Knobs 4 Ashwell 4

Thanks to Mark Mills helping out to arrange a fixture last week, an event he must be glowing over. Just got it in before the cancellation season starts. A good game during which we were under par in terms of energy, interest (it seemed) and desire to mix any effort with a bit of football.
Still that's the story of life and Christmas is so close.
They played with Mark M in midfield and gave a debut to a raucous young filly called Debby Grunt Grunt who on this occasion was strong from the stalls and stayed the distance well. Not one for the National however, she has a split fetlock which may take time to heal if she wants to compete with the big boys and girls once again.
We took the lead within a minute with a superb FOOTBALLING move which I tried to commit to memory but have failed. Sufficient to say it went from midfield to fullback to midfield (Phil?) to wing into middle where Matt assisted the ball to the far post where Chris Wilson met it with a sweeping half volley to register our first of many, I thought.
Things got a bit bogged down till Alistair, making one of several of his mornings forays down the right, hoofed to the far post where an arriving Twigg just failed in his running effort to score, butting just wide and fortunately missing contact with that rusty iron goal post.
They equalised with a comical own goal, where our keeper Mark, disdaining his unintelligible "away away" cry (unintelligible to Brendan that is ) chose the cry " keeper" and was obliged by Steve H, chesting it past him into the goal, noone else closer than planet X!
Closecalls followed until Matt hurtled through robustly, slipped past their dying defender and netted firmly. They equalised from a scrambled goalmouth scrimmage until one of Alstiar's better crosses found the top far corner, 3-2 to us at half time. Matt went to watch Arsenal thus missing the second half during which his anonymity was noted. Did I upset Steve at half time? Didn't intend to. Two points of little consequence I suppose. I expect Steve always to be calling for the ball, he is invariably an excellent out as we seek to build play from defence to attack. Even if marked he is unafraid to receive the ball, control it and find measured passes, long or short. This asset is recognised by many of his teammates who thus seek him out. Great so far!
However there are many occasions, during the course of the game, where Steve is just one option of two or more and it is down to the player on the ball which option he chooses. Often another option is worthy, many times not, particularly some hopeless lump anywhere. And sometimes the player in possession feels the best option is to get rid, fearing their own competence in playing football through the midfield. In whatever event we stick together and regroup that is all I was trying to say. But the emotion of the occasion, cold freezing your voicebox or the translation from Geordie to some form of English perhaps intervenes!
Second half, kicking downhill, we lost 2-1 thus drew 4-4.
They equalised through a pretty, yet unchallenged move up the middle, at the end of which Mark Mills blasted an unstoppable twenty odd yarder high into our net. They continued well. Debby was comfortable, quickly recalling the names of all his teammates, an inbred incestuous family called "Ashwell" it would appear.
Mike returned from USA and from the start demonstrated a fine line in jet lag before finally running clear and putting us 4-3 in front. We hung onto that till late in the game when their lively forward miscentred from wide right and it drifted into the net for an unlikely equaliser.
The return will be on December 20th at either Ashwell (good pubs and Betjeman's favourite village) or Knebworth , noone's favourite village, or perhaps John Boyle's when the Station re-opens. Adjourned to Fox for potatoes, the Irish famine is officially over it seems. I left after two (pints that is) and hope noone had to breathe into the dreaded bag among those that remained.
Newcastle top of league 1 in case you have not noticed and Middlesborough have failed to win under over-hyped under sized Gordon Strachan.

Good luck to Roy with his operation hope he gets a surgeon this time not Mr Trussell.

Ron