Broxbourne 2nd XI 6 - 5 Southend Mens 1's
Another trip into deepest darkest Hertfordshire for the first team on Saturday. Everyone turned up (an improvement on last week) mostly on time and we were off. Following responsible policeman Gareth Ingram proved an experience, as he demonstrated perfectly how to do a 95 mph chase on the M25 and cut in at the last minute at a junction to lose any following criminals. Must be all that practise playing hide and seek in the industrial estates of Basildon.
To the game. We were at full strength and started with the usual line up. Unfortunately though this didn't seem to work and Broxbourne scored early to take the lead. Another quick break and another and all of a sudden we were three goals down with only about 15 minutes gone. To make matters worse a miss timed tackle (with no malice and nothing really in it) allowed the umpire to make his mark on the game and give Lee Styles an extremely harsh yellow card. This led to a quick reshuffle and a 10 minute spell where Southend managed to hold on until a lucky break gave Broxbourne yet another goal.
Half time and 4 - 0 down. A change of formation and a lot of effort brought a strong start to the second half, and a short corner allowed Gareth Ingram to show off his skills and score a trademark goal. Some more pressure from Southend and a penalty flick was awarded and up stepped Gareth (2 from 4 previous efforts) to take it. This goes in and we're really back in it. Gareth calmly placed the ball and scored (!!!!!). Another Ingram goal and it was 4 - 4 or 5 - 4 or something.
The pressure continued and after man of the match Christian Jenkins waltzed around the Broxbourne defence, Gareth was left with a tap in for his hat trick (JUG PLEASE, How many does he owe now?). It was surely a matter of time now. And indeed it was Christian who burst free again and we were level. What a comeback. Now to push on for the win.
Unfortunately it wasn't to be and Broxbourne pushed forward and scored what proved to be the winner with only minutes to go. The final whistle went with us having been awarded a short corner but just like at Vauxhall we were unable to convert for the point we surely deserved.
This just leaves us with the examination of where the game was lost. Here are the choices:
1 - We lost it in the first half
2 - The Captains fault for changing the winning formation when Strawberry went off injured.
3 - It was Strawbs fault for going off injured!
4 - The umpires (always a popular choice)
My thoughts. I think option one was the correct choice and if we can only play like the second half for the whole game we will do well. If however you subscribe to the theory that option 2 is correct then I will take it as a compliment that changing the team around at half time was a great piece of captaincy and got us back into the game and I must have done something right as a player to make a difference in the midfield role marking their best player! With hindsight I probably wouldn't have changed things but you can only do what you think is best at the time. Sorry chaps.
Talking of their best player. I thought i'd share a little chat I had with him during the game. "that was rubbish" I said after he had made a mistake during the game (masterful putting off I thought!). "Well hockey isn't even my first sport" he replied (Nice comeback!). "Well what is?" said I. "Cricket, I'm a professional cricketer". "Would I have heard of you? Whats' your name and who do you play for?". "Nick Walker, Leicestershire". "Never heard of you!"
Anyway we carried on like that and found out that he had also been at the famous 20 / 20 final that we had enhanced with our presence with our magnificent supporting and fancy dress outfits (see Ginges player profile). Pity he was only carrying the water for the good players! Anyway I looked up his average on cricinfo (http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/23463.html) and all I would say is you have your averages the wrong way round. Its supposed to be 40 for batting and 18 for bowling not the other way round! And you're not even an international (we've got dave robeson, he's an international he played for Gibralter). I'd stick to hockey if I was you.
Lastly whilst this was a hugely disapointing loss at least we ruled the "spot the difference" video game in the clubhouse. 311,000, surely that is an unbeatable world record. Rich Hill rules.
Goals - Ingram 4, Jenkins
Team - 5, Styles, Hayman, Lockwood, Hill, Jones, Crompton, Needham, Ingram, Utton, Jenkins, Arnold
Burberry- Christian for celebrating like a druid when he scored. |
