Audlem FC sink to Rising Sun

This weekend our opponents were The Rising Sun. Off we set from the car park and drive – not to Tokyo – but to Crewe. Not a Geisha in sight.

A new pitch to us along with a new team. Pitch located right by the retail park of Crewe, alongside the main railway line with Virgin carriages passing along the tracks.

A cool day with a sharpish breeze. The days getting shorter and I think to myself – time to hunt out the thermals soon.

Very few trees in sight. A true inner city pitch.

Fourteen players turn out for Manager Geoff Stretch and James Bebbington, his assistant – the core of the team now. Others not available for one reason or another. New signing on, Ross Blakeman of Coole Lane.

Opponents play in yellow strip so Connor Baxter wearing his blue goalkeeper's jersey. Referee Bob Mellor steps up. Says hello to us for the first time.

Kick off sharp at 11.00 with Kev Rogers given the accolade of Captain to celebrate his birthday. Off we go with our hopes high against a team way above us in the tables. We win the toss so avoid having the low, low sun in the eyes of CB in goal.

11.05. They score! 0-1! Defence line torn apart
11.10. 0-2! By a good diving header.

Breeze picking up a tad which is more than I can say for us. Waking up gradually and I wonder if the partying last night for Kev Rogers' birthday is paying a part – hangovers etc.
Rising Sun playing well. Good shape and keeping the ball low. Good passing and it pays off

11.23. 0-3! Pressure is all on us. Camped in our half as they tear us apart.

11.24. 0-4!
11.25 and we win something at last. A free kick. Then Connor saves us from conceding another goal. But our show is in direct contrast to the Commuter Trains speeding past. We are off the rails. Lines are awry as our shape is lost.

Clouds getting lower and reduciug the glare of the sun. 11.35 and more attacks by the Rising Sun team. 0-5. Just before half time. A true killer as our heads go down. The more we play, the more I feel we have a dipping moon as against their rising sun.

Second half

11.54. Then the clock Tower on the Municipal Buildings strikes 12.00. I wonder if we will change just as Cinderella did on the stroke of 12 . But no. The pressure on us still fierce. However , we are getting into their camp more.

Good hit by Gaz Jones. A corner taken by Dag Sirle – but ballooned over the bar. Sam O'Hara constantly harrying them as he shows no sign of being low. Then GS plays all three subs as on comes Joe Benson, Kev Walters and Rob Lowe.

12.15. 0-6! – goal virtually walked in
12.23. Dag Sirle sends in super strike. Hits the bar and Kev Mort scores as it rebounds to him. A lovely diving header. 1-6

11.25 1-7 and then a minute later it's 1-8. A thrashing. We are mesmerised by the opponents.
Understandable jubilation in the Rising Sun Camp. Their goal difference much enhanced by playing us off the park.

Kev W hurt and not moving well. The Rising Sun team peppering our goal.

DS forces a corner. Time perhaps to restore some pride – but no. With just two minutes to go and they score yet again. 1-9.

One good thing – we had no spectators here to see our destruction, our shame. And we will play them again on 5th of January. Very poor show.

But I award Sam O'Hara the Man of The Match. A light in the darkness of the day's doings.
Next home match is Sunday, 15th December against Sydney FC. Only way to go – surely – is up.

Ralph Warburton
Chairman

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