Knobs 3 Shephall 2

We scored 3 like last week but this time didn't concede 5- c'est la difference!

We had 14, tricky for the sub meister. Enter on-off Phil to point out the dilemmas. He was possibly man of the match for positioning and being able to pass the ball to a fellow Knob, but Chris W put in a ferocious shift as well.

Incessant rain created a mud heap well before the end so that the first twenty minutes when some clever football might have been possible was vital. Neither side took advantage of this time slot and the outcome was a slog with the final result always a little in doubt.

A first goal finally came from Andy slaloming across the mud before unleashing a distance shot which the keeper fumbled over his head and across the line. They all count. Earlier Dave pulled off a cracking diving save which diverted the ball onto a post, along the line and away to safety.

With Vinny fretting to be away to assuage the wife's angst we didn't look terribly threatening going forward when we rerached the last third. We lost the effective Ali for a time when his boot was reduced to a carpet slipper but he came on to good account in the second half having borrowed one from the departing Vinny. On such small things are great events decided.

Half time 1-0.

Kicking downhill after the break should have been a doddle against a much less physical side, surely the smallest we face, yet it was not to be. In fact for a twenty minute spell all cohesion and togetherness seemed to have deserted the Knobs. (Criticism- Jamie spent a vital period as flagman- it's hard I know). They equalised from a shot, following an unecessary freekick from our left that diverted unstoppably off Tony's back. Could we avoid collapse? We could. One of umpteen corners flew across the area to where Phil had sensibly positioned himself beyond the far post- he unleashed a screamer via the underside of the bar to put us ahead. The corner went out and came in? Not from where I was standing. Their better placed linesman did not flag either. Andy embarked on a couple of solo runs ending in shots that went for power but went over. Our third was controversial , to them. A ball knocked forward toward an offside Andy was ignored by him and by everyone else except Phil, who running from an onside position retrieved the ball. A pass across goal ensued, which was dispatched by Andy.

3-1. Yes the pass was on a forward trajectory but the receiving player was behind it when it was played and ran onto it. Offside, definitely not, Phil?

They immediately broke and pulled one back when a shot from range slid through the net, nearly erred there, thanks to Ali, nuff said, 3-2 and so it remained.

Can't report on pub since I retired to the sofa to 'enjoy' the rest of the Newcastle- Makkems game.

Only one team in it and Newcastle more than deserved the point. That Clatterhole, what a prat of the lowest order. The 30 seconds-in leg breaker on Tiotte should have been a straight red miles before his true colours were shown after the final whistle. Can't take it, gives the referee abuse- the ref doesn't take it , gives him a red. post match entertainment! Cattermole, thick as a brick as well as narrrsty!

LATEST!!!!!

Apparently Dave gave Darren a black eye in a bit of high jinx- the showers were freezing again- the opposition failed to make the pub (cold showers,hardly surprising) and the 'food' was so late in arriving that Steve and Tony had gone home hungry. We are obviously irrelevant in the food queue at the Station, why do we bother? The grub is NEVER remotely on time for us.