AFC Report

Sunday January 12th

Awake in the wee small hours of a breezy day, the calm of yesterday gone -- beneath that magnificent huge full moon. The first of this decade and well named as the "Wolf Moon".
This wind a presage of the next storm that tomorrow hits us as it races in from the Atlantic to thrash us with wind and rain .
The first signs of the days lengthening as it lightens that much earlier and the tentative first bird song as they seek a mate for the nesting work. I feed them well with seed and whole meal breads and it is good to see them on the back lawn.

To our game .

We drive to Winsford to play Princes Feathers again . Manager Kev Mort has both the luxury and the headache of a really good number of players presenting themselves . The new rule of roll on roll off subs will help him in trying to give as many as possible some part in the play . Lots of standing water on the roads as I drive to Winsford. Fear for the pitch but PF management tell me all is playable.

Changing rooms very basic and a bit tired. This Knights Grange Complex has for certain seen better days.
Players arrive as promised and we are out to a very marshy field of play . Start team is,
Goal – Connor Baxter.
Defence – Ross Henderson. Thomas Capewell. Kev Rodgers. Dan Rooney .
Mid field - Will Cork. Danny Mahoney. Paul Ashley .Seb Burrow.
Strikers – Andrew Betteley . Mark Parker .

11:04 Cold wind across the pitch. Where I sit to write my report, is virtual marsh land .
Referee blows up and off we go. Usual fast pace . Both testing each other .
Severe slope at right angles across the pitch. Very big one as against our own that is the smallest in the league.
We mount attack on their goal and are looking good .

11:10 Great shot by Will Cork -- hits the post !
First corner to PF . No gain.
( my eyes watering now in the cold wind)
Referee books PF player for a heavy challenge on Seb Burrow . A trifle too harsh in my view.
Great play by us as Seb passes on the run to Mark Parker who feeds Andrew( Beco) Betteley whose strike is well saved by their goalie .
Corner for us . Taken by Kev Rodgers, met by Mark but goalie saves again.
Lots of possession by us .
PF play their first sub.

11:26 Free kick for us . Paul Ashley takes a shot but flies over the bar .So many chances for us and in truth we should be 3 ahead!
Guess what, Kev Rodgers gets himself booked for reaction after a foul . Guilty player of PF also booked.

11:33 Corner to us . A frantic melee. But our attempt fluffed again .
Dan Rooney taken down harshly . And stays down . Dead legged by studded boot. Up he gets and manfully carries on .
Sun out briefly . Sharp light.

11:39 1-0.

Great run by Will Cork -- passes to Beco who feeds an on running Seb Burrows, who nets the ball.
Kev taken off and on comes Richard Nally .

Half time

11:54 And off we go .
Free kick to us , just outside their box . Fierce shot by Danny Mahoney. Goes wide.
We are pasting their goal.
Hard tackle on the ever running Danny takes him down into the mud.

12:08 1-1

Mad scramble in our goal mouth and PF score!
We react by attacking hard. Lovely pass by Danny to Beco whose drive goes wide.
Mark comes off and into the field of play comes Tom Smart .

12:14 PF really attacking hard now as they seem to have got a second wind .
Will hit on the back of his head and goes down. Hurts him. Ref takes a time to check he is ok .
Danny chopped down again . Free kick . No gain
(So cold I find myself shivering a bit)
Danny off and Ben Walker comes on .

12:22 Free kick to PF . No gain .
Play a bit scrappy.
But

12:27 2-1

Free kick taken by Connor, met by Ben Walker racing up field , passes to Beco who scores!!
Clouds getting heavy and low .
Thomas Capewell is taken down badly by the studs of player raking his ankle. Off he comes as James Bebbington comes on .
We are now back in the ascendency as we boss the play .
Will chopped down again and off he goes. Kev back on to the pitch.
Great save by Connor as PF try .
Then a crazy thing . Beco races up field. Mesmerises two of their players and plants the ball into the net- just as the referee blows for full time . And does not allow what was a legitimate goal!!
Off we troop . Muckiest kit for a while back , but glowing from a win.
Most drive back to the Rifleman Pub in Nantwich for chilli and chips.

Man of the Match awarded to Andrew (Beco)Betteley .
Another win which is a good feeling

Next game is on Sunday 19th at home in Audlem versus WhiteHorse of Nantwich .