AFC match report

I wake early in the morning -- before dawn in fact – and in spite of being at the NSPCC quiz night helping to run the bar. Nice to see so many faces from our own pub quiz teams.

Drive to the co-op to pay for the wines and beers that they supplied to me on a sale or return basis.

Drive off fully loaded with kit, practice balls, medical bag etcetera .

On the way on the A500, I note many lovely classic cars driving towards Nantwich. A beautiful open top E-type, Sunbeam Alpine, (which I have memories of driving across across the Pennines many many years ago). A big beautiful '30s Bentley with its magnificent P100 lamps.

But enough, to the match. Versus Cricketers F C .

We are at Sandbach Football ground, with a fairly new and younger referee in the person of Jordan Brooks who is building a good reputation for himself as being -- well, in fact a very good referee.

Today we have to play our top scorer Andrew Beco Betteley in goal because Connor Baxter, our regular team keeper, is away working. Shame but Beco is a good goalie. Two more new signings to bolster our squad. Changing rooms here are good but Audlem and the new Annexe will outshine all.

1100 Teams line up and we kick-off sharp at 11 o'clock. Weather a bit grey and gloomy and overcast with a very tiny & brief visit by a warm sun. Lots of shouted advice from the side line management team as they urge the players on.

First corner goes to the Cricketers as they attack our goal in numbers and then their first open play shot is saved by Ross Henderson using his legs . (Ross Henderson is one of those very good players who is everywhere. I would like to put a pedometer on him just see how many metres he covers -- perhaps even miles!).

Second corner go to us but no gain, and the play is Fast and Furious. I would say 50-50 at present

We have many shots at their goal in this first half but all miss -- and a great shot by Mark Parker goes just over the bar. Another shot by Dan Mahoney goes wide. He had promised me a goal after I had provided a chair for his fiancée.

We are playing well with good shape and man-to-man passing -- and keeping the ball on the ground. Great cross shot by Ross is headed away by their goalkeeper.

1115 and play at present in all in their half. Then, out of the blue, a great long shot – straight into the top corner. 0-1

We still are attacking and so many, so so many chances are missed.

(David Farral executive member of the CRSL pays a brief visit -- a man who is always very welcome and a good judge of football.)

A flurry of activity and we try shot after shot but no goal. The game is getting a bit physical now and the language far more colourful. Players truly getting ratty with each other which is not a good sign.

(I am truly amazed at the amount of foul language used within the earshot of young nine-year-old boys – and what are the boys doing. What else but looking at their iPhones.)

1139. And just before half-time and the Sun reappears. So warm on the head. (So warm so they say in advance of a visit from the tail end of hurricane Orphelia).

Half-time. My criticism at the moment is that we are giving the ball away far too much for anybody's liking.

1150 and second-half is underway .

Within the first two minutes of the second-half a perfect cross from Joel Cotterell, headed to the top corner but just tipped away by their goalkeeper

1203 Great cross by Joel is met by Mark Parker and he rifles it in. 1-1! The Comeback perhaps.

Another goal By Mark 2-1.

Dan Mahoney tried a long shot. We are so much on top at present and it's a good feeling. Super ball by Joe Benson who has just come on as a sub and full of running. His cross, so well timed, is met by Mark Parker who puts it away for his hat-trick. 3-1.

Cry for a penalty from Ayaz but waved away by the referee. A trifle unfairly I feel.

1215 and young Tom Bebbington comes on replacing Dan Mahoney.

1220. Trevor McDonald storms off after a contretemps with Kev Rodgers. Hopefully it will be a storm in a teacup because Trevor is a good player.

Brad Tucker comes on (another new player) to replace Trevor.

Yellow card for Tom Bebbington for kicking the ball away. Silly Yellow card and it will cost him a fine of £15.

1227. Joe Cotterell creates a great cross which is met by Pete Jones with a fierce header straight into goal 4-1

1235. Tom Bebbington is bundled down in the area. And we are awarded a penalty. Tom steps up and scores. 5- 1

1244 and blow me down but Kev Rodgers scores an own goal.. So we finish with a very pleasing result of 5-2.

It must be so evident that we are playing well as a team. The injection of new blood has really galvanised with all the team playing better. It must be remembered that last season this team, Cricketers F C, beat us in both home and away games with score lines of 8-0 and 4-2 in their favour.

It is a good feeling to drive back to Audlem with the second good result on the run and both of them as it so happens 5-2 wins.

We can but hope that by the time we come to play our home matches with the spanking new Annexe here in our great village, the winning streak will still be with us.

SCORERS
Mark Parker 3
Pete Jones 1
Tom Bebbington 1

Ralph Warburton
AFC

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