In previous years Nippon have been categorised as “an easier fixture” and have always been grouped in that lower band of teams - well not anymore! Nippon are far from the easy fixture and sitting mid table currently I am confident that they will finish there if not higher! SCC have played against many new style teams in the COSMO this year and this is a testament to the leagues strength but looking at Nippon this year I would not say they are the most improved team in the Cosmo League, because last year we could only manage a draw against them or would I say they have strengthened with new match winning players? NO Nippon ha ve taken  it a little further and actually built on what they had to produce a well rounded team who work hard, keep possession and at times are a pleasure to watch.

SCC had a few players missing notably  JP McCarvel and Daud  with Hutcho arriving late and on the bench  - the SCC forward line  was depleted!  However recent games have seen the introduction of the young, polished and athletic JD! He must have a new chick because the boy is sporting a swagger reminiscent of a young George Best and six pack of George Weah! MOM recently has given him confidence and with the management believing he could be here for a long time at SCC, the lad started along side another new starter Henry “the H Bomb” Atkinson to complete strong English forward line  with communication back to normality! The rest of the team set up as per normal,  Mehdi (still with a slight injury) was replaced by Pugh in midfield and Sutton slotted into right midfield. Once again SCC had a SOLID squad and with 19 players kicking around Nippon must have been a little concerned! And were they concerned? NO -  not even against an SCC who were very strong all over the park, showed quick movement and expressed high energy levels!

SCC’s possession play was outstanding and apart from a goal in the first half I felt we should be pleased with the  performance  although some could argue, that is because amongst all that slick play and lack of goals was a finely tuned football team called Nippon, who made it hard for SCC to break down. With a very solid looking defence and tidy controlled midfield, Nippon was surprisingly professional in their approach with their tactics being spot on. With  several good chances  missed  to take the lead during the first half, the management tried to steady  the  nerves and ensure that we take our time and  keep   possession better in the areas that mattered and  make  the right decisions when we needed to. No changes at half time, 0-0 and hungry subs ready to make an impression meant that the second half would be exciting for the neutrals.

With new SCC players coming on throughout the duration of the second half it wasn’t until the 70^th minute that SCC made their break through with a strike from JD into the bottom of the net and through  the Nippon goal keeper. Special mention to the Nippon goal keeper, great game and pulled of some excellent saves equalled this year only by “shot stopper Starr” in a recent   SCC PADS Vs Firsts game!! Once the goal came it was inevitable  the  SCC would strike again,  unlucky for Nippon as the goal seemed to be the death of them;  substitute Hutcho struck twice more in the later stages to make it three nil.

Overall a good game to watch, SCC made several changes again and the squad adapted well, subs were used wisely and made an impact that we know they can. Credit to Nippon who conducted themselves very well and gave SCC our longest challenge without us scoring! Referee’s were once again very good and the game was a testament to the 2009-2010 season which seems to be closer and more competitive than previous years.

Good to see new players coming in, injured players returning and subs making an impact when needed. The large squad meant some players were not used and their presence on the day and contribution was noted!