Line-up (4-4-2):
Barasso, Cavanagh, Smith, Johnston, Murray, Evans (Andrews, 80), N.Newman, S.Newman, Johnson (Dawson 75), Ameri, Kuczynski

The scoreline probably flattered CPR, but they turned in another efficient performance and were just about as good as they needed to be to take all three points.

CPR have suffered from slow starts virtually all season, and yet again they looked sluggish in the opening 15 mins. Viva were winning 50-50 tackles and had CPR pinned back in their own half. Stil, they hadn’t really produced a chance of note until they took the lead. Their left winger got past a couple of men to reach the bye-line, and as the entire CPR defence was pulled out right the always-thinking Andy P stepped off and found space on the opposite side of the box. The winger’s pass found him and he slotted home.

CPR began to step up the pace in response, and gradually the bulk of the play took place in Viva’s half. However, there was still a sluggishness and lack of cohesion about CPR’s play and they were not getting close to the Viva goal. It was somewhat out of the blue, then, when they found an equaliser. Nick had taken a free-kick from out on CPR’s right wing which the Viva defence nodded straight back out to him, and he curled in a great cross-shot which was well on its way to beating the keeper even without the assistance of a glance off Amir’s hair gel.

Giving Viva no time to think about a response, CPR then raced into the lead a minute later. Nick rose to meet the keeper’s goal-kick and sent a thumping header back into Viva territory. Axis was first to it and sent a pass out to Si, who was ambling up the right flank. Si sent over a teasing cross which the Viva defender Roger got his head to and bulleted a header into his own net. Given that he also scored an own goal in the first match, the unlucky centre-back is now halfway up CPR’s Top Goalscorer list for the season.

Having scored the first and started off the second, Nick then rounded off a sterling first-half performance by making the third goal five minutes later. He picked up the ball around 30 yards out and let fly with a stinging shot which the Viva keeper could only palm out; Axis picked up the scraps and dispatched the ball into the net.

CPR were totally dominating now, and it was a mystery how they didn’t add to their lead. They won a series of corners and free-kicks and put in a sequence of crosses which caused havoc in the Viva penalty box but somehow it just wasn’t put away. On one occasion Alex went up with a crowd of players right on the Viva goal-line and won the ball, but actually sent it away from goal.

CPR were almost made to pay for the missed chances when a long ball to Viva’s pacy right-winger caught the CPR defence napping. The winger sped off towards goal but Danny came out to narrow the angle and the sheer presence of the big man clearly disconcerted the Viva player who hit the ball straight at the keeper. The Schmeichel-esque save kept the scoreline 3-1 at the half – who know what a difference it might have made had we gone in only 3-2 ?

Given that CPR had to make the game safe and Viva had to get back into it, the start of the second half was a strangely tame affair. Neither side managed to take a grip on the game, with many passes going astray and lapses in concentration putting an end to any moves which did start to develop.

CPR did have a brief spell of pressure in Viva’s half but when that passed without any end product Viva threw on a couple of subs and they started to wind things up. The fresh legs had given Viva a burst of energy and they started to play with bite once more. CPR knew they were back in a game when a Viva midfielder rattled the crossbar with a strike from outside the area, and they had to deal with a number of high crosses into the box – all of which Danny B took admirably.

It took one more crucial intervention from Danny to set up the victory. Just as in the first half Viva managed to break through the CPR offside line and sent a man clean through on goal, but yet again Danny followed the goalkeeping manual and stood up big and strong, forcing the Viva striker to hit his shot off the keeper’s legs.

A couple of minutes later CPR had the fourth and knew that the points were secure. Not for the first time this season, a simple Route One approach paid dividends. Paul J picked up the ball on the centre-spot and flighted a beautifully weighted pass which just grazed the head of Viva’s desperately back-pedalling right-back on its way over. Stuart was on to it in a flash and when the keeper didn’t gather his cross-shot Amir was on hand to slam the ball into the net.

With that goal it was clear there would only be one winner and CPR began to relax. They even had the luxury of passing up an absolute sitter. With some quick interplay Stuart and Amir had sliced clean through the Viva defence, but with the goal gaping seasoned CPR-watchers were astounded to see the Axis decline a certain goal by passing it back to Stuart who was then ruled offside.

By now Viva looked disconsolate, and Stuart put a further gloss on things with a goal that he made all on his own. A Viva centre-back was in possession and was about to clear but Stu closed him down and blocked: the ball rebounded back towards the Viva goal and Stuart nipped past the keeper and curled his shot into the corner of the net.

The sixth came just a few minutes later, as CPR once again broke through the by now demoralised Viva defence. Amir sped down the right wing and put over a great cross into the box which cut out the goalkeeper. Many of the CPR faithful thought that Stuart had mistimed his hitch-kick volley, but the young striker simply thinks on a different level: rather than a woeful attempt on goal it was in fact a disguised lob that set up Steve with a nod-in Noddy header from two yards out.

Despite the scoreline CPR didn’t really hit the heights in this game, but it’s a good sign that we looked a good bet for the win even when not fully clicking. Newman (S) will no doubt be happy with a goal on possibly his penultimate CPR performance, but will be disappointed to have missed out on a yellow and some serious ref abuse. In his absence Evans stepped up and did his bit to keep up our recent cautions ratio. The only thing the match lacked was another penalty save from the man they call The Don, but with him missing next week he’ll finish 2004 unbeaten from the spot.

Final score: CPR 6, Viva Capri 1

Match Reporter: Garry Griffin