The calm between the storms. Despite the deluges of Thursday and Saturday the pitch on Sunday was firm and playable. A comfortable enough victory whose margin should have been far greater but for careless finishing and some excellent keeping.
We should have been out of sight at half time courtesy of some excellent and at times patient football yet the score was only 1-0. The goal came from another good move down the left which was bobbled in by the supporting full back John Boyle following a Gavin 'dummy' or complete miskick from 5 yards. Take your pick! Gerry and Chris Cox deserve special mention for some sensible defensive work in the wide midfield positions, always tucking in to assist the excellent central pairing of Chris and Good Dave. Jamie sustained an early injury and replaced Dave in goal, ( who had made a good save from their only shot on goal before he took up his puffing and panting position at full back). Jamie had little to do but control a savage Tony backpass but his distribution was so good. Other keepers take note.
Second half started scrappily as the game became too stretched. Part of the fault lay with everyone being a little cavalier going forward and not having the puff to get back. Seemingly this tactic was known as 'doing a chairman'. There were lots of chairpersons that second half.
A little controversy as Gavin was cavorting to the by line he appeared to slip over his own shadow, the sun had actually appeared, and his penalty claims were turned down. I gave the full back a bit of the benefit and the sun was in my eyes and I wasn't well placed. The reward for having a geriatric referee. Worse was to follow when the benign Andy lost his blob after a robust tackle on the penalty spot from their usually gentlemanly though robotic centre half. I genuinely thought he went for the ball and a collision occurred due to Andy's speed. No penalty and a limping Andy followed. He was not deterred as time and again he outpaced their defence only to be denied in his final efforts.
The second goal was overdue. Oh here it comes. An immaculate Dave throw in, hands from behind the head, feet planted on the turf, travelled unerringly to Andy, some 6 yards away. Brilliant! Andy swivelled and hit an inviting cross into the area where Gavin racing away from goal retrieved the ball and had the simple task of turning on a sixpence and lashing a whizzbanger across the goal into the far corner. Much better than a penalty.
A third followed from Good Dave as he careered into the area and lashed in an unstoppable one.
Mark Mills played a sensible game for them and was not, by prior agreement, tackled by any of us since he wanted to enjoy a pain free Christmas. Unless you count a body check by, yes of course, Naughty Dave, or was he too knackered to get out of the way.
Brendan did not show so missed a certain 90 minutes, he went to a local gym where the showers were hot to prepare for next week's big game. Joel did not show?
A handful of us joined a handful of them in the Lytton for a merry repast. Alistair must have chewed his way through 8 drumsticks. There was one left for my dog.
Merry Christmas to you all!
Goodbye Sir Ronald
Quack quack
Monday 24 December 2012
Sunday 16 December 2012
Old Owens 5 Knobs 5
Phew! and Hmmmm!
Nice pitch.
Brendan, who had withdrawn from a golf tournament because we were short, was not well pleased to find himself on the bench with old Ron, as we had 13, including a mate of Darren's. My view is if a stranger is asked to come along and play because he is told we are short, he has to play from the start. If we have 13 and he is made sub. , albeit a roll off and on sub., that is not on. Anyway Brendan soon joined the fray when Twiggy succumbed to an ankle injury and settled in to have a good second half- and he bought me a pint afterwards. A couple of near goals early on promised much and yes we soon went ahead when Dave headed home emphatically from a corner. Soon afterwards Ali J burst forward and guided a beauty into the bottom corner, outside of the foot from outside of the area. A false dawn. For all the verve and promise going forward there was no complementary defensive grit. We looked too spread out and brittle. They did have a couple of decent, pacy blokes going forward but we contributed to our own woes by being far too stretched. Full backs and wide midfielders were staying rigidly wide so that there was an enormous corridor through the middle. As a result Chris and Darren in midfield were outnumbered and were never really getting to grips with the hordes pouring through. My understanding is you should defend narrow and attack with width, I've said it enough times. Congest the most sensitive area- best let them have possession out wide rather give them open house in the middle. Anyway they scored a good goal for them. It should never have got to their bloke mind, but a 50 yard hoik forward was pursued, controlled and smashed unstoppably high into the net. The second was one out of last week's catalogue of errors- lack of putting a body in where it might hurt, or conceivably where it might contribute towards gaining a touch on the ball. Three or four at fault here all waiting for each other to take charge. We were still having joy going forward but no luck especially when a dubious home flag prevented a goal from Jamie, who had run clear and lobbed the keeper. They added a fourth before half time when their winger was allowed to put in a cross which sailed into the net via the far post. Flukey!
Alistair went centre half, replacing debutant Darren who was playing the first half in his stocking feet. Ron came on. (Not bad should have scored three ended up with one. I will treasure the memory. Mind it is hard when you haven't been involved for such a long time!) Excuses excuses!
They scored a scrappy 5th , we're fucked perhaps, 5-2 is a bit of a gap. But in the last half hour they faded and we grew strong and really we were making, missing and taking some chances. A Gavin corner was badly headed over by a rusty Ron , it travelled a mile and nearly broke his head. The next corner Owens were not so lucky as the oldest Knob ever to score headed hard and low to convert another excellent Gavin corner. 5-3. Gavin was now running wild and would inevitably score in time. Ali J was rampant and Chris and Darren were winning everything in midfield. Gavin scorched through for a 4th then after a bit of a Dave 'tackle' generously considered fair by the ref the ball was launched toward Gavin who raced in from the right, scoring from a narrow angle 5-5!. Gavin was thwarted yet still managed to get a square ball to Ron who skied from the penalty spot- take a touch you prat!
Unlucky to only draw in the end but we'll get it right on more occasions than we get it wrong.
Next week Ashwell at home when we face mercurial Mark Mills and the following week we play against John Boyle's All Stars when those available will be able to line up and exchange incomparable badinage and bon mots with John aka Beaky himself!
Nice pitch.
Brendan, who had withdrawn from a golf tournament because we were short, was not well pleased to find himself on the bench with old Ron, as we had 13, including a mate of Darren's. My view is if a stranger is asked to come along and play because he is told we are short, he has to play from the start. If we have 13 and he is made sub. , albeit a roll off and on sub., that is not on. Anyway Brendan soon joined the fray when Twiggy succumbed to an ankle injury and settled in to have a good second half- and he bought me a pint afterwards. A couple of near goals early on promised much and yes we soon went ahead when Dave headed home emphatically from a corner. Soon afterwards Ali J burst forward and guided a beauty into the bottom corner, outside of the foot from outside of the area. A false dawn. For all the verve and promise going forward there was no complementary defensive grit. We looked too spread out and brittle. They did have a couple of decent, pacy blokes going forward but we contributed to our own woes by being far too stretched. Full backs and wide midfielders were staying rigidly wide so that there was an enormous corridor through the middle. As a result Chris and Darren in midfield were outnumbered and were never really getting to grips with the hordes pouring through. My understanding is you should defend narrow and attack with width, I've said it enough times. Congest the most sensitive area- best let them have possession out wide rather give them open house in the middle. Anyway they scored a good goal for them. It should never have got to their bloke mind, but a 50 yard hoik forward was pursued, controlled and smashed unstoppably high into the net. The second was one out of last week's catalogue of errors- lack of putting a body in where it might hurt, or conceivably where it might contribute towards gaining a touch on the ball. Three or four at fault here all waiting for each other to take charge. We were still having joy going forward but no luck especially when a dubious home flag prevented a goal from Jamie, who had run clear and lobbed the keeper. They added a fourth before half time when their winger was allowed to put in a cross which sailed into the net via the far post. Flukey!
Alistair went centre half, replacing debutant Darren who was playing the first half in his stocking feet. Ron came on. (Not bad should have scored three ended up with one. I will treasure the memory. Mind it is hard when you haven't been involved for such a long time!) Excuses excuses!
They scored a scrappy 5th , we're fucked perhaps, 5-2 is a bit of a gap. But in the last half hour they faded and we grew strong and really we were making, missing and taking some chances. A Gavin corner was badly headed over by a rusty Ron , it travelled a mile and nearly broke his head. The next corner Owens were not so lucky as the oldest Knob ever to score headed hard and low to convert another excellent Gavin corner. 5-3. Gavin was now running wild and would inevitably score in time. Ali J was rampant and Chris and Darren were winning everything in midfield. Gavin scorched through for a 4th then after a bit of a Dave 'tackle' generously considered fair by the ref the ball was launched toward Gavin who raced in from the right, scoring from a narrow angle 5-5!. Gavin was thwarted yet still managed to get a square ball to Ron who skied from the penalty spot- take a touch you prat!
Unlucky to only draw in the end but we'll get it right on more occasions than we get it wrong.
Next week Ashwell at home when we face mercurial Mark Mills and the following week we play against John Boyle's All Stars when those available will be able to line up and exchange incomparable badinage and bon mots with John aka Beaky himself!
Monday 10 December 2012
Goldings 4 Knobs 3
Rural tranquillity, Bramfield. Sunny and cold, tiny pitch.
Crappiest of all "changing rooms", all together in a cupboard, so tight we were changing each other. Ooh nice, touch me there again Dave sort of coziness. It didn't augur well with the entrance floor being covered by a broken glass bottle. Noone seemed to care. Two open plan showers in the corner doubled as a toilet well they did for Trevor.
Struggled to get a side out, so two outsiders Dave Fish and Tony's mate Richard deputised.
We attacked first and Gavin was thwarted from a narrow angle. Then they attacked , not particularly threatening or creative just lumping forward and pushing and shoving but trouble was we never looked like having a defence against it. We were woeful, nah we were absolute shite. Allowed ourselves to be bullied and intimated so much so that three of the goals came from the most pathetic of challenges inside our six yard box. Re phrase that, no challenges in the six yard box.
It was discussed in the conviviality of the salubrious pub opposite afterwards. All seem to acknowledge collective blame and yes as a group we were non existent in that dreadful first half. But in this mess individual lack of commitment stood out. Brendan was at fault for the first for not simply conceding a corner as the bloke behind him sneaked ahead and toe poked past the line bound Trevor. Dave looked as if he was never gonna get near anyone to commit some of his morale sapping fouls and tackles and an easy bit of play, unchallenged saw them score from a shit cross from his side for the second. Unchallenged, unchallenged and unchallenged! After you Claud, you score. The third saw a ball wickedly bounce over Tony's head in the six yard box. His warning of "over me" was not supposed to be an invitation to sexual liaison but a warning to those behind to defend. Again no challenge, ball netted from a few inches.
The 4th goal was just the opening of the floodgates. 4-0. We were coping better with Mr Fish at centre back, Brendan at left back and Dave left midfield but could we get a bit of energy into the play and a bit of commitment instead the tentative passivity that was the first half story.
Everyone knew that as individuals and even as a team force we were far better than that. Second half everyone showed it. Except for a couple of breakaways from which they missed they weren't in it thanks to tackling, challenging, RUNNING and the occasional foul or three. The reward was three goals all from Gavin. The first, he outran the back for and slid it in before the keeper could get there. The keeper was favourite but Gavin was quick and committed. The second was a Gavin penalty after he, himself, had been scythed down. The third, from a deflected free kick, from one of the many freekicks they started conceding from shooting range. Ian slid Gavin in for what would have been an equaliser but a controversial flag thwarted him. Much mirth from their massed ranks on the line. wasn't even marginal. Our 4th was not to come.
John Twigg in at left back for Brendan was tackling and putting his body on the line like a man possessed. Dave was involved in everything on the left tackling, bumping, boring and stirring up passions. This was really really better. Nothing pretty but it was a competition for supremacy which the first half certainly wasn't.
Well done and in the end unlucky!
Noone felt like a journey into Hertford and all were disappearing to respective abodes when Tony emerged from the adjacent restaurant-pub and announced they were letting riff raff in. So we gathered together and went in. Very nice, clean and sparkling with quoffable ale. Goodnight Vienna!
Crappiest of all "changing rooms", all together in a cupboard, so tight we were changing each other. Ooh nice, touch me there again Dave sort of coziness. It didn't augur well with the entrance floor being covered by a broken glass bottle. Noone seemed to care. Two open plan showers in the corner doubled as a toilet well they did for Trevor.
Struggled to get a side out, so two outsiders Dave Fish and Tony's mate Richard deputised.
We attacked first and Gavin was thwarted from a narrow angle. Then they attacked , not particularly threatening or creative just lumping forward and pushing and shoving but trouble was we never looked like having a defence against it. We were woeful, nah we were absolute shite. Allowed ourselves to be bullied and intimated so much so that three of the goals came from the most pathetic of challenges inside our six yard box. Re phrase that, no challenges in the six yard box.
It was discussed in the conviviality of the salubrious pub opposite afterwards. All seem to acknowledge collective blame and yes as a group we were non existent in that dreadful first half. But in this mess individual lack of commitment stood out. Brendan was at fault for the first for not simply conceding a corner as the bloke behind him sneaked ahead and toe poked past the line bound Trevor. Dave looked as if he was never gonna get near anyone to commit some of his morale sapping fouls and tackles and an easy bit of play, unchallenged saw them score from a shit cross from his side for the second. Unchallenged, unchallenged and unchallenged! After you Claud, you score. The third saw a ball wickedly bounce over Tony's head in the six yard box. His warning of "over me" was not supposed to be an invitation to sexual liaison but a warning to those behind to defend. Again no challenge, ball netted from a few inches.
The 4th goal was just the opening of the floodgates. 4-0. We were coping better with Mr Fish at centre back, Brendan at left back and Dave left midfield but could we get a bit of energy into the play and a bit of commitment instead the tentative passivity that was the first half story.
Everyone knew that as individuals and even as a team force we were far better than that. Second half everyone showed it. Except for a couple of breakaways from which they missed they weren't in it thanks to tackling, challenging, RUNNING and the occasional foul or three. The reward was three goals all from Gavin. The first, he outran the back for and slid it in before the keeper could get there. The keeper was favourite but Gavin was quick and committed. The second was a Gavin penalty after he, himself, had been scythed down. The third, from a deflected free kick, from one of the many freekicks they started conceding from shooting range. Ian slid Gavin in for what would have been an equaliser but a controversial flag thwarted him. Much mirth from their massed ranks on the line. wasn't even marginal. Our 4th was not to come.
John Twigg in at left back for Brendan was tackling and putting his body on the line like a man possessed. Dave was involved in everything on the left tackling, bumping, boring and stirring up passions. This was really really better. Nothing pretty but it was a competition for supremacy which the first half certainly wasn't.
Well done and in the end unlucky!
Noone felt like a journey into Hertford and all were disappearing to respective abodes when Tony emerged from the adjacent restaurant-pub and announced they were letting riff raff in. So we gathered together and went in. Very nice, clean and sparkling with quoffable ale. Goodnight Vienna!
Sunday 2 December 2012
sandridge v Knobs off frost
Another Sunday spoiled. Got the news 9.03. Only failed to reach jamie and Dave who got to the Station. Sorry chaps!
Next week Goldings away snow permitting.
Next week Goldings away snow permitting.
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