikers (which they both carried out excellently) and Churchley dropped off to play as an out and out sweeper. This seemed to work well with the Brazil skipper free to clear numerous long balls.

When Brazil managed to get the ball on the ground, they played some attractive passing moves, all over the pitch, with McGowan and Jon Hinks nearly always involved somewhere. Playing into the wind though, the visitors had to concentrate on defending and trying to hit The Bush on the counter attack.

The Bush looked dangerous with every corner, as the delivery was always superb, and it was from one from the right that they regained the lead. It was headed goalwards but Davison headed off the line at the back post only for the referee to claim that it had crossed the line. The Bush players, obviously delighted, were as bemused as Brazil. Another soft goal gave The Bush the lead that looked likely to win them the match (and, with it, the league) when a quickly taken, short free kick caught the Brazil midfield napping and allowed the league’s top scorer to line up an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner.

The score could have been more convincing but for several excellent saves by Wilkinson and Churchley (with his head), but it wasn’t all one way. Brazil had chances too. A long run by Mark Harrison took him to just inside the left edge of the penalty area where his heel was clipped. Being the honest player he is, he remained on his feet but lost the ball just before he could get a shot off. Goodliff’s pace easily outstripped that of the defenders, following Paterson’s neat pass down the line. As he got to the goal line, Goodliff pulled the ball back, taking the advancing keeper out of the game, but a defender got to it just ahead of Davison, who had run the entire length of the pitch to join the attack. Brazil’s last chance came when Hinks was bundled over just inches outside the area. Goodliff’s low free kick was fumbled by the keeper who managed to reclaim it just as Thompson was closing in on him. Wilkinson was the man of the match, perhaps decided by a fantastic diving save to his left from a fiercely struck volley, late on.

With Proctor & Gamble’s trip to Blyth ending in a 4-1 defeat, it’s all set up for the last match of the season (in Winlaton, on Saturday 24/04/2004) to see who will concede the most goals in the league.

14/04/2004
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2

IJLW Brazil
McClure, Davison, Churchley, Walker, Kennedy, Paterson, McGowan, Hinks, Greenwood, Slack, Thompson.

As it was an evening match, this home fixture for Brazil was switched to Social’s ground so that their floodlight facilities would be available, if needed. The playing surface was in perfect condition which made for a good game as both sides like to pass the ball around along the ground.

Social, playing in red, dominated the possession in the first half but Brazil were defending excellently throughout the team. The hosts (who were technically the away side) were passing and moving nicely but couldn’t break down the Brazil defence, as every player was taking responsibility for their man. When Brazil did gain possession they struggled to break into the attacking third of the pitch, partly because of the wind and partly because of Social’s high defensive line. Their first half chances were restricted to long shots from Andy Greenwood and Dave Churchley, which the keeper dealt with comfortably.

A clumsy challenge by Brazil’s full back gifted Social the lead from the penalty spot (which was only nine yards from goal, giving Mike McClure no chance of saving it). The one occasion a midfield runner broke unmarked into the box he met a left wing cross to give the reds a two goal lead at the break.

Brazil began to settle a couple of minutes into the second half and the majority of the game was being played around the halfway line. Greenwood, Jonny McGowan and Jon Hinks were starting to see more of the ball and Brazil were using both flanks well as they tried to build their attacks. The game opened right up when Brazil were awarded a free kick on the half way line. Bryan Walker’s ball into the box was only half-cleared as far as Greenwood. His view of goal was obscured by the big Social centre back but he managed to find Peter Slack towards the lefthand edge of the penalty area. Slack’s first touch took the ball away from a defender and he steadied himself before chipping the advancing keeper with his left foot. This was Brazil’s first goal against Social, in their fifth meeting.

Social rallied well and started to take the initiative back away from Brazil but they never really managed to break down the defence. They were all strong aerially, Walker and Mark Kennedy were always strong in the tackle and Churchley made numerous interceptions. Gary Davison managed to read an attempted nutmeg by the left winger and played an accurate pass up the line to Greenwood. A neat first touch beat his marker and then he outsprinted the defender to get round the back. Unfortunately, his attempted cross was on his weaker right foot.

Chris Thompson was running selflessly as the lone striker for Brazil and his efforts almost paid off as he finally managed to beat the offside trap. (The linesman supplied by the hosts put his flag up every time the ball went beyond the defence and the inexperienced referee blew up every time.) Thompson’s clever attempt at a lob looked goalbound until the substitute keeper managed to pull off a superb save. Slack took the resulting corner and Walker headed down to Hinks who couldn’t quite get on top of the bouncing ball. His shot just cleared the cross bar.

At the other end, McClure was growing in confidence as a goalkeeper. He dealt comfortably with everything that got beyond the defence. His handling was good, he came off his line quickly and he punched clear a couple of corners. Looking solid at the back, Brazil pushed forward in search of an equaliser. A slick passing move between Hinks and Ewan Paterson sent the little winger clear on the right. His first cross was blocked but he regained possession and pulled the ball back to Greenwood whose shot was just too high. Brazil had a freekick in the centre circle and, as Walker approached to take it, Churchley peeled off wide, away from his marker, to give him a better angle to deliver it. Walker spotted his run and picked him out perfectly. Churchley, the man of the match, headed powerfully towards the far post. The keeper was beaten but the ball bounced up and struck the crossbar. With time running out, Greenwood was pushed up front, alongside Thompson, and Brazil had another chance of an equaliser. Greenwood broke free beyond the defence and tried his luck from long range when he could perhaps have taken it closer.

Support a team mate…
Brazil striker, Paul Smith’s band is playing live at Bulletproof on Friday night (16/04/2004). They are called Maximo Park and this could be your last chance to see them before they hit the big time.

20/03/2004
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2

IJLW Brazil
Carr, Davison, Churchley, Greenshields, Kennedy, Paterson, McGowan, Hinks, Harrison (Crabtree 65), Goodliff, Smith.

It was so windy in Winlaton that the game had to be played without corner flags. Brazil played the first ten minutes with ten men because Ian Greenshields, playing only his second home match, got lost behind the Metro Centre. South Beach used their early numerical advantage well and took the lead after a couple of minutes. Once parity of numbers was established, the game became quite even. Les Goodliff had Brazil’s first real effort on goal (his shot from just outside the area was just wide of the far post) but it was the visitors who were next to score.

After half an hour, Goodliff gave Brazil some hope as he pulled a goal back. After receiving Ewan Paterson’s short pass, he used his strength to bounce off a defender before firing in a fierce low shot. It clipped the inside of the post on its way into the net, leaving the keeper helplessly sprawled on the wet ground. Brazil had chances to score again before the interval but failed to take them. Some good work between Goodliff and Paul Smith left the latter with an opportunity but he scuffed his shot, allowing the keeper to make a comfortable save. A Paterson corner from the left was flicked on by both Mark Harrison and Jon Hinks before finding its way to Goodliff at the back post. His shot was blocked by a defender but he managed to collect the rebound and lay off a short pass to Dave Churchley who was unmarked at the edge of the box. The skipper had a chance to score against South Beach for the second time this season but he slipped as he shot, sending the ball just off target. Another Paterson corner, this time from the right, gave Brazil the last chance of the half as Paul Smith’s acrobatic volley was cleared off the line by a defender.

In the second half, conditions deteriorated and no-one would have been surprised if the referee had decided to abandon the match. He didn’t though, and Brazil found it very hard going to make any progress out of their own half. Man of the match, Jonny McGowan was instigating most of Brazil’s positive moves. He was always ready to receive the ball and play simple passes to try to retain what little possession his side had. Despite South Beach’s dominance, Matt Carr, making his debut in goal for Brazil, only had a couple of saves to make.

When Brazil did manage to break, there was a lot of open space in South Beach’s half. Paterson exploited this space with a fantastic, defence-splitting through ball from the right wing into Goodliff’s path. He shot wide. South Beach scored a third which effectively ended Brazil’s hopes of a comeback.

As the wind speed increased, Brazil attempted to counteract the long ball over the top by playing the offside trap with a very high defensive line. The trap failed on two occasions, leaving South Beach’s two strikers clean through on goal: The first time, Carr came out to meet them and made a fine save; on the second occasion the striker took the ball around Carr but Churchley sprinted back and managed to make a sliding block on the line. The visitor’s came closest to scoring a fourth when their right back tried his luck from the half-way line. His audacious wind-assisted effort pinged off the top of the crossbar.

Ollie Crabtree made an appearance in the second half, making him Brazil’s 35th player used in competitive games this season. This squad inconsistency is widely regarded as the root of Brazil’s problems this season. The defeat to South Beach, who are second bottom of the league, guarantees Brazil a last place finish, with three matches remaining to salvage some pride.

13/03/2004
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2

IJLW Brazil
Wilkinson, Henderson, Churchley, Walker, Davison, Moore, Paterson, Hinks, Haigh, Bull, Smith.

A young Westerhope side, that are almost certainties for promotion, were just too strong for a below-par Brazil team that only just managed to get eleven men on the pitch. Right from the start, the visitors were in total control and soon took the lead. They scored again on 20 minutes, after Lee Wilkinson had made a couple of good saves. The closest Brazil came in the first half was from two long-range free-kicks, where Matty Bull forced the goalkeeper into making decent stops. Despite the one-sidedness of the contest, there were no more goals in the first period.

Brazil were struggling to get into the game in all areas of the pitch: they were isolated up front, stretched in midfield and outnumbered in defence. At times in the second half, the hosts were defending very well as a team but it always seemed as if Westerhope had an extra player. The four goals they scored in the second half could have been a lot more, if it wasn’t for some good blocks by Dave Churchley and Jon Hinks and some more good saves by, man of the match, Wilkinson (especially as Brazil played the last quarter of an hour with just ten men after Shaun Haigh had to go off with an ankle injury).

07/02/2004
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2

IJLW Brazil
Wilkinson, Davison, Churchley, Walker, Haigh, Paterson, Hinks, Mitchell (Thompson 55), Bull (Slack 65), Smith, Goodliff.

The match was reduced to 80 minutes as the start was delayed due to a problem with the changing rooms. Both sides had to get changed in the cars and a couple of the visiting players even drove to a nearby supermarket in order to use the facilities.

The hosts had most of the early possession but struggled to create any chances as Brazil defended well. Lee Wilkinson, making his debut in the Brazil goal, was coming off his line confidently to claim the ball and Dave Churchley and Bryan Walker, another new boy, were dealing with the strikers quite comfortably. When Brazil were in possession, though, they were struggling to retain it and Les Goodliff looked quite isolated up front.

Wilkinson had made a couple of good saves and Churchley had made a goal saving tackle (and injured his knee in the process) before the first goal was scored. Killingworth broke down the right flank and got round behind the defence. As the centre back went across to meet the winger, the ball was cut back to the unmarked striker who made no mistake in giving the home side the lead. The score remained 1-0 at the break, thanks to a brave block by Jon Hinks’s chest.

Brazil were able to keep hold of the ball better in the second half and weren’t rushing as much. This enabled them to get more men forward into the attacks. A good run by Paul Smith resulted in the ball finding its way through to Goodliff. Although the Killingworth keeper got his foot to the ball, he couldn’t prevent Goodliff from levelling the scores (and reclaiming his position at the top of the Brazil goal scoring charts). The referee did well to overrule a hopeful offside flag, by Killingworth’s linesman, and allow the goal to stand.

Two quick goals by the home side put Killingworth back in control of the game, but Brazil didn’t give in. They switched to a 4-4-2 formation and brought on another debutant, Chris Thompson. This gave them more presence in the Killingworth half of the pitch, but also left a lot of open space in the middle of the pitch which made the game quite open.

Walker capped an impressive debut with a goal as he got in front of the keeper to head in Ewan Paterson’s well-flighted free kick. Brazil pushed for an equalizer but a late penalty claim was turned down.

Goodliff looked to be lacking some match fitness but was still a handful for the home defence as he picked up the man of the match award. This, Goodliff’s first game back after over four months out injured, is the first time that Brazil have managed to score more than once in a game, in this time.

13/12/2003
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2

IJLW Brazil
Andrew, Davison, Churchley, Kennedy, Haigh, Mitchell, Paterson, Gurney, Slack, Harrison.

With three players pulling out of the squad on the day of the match, Brazil were left with just ten men. Playing into the wind with a man down ensured it was very difficult first half for the home side but they worked hard and weren’t outplayed. After a quarter of an hour, however, Ryton’s advantage began to tell. A right wing cross was met unopposed by the visiting captain, after he had walked away from his marker, and Brazil were behind. The deficit was soon doubled when a left wing cross was met by Ryton’s striker as he got between defender and goalkeeper.

Despite the strength of the wind, Brazil did manage to get into Ryton’s half and create chances of their own. An excellent passing move found Peter Slack on the left wing and his cross into the box was brought down well by Ben Gurney but he couldn’t keep his shot low enough to trouble the keeper. A good through ball sent Mark Harrison clear, as he beat the offside trap. Faced with a difficult angle, he fired his shot across the goalkeeper who had to dive at full stretch to keep it out.

After this, Ryton had a brief spell of complete domination where good defending and a couple of fine saves by Al Andrew kept Brazil in the game until Ryton’s numerical advantage was used to outnumber the Brazil defence and score an easy third. Slack’s corner, towards the end the half, was met by the head of Dave Churchley who managed to lose his marker with a clever run into the box but didn’t manage to direct the ball goalwards. With the wind behind them in the second half, Brazil felt that they were still very much in the game.

During the interval, the wind dropped slightly but it was still in Brazil’s favour. Even without this advantage, Brazil were better in the second half. Ewan Paterson covered a lot of ground and made a lot of tackles in midfield, as did Harrison up front. All four of Brazil’s defenders made some important challenges, with Mark Kennedy, in particular, showing his strength. Churchley, the man of the match, intercepted numerous passes and was quick enough to clear up when the ball was played over the top.

Both sides struggled to create any good chances in the second half and Brazil’s biggest scare came from a mistake. Andrew came well out of his area to clear the ball but he slipped and sliced it straight to Ryton’s forward. With his keeper stranded, Churchley positioned himself between the ball and the goal and managed to head away the early shot.

With time running out, Slack was pushed up front and made a tremendous run beating three Ryton defenders but his pass was over hit and sent Harrison too wide. With three weeks until the next match, Brazil are hoping that some of their injured players will recover enough help Brazil’s new year push for points.