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Firstly I would like to apologise for this belated match report, but in all honesty before today I couldn’t bring myself to re-live the crushing comeback that saw Turnford Geese ejected from the Roy Bailey Video recorder. The worst thing was that we started so well……….
Although the weather conditions were wet, spirits were high and dry before Sundays cup tie with third division opposition. Excitement had built up from the previous week. A new team in division six not necessarily in the right place, but alas an opposition that we could weigh ourselves up against for future reference. The Geese made one change from the week before, Brett Norris was re-called to the starting Eleven after heroically making a citizens arrest in Tesco’s, bringing down the bad guys and earning himself fifty rats for his trouble. Cedrone was shuffled to right back, whilst Ad Cas was given the morning off.
As the whistle blew the Geese starting like starving pigs, closing down everything, consistently playing the right pass, and moving well for each other. It was the approach the manager had been planning in training sessions; the mentality was perfect for the game ahead. Geese were winning first and second balls and cutting out everything Highway were throwing at them, turning over possession and proceeding up the pitch. It wasn’t long before a corner swung into the box fell to Captain Neal Dodd, who cushioned the ball home and celebrated with his handlebar moustache. The same type of pressure saw Paul Dodd brought down outside in the opposition half just minutes later. Although a wall was formed and players were in position to head in a well-delivered diagonal ball, Dodd went for goal, and the top corner he did find. 2-0 to the Geese, who were giving the best performance of the season so far.
The conditions made it difficult for the referee to control the game, especially as players were diving in on the wet surface. However at this point it has to be said the referee was missing things, for both teams, especially Highway. Maybe there luck was to change when they were awarded a free kick just outside Turnford’s area. Before a barricade could be organised the kick was taken quickly, Rob Cully still moulding his wall out of plasticine on his right post. But something happened. Something Uri Gellar. Some thought he slowed down time again, but no, this was Real-time™. As the ball was kicked Rob scrambled all the way across his line, flew, stretched, and palmed the ball away (after it had bounced making it harder to save) it was quoted by many as “The best save ever, in football”. Re-visiting Highways missed decisions; the referee strangely awarded a goal kick despite Super Cully saving it. The kick was taken quickly nodded on by Craig Norris and through to Paul Dodd who was away (despite the call for offside) and crunched his strike home. It was 35 minutes of Goose Bliss that couldn’t have been scripted any better.
At 3-0 the game is won, that’s how football works isn’t it? Isn’t it? Another half? Yes, the Geese thought they were home and dry cider, already reading the headlines, thinking of their player ratings, and yes worthy of 9’s, the majority. The trouble was the first half was still being played, and the lapse of concentration in question saw Highway react first to a loose ball played forward and nodded back, the finish looping over Cully of the Robert variety. Half time. At half time despite the late goal, confidence was high, of course it should be, The Geese were 3-1 up and in a condensed 35 minutes were quality. The back four all tight and strong, the midfield linking up with the front men and forcing errors to get possession back. But for me it was the best performance from the front two. Craig Norris winning every header, flicking onto Dodd who held up the ball when he should and turning when he should. The pair only recently playing up front together, but the first half of this game offered the biggest claim to keep things as they were in future weeks. I wish that was the end of the game, well done, your through, 3-1. But despite a team talk declaring in so many words “Highway are going to come at you” The Geese stopped, in every sense of the word. From the whistle things became casual. Closing the opposition down changed down three gears (one for each division). The gnawing pigs in the first half became full up at the banquet, now wearing dinner suits and monocles.
Not being able to defend from the front and all over the park was the main reason of the decline to come. Midfield no longer tracked runs, players or anything. The defence defended against seven players, although mistakes were made, they were mistakes that couldn’t be made in the first half because we would already have the ball back. Communication Breakdown. So for the next 20 minutes the Geese watched with the spectators, slowly but surely (it was going to happen) Highway get another one back and yes Highway get an equaliser, jolly good. “3-3 now, the game we are still playing its 3-3 and we’re not doing anything to stop the next one. Or are we?”
At 3-3 a twist in fortune, up to now the Geese to be fair had ran out of luck, but they weren’t making any, they weren’t creating anything. The Geese could win this if they tried, a bit of first half spirit you could say, and yes a great piece of skill down the right from Brett Norris teed up his brother Craig who powered low into the bottom right corner. 4-3 to the Geese, “We knew they could do it, they are gonna do it” Every Goose in the house thought they would win, and when Peter Enefer found a yard of space in the box, his shot was well saved by Highways keeper, this to be the next turning point in an absolutely spectacular game. At 5-3 the Geese probably would have won, although we will never know.
Instead, Spirit was lost again, the pitch cutting up really bad in the middle and the sure-fire SWAT team from two minutes ago had been sucked dry by a big clam of the sky. In all fairness substitutions were made, Chris Wicks replaced Tony Vullo, Brett Norris gave way for James Musk and finally Matt Cully was swapped for Craig Butcher Belsey. The substitutions were made before, during and after the next two goals that Highway scored. The equaliser was rounded past Rob, and in all fairness the fifth was struck beautifully into the top corner, but all could have been stopped with the first half attitude still intact, and just playing as a team, playing for each other.
It reads very cliché, but this was a Jeckall and Hyde football match, the most worthy use for the saying a game of two halves. The Geese learnt a valuable lesson, not to take sweets from strangers who turn up early to watch you, then mingle with the opposition. But more appropriately to not think you’ve won a game at half time, and to be able to show for 90 minutes that you’re worthy of being a goose.
Pino Packer Spoke to a worn out Paul Cully after the game. “Well today we showed both sides of our footballing spectrum, how well we can play, and also how poorly. In the first half we were great, it was so good to see everything we have put together on the pitch at the same time. Movement, passing and closing down, spot on. Then I don’t know what I said (maybe something in the oranges), I don’t know, but all credit to Highway, they were a great bunch of lads, and from a neutrals point of view, what a wonderful game of football. Three performances stood out for me. Despite letting in five, Robbie made some great saves, Doddsy, great free-kick, and Brett Norris, it wasn’t easy for him last week being left out, but he showed today that he is a great player, his best performance thus far. Walking football we shall play, Dave and Peter forking hay.
Ratings - R Cully 8, C Cedrone 6, S Adamson 7, N Dodd 7, T Vullo 6 (C Wicks 5), M Cully 6 (J Musk 6), P Enefer 7, A Perry 7, B Norris 9 (C Belsey 6), C Norris 8, P Dodd 9. Subs not used - D Perry, A Castiglione
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