Audlem FC Match Report

New Kit for 2021

5th December

The morning so dark .
A pair of owls greet me again from across the nearby field . Such a glorious country sound and one that has been echoed here since time immemorial .
BBC and match of the day seen and .......

But as sit at my desk before that , I set my mind to musing.
The pebble , nay, the rock thrown into the pool of our environment by David Attenborough and by Greta Thunberg , has created such ripples -- hopefully in the heart and conscience of nations.
The earth we all live on is circa 4.6 trillion years old . Just think on that and then think of the last 100 or so years. A tiny tiny tiny minuscule period of the life of this planet.
Yet we , and all must shoulder the blame, have dirtied it so very much with all that has happened in these 100 years or so.
We created the internal combustion engine and now all the poison that pours forth into the air. The chainsaw that rips down magnificent trees in a few minutes to feed the demand for chip board and the like. The introduction of DDT and all the poison that that spread worldwide. A welter of pesticides and herbicides that has wiped out so many insects and water life , as run off poisons our streams and rivers. Forests torn down to grow masses of soya beans to feed more and more cattle . Indonesian raped of its jungles to grown palm oil .
In 1900 there were 12 million elephants . Now . 325,000. Killed for ivory chess pieces etc . Millions of zebra, slaughtered for meat. Now just 750,000 left . 30 million Bison , hunted to near extinction with just 325,000 left. Killed in the main for their hides with the skinned bodies left to rot on the Great Plains of the Americas .
When did you last lie in a flower filled meadow and listen to a skylark singing gloriously over head. See a frog? -- the ponds have virtually all gone. Hedgerows ripped out . Lines of swallows and house martins used to a welcome sight on the telephone wires . Very very few here now .
I do so fear just where we will be in 2050 and fear for my grandchildren -- and their children .
My words are now done for the moment , in the hope -- The real hope that nations will stop and think . ????

But to the mundane .

The game we play

A match versus strong team Talbot of Nantwich ! As we restart grass roots football following the latest Covid impositions .
Referee is Keith Curzon .
Good turn out of 15 players but Manager Kev Mort makes it 16. Brand new kit for the team which I have paid for at the moment but hopeful that Marstons or Adam at the Bridge Inn will come up with half the £500.
See my photo of the kit worn today by Connor Baxter, our goal keeper and Kev Rodgers , member of our management team .
1100
Kick off.
Cold damp day as I settle down to see the game . Alys joins me and hope she brings us food luck .
Adrenalin flowing as each side gets fast into gear after the weeks in the desert of Covid.
1102
We win a free kick. No gain
Play in favour of the opposition as they force the ball in our half. Very vociferous and much shouting and chat .
1114
Free kick to Talbot . Just outside our area. No gain
1120
Shot on our goal and James Bebbington stops what would have been a certain goal . Closest any one has come to scoring .
1122
Then as Talbot attack again, Connor in goal stops the shot with his foot and Thomas Capewell , skipper, with his chest . Phew, a close call.
1125
A so so soft goal as we are sliced open. A cross met by a header and into our net.
0-1
1128
Free kick for us. No gain.
Followed by another toothless free kick .
1131.
Corner sent in by Kev Rodgers met by a diving Thomas Capewell -- and he scores .
1-1
1133
Talbot shot , but saved by Connor.
Play mostly in our half as Talbot boss the game.
Corner after corner for Talbot.
Fierce shot by Talbot -- saved well by Connor .
To this point we have yet to trouble their keeper.
1143
Loose ball collected by Talbot and a scramble in our goal mouth. Thankfully all ok but Talbot player hit the post with his head , so the need for magic water.
1144
Ref books their player for mouthing off.
HALF TIME

We begin again, at 1-1
Seb Borrows on and Tom Smart off. James Bebbington off and Ross Henderson on .
1200
Yet another silly soft goal. As Talbot score
1-2
1205
Corner for us, no gain .
Talbot still so vociferous -- and fruity with it!
1207
Corner to us , and again taken by Kev Rodgers.
His ball met by Andrew Betteley , who nets beautifully .
2-2
1210
Fast followed by Talbot attacking -- and scoring !
2-3
1212.
Penalty awarded to us. Paul Bowker steps up and buries his shot in the tight hand corner of their net
3-3
Free kick to Talbot just outside our area. No gain
We are getting more and more on top , as our players have much determination and Talbot tiring . (I hope)
1220
Elliot Steventon off and Ben Walker. Full of young energy (18).
More and more we dominate
1230
Ref books Paul Bowker
Manager subs him and Kev comes on himself .
1232
Great run up field by Andrew Betteley and passes to Ben Walker , who fires in a superb ball and scores
4-3
We are ahead !
Conner again saves a shot by the opposition
1236
Throw in , met by Kev Mort . His shot saved.
We are spending more and more time in their half .
1238
Free kick to us. Kev Rodgers takes it , feeds Seb Burrows -- who slams it in their net
5-3
Great stuff.
Mort taken down . Free kick. We score but offside .
Game over
A good win , followed , after cleaning up the Annexe, by a visit to the Bridge Inn for chip butties . Good crack in the pub -- all of course duly spaced apart .
Next game away on the 13th .
Ralph Warburton
Audlem F C