Red (5): James, Keith, Tufan, Daniel, John
Yellow (6): Gerald, Richard, Colin, Oz, Matt, Jim
What a cracker! The highest attendance since Mr Piper departed us in mid-August. Sunny – a little warm even. A good sized pitch but a bit bobbley and Matt returns from cricket exile.
Red didn’t start like they were the man down. Keith curled a peach of a cross for Daniel to head back across goal and over the keeper, just a shade high of the top corner – an impressive start from Red and it stayed relentless for the next five minutes. They peppered the Yellow goal with several headers and shots and own goals were there for the taking too. But nothing went in and Yellow finally got into the game. It was fast stuff, breaks-a-plenty and end-to-end running around. The first goal came after about 15 minutes, James taking a short corner to Tufan who dribbled around the defender, along to the goal line and crossed for Keith to side-foot in. Red got up to 2-0 after easily dominating the first half half but Yellow somehow pulled two back, the second going in just before half-time.
They settled after the break – a much more even-sided affair. Red got the first but Yellow replied and went ahead too! Sadly its all a bit of blur so all I can recall is Jim scooping a chance over the bar from a metre out, Keith impersonating Bruce Lee and a succession of consistently placed misses from Matt all going just wide and low of the right post. Oz fired off a handful of rockets which caused problems. John took the sting out of one but Matt was on hand to fire in the lose ball. John got on the scoresheet though in revenge, calmly poking in when the ball seem to have awkwardly aluded him. And then five minutes before the end, Red equalised.
Hardly an engaging report (apologies for gaps of individual greatness) but a very impressive counter-attacking style from both teams who both wanted the win. Just like Mr Piper, you couldn’t question the passion.
It may have been just a draw but something won out there – football!
Final score: Yellow 4 – 4 Red