Horsell 1sts 5 v CoS 2

With a good few missing this week for various unacceptable reasons, including 2 Saturday morning drop outs, we called on seniors Butsy and Quinny and travelled to a lovely pitch at Horsell cricket club to face what turned out to be a well drilled, young and so far unbeaten Horsell side.

The pre-match discussion with the referee (and I use the term loosely), was nothing short of bizarre as he threatened to abandon the match before we'd even kicked off after he had abruptly told Butsy he had to take off his cotton sweat band from his wrist as it might endanger an opponent! \0/ On questioning how that might be, the "ref" basically threatened to send him off there and then (there was only 3 of us out warming up at this point), then changed that to needing to talk seriously to the "coaches" or I may have to abandon this game - truly bizarre and the guy basically should not be on any approved referee's list. So walking on eggshells we started the game, luckily it wasn't a fiesty one as the oppo were decent lads and we all had to be on our guard against anything that might upset the man in black.

Jonesy on the sidelines was the 1st to incur the totally OTT wrath as he laughed and shook his head at a decision, Captain Luke was called over and told we had 2 minutes for "that old gentleman" to leave the ground or.....you guessed it, the match would be abandoned. Jonesy did the wise thing and walked away. Jaffa then got the 2nd blast when he was sin-binned 6 minutes before half time (we know because ref was asked how long to play as Jaff went off) for asking whether the Horsell 'keeper was allowed to call "leave it"? Jaff eventually served 13 minutes in the bin as man in black decided he took too long to walk off and gave him 7 further 2nd half minutes \0/ \0/.

Anyway all that aside, what about the match - well they were decent and probably on average at least 15 years younger than us. With Ed in goal behind a back 4 LtoR of Gary, Ozgur, Sam and Quinny, Luke Taylor and Jack Hurry playing wide right and left respectively, a very hung over Luke O'Brien (puked up in the loo before the game and nearly again on the well manicured pitch during the match) alongside his cousin Conor and rusty Butsy in centre mid and Jaff stuck up front as a target man, with Callum Mizen alone on the bench.

We felt our best chance was to use Jaff as a target man from Ed's accurate kicks and any defensive clearances, with Tay and Jack feeding off him. On the whole it was the right tactic, but Horsell had far more possession.
We kept them at bay for a good 20 minutes until a low shot was covered by Ed, but the ball rebounded out of his hands and the striker was quicker to it then Ed trying to recover to flick it in. 10 minutes later Ed more than made up for that error when another long clearance of his bounced in the area straight over their 'keepers head and despite Taylor sliding in to try and claim the goal, it's going to Ed 1 - 1.

On 38 minutes - I know this because it was a minute before Jaff's sin bin, Horsell re-took the lead when a good delivery from a corner was met with a strong header - we're still not sure who's man it was - into the net 1-2 at half time and us temporarily down to 10.

While Jaff was off we had a corner that was well delivered, and we had a couple of chances to knock it in before they cleared and broke quickly, a through ball that looked too long held up in the grass and the on rushing attacker got to it before Ed, went around him and slotted home to make it 1-3. 1-4 followed with a well struck free kick low into the corner of the net. We didn't give up though and again following good pressure from a couple of corners, Jaff knocked it out wide back to corner taker Jack who cut inside the left back put in a good low cross and Gary was there to tap it home 2-4.
However with everyone flagging Horsell got a 5th when Ed seemed to have a headed effort covered, but it slipped from his grasp and in, in the dying minutes.

We had battled hard, but the difference in age and fitness definitely told overall.

Next week at home at Victory Park v Burpham 1sts 2pm kick off

MoM - Dave the fence gave it to Marc Ozgur who of all of us had the most energy owing to being off the booze for stoptober (unlike Luke O'Brien!!)

JP Offord award - a few candidates - Lukes Pukes, Quinny nose diving into the turf while trying to turn to chase the nippy left winger, and Ed for the slippery fingers, but I can't see past the fruit loop match official on this occasion I'm afraid.