Battle royal in AFC Cup match

Woke to a very early misty day with the fine Scotch rain. Such a day as Thomas Hood so aptly wrote in 1844 when he penned the poem 'November':
No sun
No moon
No morn
No noon
No Dawn
No dusk
No proper time of day ....
.... November.

And I thought would the game be OK in the mist. Yellow balls to the fore – and I mean the footballs.

In the event, pitch clear of mist as we arrive to put up the nets. A check and no messy gifts from thoughtless dogs owners there. Pitch heavy and cut up after the Audlem Saints had used it the day before.

Our opponents this day are again Leighton of Crewe as we face them in The Division Knockout Cup Competition.

Was to have been an away game but our opponents requested use of our pitch as their's was not available. Referee is Carl Betterley – he of the Victorian mutton chops and care for clean language which could pose a problem for our opponents' off field team who can be very inventive with their vocabulary.

Changing poses problems as the Hall booked for a Christmas Handy Crafts Fair, but Manager Geoff sorts it out – using the garage and his own house.

Trees now standing in their winter nakedness. Cold. Damp. Geoff has 14 players from which to choose the team. Puts Sam O'Hara up front with Kev Mort, the skipper, giving Sam the chance to run at goal. Kev Rogers back to midfield.

Kick off prompt and on time. Fast and furious is the play. A sliding full-blooded tackle by James Bebbington brings a word of caution from the Ref.

We win a free kick after a firm tackle on Sam. He takes it but just over the cross bar. Back and forth goes the play. James B playing very well and lacking all fear.

Their first shot saved well by Connor Baxter. He pulls off yet two more as Leighton press hard. First corner to us. Low drive by Kev Rogers just wide. Morty sends good through ball to James B.

Whole team playing well and keeping their line. Working as a team and no foul words from us. Not the case with our opponents' side lines.

11.25am. Sam fires in a good attempt – wide again. Obvious plan by the other side to rattle Kev Rogers as more and more tackles on him. Pushes aplenty. A throw in by us. To Sam – he
pokes in a shot. Goal. We are 1 up! 1-0. Great stuff.

Defence line working well, with Gaz Jones commanding centre spot. CB saves yet more shots. He looking good in his new kit. Then a tackle – hard – on him and CB is hurt. Worried for we have no sub. goalie. Ref. blows up and we troop off – in front. Good feeling.

Second Half

Rain more or less gone but still the grey of November. Dag Sirle fires in but saved. Pete Jones joins in with his strike but again brings off a save.

Three very pretty young girls appear amongst our supporters – which by the way is the largest "crowd" we have had to date – with trays of ginger biscuits and fairy cakes that they had made in support of Children in Need ( Esme Clarke, Grace Latham and Charlotte May).
We willingly hand over our coins and the biscuits and cakes are very tasty.

Game goes on with the opponents' management team getting very hot under the collar.. Ref. books two of their players. They push up and at 12.12pm they score. 1-1.

KR pushed and shoved but he retaliates and is warned by the Ref. to cool down. 12.16 and a free kick – they score! Blow me down. 1-2.

Tempers rising and Ref. gives red card to one of them. Off he troops and the Crewe sideline lot discover even more choice language. A woman in black is up and down the line with many words. Long time since I had seen a harridan in the flesh, but here she was.

The Reds getting more and more aggressive. Lots of pushing going on. Joe Benson off and Joe Overland on as sub. Then in our goal area, Kev Walters gets kicked in the chest. Retaliates by pushing the offender down. He is then pushed down by his opponent. Then the volcano erupts.

Players of both side race to join the fracas. The whole management lot of Crewe Leighton race on the field – even one on crutches with a broken ankle. All fists flying. Pete Jones gets poked with the crutches. The harridan in black in the midst of it all. Joe Benson seen pulling players off each other. A right hell of a scrap. At last all broken up. Ref calls captains over. Sensibly books no-one.

Sadly they then go on to score again. Game over at 1-3.

So, we are out of the cup competition. Lots of anger still by our opponents, who are not the most gentlemanly team we have faced. Will next play them in March, by which time wounds may have healed on both sides.

Man of the Match awarded to James Bebbington for his total and fearless commitment -
even though he was chastised at the end of the game by his mother for one or two ripe words he used!

Ralph Warburton
Chairman

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