Feast of Famine
As the weeks go by it’s fair to admit we’ve been happily spoiled this year Blessed with excellent players, playing excellent football, great goals, sublime passing and just occasionally some bang average football too
Monday and Wednesday offered both sides of the story this week
For all the right reasons Maybe we’ve been spoiled?
But what of our rumoured hostile takeover I hear nobody ask? The latest news in the story as revealed by legendary hack Lunchtime O’Booze last week, included a rare interview with Manx Oil spokesman Derek Deggs Taylor
“We’ve an interest sure! Have we made a bid? I can’t say yet But certainly El Presidente and the Executive team should be looking over their shoulders No comment on the speculation regarding our interest in Harry Kane and Paulo Maldini A new ground in Haydock or Huyton? I can’t possibly comment”
Keep an eye for further news as Sky mount another special feature in the week ahead This story will run and run (now that is definitely a foul)
So what of the real football action?
Monday morning’s Ruskin Sports Village teams were (possibly but not definitely) as follows;
Black - Little John, Eileen, Mike Thomo, Eamon, McSpeed (later a Green) JC (nor Black really) and Robin
Green - Jim, Speedo Mick (not Green really) Grazer Clark, Roy, Chris K and Mark NR
Blue - Barry Wiz, Dame Sheila, Gonzalo, Colin, Wickie & Ricky (comedy duo big in clubland)
Red - Steve Harding, Mike Bates, Big Tony, Pete O, Joe the Ghost and Les Meldrew
Old Gold - Snakehips, Lord Rainford, Donal, Tom Stretch, Big Phil Moss and Phil the Power
Purple - Triallist, Trish, Les H, Andy Man and John Hill plus others probably
Prior to play Dame Sheila Darwin showed the assembled masses her St John’s Ambulance award (carries equivalency as MBE) Congratulations to Sheila for her amazing longevity with this most worthy organisation
Monday 12/10 Ruskin Pitch C
Blue 8 v 3 Red. 3-1 HT
Chris 5 Barry 2 Colin 1 (Blue)
Peter 1 (pen)Tony 1 (pen) and Joe 1 (Red)
This was actually a much closer game than the scoreline would suggest With Chris being in great scoring form for Blue, and some really unlucky shooting by the Red team who hit the post or goalkeeper on numerous occasions, the final score would have been very different. Shiela for Blue had three great opportunities to widen the score, but she rushed them slightly and unfortunately just missed the target. All in all it was a very entertaining game with both teams playing some excellent football in great spirits
Gold v Purple
3-2 to Gold
Gold -Phil Moss 2, Phil the Power
Purple- Les H 2.
This was a game of 3 excellent goals. Phil Moss squeezed one in from an acute angle while facing away from goal. Les H stuck a sweet half volley into the roof of the net. Phil the Power notched the pick of the bunch with an arrow into the top bin (there is video evidence to illustrate just how well the ball was struck) 2 keepers wouldn't have saved that one!
A great game played in the usual jovial spirit. Phil Moss played the perfect centre forward game, everything that was played up to him stuck, bringing the marauding Gold midfield into the moves.
Purple nearly forced a draw with the last kick of the game when Trish hit a beauty into the roof of the net. Unfortunately, the effort was disallowed due to encroachment into the area. Charlie said he'd have loved to allow the goal, as the game deserved to finish all square, but, as they say, rules are rules.
Comment of the day must go down to Phil Moss. He barged into Andy Man, quite inadvertently. Charlie quite rightly gave the free kick, to which Phil replied. 'you try stopping a moving 20 stone!' Classic😁
A very enjoyable morning 's entertainment.
Charlie took charge of a terrific tussle in the near pitch as Old Gold tarnished the Purple by 3 goals to 2 The game was as close as the score would suggest with the outcome in doubt throughout Goals by Big Phil Moss and Phil the Power gave Old Gold the edge despite a brace by Les Hewitt
Good close match played in great spirit
Meanwhile El Presidente was unimpressed with the quality of play in the remaining fixture as Green and Black served up a dour watch The game started as a 5 v 5 with players switched from the original line ups to assist the other games The eventual late arrival of Girvo & John Hayes (let down by shoddy bus service) only added to the dilemma
Black were in full control at 3-1 thanks to goals by Roy 2, Mark NR Eamon did grab Green’s opener to coincide with the introduction of our latecomers After a switch to accommodate two ‘specialist keepers’, there was a period of relative calm Eamon hit his second for 3-2 Black were on top but largely due to the carelessness of Green passing Mark NR fired Green 4-2 ahead Chris Kelsall imposed his growing energetic presence on the game with some excellent passing Lee Girvan claimed his first goal for a half time 5-2 advantage to Black
A personnel switch to move Roy and Robin in opposite directions made little difference to the flow of the game Black were punished for exceeding 6 fouls but Eamon put his penalty just wide Lee Girvan hit his 2nd and 3rd goals Black comfortably 7-2 up With Green contributing to their own downfall
John Hayes in the Green goal produced a string of great saves to keep Black out of contention Girvo hit two goals another to stretch the deficit to 9-2
Girvo’s enthusiasm produced a string of ‘not walking’ offences and a penalty that McSpeed tucked away for Green 9-3, a goal poor reward for his morning’s work
The game was littered with passages of poor passing and careless defending Black much too clinical
Green must do better
Sutton’s second indoor game of the new season featured a close game for those not impaired by colour blindness
Red 4 v 3 White
Phil(2) Joe(1) Mick(1) Red
Grav (3) HT White
A slow start with both teams giving nothing away as they sized up the opposition.A brief lapse in defence from White left Phil in space on the right, and with his usual shooting prowess he put Reds in the lead. The half time score was two nil to Red with Phil getting his second capitalising on a rare bit of shoddy defending by White who were playing some decent football but couldn’t finish their chances. The second have started much the same with Gaz and Grav battling hard to get White back in the game unfortunately Gaz couldn’t match the shooting accuracy of Phil and was more of a threat to the chairs behind the goal than the goal itself.
Joe then ghosted through to give Red a three nil lead, but Grav who was determined to get white back in the game scored two quick goals in reply and started the White come back. With the Red teams nerves now jangling Speedo Mick was on hand to recover the Reds two goal advantage. The final goal of the night finished off a great game and gave Grav his well deserved hat-trick for White.
As is usual indoors it was another well disciplined game played in good spirits
Outside the weather kept very decent to allow an excellent 8 a side contest
Yellow met Sky in a crowded but very high quality game Both sides used the ball well, Paul Winstanley fired the opener for Yellow after a couple of minutes Ian Harding replied a minute later 1-1 and just 5 minutes played
Eamon played a deft one-two with Jason before firing a fine effort inside the post Paul Winstanley claimed his second 2-1 Yellow in front with some great football Chris 10P found a great pass to leave Eamon unmarked for 3-1 Sky suddenly adrift having opened so well Paul W claimed a first half hat trick 4-1 a worrying gap Mike Thomo made it 5-1 before El Presidente and the Cockney Rebel took executive action to rebalance the sides
Paul and Nigel switched to attempt to defuse the midfield stranglehold Yellow had imposed Ian Harding and then PJ found spaces to bring Sky back to 5-3 behind
There was a prolonged period where Sky kept Yellow hemmed in their defensive area The next goal would surely proof decisive Sky pressured in search of another goal A penalty for ‘not walking’ presented stretched Yellow’s lead, Chris 10P making no mistake 6-3 Play switched from end to end as both sides strived for more goals with 7 minutes left Chris 10P hit the final goal as Sky committed a silly running foul in mid-park With Sky defenders still recovering their ground, he took a short pass to crash the ball into the bottom corner
Play ended with handshakes all round and some tired bodies after an excellent hour’s play
Feast or Famine* - Seether (a bit of heavy for your soul)
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