Despite the subarctic conditions in the days leading up to the game, the forecasted overnight snow and deep frost did not arrive and so the game was on. A match the day before on our pitch ensured the mud was nice and soft. It was the sort of mud that covers your boots before you even kick off. Just what you need when you haven’t played for 5 weeks!
Our adversaries were table topping Welwyn Sports. The last time we played them was towards the end of last season and despite lots of praise for the effort we put in we lost 7-0!
Just how far have we come this season? Quite a way based on this result and performance.
The management dream team had the luxury again of too many players to choose from so went with the system they used the week before. Dan and Martyn were the last to arrive and this resulted in the usual penalty of cleaning the pavilion. Not a good week for this chore or Martyn who took a very muddy kit home!
Dave Knights made his return after a long injury lay off and tried to hide in the corner but was still subjected to repeated abuse over his non-flagging of a goal kick back on the 9th of December. Forgive and forget? Nope. He did display his lovely new spray tan he bought himself for Christmas though. No tan lines!
Gerry arrived with the kit which he had almost washed. Some of us looked like we had played a match before we left the changing room.
Anyway, the goals were put up and we realised that just 1 thing was missing. Balls.
Attempts to steal the first / reserve team balls were thwarted when Dan L broke the lock to the cupboard. James phoned his wife and asked her to pop into loft to see if he had left them up there!? He hadn’t. So everyone decided to blame absent Chairman Al for taking the balls home at the end of the last game. The fact he didn’t play in that game was irrelevant. (does anyone know where our balls are please!?)
So we scrounged a ball from Welwyn and with no proper warm up we kicked off.
As expected Welwyn settled into the game quicker (they had warmed up!) but were not creating much in the final third. Surprisingly after 5 weeks we showed great fitness and discipline and kept our shape well. Tony C collected a few over hit long balls but didn’t need to make any tough saves. We were troubling them down both flanks, especially our right with Tony K and Gerry working well together. In fact it was Tony K who had our first clear chance when a ball floated over their left back by Darren A put Tony through, his shot unfortunately going past the far post.
With Paul M acting as target man and the pacey Dave M playing off him with his pace we always have a chance in matches. Unfortunately after a couple of pacey runs Dave was chopped down (again) and hobbled off to the side line. A blow indeed as pace gives you a chance against any team. Anyone remember a player called Gavin?
A change of plan was needed with Dan coming on which meant we were playing 2 hold up men up front. The midfield needed to get closer to the front men. We continued to defend well and Welwyn were getting more frustrated. Their passes were getting longer and were easily defended by James and Martyn down the middle and their frequent balls towards our left back were cleaned up by Dave K.
With Bully and Darren A putting the miles in covering the middle of the park a tackle in the middle by Darren A and a quick pass released Brendan (goal machine) down the left. The ball was eventually crossed to Darren A who had kept running into the box and as he flicked the ball on with his head he was mounted from behind ending up flat on the ground. Les pointed to the spot and up stepped Bully who despite telling Welwyn he will go left and the keeper diving that way found the inside of the side netting for the perfect spot kick. 1-0 Knobs.
It was all going so well. And then it wasn’t. A Welwyn corner resulted in a soft equaliser. Tony C charged out, the ball was headed skywards over him and as it eventually fell to earth, none of our 3 players on the line seemed to want to clear it and it gently fell into our goal. Cack.
The 2nd half came and went with the same determined defending and solid shape but the boggy pitch and 5 week break began to take its toll. The last 20 minutes we just couldn’t keep the ball and more passes were mishit or long balls over hit as we tired. Tony C still didn’t have too much to do. More than their keeper but no need to make big saves.
The Welwyn winner when it came was a bit scrappy and a big relief to them as they looked like they had run out of ideas. Their player with the very heavy beard which meant he couldn’t stand up for very long again fell over in our box. As a couple of Welwyn players inevitably claimed a penalty (it wasn’t) the ball squirmed to an un-marked man in the box who managed to shoot through a crowd of players into our net. Harsh!
The only other thing of note was Dave K reminding us of his debut by again clocking one of their players in the mouth for swinging an arm at his face. Fair enough and very entertaining. Les didn’t see it (shock!) so we agreed to remove both players to cool off.
Most of us and them retired to the new improved Station pub 2.0 where we received more brown stuff than we could possibly eat. The latest brown item being a mini pasty. Dan and Martyn spent 30 minutes cleaning up the pavilion.
Next game is away at the surprise 2nd place team Blunham. We lost 2-3 at home earlier this season. We can do them!
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