Blunham ex-Sandy 5 Knobs 3

Would you Adam and Eve it? Yes! Ok you are right, shit happens.
To the credit of both sides of mainly 'vets', to play so well and enthusiastically on a huge claggy pitch in such testing elements- wind, some sun, torrential rain but nae snow was a testament to a life after death mentality. Well done all. Nae games on the computers or Christmas shopping for these ould stalwarts.
Started with Chris Griffiths up front, perhaps a mistake kicking against the wind and sweeping rain in the first half, uphill to boot. Yet by the time I switched it midway through the half we had only conceded one goal from a corner kick scrimmage. They had a couple of distant and close shots and a corner headed off the line by the redoubtable Alistair and that was that.

I warned it wasn't going to be easy against this lot, second half, kicking down but with effort and the wind and rain at our backs we should prevail. The wind dropped, the rain stopped, the sun came out and they battled. They hit a post, semi- Trevor save (Trevor had pulled off two excellent saves from long rangers in the first half) and we fought on.
A long looping centre from the right found Darren beyond the far post and he equalised from an excellent firm header. They went ahead virtually from the kick off. 2-1, not altogether convincing defending eventually torn to bits by a neat finish. Ron on for John T, fucking linesman is a cauld position. Running clear in the box, the erstwhile linesman was found by a good cross from Kelwyn, why he didn't head? I don't know and instead his sidefoot crept wide with the target at his mercy. A compressed effort, shutting down their defence saw a ball wellied skywards out of their defence and it was met distance out by Alistair whose header looped long and teasingly beyond the keeper's reach. 2-2. Come on, now we press. But we didn't press enough, I felt we conceded too much ground backpedalling and allowing them to remain an attacking force.
They scored a third, I don't remember much about it, except pissedoffedness. Who was to blame?
Their fourth was crap. With no real challenge Trevor and Alistair tangled in front of a ball that was ours to clear, the ball trickled to a disinterested forward who tapped it into an open goal.
A pleasurable move saw us bring it back to 4-3. Ali to Ron, Ron to Steve on the right, then an exquisite cross to Matt at the far side of the penalty area, who headed home with some competence. Their 5th with minutes to go was a choker. A cross from the left which wouldn't have happened if we were merely defending and not attacking for an equaliser, arrived in the box where their bloke headed a smasher, albeit unchallenged. 5-3 final score. Well done the ref by the way.
Showers were hot and we adjourned to the usual Blunham pub for an excellent and deserved spread. We outnumbered them there. But luck was out and we even lost the dominoe card.
Home to savour the Stoke- Portsmouth game. Yi must be fookin jokin.
The lads did their best - remember people are always non available throughout the year at this level of football. SO- no excuses please.

R