Match Report
Tooting terrorised their tenants on Bank Holiday Monday, blowing Balham away with a four-goal scoreline that could have easily been even bigger.
The ‘visitors’ were never at the races, and once Hussein Siklawi had fired us ahead, with an inch-perfect free-kick curled in from just outside the box, thirteen minutes in, it was only ever going to be a question of how many the margin of victory would be. Three minutes after that strike, the lead was almost doubled when Sam Williams outfoxed the keeper, to stab the ball goalward; however, a Balham defender was alert, and got back to clear the ball from the line. But Sam didn’t have to wait much longer for a goal, controlling a through-ball impressively, and then hooking it in with his back to goal to register a quality finish. Sam had proved a handful for the Balham defence throughout the first half, but was forced to depart early – which gave them a breather. For the second time this season – just as against Littlehampton on the opening day – Sam was forced off through injury before the first period was complete. Mind you, his replacement, Taz Mahmoud, was champing at the bit to get involved, and picked up where Sam left off, running with purpose at the Balham defence to cause them palpitations as the half ended.
Things did not get any easier for a harassed Balham defence in the second half either, which was just seven minutes old when the lead was extended to three; a corner was only half cleared, and fell to skipper Antonio Simeone just inside the box. The Balham defence stopped, thinking they’d heard a whistle, but it hadn’t been blown (there was nothing going on on the front-pitch which can occasionally cause confusion) and Simmo’s cultured finish seemed to float past stranded keeper, John Ross. Balham’s protests fell on deaf ears – rightly so, but even if they had been indulged, they were well beyond saving this match.
Tooting poured forward, with every player wanting to get on the scoresheet. Darrall Wopara was next to go close, as his mazy run into the box culminated in a firmly struck effort that flashed across the face of Ross’s goal, settling just wide. Max Oldham, scorer of a brace in midweek, tried his luck from long-range, but the ball was deflected out for a corner. Elliott McKimm tried his luck from distance; a cross/shot floated goalwards caught on the wind, and forced Ross to backpedal frantically before touching the ball over the bar. Balham hadn’t really threatened all afternoon, their closest effort coming just before goal number four, when an attacker finally managed to make headway into the box and slipped the ball past Toby McKimm, but Darral was back to clear from just in front of the goal-line. That spurred Tooting on again – now inside the last ten minutes – as Taz went on a powerful run down the right, shrugged his marker off, and squared for Kieran Campbell powering into the area, who controlled the ball calmly, and then slotted home to round off a thoroughly pleasing afternoon’s work, as the Terrors lived up to their name in every sense.
