Red (5): Richard N, Kevin, John G, James McG, James C (minus last 15 minutes)
Yellow (5): Ahmet, Richard P, Darren, Ed, Joel
Joel, from the ‘others’ joined us as his other team wouldn’t let him join them, Jeremy had the shits so couldn’t play and John kicked dog shit off the pitch (Jeremy?) – fortunately it didn’t hit a fan.
Red came out of the blocks hard and true and took three early goals, Kevin opening the scoring with a well taken left footer and for the third John had time to go to India to pick the tea before making it, drinking it, then shot and scored. Yellow finally got something going, Joel contrived to miss from half a yard and to rub salt in the wound, James C’s clearance bounded all the way into the opposing goal, comedy stuff, but not for Yellow. Ahmet was not happy. At all. Red raced to a 6-1 lead but Yellow pulled it back to 6-3 by half time.
Yellow started with the same urgency in the second half hence a tighter game. Kevin’s 100% shots-to-goals quickly became 25% before Yellow pulled two back, a power blast from Ahmet beat James McG at his near post and was followed by a lovely dink shot from Darren past the same keeper, 6-5. Interesting, particularly with James C leaving 15 minutes before the end leaving Red a man down…which arrived without further score to a not unsurprising period of sustained Yellow pressure, Ed not having the best day in front of goal and energetic Red defending! An exciting y-yo finish ensued. Kevin upped his stats with an excellent dispossess-and-score move, 7-5, then a trademark Ahmet distance shot, 7-6. But James McG settled the games with a tidy finish from Kevin’s cross. Quote of the match from Kevin: “Cushion to press on.”
Final score: Red 8 – 6 Yellow
Thank you to Kevin, Richard P and James McG for report input in the absence of El Capitano.