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After the festive period with people turning into Christmas Turkeys (apart from Paul Simpson who went to a gym to wrestle Monsters on Christmas day), the Geese’s general match fitness was slightly lacking. With the prospect of a local car boot sale all of Cheshunt’s finest had come out of the wood work and the car park was full with 4 or 5 coaches taking up most of the space.

The team welcomed a debutant in the shape of Jamie Feeley with questions raised in the changing room as to whether Jamie was Phil’s brother, friend or neither. We are still none the wiser! Chris Cedrone has intended on providing half time snacks of Chocolate dip and sticks of cheese but unfortunately over a game of Scopa (Italian Cards) they were consumed by Chris Wicks

The freezing Northern wind meant that we had an unexpected surprise and Simon Hoy’s boat has arrived ahead of schedule, along with his knee recovery, and was available to play. The wind battered the geese’s wings and gloves were almost as necessary as shin pads with our brave Geese captain Neal Dodd conceding that even though he had not worn gloves since he was 12 years he was ready to concede and have his father look at him in disappointment.

At the beginning of the game each team was lined up along the edge of the 18 yard box backs facing the referee whilst a boot and jewellery inspection was conducted. A few of the players thought they heard the demands ‘ready, aim, fire’ from behind them and expected the worst.

The geese also welcomed back Andy Perry with his back “feeling better than ever” and Rob Dodd having recovered from his Kidney transplant with the Quakers oat man. The game started with a high tempo which left the geese reeling due to lack of movement and creativity. Pressure continued to be applied from Cheshunt Sunday and eventually resulted in a goal being conceded. Cheshunt broke down the right wing and with a snap shot hitting the post and rebounding to another attacker making it 1-0.

Turnford were then unlucky not to make it 1-1 when a through ball to Phil baker left him one on one with the keeper but due to good pressure from the closing defender and the keeper the chance was missed. In the second half further cold weather and snow made playing conditions hard. Yellow line paint was being warmed on the sidelines just in case the ball needed to be painted.

Impressive Cheshunt controlled most of the second half and adding two more goals to their tally, going 3-0 up. However it could have been four, when Rob Dodd’s new kidney was put to the test as a fierce shot was deflected by Chris Wicks’s Hippo lump Knee and was shooting directly into the far corner before Dodd leaped from his conservatory and tipped it around the post.

The geese did create some good chances with Ellerbeck missing a great opportunity with a header. But today, the Geese were not incisive and lacked any real power. The final score was 3-0 to the deserved victors with the Geese’s creativity and match fitness not up to scratch. Paul Simpson’s loyalty was tested after the game with a choice between the world’s largest car boot at Cedars park or a work out and lap dance show at Monster Gym.

Week’s Reporter - C. Wicks

Turnford Geese 4 – 2 St Margaretsbury
Sunday 21st December 2008 - Mercury Waltham League Division 1

R. Cully, Vullo, Wicks, Armstrong, N.Dodd (c), Baker, A. Perry, Cedrone, Enefer, Ellerbeck, P. Dodd Subs: D. Perry

Jersey Boy Double Reduces Margaretsbury to Rubble

At home today St Margaretsbury, who hold top position,
The last game of 2008, with Paul Dodd as ammunition.
With eleven fit players, PC’s options were at a squeeze,
The Zip, the Camel, the Boxer, the Beard, all absentees.

Despite a week prior, when the pitch was waterlogged,
A good week’s weather saw Wormley’s puddles unbogged.
Later than a waiter Baker, looked whiter than flour,
Rob Cully filled in for Thwaites’ bruises, at the last hour.

Luckily some good news, Perry declaring himself fit,
His sibling unknowingly a sub, now pitch side in kit.
A 4-1 loss in the last encounter, the worst of our season,
King Paul Cully wanted a victory, revenge be his reason.

In the first twenty minutes, the Geese were shaky shaky,
St Margaretsbury pounced, Paul Cully shouted wakey wakey,
With two goals conceded, it would be a fight to come back,
Paul Dodd penetration, in the defence he found a crack.

At the interval, the Geese trailed by a single goal,
Confidence conjured from Paul Cully’s team-talk scroll.
Goose domination led to several attacking chances,
An American Dodd equalizer spurred touchline dances.

Our defence turned solid, the Saints didn’t have a look,
However, a few naughty geese found themselves in the book.
After a bombardment of corners, the Geese went in front,
A crazed Armstrong leaping forward again, on a goal hunt.

Time elapsed rapidly, & with no response the Geese struck again,
Petey took the corner, although a possible own goal claim.
A marvelous come-back, moves the Geese up the table,
Until the New Year, where we shall conclude the 08/09 fable…
Week’s Reporter - C. Cedrone

AFC Cheshunt 1-0 Turnford Geese
Sunday 14th December 2008 – County Cup 4th Round

For many of the geese, this was a trip down memory lane, and more specifically Mill Lane. Back to the school where so many of the team laced their boots as teenagers; and to the infamous school field where so many geese "do their stuff" on a daily basis.

And today, the geese really would need to do their stuff, against a strong AFC Cheshunt side who the geese were yet to overcome in two previous meetings. And the team news was not ideal – Ellerbeck and Perry joined the missing list which included the Norris Brothers, Hoy, Cavill and Bates – leaving the geese with only ten men. However, with Paul Dodd back in the country and wanting to prove his fitness to Capello during the MLS close season, a late night Beckham style loan agreement was signed and the Gators were swapped once again for the Geese, who now had 11 men.

With frozen salmon still in their bellies from the night before, the geese were slow out of the traps, and second to virtually everything in the opening exchanges. That being said, little was created at either end by the way of clear cut chances until the geese gave away possession in the middle of the park, and were hit on the break having thrown men forward, leaving the centre forward to crash home from a slight angle.

The geese offered some response with captain Neal Dodd seeing his effort scrambled to safety from a Matt Cully corner, and then ending a rampaging run with a pass rather than the expected shot. The geese then had a let off when the referee disallowed an AFC Cheshunt goal for offside, despite the lack of a Perry flag on the line.

Into the second half and it took a Gordon Banks style save from keeper Rob Dodd to rally the geese into action. As the clock ticked past the 70 minute mark, the geese created their first real opportunity with Paul Dodd sending Matt Cully through on goal, but his effort was blocked by the keeper. Chris Wicks then had two chances in quick succession, the first from a Baker corner, where his shot hit the goal frame and second, having been moved up front by manager Cully, gathered by the keeper.

As the game moved into injury time, Rob Dodd, still hobbling from a late challenge by the AFC Cheshunt forward, made his way up for a corner and so nearly got his boot on a stray ball that would have created history as the first geese goal by a keeper. However, it was not to be, and perhaps thankfully for Rob Dodd, who already had bruised ribs, he did not find himself on the bottom of a player bundle.

The geese were disappointed to come off second best, and exit the county cup before the business end of the tournament yet again. But manager Cully was quick to emphasise that the focus of this year has to be continuing the excellent league form.