An experiment….divide the players into a defensive team and an attacking team:
Red: JP, James, Tim, Ed
Yellow: Gerald, Jeremy, Ahmet, Daniel
Scorchio. So yellow pulled away to 5-1, red pulled a few back to 5-4, then yellow scampered away again to 9-6, only to be pinned back by red who’d been losing all game until the last 5 minutes when they got the last goal. Final score: 10-10. A scuffed shot from Daniel going out for a throw was due to be the worst kick of the day but to his rescue came Ed who, taking a corner, chose to kick back to his own keeper but missed-kicked and it went out for a corner at the other end instead – Brilliant. But one of several awful corners. Dunno what the proves about attacking and defending, not much.
Red: JP, Matt, Jim N, Richard N, Daniel
Yellow: Ed, Ahmet, Gerald, James, Jim M
A second 5-a-side in a row! Well done you lot.
A funny old game. Great kick off, Norman lifting the ball for JP to volley it on target only for Ed to raise his hands to save his beautiful face. Free kick! Which came to nothing. Red had the better first 15 minutes but couldn’t pull away with a lead, yellow answering back each time. 2-2. Yellow took the initiative and popped in a couple of goals before the break leaving red to scratch their heads. 4-2. Not much of note in the first bit of the second half until Daniel put in a demoralising own goal when red had had the upper hand. He made amends 10 minutes later putting away a scrappy ball but although Red managed to keep possession, they chose not to shoot and yellow killed them off in the final five minutes. Final score: Red 3 – 6 yellow.
Good: Yellow – commendable for getting back in numbers to defend, which is why they won.
Bad: Red – ropey but agreed defensive policy of not getting back and relying on yellow to fluff their shots. Which is why they lost.
Red: Daniel, Jeremy, Richard N, Jim N, James
Yellow: Asif, Gerald, Jonathan, JP, Tim
Another odd game, a tit-for-tat fist ten minutes with both teams coming away with two goals each, then nothing until the last ten minutes wher Red seemed to put away every chance. Final (harsh) score: Red 6 – 2 Yellow. Welcome back Jonathan, we’ve missed your left foot.
Red: Tim, Andrew, Daniel
Yellow: Jeremy, JP
3 vs 2. We believed! Small pitch, hard work out. First 10 minutes goalless. Then a tit-for-tat middle 40 minutes with plenty of goals, chances, saves and yellow 1 goal up with 10 minutes to go. They played the more inventive football with some tasty strikes from JP while red were uninspiringly formulaic but it worked. 4 goals in the last 10 minutes. Final score 13 – 9 to red.
Red: Oz, Jim M, Tim, Dan + any one of the four randoms.
Yellow: James, JP, Richard N + any two of the four randoms
Just as we were about to start off, two randoms joined us. One of which then spent the first half phoning his mates inviting them to play. It ended up as 5-a-side eventually with these ringers substituting between both teams. Strange folk. As for goals. Fairly even and a bit scrappy until the last 15 minutes when yellow shockingly pulled away to a 5 goal lead with every volley going in, the cream of which was an overhead flick-on by James coming over JP’s left shoulder and him right-foot-volleying it in at the near post. Tasty stuff.
Final score: Yellow 13 – 9 Red
Yellow (5): Oz, Darren, Jim N, Matt, Steve
Red (5): Stuart, Dan, Jeremy, Gerald, Ed
5-a-side: I like this regular even sided-ness we’re achieving.
So anyway, after an end-to-end opening 10 minutes in which red pulled away to 3-1, yellow wouldn’t succomb and rose again to draw level much to the chagrin of red. The killing blow came when Gerald’s clearance hit Matt on the back and looped back into the goal. 4-3 to yellow. Gerald sank to his knees and gnashed his teeth in despair. Yellow then pulled away to an 8-3 lead with the last goal slipping between Jeremys legs that had been firmly closed hitherto. Calamatous. But red didn’t lose their pluck and began a resolute fightback. A shot from Daniel hit Steve on the arm and the penalty prayers were answered. Stuart stepped up and although the initial shot was blocked by Jim, Ed bundled in the rebound and jumped around like the Easter Bunny who’d eaten all the chocolates, possibly because his son had come to watch. A few more goals made it 8-7 to yellow. In the last 10 seconds Jeremy threw the ball up the pitch over everyone and Daniel got his head to it – would he be the hero?……………..No – straight at the keeper.
Lots of shots, some tasty saves and I hope you like the relevant biblical and Easter references.
Final score 8-7 to yellow.
So I can’t recall much other than Richard N hoofing the ball up the pitch to waste the last 5 seconds and shouting with victorious glee and Oz can only remember fluffing a couple of shots and not playing well. Hmmm, not one for the history books then. 7 -a-side though – great numbers so thank you for coming. John G – hope your injury isn’t too bad. Final score 4-3 to yellow
Red: Oz, James, Darren, Tim, Matt, Stuart, a random
Yellow: John G, Daniel, Ahmet, JP, Jim M, Jim N, Richard N