By Erol Yilmaz

The first league game of the season saw the 'A' team travel to Maori Park. Without any proper friendlies during pre-season it was always going to be a tough game.

The Ruts started well but found themselves a goal down early. This was followed by two more in quick succession. The Ruts went in at half time 3-0 down. All out attack was needed and in the 70th and 71st minute Rowlands scored twice to pull it back to 3-2

The Ruts now had a chance but a breakaway goal finished off their chances. Hopefully things will improve in the coming weeks.

As it turned out the Ruts took all three points as they were awarded the game when it was
found Maori had played two suspended players.

By Pete Day

We took the field against Thornton Heath with a much changed side from the successful one of last year – but then that's the nature of being a third team.

Manager Erol Yilmaz chose to line up with a 4-5-1 formation – the lad obviously watches the Premiership far too much. For the first 20 minutes we played the ball around pretty nicely on a top quality surface, although never threatened the opposition goal. Steve Rowlands was looking commanding at the centre of the defence and keeper Stuart Bedford was seeing a lot of the ball but dealing with everything that was sent his way.

On the half hour a stray pass across our goal sent their centre forward clear. Bedford pulled off a great save but the defence were not quick enough to react and the ball ended up in the back of the net. Five minutes later and failure to mark properly from a free kick saw the ball in the net again. Before half time further slack play and individual errors saw us play them clean through, but Bedford performed admirably on both occasions to keep the score 0-2 at half time.

The lad Yilmaz knew he had to make changes and Jamie Shawki was withdrawn and replaced by Price, Steve Rowlands went up front and Craig Lyle dropped into the back four. Once again we played okay for the first 10 minutes, but then disaster struck. We conceded a cheap free kick 20 yards out that was dispatched into the top corner, giving Bedford no chance. Almost immediately a through ball saw the linesman raising his flag, our defence stopped as one, the ref waved play on and Bedford was beaten for number four. The 'offside trap' was beaten again on the hour for 0-5.

Pete Day came on to replace Matt Bramley for the last half hour and we played the ball around a little better and created a handful of half chances, but still looked vulnerable at the back.

Did we play that badly? Who knows, not many of us really played at all. If we lose because we're not good enough then fine, but if we lose because people aren't prepared to work then that's poor. Rowlands and Lyle played well, Nigel Watford and Graham Winter worked hard and Bedford was faultless for all their goals. If availability does improve in a couple of weeks time there are a number of this team that should fear for their place – and rightly so. At least show some pride, or hand the shirt over to someone that will.

One last thing – thanks to the ref, at least he put in a good performance.

By Pete Day

So, where do we start this week? A number of changes and some reasonable football played early on. However, individual errors and a lack of responsibility at the back saw the ball bouncing around on the edge of our area far too frequently. After 20 minutes we were 3-1 down with Stuart Bedford having already saved a penalty and Wandsworth having missed a comedy open goal from a yard out. Chris Mitchell had scored our goal from a decent move.

Bedford then went off injured and Craig Lyle slotted in between the sticks (just). Scott Hawley came on at left back and Graham 'Bernie' Winter moved to centre back with Steve Rowlands replacing him in midfield. We looked a little more solid for a while, until Bernie and Lyle had communication difficulties on the edge of the area and their centre forward walked between the two of them for their fourth. Shortly before half time Liam Gray played Simon Minihane through who calmly chipped the keeper to reduce the deficit to 4-2.

In the second half we looked a little more compact with Bernie taking charge at the back, but far from the finished article. The injured Simon 'Gappy' Hithersay was replaced by Pete Day and Gray by Jamie Shawkie with half an hour to go. We still looked vulnerable at the back and with 10 minutes to go the defence were cut apart for the fifth time. Three goals down in a cup match saw desperation with players diving in all over the place with little chance of winning the ball, but at least it showed some kind of commitment.

Overall a minor improvement on the previous performance. Maybe we should put an ad out for some centre backs - although having Piers available again should help. People were happy to blame others, in particular the referee. However, we could have been 5-1 down inside 20 minutes - and that wasn'’t the ref's fault. People need to take responsibility on the pitch (although a bit of help for Erol off it wouldn't go amiss!) Picking the best team doesn't always involve picking the best individuals, and some people may be in for a shock in the coming weeks. Fitness was lacking across the pitch; take some responsibility and do some work before next weekend. As a team we're struggling. People can either point the finger or start to encourage. I know which most players prefer.

By Scott Hawley

The Ruts third team were determined to put things right after last week's poor performance when they still looked rusty from the summer break and a shadow of the side that won the Surrey Cup just five months ago.

The game started strongly and there was more sprit and fight in the first 15 to 20 minutes than they showed in the previous performance, partly due to manager Erol Yilmaz's new 3-5-2 formation and partly to the improved effort the players were giving.

The game was very tight and it needed a couple of good saves from Ruts keeper Matt Bramley and last-ditch tackles from defenders to keep the score at 0-0.

The deadlock was broken on the half hour when slack marking allowed one of the International midfielders a free shot from the edge of the box which beat Bramley, who got a hand to it but couldn't stop the ball hitting the back of the net.

This would have been the point in previous games where the side would have let their heads drop, but it just seemed to motivate them into putting in more effort and trying to achieve something from this fixture.

On 35 minutes Simon Minihane was booked for a challenge which could have been a red on another day.

At the interval the score was 1-0 to International, but it could have been a couple more if it wasn’t for a great one on one save from Bramley and a last ditch tackle from Scott Hawley. Yilmaz had a few things to say but was happy with the commitment from all of the players and thought that we just needed to up the quality of the play a little.

After the break the Ruts did up their game and got the goal they were after when James Fenton got pulled down on the edge of the area and Darren Knott drove the free kick through the wall and in.

The Ruts then made a couple of subs with Liam Gray coming on for Chris Mitchell and Nigel Watford on for the injured Piers Capper. The changes seemed to work because within 10 minutes we were 2-1 in front when Gray crossed from a dead ball situation and Watford challenged the keeper, who could only parry into the path of Steve Rowlands who put the ball into the empty net.

Shortly after the goal, Rob Goldsmith was booked by the ref for a nothing challenge which was one of only a few mistakes by the ref who had a near faultless game, with only a bad challenge by Gray to speak of which went unpunished.

So 2-1 up with 20 minutes to go and the team was working hard under a lot of pressure to hold on, with Paul Beaumont standing out as a potential Man of The Match for his hard work throughout. But the pressure was too much and International equalised with only four minutes left when they crossed from the right hand side and Rowlands was outjumped by the attacking midfielder who headed home, with Bramley yet again getting his hand to the ball but unable to keep it out.

The final whistle went with the score at 2-2, with both teams going away happy with a point, but it could have been the perfect response to the poor performance from the week before. The manager and his team were very happy in the way they played this week, with Beaumont picking up the Man Of The Match award (I was robbed) and everyone now looking forward to next week and the start of the Surrey Cup defence at Red Star.

By Dan Poulter

The holders of the Surrey Cup began the game with Pete Day deputising between the sticks, and manager Erol Yilmaz continued with the 5-3-2 formation that had produced a promising result the previous week.

The Ruts started brightly on a very slippery surface. Neat passing and an impressive determination flowed through the side. The breakthrough came after 20 minutes when a mix up in the Red Star defence allowed James 'Fezza' Fenton an easy tap in.

The Ruts continued the pressure throughout the half without increasing their lead, although they did have two strikes disallowed. Yilmaz was happy with the first half performance but was keen for the side to put the game beyond Red Star's reach and an unchanged side took to the field for the second period.

Again the Ruts were playing accomplished football. Day looked every inch the regular goalkeeper, Scott Hawley and Simon Minihane were giving the Ruts excellent width down the flanks, Graham Winter and Piers Capper were bossing the game from the centre of defence and Nigel Watford was having a vintage performance - the silent assassin was back!!

The game was put beyond Red Star when the captain lead by example, Bernie Winters barnstorming run into the Red Star half saw him drill an unstoppable drive into the net from outside the area, rounding off an excellent perfomance from the skipper. Mum and Dad were positively beaming!

James Fenton then added to the Ruts successful afternoon with a fine finish from a very tight angle, Fenton proved again how far he has come as a player, his hold up play was excellent and distribution was tidy.

Minihane sealed the win with a good team effort. The ball was worked down the right hand side and Minihane was on hand to turn in Fenton's parried shot. This capped a superb all round performance from Minihane who covered every blade of grass in the afternoon, deservedly winning the Man of the Match award.

This was just the performance Yilmaz wanted - heart, passion and possession football. The Ruts are once again on the march in the Surrey Cup, best get myself ready for the quarter finals again (sorry couldn't resist it).

By Erol Yilmaz

A cold and windy day saw the legendary Old Ruts third team travel to Wandsworth to take on Wandsworth Corinthians. Having arrived at the ground, aptly named South Park, a few of the squad were not happy with the £4.80 parking cost. The Corinthians were the team that knocked the Ruts out 5-2 in the first round of the League Cup in what was one of the worst performances
ever under manager Erol Yilmaz. The Ruts were out for revenge!

With a subs bench that boasted Rob Goldsmith, Paul Beaumont and Chris Mitchell the quality on the pitch spoke for itself. After a rousing team talk from the manager the Ruts started much better than the cup game in which three goals were given away in the first twenty minutes. A fairly scrappy first half was edged by the Ruts with Steve Rowlands coming very close on two occasions from set pieces. Pacino Minihane was looking dangerous on the right wing while Mr Hawley looked slightly jaded on the left after a heavy night at the Shed. Bernie Winter and Piers Capper were very solid at the back and keeper Matt Bramley never had a save to make in the first half.

So 0-0 at half time. Yilmaz was happy but knew a goal was needed. He tried to encourage the midfield to burst through as Corinthians were defending on the halfway line at times. He also mentioned set pieces as a very likely source of a goal. No changes were made at halftime.

The second half began scrappily with few chances. That changed after 53 minutes when the excellent Winter fired a fifty yard ball over the Corinthians defence. Adam 'Feza' Clark, looking impressive up front after his lacklustre display the week before, beat the offside trap and ran 30 yards to cooly slot
home. Clark and the excellent James Fenton (who did a lot of unselfish running) celebrated in stlye. The Ruts looked good for the win.

The 65th minute saw the first Ruts substitution when Yilmaz swapped Goldsmith for Darren (the bald eagle) Knott. This didn't please the Club Captain who seemed to spit the dummy out and go into a sulk. As someone who has managed a team before himself he should know that is not really the
correct attitude to have and does not help his manager one bit! Beaumont came on for the injured Clark and the Ruts looked solid.

75 minutes into the game and that was all to change. A mix up in defence between The Three Stooges Minihane, Winter and Hawley saw them fail to clear a simple ball, Bramley without a chance got a hand to the ball but from five yards out could not stop it going in. Bramley's first real
action of the game was picking the ball out of the back of the net! Yilmaz put Mitchell on instead of Fenton to try and win the game.

Seven minutes later another mix up in the circus cost the Ruts dearly. A long hopeful ball from Corinthians was aimed for the edge of the Ruts box. As Bramley called and was coming to catch the ball (the first time he came off his line all game) Winter decided to blindly back header it to him. Needless to say the ball flew over Bramley into an empty net. Yilmaz and the team were distraught. Out of the seven goals Corinthians have scored against the Ruts in two matches, six have been absolute gifts.

Yimaz moved Capper up front in a desperate attempt to equalise, but to no avail. Mitchell came closest but the Ruts lost 2-1.

Another solid all round display saw Yilmaz change his mind on the man of the match award.
Winter, who apart from the last fifteen minutes was superb (as he has been all season) was stripped of the award and Simon 'Gappy' Hithersay who was excellent stepped in to take the honours. [Webmaster's note - Hmmmm, it seems Gappy was so good he didn't even mention a warrant in the match report until now. I wonder if he's in Erol's Dream Team...]

All is not lost though. It was a good performance and only silly mistakes cost the Ruts all three points. It would have been nice for the deputy manager Mr Danny Poulter to make an appearance but he had better things to do. With a bit more luck and less mistakes it could still be a good season for the Thirds. A win against Barnslake next week is a must.

By Erol Yilmaz

Barnslake travelled to Nursery Road on the afternoon of the 12th to take on the mighty Old Ruts third team. A few games into the season and this had already become a six pointer. A loss for the Ruts would see them have a season fighting relegation, a win on the other hand could kick start their campaign.

Manager Erol Yilmaz tried to rally the troops but six seconds into his team talk almost re-created his famous Surrey Cup fainting episode. A heavy night at the Shed ('do as i say, not as i do' springs to mind) saw him splutter his words out and eventually give up! Knotty and Roly the goalie intervened but their fighting words were not carried onto the pitch.

In what has to be one of the worst first half performances ever under Mr Yilmaz, the Ruts were run ragged by Barnslake. Ruts looked the better team for ten minutes missing a couple of chances but Barnslake then dominated. Taking a 1-0 lead into half time, Barnslake felt cheated as Roland Heal made three world class saves to keep the Ruts in it.

Words were exchanged at half time and Yilmaz threw the wing back system out of the window and went to 4-4-2. The improvement was gradual, but the Ruts got better as the second half went on. On the hour mark Steve Rowlands popped up with the equaliser from a Darren Knott flick on. The Ruts now took charge with Chris Mitchell terrorising Barnslake with his pace on the right (bye bye
Minihane). The combination of Adam 'Feza' Clark and James Fenton was not working up front and
something magical was needed. Enter the Wand! No, not a Bruce Lee film but a Danny P production.

With twenty minutes left and the manager fancying a win, the two forwards were hauled off for Danny Poulter and Dave Watson. On the 75th minute a pin-point pass from Poulter was cooly slotted home by Mitchell to send the Ruts wild. Five minutes later, Simon Hithersay got on the end of a beautiful ball to the far post to bravely head home. The Ruts held on to win, almost making it four
with a Poulter screamer late on.

The result was important but the performance not superb! Were it not for man of the match Heal the Ruts would have lost the game. Improvement is needed if the Ruts are to reach the highs of last season - there are too many players not pulling their weight. Two good results in two cup games in the next two weeks could see the season really kick off.

PS - Craig Lyle (I got told off for not mentioning him last week, but he was really worthy of a mention this week. Ha ha!)

By Scott Hawley

The Old Ruts started the game with a 4-4-2 formation for the first time this season and it seemed to do the job right from the start with the whole team looking more comfortable as a whole. They started well with lots of early pressure and a couple of half chances falling by the wayside as Scott Hawley, Steve Rowlands and Chris Mitchell all went close.

The Ruts took the lead midway through the first half when Darren Knott met a cross from Simon Minihane to head the ball past the keeper, who seemed to have it covered only for the ball to take an unfortunate bounce in front of the him and head off in another direction into the bottom corner of the net. Egham Saints had a few chances in the first half with a few lapses in defence, but all were saved quite comfortably by Roland Heal.

Half time came with wise words from the management team of Erol Yilmaz and Danny Poulter to get at them a bit more and pass the ball around. The Ruts started the second period a little brighter than the first and looked to control the game a lot more and kill the game off early, which they looked to have done on 55 minutes when Minihane put Knot through on goal with a ball that went under one of the defenders feet. Knot finished well for 2-0.

This seemed to relax the team and they let Egham back into the game with about twenty minutes left when a couple of mistakes led to an Egham striker getting the ball on the right hand side and his shot beat Heal at the near post to make it 2-1.

Steve Rowlands came off for Dave Watson, Rob Goldsmith (who worked hard in midfield with Simon Hithersay) was replaced by Nigel Watford and Danny ‘Chicco’ Poulter came on for the injured Piers Capper.

Egham had a chance to equalise a few minutes later when one of their strikers broke clear of the defence and was just about to pull the trigger from 10 yards when, from nowhere, Craig Lyle came sliding in and blocked the shot, much to the surprise of the striker who muttered “where the f*** did he come from?”

With the game reaching the 70th minute mark Craig ‘Jigsaw’ Lyle made a challenge on the halfway line and advanced with the ball to the edge of the box where he was brought down for a free kick just to the right hand side of the D. After a debate about who was going the take it, Scott Hawley stepped up and slotted the ball in the right hand bottom corner of the net with Chris Mitchell getting in the way of the keeper so he could not see the ball.

The Ruts then took charge of the game that they so nearly let slip away and with ten minutes remaining Hawley picked up the ball in the left back position and proceeded to advance towards the back four with a mazy run, playing a one-two with Dave Watson and then coolly slotting the ball past the helpless keeper into the bottom right hand corner. 4-1, job done.

The Ruts strolled through the last few minutes with the only notable incident being Simon Minihane's shot from the half way line which nearly hit the corner flag.

The final whistle went and the Ruts are through to the quarter finals of the League Intermediate Cup, which was the only honour they failed to win last year.

By Simon Hithersay

The 'A' team set off early from Poplar Road on Saturday to ensure they had an ideal preparation for their Surrey Cup tie against New Haw. Unfortunately these carefully laid plans were scuppered by an absent groundsman (who according to rumour was round Steve Berry's gaff playing PlayStation) thus leaving the changing rooms locked and forcing the Ruts players back into their cars to protect their finely tuned bodies from the bitterly cold weather.

After being cooped up for an hour it was decided that we best get changed, warm up and be inspired by one of Erol's rallying teamtalks. Luckily Roland was on hand to say something worthwhile after Erol had babbled on for a couple of minutes.

Roland's chat and intensive warm-up routine seemed to work wonders as the 'A' team quickly took control of the game. There was a good balance to the side with Graham Winter and Chris Mitchell, the wide midfield men, providing good width and attacking the opposition's full backs at every opportunity. They were well supported by full backs Scott Hawley and Nigel Watford who were always available and provided extra attacking options whilst maintaining their defensive responsibilities.

With twenty minutes of the game gone Steve Rowlands ran onto a long ball and from an acute angle sent a delightful lob over the advancing keeper to give the Ruts a deserved lead. Steve Rowlands and Darren Knott impressed upfront and were combining well as the game continued in similar fashion with the Ruts looking to extend their lead. It came as no surprise ten minutes later that the score was doubled, when the best-looking centre-midfield duo around, Goldsmith and Hithersay (a.k.a. Beckham and Peckham), both had good efforts on goal blocked and the resulting rebound was slotted home by Goldsmith from ten yards out. Realising that the match was slipping away from them New Haw increased their effort and for the remainder of the first half the balance of play was equal between the two teams.

The second half started much as the first had ended although Simon 'Gappy' Hithersay almost extended the lead ten minutes in when he outjumped the keeper only to see his brave header crash off the bar. After this scare New Haw raised the tempo and searched for the goal that would get them back into the tie. On the 65 minute mark slack defending at the far post allowed New Haw's impressive centre forward to head home from a tight angle.

The match was now at its closest but with Piers Capper and Paul Beaumont displaying great strength at the heart of the defence and Pete Day showing safe handling and agility, the Ruts were determined that New Haw would not get an equaliser.

With fifteen minutes of play remaining Chris Mitchell's throw into the penalty area bounced up and struck an unfortunate defenders' arm. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot and give Ruts the chance to kill the game off. Realising that New Haw had been in the ascendancy for most of the second half Gappy placed the ball on the penalty spot knowing that should he hit the back of the net the opposition's fightback would be quashed and progression into the next round assured. 3-1.

The remainder of the game saw Dave Watson, James Fenton and Danny Poulter come off the bench to give the side five fresh legs and at the final whistle the Ruts ran out worthy winners of a competitive and enjoyable game.

Rowlands was named as Man of the Match for an excellent performance upfront and for being in Erol's Dream Team. It's also becoming a regular event that the over 35s of the team are winning the Man of the Match award, therefore if you've got Piers Capper in your Dream Team he will be winning it next week as he is thirty six (and of course in Erol's Dream Team).

By Steve Rowlands

Buoyed by two wins on the trot and a focused pre-match warm-up, the Ruts took the game to Thornton Heath from the off. High tempo play kept the ball in Thornton's half but the final through ball was lacking.

After 25 minutes a long punt upfield was flicked on for James Fenton to cooly lob the keeper and give the Ruts a deserved lead.

Most of the Ruts further chances in the first half came from set pieces, and Piers Capper was unlucky to have an effort disallowed for a challenge on the keeper when the ball was clearly not held. However, it wasn't long before Thornton Heath got a sniff at goal and they duly punished the Ruts to level at 1-1.

The second half was more even as the Ruts played predictable long balls instead of turning full backs. Once again they gave Thornton the initiative and fell behind 2-1.

Thornton, weak at the back from long free kicks well placed by Scott Hawley, survived a shot that hit the bar and numerous headers that missed the target, including one from Fenton who rose like a seal (and not a salmon) in an attempt to head goalwards. Rob Goldsmith was man of the match - a bit of a surprise as he is not over 35, not in Erol's dream team, and does not rise like a seal.

The Ruts had the gusto and determination throughout the 90 minutes, but more is needed to convert this into clinical play and victories in what is turning out to be a closely fought division.

By Erol Yilmaz

The Ruts turned up at Nursery Road desperately needing a win. Without a game until January 7th a morale boosting win against second placed Wandsworth Corinthians would have seen them go into the New Year with hopes of promotion.

After a poor start to the day with the Nursery Road groundsman not doing his job, the Ruts kicked off. Two minutes later after needlessly giving the ball away they were 1-0 down. The Ruts then kicked into gear and dominated for the next half hour. Steve Rowlands equalised after a mix up in the Corinthians defence and a Ruts victory looked on the cards.

But against the run of play the smallest player on the pitch scored for Corinthians with a header and that was the end of the game for the Ruts. The same player added to his tally to make it 3-1 and the Ruts never looked like getting back into the game.

Man of the match was Graham Winter.

By Erol Yilmaz

The 'A' team's first game after Christmas saw them entertain Teddington. At this early stage of the season it had already become a six pointer as both clubs were in the bottom three, but the Ruts looked up for the game.

The first half was dominated by the Ruts who had 70% of the possesion. There was no real cutting edge though and a lack of efforts on goal was cruelly punished. A minute before half time a lack of concentration in the defence allowed Teddington to get their first shot on goal which flew into
the top corner. Manager Yilmaz was stunned.

The Ruts started the second half where they left off and again dominated, but another lapse in concentration let Teddington in for their second goal.

Piers Capper was sacrificed at the back as the Ruts went for it. This was rewarded in the 65th minute when a hopeful shot from Craig Lyle crept in under the keeper's body. The comeback was on!

Only two minutes later though the ball was given away cheaply and Graham Winter clumsily gave a penalty away. Pete Day made a fantastic save pushing the ball on to the bar. Three Teddington players rushed in for the rebound with one Rut (which is very poor defending) and they were 3-1 up. The Ruts tried to get back into it but let in another goal on the counter attack.

The 4-1 scoreline was not really a true reflection of the game and the Ruts played some lovely football. Maybe age is catching up with some of the squad as we tired in the second half. Really it's down to stupid mistakes and changes will be made next week.

By Erol Yilmaz

The third round of the Surrey Cup saw a welcome break from the league which currently sees the Ruts in bottom place. As reigning Surrey Cup champions it was a game the Ruts would not take lightly. A few changes were made to the team and manager Yilmaz was full of confidence going into the game. The local derby against AC Malden would be a tough game though.

The Ruts started well with strikers James Fenton and Steve Rowlands causing havoc in the defence. Paul Beaumont and Jeremy Capper controlled the midfield despite coming up against three Malden central midfielders. The defence looked solid with Danny Poulter drafted in to partner Graham Winter at the back.

After intense early pressure the Ruts took a deserved lead when Fenton flicked a ball through to Rowlands who almost broke the net with his finish. The Ruts continued to attack with Nigel
Watford and Rob Goldsmith on the right and Scott Hawley and Craig Lyle on the left providing
good width throughout the game.

After 25 minutes Malden's number 10 went on a run that would see him avoid four Ruts players before hitting a shot past keeper Simon Hithersay. Hithersay had a blinding game, making two very good saves, but there was nothing he could do about the goal. Yilmaz was worried that it would be the same old story of throwing away all the good work. This was not to be the case.

The Ruts continued to dominate and forced a succession of corners. Fenton hit the bar with one and four corners later the breakthrough came. A Fenton corner dropped to Goldsmith who smashed the ball goalwards only to see it brilliantly cleared off the line. Unluckily for the defender it hit Man of
the Match Beaumont on the knee and went in. This could be the moment that changes the whole season around for the third team. It is the first slice of luck that has gone the Ruts way all season.

The second half was all the Ruts again. Darren Knott came on for Hawley and the third goal was not far off. It came on 70 minutes and what a goal it was. Stunning build up play by Goldsmith, Capper and Rowlands saw the ball land on Fenton's chest and the young striker turned and smashed the ball into corner. Fenton was superb and his unselfish running throughout has to be applauded. Rowlands
made it four a few minutes later with another cool finish to take his season's tally to eight goals.

Piers Capper came on for brother Jeremy who picked up a slight injury and Pete Day replaced
Watford. Both Capper and Watford had excellent games. Piers Capper was put up front and did very well while the tireless and superb Rowlands was moved back to midfield. The Ruts ran out comfortable 4-1 winners and the only problem was choosing the Man of the Match. Yilmaz narrowed it down to Fenton and Beaumont with Beaumont getting the nod for his non-stop running for the 90 minutes.

This was the Ruts best performance of the season and manager Yilmaz was proud and delighted with all of his players. He would also like to thank Lynn, Lee, Warren, Boo Boo and the others that turned up to offer support. Performances like this for the rest of the season will see the third team
climb the league and who knows, maybe retain the Surrey Cup! Now wouldn't that be nice.

By Erol Yilmaz

Old Ruts lost 1-0 to International. The Ruts played well but lost. Nigel Watford was Man of the Match.

By Jeremy Capper

The Ruts were looking for a bit of inspiration in the build up to this tough encounter with Spartak Molesey. It came when the gaffer well and truly threw his toys out during a heated debate with his assistant manager. "You can effing pick the team then," was the shout.

The team was virtually unchanged from the narrow 1-0 defeat to international the week before, with the exception of the 3rd teams ninth keeper of the season (step forward the versatile ex ginger Capper J.) Pete 'Daisy' Day made his first start of the season out on pitch at left back for the absent Craig Lyle.

The Ruts started positively with Steve Rowlands winning the ball in the air up front and using it intelligently to bring others into the game. James “I’m gonna run my bollox off this week” Fenton was sprightly and true to his word. This was causing the Molesey defence to panic and after ten minutes Fenton turned his man and fired past a bewildered keeper.

The Ruts began to believe in themselves, a trait that has been lacking so far this season. The ball was being stroked around with aplomb and it was no surprise when the second came for the mighty 3rds. A long ball over the top had Spartak’s keeper in allsorts. He came out of his box to clear with his head only to head it backwards and allow Rowlands probably his easiest finish of the season so far.

Molesey's front line was well marshalled throughout the first half by Dan Poulter and Graham Winter (who went on to win Man of the Match) allowing them no shots on goal, plus their centre forward got a bash in the eye for good luck.

2-0 at the break was a pretty fair result and the Ruts started the second half as they did the first with positive play and chat all round. The midfield was being controlled by Paul Beaumant and Gappy, with shrewd play on the wings provided by Darren Knott and the nippy Simon Minihane. All this counted for nothing though when with half an hour to play Poulter gave away a needless freekick on the edge of the box for holding. Despite a flying dive from Capper, the ball sailed into the top corner.

Molesey might have expected to see Old Ruts arses falling out left right and centre, but everyone remained calm and focussed. Daisy, having had a great 70mins went off with a slight knock and Piers Capper was brought on at left back. The change seemed only to strengthen the Ruts resolve and tighten up the defence. With ten minutes left and the manager biting his nails in anticipation, Steve Rowlands capped a great performance with his second and the Ruts third to finish off the now despondent opposition.

When the final whistle went relief was mixed with elation and sang-froid as the 3rds season got firmly back on track. In the warm showers after the game a bemused Molesey player couldn’t quite contemplate how a team at the bottom had played so exceptionally well. This win will surely give belief to the 3rds who can now go on and finish the season in style.

The win was dedicated to Steve Shaw, a giant of the third team who passed away a year ago almost to the day. He would have loved the result and the team spirit displayed.

By Paul Beaumont

The 'A' team travelled to Chessington for a relegation six-pointer. The match got off to a slow start as we first waited for around forty-five minutes for the groundsman to turn up and open the changing rooms, and then for Knotty to stop tapping his foot to the music on his car stereo and bring us the kit that was in his car boot. The preparation for the game in the ten minutes between the kit arriving and the ref's whistle to start the match could have been better.

The Ruts had the majority of possession with Chessington counter attacking when they could. Simon Minihane was judged to have been fouled in the box to win a penalty. Unfortunately Gappy impersonated Charlie Hodgson as he placed the penalty well over the bar.

Soon afterwards the Ruts took the lead through James Fenton after a sweeping move, but then promptly went to sleep allowing Chessington to equalise within two minutes. 1-1 at half-time.

The Ruts had a Minihane strike ruled out for offside despite the fact he ran past the last defender before slotting the ball home. But the Ruts rallied and took the lead again when Steve Rowlands calmly lifted the ball into the roof of the net following a scramble from a corner.

However, not learning from the error in the first half, Chessington were allowed to equalise within a minute of the restart. And despite further chances for both sides the game finished 2-2.

By Simon Hithersay

Old Ruts impressive form in the Surrey Cup continued with the defeat of Redhill & District League side Westcott.

On a perfect playing surface and with ideal weather conditions, the 'A' team were quick to take control of the game. The midfield quartet of Scott Hawley, Paul Beaumont, Rob Goldsmith and Craig Lyle were moving the ball around nicely and supporting the front two at every opportunity. In fact it was Lyle who came closest in the early stages when he flashed a volley just over the bar.

The front pair of Steve Rowlands and James Fenton were also proving a handful for the defence but neither troubled the keeper. On the fifteen minute mark Craig Lyle went close again when he shot across the face of goal and five minutes later his speculative forty yard effort thankfully brought an end to his shooting for the day.

Having spent the first quarter of the game in control the Ruts needed to take advantage and get the ball in the back of the net. Twenty five minutes in, James Fenton - who had looked sharp from the first whistle - finally settled any nerves with a neat finish and five minutes later he doubled the score when he raced onto Rowlands flick and calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner.

Having been outplayed for the first half hour and conceding two goals in quick succession, Westcott could have easily let their heads drop, but they raised their game and forced the Ruts onto the backfoot. In the final fifteen minutes of the half Westcott won a number of corners and free kicks and it was from these dead ball situations that they looked most likely to score.

Westcott's experienced centre forward, who was especially effective in the air, was unlucky to see his clever near post header somehow cleared off the line by Scott Hawley at the back post and minutes later Graham Winter also had to make a goal line clearance as the Ruts struggled to deal with Westcott's best period of the game. But the back four of Pete Day, Winter, Dan Poulter and Nigel Watford held firm and with Simon 'Gappy' Hithersay looking very comfortable and commanding in goal, the score remained 2-0 at the interval.

The second period started much as the first did with the Ruts taking control and looking for a third goal that would end any Westcott hopes of a turnaround. Fenton, who was making his 100th appearance for the club, continued to cause problems for the opposition defence and it came as no surprise when he completed his hat-trick and ensured he was a worthy recipient of the Man of the Match award.

With twenty five minutes remaining the experienced duo of Piers Capper and Darren Knott replaced Watford and Fenton as the Ruts looked to run the clock down without conceding, and this proved to be the case as the defence grew stronger and snuffed out any attacks effectively.

Paul Beaumont completed the scoring with fifteen minutes to go when he burst through from midfield and thumped a shot past the Westcott keeper. The final act of the match was something of a farce as an astonished Rowlands, shaking his head in disbelief, was substituted and replaced by a clearly overweight, slow, and unfit Erol Yilmaz.... welcome back Gaffer.

By Danny Poulter

Standing around for 45 minutes on a freezing cold afternoon!

No changing rooms!!!!

Force 8 gale blowing around us!!!!

The prospect of Erol starting the game!!!!

Life is rarely glamorous in the 3rd team.....

Once the referee had finished his fag the game kicked off. The Ruts were in their 'lucky' change strip of all yellow and from the first minute it was clear that the wind would eliminate any attractive play.

The Ruts clearly adapted to the conditions better as they flew out of the blocks and quickly established a two goal lead. The first came through a typical piercing run from Jeremy Capper. The dubious goals panel are investigating the possibility of an own goal as there is some doubt as to whether his cross-shot was going in before being turned into his own net by a hapless defender. (Webmaster's note - the goals panel (er, me) has been swayed by the promise of a pint from Mr Capper and he is therefore duly awarded said goal). The second was scored by Rob Goldsmith.

Although the Ruts were now coasting, it all changed in the space of five minutes. A driven corner from Teddington resulted in a Danny Poulter airshot on the near post and the ball cannoned off his standing leg past the static Pete Day in the Ruts goal (sorry Daisy!!)

Teddington were starting to control the midfield and they found the equaliser with an accomplished finish from the edge of the area - 2-2. The Ruts needed to concentrate and get back to their early game tactics.

The second half was all about the excellent defending of the Ruts and with Piers Capper providing a Man of the Match display at the back, Teddington didn't get near to the Ruts goal.

Goals from in-from strike duo Steve Rowlands and James Fenton extended the 'A' team's unbeaten run to five games. Almost safe in the league now, time to concentrate on next week's away tie in the Surrey Cup Quarter Finals!!

By Erol Yilmaz

The Ruts travelled to Croydon to take on high flying Oakhill United in the quarter final of the Surrey Cup. As holders the Ruts were full of confidence but it was to prove a very tough match with the wind playing a big factor in the game.

Oakhill meant business from the start and dominated. The Ruts defence was very static and the Oakhill midfield kept breaking through the offside trap. Oakhill went 1-0 up inside five minutes with a bullet header which Simon 'Gappy' Hithersay could only palm into the net.

From their first real attack of the game the Ruts forced a corner and Piers Capper equalised. This lasted all of two minutes as Gappy was lobbed from the edge of the area.

So 2-1 to Oakhill and within 10 minutes the comedy football continued. Piers scored within three minutes from another set piece to make it 2-2. This didn't last long as Oakhill made it 3-2 on the 20 minute mark. Manager Yilmaz was going crazy on the touchline. He had seen enough. Paul Beaumont was moved out of midfield to centre back, Rob Goldsmith moved to central midfield, Graham Winter switched to left back and Craig Lyle went right midfield to replace Goldilocks. It saw a slight improvement and from another set piece Piers was fouled and his brother
Jeremy stepped up to put away the resulting penalty.

Yilmaz was happy for another two minutes until the Ruts again fell behind, 4-3 down after 29 mins. Aaaaagggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Yilmaz was lost for words. It was vital to get to half time only one goal behind.

The Ruts managed this and rather than shout and scream at his players, Yilmaz was calm. With the wind behind he fancied a come back. Lyle and Scott Hawley were sacrificed for Ginger Clayton and Darren Knott. Clayton's pace snuffed out their best player who switched to the opposite side of the park. Yilmaz swapped Clayts over to follow him, which almost had the number 16 in tears. 'I have to work tomorrow' was his quote. That moment sealed it. The Ruts took command.

On 55 minutes Knott burst clear and chipped the keeper only to see his effort cleared off the line. The goal was to come soon though and super Steve Rowlands got it back to 4-4. The defence of Watford, Beaumont, P. Capper and Winter was solid. But it was the midfield quartet of Knott, Goldsmith, J Capper and Clayton that really had taken a grip on the game.

The Ruts continued to dominate and James Fenton made it 5-4 in the 75th minute. Yilmaz rejoiced. Oakhill tried to get back into the game but looked demoralised. With time running out Rowlands broke free and lobbed the keeper with another superb finish. Yilmaz kissed Rowlands in delight (rumour has it Rowlands still hasn't recovered). The Ruts easily held on and progress to the
semi final in an impressive defence of the cup.

The Ruts have to defend better if they are going to regain the trophy but the second half performance was very good. Dan Poulter was missed at the back! It was nice to have support (even if they did laugh at us) and a big thanks to all those that cheered us on.

The Ruts entertain their Surrey Cup semi final opposition Maori Park in the League cup quarter final this week. If they can get the upper hand on Maori in the three big upcoming games (one in the league too) it could turn out to be yet another great season for the third team.

By Pete Day

The carefully selected team (what more would you expect from the lad Yilmaz) turned up for this cup quarter final with Maori over an hour before kick off – we should have known there was something wrong at this stage. Out came the banana like yellow kit, as well as Craig Lyle’s new silver boots – why does every team have one?

The pitch was on a fairly substantial (Shoes, that means quite large) slope and was pretty soft in the middle. Bernie won the toss and chose to play downhill first half and we lined up with a new 5-3-2 formation.

Maori had the better of the early exchanges and hit the bar with a 35 yard volley (Gappy told me he had it covered). Still, we soaked up the pressure and started to play a bit. Rob Godsmith was starting to dominate the midfield and Adam 'Fezza' Clark opened the scoring after about 25 minutes at the second attempt. Suddenly our tempo and overall play improved. Great play from the ever green Knotty and a quality through ball from Hi Ho Silver saw clinical finishing from Fezza and Fenton. A couple of narrow escapes on our goal saw us turn around 3-0 up.

The start of the second half saw Maori scrapping for everything. We were starting to get dragged all over the pitch and were resorting to long balls to try and relieve the pressure as we defended the downhill end. An early goal, finished at the 4th attempt, only spurred on Maori. We didn’t get out of our half for the next 20 minutes, and after an offside goal Maori struck again for 3-2. A goal mouth scramble that saw Gappy diving around like Billy the Fish seemed to have been cleared when the lad Lyle used his new Silvers to slice one spectacularly into our net.

Shortly afterwards we had our only meaningful attack of the half when Fezza played Steve Rowlands through but his clinical finishing of recent weeks deserted him and Knotty drove the rebound across the face of the goal. Shortly afterwards the equaliser followed and we had 15 minutes to hang on. Legs were getting heavy and heads were down and with two minutes to go the inevitable happened. There was barely enough time to restart the game and Maori seemed rather pleased with their comeback.

On chances created Maori probably deserved the win. But from 3-0 up, defeat seems a hard one to swallow. I guess we’ll know how much it hurts when we see the reaction when we play again in two weeks time in the Surrey Cup semi. We all have room to improve our game, and if we keep our cool as we did on the day then we have every chance.

The well deserved man of the match was Rob Goldsmith – a huge achievement bearing in mind he’s not in Erol’s fantasy league team. Remember the feeling of defeat boys and put some work in before Saturday week.

By Pete Day

Off to Molesey we went on a bitter afternoon. The pitch was rock hard and the wind strong. Gaffer Yilmaz made a huge number of changes with the brothers Capper returning, Scott Stoney making a rare third team start, Simon Minihane promoted from the bench, Pete Day promoted from linesman and Craig Lyle in goal. There was even a rare start for that veteran marathon runner Gappy (don't forget to sponsor him – forms behind the bar). In fact – how many of the previous week's team were actually in the starting 11?!

We played with the wind first half and scored early on courtesy of another own goal – there's been a worrying number of them this season. Minutes later Minihane spurned a chance from three yards out with the goalkeeper nowhere in sight – even by his chances the lad done well to miss from there.

The remainder of the first half was played almost solely in Molesey's half, but we never really overcame the difficult conditions and only threatened a goal occasionally.

Second half was into the wind, but we continued to enjoy the majority of possession with Gappy and Caps solid in midfield and Caps senior and Stoney looking untroubled at the back. Half time substitute Scott Hawley was continually involved down the left, causing havoc to the home defence.

With 25 minutes remaining the Gaffer was keen on swapping keeper Lyle with Day as agreed before the game (you don't get these kind of tactics in the first team now do ya!!). Lyle responded, “No probs, we’ll swap after this free kick” – which was in the opposition's half. The free kick was taken, landlord Al Murray got his head to the ball and Lyle was beaten.

The remainder of the game was pretty uneventful with both teams continuing to struggle with the conditions. Man of the Match Nigel Watford put in another faultless performance from right back. It was a game we could have won, but hopefully it will serve its purpose by getting a few guys closer to match fitness for the Surrey Cup semi final next week

By Erol Yilmaz

The Ruts turned up at the Kingston University ground intent on winning through to their second Surrey Cup final in a row. This, for a third team, would have been an amazing achievement but it was to prove a step too far for the boys.

All season my players have understood my decisions and Gappy was very understanding at being put on the bench with myself and minibrain. Cheers Gappy!

The first half was a very close affair with few chances. Scott Hawley and Knotty put some great crosses in which we never really attacked and we came closest when Scott hit the bar from a corner.

Steve Rowlands and James Fenton were making nuisances of themselves up front but were getting caught offside too much, even though there seemed to be a few mistakes from the flag-happy
linesman.

The half time score was 0-0 and the back five of Pete Day in goal, Nigel Watford, Piers Capper, Bernie Winters and Craig Lyle were all having super games with Winter particularly outstanding in the first half until he changed into his banana boots at half time.

The second half began well for the Ruts and on 48 minutes the moment arrived when I feel we lost the match. Great work from Rob Goldsmith and Jeremy Capper (who played very well in the middle) saw the ball arrive at Hawley's left foot. A superb cross was delivered onto Rowlands head but his powerful header was somehow saved brilliantly by the Maori keeper.

Maori hit the bar a minute later and took the lead on the hour mark after a mistake by the defence. The Ruts continued to battle but never looked like scoring.

With 20 minutes to go, Gappy and Minibrain came on for Hawley and Knott, who both had great games but were tiring. The Ruts went to 3-4-3 in a desperate attempt to salvage an equaliser. Day was coming into his own and made a string of great saves as Maori hit us on the break, injuring his
finger in the process.

The Ruts could not manage it though and eventually went down 2-0. A guest appearance by Elmo with five minutes to go was met by boos from the Ruts crowd.

I can't fault my players, who gave 110% effort but lost to a younger and fitter team. A good game was spoilt by chants of "EASY, EASY" from a few of the Maori players who must learn to be humble in victory. One player ran 40 yards to goad the Ruts support when they went 1-0 up, cupping his hand to his ear and loudly asking what the score was. Their arrogant attitude has resulted in them being hated by the team (if you read this you need to have a word with a few of your players because it's not a nice reputation to have). I never thought I would say this, but I hope they lose in the final. I am not bitter, just angry that my players who gave everything had to listen to the bad sportsmanship shown by the opposition.

Peter Day was a much deserved Man of the Match and he has been a true friend to me this year, playing wherever I put him and sometimes running the line for 90 minutes. Thanks Daisy!

A thanks to all the supporters who turned up, and to Brian and Graham who left my team alone on a week where eight players were away. It is now back to the league for the third team and another win from the last four games is needed to avoid relegation.

Elmo's dream of retaining the Surrey Cup (maybe he will shut up about it now) is over for this year. But he is determined that the mighty threes will be back stronger than ever next season.

Come on the Ruts!

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