Knobs 2 MBDA 2

After a few weeks off due to weather / over cautious groundsmen we were set to play MBDA away in Walkern.  The day before the game we were told the pitch wasn’t playable!  With some hasty enquiries and some strong negotiations we moved the game to our home pitch.

The spirit in the changing room was good.  Dave J though was subdued, was walking funny and was clearly still feeling it (whatever “it” is) from his trip to see 50 shades at the cinema.  This may have been a reason he read his own team sheet out wrongly resulting in 12 people lining up at kick off.

Lee and Greg arrived late and won the sweeping honours, Lee promised to arrive at 9 AM next time.  Our foreign signing Jono said something which may have been motivating, Dave K sat still in his y-fronts whilst some of the team admired his torso.  Normal service had resumed.

After hearing about the farcical new goals being used the day before the team elected to get the old goals up.  At this point we had forgotten it was an away game and MBDA should have put up the goals.       
The game kicked off (after our 12 man left the field) and we looked like a team who has not played for a while.  2 minutes in, the ball was thrown into our box and allowed to bounce all the way into the 6 yard box and was tapped in.  One of the poorest goals we have let in this season.  We were still confident but were 2nd best for most of the half.  We were not winning the 50/50s and were 2nd to most loose balls.  Very unlike us. 

Shortly after the goal Dave K’s calf muscle burst and he limped off to be replaced by Chris C.  Still, he lasted longer than Paul Matthews does each game.

It was the first bit of quality play of the match that resulted in us scoring a great team goal.  The ball was played into Jono’s feet from Bully on the edge of our box, Jono flicked the ball to Darren running from the midfield, Darren fed Dave M who had peeled left, Dave M slipped the ball into the path of Lee who just had the keeper to beat from the angle.  Lee produced a sumptuous chip over the advancing keeper.

Special mention must go to Martyn who decided to pick up the ball and ask the ref for a foul whilst standing in his own D.  Fortunately for Martyn the resulting free kick MBDA got went over!

For the rest of the half the game followed the same pattern.  MBDA had more of the ball and spent more time in our half.  It was against the run of play that we scored our second goal.  This time we had gone forward in numbers and had men in their box.  The ball was half cleared under pressure but fell to Greg on the edge of the box.  Greg returned the ball with interest, a swerving dipping shot which beat the keeper easily.  Greg declared the shot was from 30 yards.

Birthday boy Banksy was brought on just before half time in another of his non-favoured positions, right back.

At half time we had the lead but had not played well.  Unusual for us as we have not had much luck this season!

Dave was still struggling and so Director of Football John arranged for Mrs Director of Football to give the half time team talk.  This clearly had a positive effect as the 2nd half performance was more like how we had been playing for most of the season.

From the off we dominated possession and chances.  We had a few free kicks on the edge of the box.  The keeper made a wonder save which goal line technology would have given us a goal for. The birthday boy missed a 1 yard side foot into an empty goal and the trees, corner flags and tennis courts took a peppering from our forwards.  We must have had a dozen shots to their 3.  Of their 3, 1 hit the cross bar, 1 just missed and the 3rd was a goal from the needless penalty we gave them.

The birthday boy withdrew from the match as the ground was too soft for him.

In the end we were frustrated to have drawn the match.  We should have put the game to bed many times over in the 2nd half but it was one of those days.

Most of us then went off to the pub to eat some brown with brown sauce and hear about the 2 wonder goals from the goal scorers when they finally arrived back from cleaning duty.

We were all delighted for the birthday boy when he won the scratch card but less so when he pocketed the cash and went home.

Next game is a friendly on Astro in Baldock.  The management dream team will be using the game to try out a few different tactics, players and line ups!