Jokers 5 ESB Shantytown 2

Team: Linter, Read, Vere, ???, Keen, Milner, J Perez-Tejedor, Hyde, Norry, Mandolini, Wilby

Sub. C Perez-Tejedor on for Norry, 70 mins.

Scorers: Wilby, Milner (2), Mandolini, Hyde

Stat of the Day: ESB failed to force a single corner.

Jokers took a break from their league programme to register their best win of the season in the Cup against lower division side ESB. It was not a full strength side on show, but there was enough quality in the team to suggest the Jokers would overcome their Division 2 opponents and register their presence in the quarter-finals for the first time in their none-too-illustrious history. In recent years, the Jokers have only troubled the second round of the Cup thanks to the ‘year of the bye’ in 2003, in which they sportingly bowed out in the following round.

As so often, the Jokers ceded early possession to their opponents, but once again chances were few, as the opposition failed to capitalize. Indeed, Jokers scored with their first 2 attacks. The first goal came from a ball down the left from Milner that split the Shantytown defence and saw Wilby produce a superb finish past the walkabout Shantytown keeper from an acute angle. The second also came from a ball from the left, which a Shanytown defender could only flick on to Norry. With space to bring the ball down, he unselfishly squared to Milner, who had time to take a touch before finishing right-footed from close range. With a two-goal advantage after 15 minute Jokers took their foot of the gas. A mix-up in central defence between Keen and Vere saw a Shantytown forward go close, his shot just passing the angle. From a throw-in just before half-time, Jokers handed Shantytown a lifeline. As the ball travelled over Hyde’s head, Read missed his attempted hook at the far post to leave a forward to finish past Linter and to give Shantytown some hope.

The second half opened with a bright Jokers move and they soon set about their opponents with renewed optimism. A two-goal cushion was restored when a Read throw-in was touched on by Juan Perez-Tejedor to find Mandolini in sufficient space to prod home his first goal of the season. At 3-1 with 20 minutes to play, the Jokers brought on Christian Perez-Tejedor at left midfield in place of the tiring Norry, with Milner moving to central midfield. Almost immediately, Jokers scored again, a looping Read cross finding Hyde unmarked at the far post to nod home. At this stage the Jokers were in total control, and it took an error from Linter to give Shantytown a potential way back. The keeper advanced to the penalty spot to collect a routine ball, only to spill it to a Shantytown’s number 11, who duly slotted home into an empty net. The final goal of the match came on the break from a Shantytown free-kick and was almost an exact replica of the first. This time it was Milner himself who was set free down the left and, just as with Wilby, his mind was made up by the onrushing Shantytown keeper; shunning Wilby’s aerial route, Milner passed the ball into the net from a wide angle.

Jokers always looked in control of this match. Having raced into a decisive advantage, it was only individual errors that saw Shantytown threaten in any meaningful way. However, a first quarter-final appearance sees them play Clissold, another Division 2 team, but a side that managed a league double over their opponents last season. If they are to make it to the semis, they will need to register a still-better performance.