There’s a time honoured custom in sport and one that SHWFC members cherish The Referee is Always Right ……..No Referee No game as the saying goes
The week started as usual with Monday morning’s Ruskin Sports Village session, slightly more challenging than usual due to the absence of high profile Referees and their occasional stand in helpers After the distribution of the latest Club team wear to those present and the eventual warm up, line up and bib provision we learned that only Jeff Betty Birchall of the usual suspects was available to take charge
We were then blessed with a noble volunteer, nursing a damaged wrist, Liz McDonald stepping in to boss her first-ever game The morning ran smoothly with only a minor rain deluge to divert attention from the lively discussion in one particular game The storm was thankfully of the tea cup variety and though everyone was thoroughly drenched no crockery was disturbed in discussion that marked the session
The teams were;
Orange - Brian, Grazer, Tom Stretch, Sheila, Cockney Rebel and Barry Wizz
Purple - Tom Derby, Gaz, Eileen, Andy Man, Roger and Gonzalo
Pink - Jenko, Kirsty, McSpeed, Aldo, Amazon, Haggis and Les Meldrew
Black - Chris K, Paul F, Mark NR, Snakehips, Tomo, Eamon, Phil the Power and El Presidente
The weather and continuing holiday season meant just Pitches 1 & 2 were in play
On the pitch closest to the grandstand (Pitch 1) Liz oversaw Pink take a deserved win over Black by 3 goals to 1 Haggis, Lee and McSpeed on the front foot for Pink, Black ,despite a numerical advantage were disappointing all session Chris Kelsall hit a consolation but Black offered a very disjointed display
In game 2 Black were cruelly exposed by a more fluid Purple with Gaz and Gonzalo 2 sealing a 3-0 victory in that very fine rain that soaks to the skin Black failing to offer any cohesion Their final match was a much better showing, gaining a draw with Tomo firing home for Black but Brian finding the net in reply for the zesty Orange
Jeff Betty’s first match up paired Orange and Purple in a very even affair The final score, a 1-1 draw courtesy of goals by Barry Wizz and Gonzalo was tight throughout
Orange crushed Pink in game 2 with goals by Cockney Rebel 2, Barry and Tom Stretch in the day’s most one sided game 4-0 the outcome Pink bounced back to win their final match by 3 goals to nil over Purple Dave Amazon Prime, Aldo and Haggis (another fine display by the Tartan Terror)
The sumptuous surroundings of the Slipper Salon was augmented by the provision of cake for the post match analysis We’ve managed to secure photographic evidence of our Lead Cake Taster as shown below Tom Sttetch Parr was delighted with the selection though El Presidente declared the Carrot cake and Coffee and Walnut cake much too healthy for his tastes The demolition of the cakes offered show not everyone is quite so picky!
Our Midweek session at the Sutton SoccerDome welcomed the return, albeit briefly before his next jaunt, of Lord Rainford in his reprise of the classic ‘man with hat and Sussex Constabulary whistle plays reluctant Referee’
Twenty three members graced the occasion, meaning we had 3 teams of 6 and a team of 5 were selected for action
Those teams were;
White - Haggis, Tom Stretch, Citeh Geoff, Les Meldrew, Joe the Ghost and Grav
Blue - Wickie, Roger, John C, Jason, Deggs and Eileen
Yellow - Will, Kirsty, Michelle Midweek, Andy Man, Chris 4G and Eamon
Red - Barry Wizz, Simon, Chris 10P, Steve S and Deano
Red faced Yellow in M’Lord’s opener A solitary goal by Simon secured a narrow win for the super speedy Red Eamon might have levelled but for a daring diving save by Chris 10P (that serious?) So 1-0 to the Deadly Serious Crimson Tide (University of Alabama Football)
In their second game the Red prevailed in a seven goal thriller over White in the night’s closest match Simon put Red ahead before Haggis claimed an excellent equaliser 1-1 Grav made it 2-1 White before Chris 10P hit 2 unanswered goals and Barry handed the initiative back to Red 4-2 Tom Stretch missed a difficult chance before Grav claimed his second 4-3 now with White more than matching their illustrious rivals Red held out to seal the win
In the final action White were quickly chasing the game against Yellow 2 down with Eamon and Chris 4G seizing the advantage Haggis helped steer White back into contention setting up Joe for 2-1 Eamon restored the two goal cushion before Joe claimed his second to ramp up the pressure Yellow held firm to close out 3-2 victors after a terrific game
El Presidente urged Blue and White to encourage and talk more in his first fixture of the night One who shall be nameless has been playing long enough to appreciate he will never single-handedly beat a team playing with spirit and communicating to each other There was little goal action in the opening minutes but plenty of chances Joe the Ghost enjoying the anonymity of hiding just off the pitch swept the ball into the net to give White the lead The goal gave White a general boost Suddenly they were on top and looking much the better side Blue with John Cousins playing a more impactful role fought to level, one chance narrowly wide of the far post Grav produced a second White goal with 4 minutes left Blue had plenty of possession but constantly struggled to create any real chances The game ended with Blue searching for a goal that never arrived White too clinical 2-0 the score as time elapsed
In Game 2 Yellow faced Blue both looking for their first win Eamon fired a high shot that dipped under the bar but via the stratosphere, wiped out by the tyrant in the middle Deggs wasted a chance blazing wide when fed in on goal There was frustration as a Blue effort was ruled out for running and a tackle from behind in the build up A long period of attritional play followed Both sides struggling to gain the upper hand John Cousins finally unlocked the Yellow rearguard to claim the goal his play deserved 1-0 with just 2 minutes left, and soon after 2 - 0 when he added his second to seal the victory
In the final match the much-vaunted Red faced Blue The huge gulf in the sides was apparent from the start Blue survived an early set-back with a free kick called despite Red applying a finish After 3 minutes Chris 10P found the finish to propel Red 1-0 ahead The constant Red movement and passing delivered a superb second goal Deano squaring to unmarked Simon to stroke into the vacant net Blue produced a great one-two with Eileen to force home for 2-1 It was 3-1 soon after despite a lame appeal for clemency by the Blue keeper As hard as John, Wickie and Eileen battled for the Blue the Crimson Tide continued to overwhelm
Simon added another to make it 4-1, a simple chance to convert with Blue stretched all over the pitch Wickie added a very pacy consolation for 4-2 El Presidente showing some measure of mercy Chris 10P made it 5-2 Red too strong, too savvy and organised Roger then produced an amazing save off his shoulder despite facing the wrong direction The pain continued with Red’s 6th goal
Serious questions must be asked about the gulf between Red and the other teams Sure they had a player less in each game but their allround power pace and know how gave them a massive advantage 6-2 in that last game was a margin of victory that would dishearten the hardiest competitor
The Club’s Official Boot Room made it to pages of Hansard with our long-standing friend and unofficial promoter MP David Baines highlighting the Turks Head continuing success with another CAMRA triumph Media duties post match were brief but thoroughly enjoyable Wednesday players are welcome to join with the Boot Room Crew after every Sutton session
Always Alright* - The Alabama Shakes
Comments