Line-up
(4-4-2):
Barrasso, Moore, Rogers, Smith, Murray, Ameri, S. Newman, N. Newman, Johnson (Eyre, 65), Kuczynski, Wills (Fulton, 55)

The signs were not good. An unseasonably bright sun and clear skies made it feel more like early summer than winter, and Victoria Park was visited by a weird infestation of tiny spiders who’d covered the grass in strands of web that blew across the pitch. CPR failed to shake off their own cobwebs for the entire 90 mins.

Northern Town yet again struggled to get their squad to Hackney on time and the match was delayed for 15 mins while we waited for them to assemble a team. Eventually they made up 11 and the match was started by probably the most glamorous ref we’ve had in a while. You’d certainly never catch Mike Stevens wearing an Alice Band.

CPR made a bright start and carved out a good chance within a minute. Amir was fouled on the right wing and when Nick curled the free-kick into the box Stuart raced in and reached it just before the keeper, but his touch went wide of the post.

However, that was to be it for a while. Northern Town were galvanised by the scare and they quickly took a grip on things. They grafted all over the pitch and made sure that CPR were challenged – hard – as soon as they received the ball. Instead of responding to this with similar strength, CPR became nervous in possession and Stuart and Richard were starved of service as one badly weighted pass after another was siezed upon by Northern Town and turned into an attack.

For most of the first half the Northern Town approach was pretty straightforward – big guys winning flick-ons – but CPR looked uncomfortable dealing with it. Fair enough, the visitors had a number of tall players but these days so do CPR. Town’s aerial dominance was more to do with CPR’s inability to position themselves properly. It took the back four about 20 mins to get the line right but once they did things looked a little better and they managed to restrict Northern Town to set pieces (although these were dangerous enough to cause panic more than once – CPR could be that thankful Town’s big striker sent a couple of free headers over the bar from only 5 yards out).

As Town were bossing the midfield the only respite for CPR came when Danny’s long kicks were chased by Stuart and Rich and the Town back four were forced into conceding a throw in or corner. From one such set-piece Steve almost gave CPR the lead with a back-header which looped inches over the bar with the keeper flat-footed.

Towards the end of the half CPR did start to put together some counter-attacks and almost went ahead when Rich raced onto a through ball and rounded the keeper, but he’d been forced wide and his cross into the box was cleared before it could reach Stuart. One more opportuniy was presented by another of Nick’s superbly weighted free kicks into the box which was nodded across an open goalmouth before Town scrambled clear. But in truth CPR were fortunate to go into half-time at 0-0, so off the pace had they been.

Into the second half CPR once again started brightly and pinned Town back for a few minutes, but the closest they came was a Jon Murray strike from the edge of the box which, though well struck, was always curling away from goal. It wasn’t long before Town got back into it and the match returned to a physical encounter played mainly in CPR’s half. CPR had raised their game slightly but were still losing too many 50-50 challenges which kept them on the back foot.

For all their territorial advantage, however, Northern Town really failed to make any decent openings. There was only one time they managed to prise open the CPR defence to create a half-chance: in a crowded penalty box they managed to thread the ball through to their striker but he sent his shot straight into Danny’s arms.

As in the first half, CPR almost made Town pay for that miss. CPR’s front two were still seeing little of the ball but Andi was playing a bit closer to Stuart which meant that they were able to hold the ball upfield for just a few seconds longer. Andi’s fresh legs nearly brought us the opener when he chased down another long goalkick from Danny B, harassed the Town defender into giving up possession and swung over a teasing cross which Stuart raced on to and volleyed against the post.

That gave CPR a lift, and they got an even bigger boost a few minutes later when they got their noses in front. They’d pressured Town into conceding a corner, and as it was swung in the opposition goalkeeper inexplicably slapped Jim across the face. That the award was hotly contested by Northern Town was totally expected, seeing as they’d spent the entire match howling for offside/dangerous play/free-kick every time CPR were awarded as much as a throw-in. However, the Beckhamesque ref stood firm and so did Kuczynski, who blithely ignored the five Northern Town players yelling “He’s bricking it!” in his face to send the keeper the wrong way.

Unfortunately the goal did little to change the pattern of the match. CPR had been on the back foot the whole game and now it seemed like they’d have to hang on the best they could as Town came at them. They survived a penalty claim when the ball struck Dan on the chest, only to make a complete hash of the clear-up and gift Town a free kick when the ref adjudged that Danny B had picked up a pass-back. The wall did its job, though, and CPR held out.

Town were throwing everything forward and they nearly snatched the equaliser when they pulled the CPR defence apart and played a cross into the box towards their unmarked striker. However, Danny B raced out of goal and his charge just did enough to disconcert the forward who sent his shot wide. A few minutes later the match erupted into controversy when Rich flagged a Town attack as offside and their lairy Scouser ran over to fire off a stream of abuse. He quickly backed down, though, when Rich walked straight onto the pitch and told him to come ahead. That was followed was by a brief moment of respite for CPR’s beleaguered back four when Stuart was pulled down as he ran at the Town defence on a rare break. From the free-kick Nick sent in a high, curling shot which the keeper did well to palm round the post.

If that had gone in CPR would certainly have taken the 3 points (although it would have been daylight robbery). As it was, just as it seemed like CPR might get away with it Town found an equaliser with only 7 mins left. CPR had just defended a set piece and cleared the ball to the halfway line, when Town’s centre-back picked it up and cracked it back upfield. The pass was deflected on the edge of the box and ended at the feet of two forwards in the box. The ball had come off a CPR body last so they couldn’t be offside, and one of them took full advantage by thumping it past Danny B.

By this stage a point would have been welcomed by a CPR side who’d looked lethargic and disjointed throughout. But in fact they were to turn down one more chance to take the full three points when Stuart pulled down a lofted pass with one touch and instantly fired the ball to Andi who was unmarked on the opposite side of the box. He only had the keeper to beat but the big man’s first touch was heavy and the goalie dived forward to smother the ball. And CPR paid the price.

Two minutes later Town’s Jimmy Fivebellies substitute (perhaps the fattest player CPR have ever faced?) plodded through three half-hearted CPR challenges and set up an attack down CPR’s right wing. The ball pinged about in the box until it was cleared out to CPR’s left flank, where Town’s other winger was given bags of time to bring the ball down, turn towards goal and measure a cross which was bundled in at the near post with the final kick of the game.

Northern Town may not be the most stylish side, but CPR haven’t beaten them in years now. They deserve respect and we didn’t give it to them today. Instead, it looked as though we expected to just turn up and get another win without breaking sweat. Anyone still buoyed by our 9 league points collected so far would do well to note that 6 of those came from the two teams at the foot of the table. Those wins told us nothing. This was the wake-up call, and we show our mettle by how we respond. There will be difficult matches ahead, and we need to recover the drive and determination to keep on climbing.

Final score: CPR 1, Northern Town 2

Match Reporter: Garry Griffin