Tough day v Cricketers

Awake after a sunny Saturday to miserable cold rain for our first home game for four weeks. Wrap up and on goes my hat. Thick sock for wet feet in prospect. I say to myself why am I doing this? Mad!

Whist I was away for the past four games we have leaked as if a sieve. Some 20+ goals conceded. And just the 9 scored. A glimmer of pearls was the game versus Betley – a team that has in the past hurt us badly – when the team really played so well to a 3-3 score line – making Geoff proud of the players that day.

Now here on the touchline of the playing field. Grass not cut at all by Cheshire East. Leaves on the trees losing their chlorophyll so much now as they come to end of their life. The Field Maple to my right heavy with its winged seed pods. A lazy wasp – chilled – walks over my clip board.

The church bells ringing out so musically – a sound never heard in Spain where I was – and the sun out bright to the west; rain over now.

Today we face Cricketers FC of Sandbach, a top flight team. And a good bunch too. We greet each other as they arrive. For them a fairly long drive.

Referee is Darren Waters – one who is always welcome as a firm but fair official. No histrionics from him.
Kick off sharp at 11.00am. Fast play by both sides. We are aged from 16 to 50! A veritable cross section of talent and guile, with a sprinkling of young legs.

David – our most loyal of supporters and through his daughter, Kirsty, a provider of fine match balls – joins me on the side lines. Adam Cooper in goal this day as our normal goalies are away – one is in Shanghai and Ed Holmes working. Adam is our most senior player in age.

Sun very low and slanting down the pich – to our benefit? Ww shall see.
11.07: We score! Connor Jones – so irrepressible – fires home.
1-0
11.15: A stupid soft goal given away as they equalise. Defence asleep.
1-1
Opponents now in the ascendency as we seem to lose heart. Their passing on the deck so much more skilful. Warm sun and the wind has dropped down. Tom Bebbington gets a very bad kick in his nether parts and is out of action for three minutes as play stops. Up and running, he carries on.

Clouds building up and sun hides behind them. Great solo run by Andrew Betteley deserves more as their very able goalkeeper saves point blank shot.
A back heel by their striker and we are down again. So soft a goal.
1-2
Then yet another darned soft goal as they score on the point of half time.
1-3

Half Time

So much promise was in our team. All gone. Defence poor. And yet as we get under way a sign that we may perform better. No subs played as yet. Good run by Tom – recovered from his low hurting kick – is met by Dale Bradbury as they attack their goal. But saved yet once more.

Sun is back and welcome. Adam in goal resplendent in his cap to shield his eyes. Two very welcome cappuccinos for David and myself from JA's café .

12.30: They score again – yet another stupid goal as defence opened up like a sardine can.
1-4!
Kev Rogers clears off the line what was to be a certain goal.
Kev Walters off – Mark Latham on.
They score!
1-5
Tom Bebbington off. Will Slant on.
They score
1-6. Words fail me.
4 minutes on
1-7. What can I say. Defence is a joke.
12.45: We are awarded a penalty. A real one too. Not a sympathy one. Connor scores his second.
2-7
Two minutes later , defenders nowhere
2-8!
What a real mess we played this day.

I invite opponents back to The Lord Combermere – our sponsor – for the best chip butties in Cheshire and happily they all come along. They had their chips in sunshine on the patio – as our players had truly had theirs on the field of play.

Next Game at Wrenbury on the 23rd .

Ralph Warburton
Audlem F C

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