Coming in to this game Thirsk knew they could finish no lower than 5th or higher than 4th, so with nothing on the line Thirsk Captain Jono Sharman decided to ‘Mix things up a bit’. With that philosophy in mind, below was the line-up, with normal playing positions in brackets afterwards:

Goalkeeper: Jono Sharman (Centre back / in the gym falling off treadmills)
Sweeper: Paul Doyle (Centre forward / goal scorer extraordinaire – oh and Match reporter)
Right back: Dan Lawson (Right mid / Right wing / angry man on the pitch)
Left back: Sam Gardiner (Centre mid ish, sometimes on the left, he is a law unto himself at times)
Centre mid: Oli Hill (Centre mid – Jono only said he’d mix things up a bit / Yorkshire Gangsta with his Facebook profile either full of pictures of him with guns or with girls – I should point out he is a young farmer and the guns are legal, I hope)
Centre mid: Dave Pickford (Centre mid / Centre back / Mr Pickford to his students)
Centre mid: Tom Ward (Centre mid / Luke / Tom / Luke – BEN got confused as they both ran like Bambi on ice and looked the same from behind!)
Left mid: Luke Brownlee (Goalkeeper / aerial specialist – this shall be explained a little later/ Player of the season for Thirsk Men’s 1st XI)
Right mid: Phil Ratcliff (Sweeper / Don’t run too fast or the hamstring/calf might go)
Centre forward: Nick Fox (Left back / I only scored this season by tackling the keeper)
Centre forward: BEN Scaling (Right back / ‘Put me up front and I’ll score a bag full’ – direct quote)
Sub: Sam Taylor (Up front somewhere / Speed demon who makes everyone else look as though they walking as he breezes past them)
The match started in good humour from Thirsk, the ball being passed around and at times it was not obvious that people were playing out of position. Thirsk won a short corner and with the usual takers being in nets and sweeper respectively, an impromptu short corner routine was organised. The ball was spread to the right for Tom/Luke (I’ve been informed it was Tom, but BEN says they look the same from behind) to hit the ball back across the D and in to the far corner for Thirsk to take the lead.
The defence were generally well organised with Jono called on infrequently to somehow get in the way of the ball and stop it going in. However Bingley did have something to fight for, their survival in the league, and still came at the Thirsk defence. A through ball, that was going clear, was beautifully controlled in to the path of the Bingley Centre Forward by Dan Lawson. The Centre Forward kept his cool and slipped it past Jono for a trickler into the goal to draw the game level at 1-1.
At half time there was only a small amount of tactical talk with the majority of talk being aimed at BEN ‘I’ll score a bag full’ Scaling, who had fewer shots on target than Luke/Tom/Luke (BEN did claim he assisted Luke on at least two of those shots).
As the second half got under way, Bingley pushed forward and started to play 3 up front trying to get the winner that would secure their survival, however Thirsk were not in the mood to allow them to score and Jono pulled off a couple of saves, Doyle threw in some neat tackling and interceptions and Phil Ratcliff, who was fed up of the nose bleed having been played so high up the pitch, decided to join the defence as Sam Gardiner disappeared up the pitch, lent a hand with some nice tackles and interceptions too. Doyle even started annoying the Bingley attack with some lovely aerials from 16’s through to try and set up an attack for ‘I’d score a bag full’. These aerials even inspired Luke/Tom/Luke to attempt an aerial of his own; it started out lovely as he worked the space to attempt one, however it then looped up and over his shoulder and ended up hitting the top of the fence on the sideline, just behind level with where he was standing.
The second half continued with chances being created at either end, however neither team being able to convert them and so the game ended 1-1, lowering Thirsk to 5th in the League (Bradford won their game to go above them) and sadly condemning Bingley Bees to relegation.
Man of the match was awarded as a leaving present to Paul Doyle, who according to the vice-captain is not only the best centre-forward in the team, but also the best centre-back, which captain Jono regretfully agreed with seeing as that was normally where he played.
DoD was awarded to BEN ‘I’ll score a bag full’ Scaling for failing to live up to the boast, although he was run close by the assist for the opposition from Dan Lawson and the non-aerial from Luke/Tom/Luke.
With the news that Thirsk may be merging with Old Malton and players leaving for pastures new or to head away to Uni (Yes even BEN has managed that feat too) this is the last time this team will play together and everyone came off the pitch at the end of the game having enjoyed the game and as per the majority of this season had fun. A BIG thank you to Captain Jono Sharman for organising the team each week, this reporter is talking from experience when I say it is not easy. Another thank you to the 37 players who represented the 1st team this season with some being called in at the 11th hour.
But most of all a massive thank you to, at times the most disliked person on the pitch, all the umpires who have travelled home and away with the team and allow this amateur sport to continue (mainly a big thank you to Richard Taylor, although thanks to Andrew McCann, Andrew Young, Neil Collinson, Dick Edwards, Paul Doyle and anyone else that I have forgotten has umpired for the 1st’s this season). Although at times a thankless task it is, I can assure you, very welcome that you give up your Saturday to allow 22 people to run around a hockey pitch on a weekend.