Audlem F C Match Report

Match report November 22nd

Here to a calmer morning and that keen north wind gone – so it feels a tad warmer. Such a drop in air temperature. From mid-week of some 14/15C down with a bang to just 2C. And that on a day when ADAS toiled to get the Christmas trees in place.
All to do with our being an island with the swings of weather so more marked than on the land mass of Europe. In Spain so easy to give a forecast and for it to be right. Hard work here for the meteorologists. And I served in the Fleet Air Arm as just such a person- reading the weather ahead for flights out at sea in the Atlantic. Far easier being not on an island as such, but on a carrier of a size around a football pitch.

And on the subject of a pitch – today we travel to Wheelock to play on the grounds of Sandbach Football Club, versus a team named Market Tavern who entered the league this season and fast became the whipping boys, being beaten in most games.
Our team members have turned out in good numbers as I am sure they scent a victory against poor opposition. But we shall see. I hope we can emulate Liverpool and Barcelona and not Aston Villa!

Meet Geoff Stretch, joint manager, at 09.30 and load up the practice balls, medical bag and water bottles.
Off we drive and to Sandbach and Wheelock. Our heavy defeat last week still ringing in my ears as we were so poor. Hope lives eternal in my breast, so here goes.
Referee Derek Scott in charge. Pitch condition OK if a bit soft. Site has many pitches all being played on. Lots of youngsters enjoying their games. A real buzzing place. Excellent facilities. Showers, clean changing rooms. Food bar serving hot dogs, burgers, bacon baps etc. So different from our own place but hopefully the Public Hall bid for lottery money will get sanctioned and we all can look forward to a 21st century place for all activities – young and not so young .
16 players turn up. Best ever for weeks. So the luxury of 5 subs!
Some though with enough alcohol on their breath to breathe out fire!
To start off, I must apologise to our midfielder, Kyle for I named him Kylie last week , much to his chagrin. So – sorry Kyle. Kyle lady is here. Katie along with their two children -both with names begging with "K" – so they are the K clan.

The game. We play on pitch 5, so much bigger than ours. Most of the play seems to be on the far side from my position . Fast as both teams get going. Market Tavern, our opponents, are on top for a while. Very good team, with excellent management. Very welcoming.
Shot from young Brad Jones just wide . He is such a good player. Play 50/50. Then at 11.16. Andrew "Beko " scores

1-0 to us

Free kick on the edge of our box after as foul by Dale Bradbury but no gain for them. Their number 7 a very good player as he harries our defence. Great cross by Pete Jones is met by Kev Mort who plants the ball in their net.

2-0 to us!

Free kick to us after a hand ball. But no gain for us. Game now about 60/40 in our favour. Sun out and warm to the face. A weekend of all the seasons with sun, rain, wind , snow. Crazy weather but it is November after all. Some aggressive banter on the pitch, but as Katie Doughty says, there is no "I" in Team. It is all about being together as one. Well said Katie.
Ed Holmes pulls off a fine save and then a cross is met by Pete Jones who scores

3-0 We are well ahead.

4-0 Kev Mort scores yet again

Half time . Nice feeling being ahead
Just after the restart and Dave Bebbington off and Gary Jones on.
12.00 – a wide open goal and they score

4-1!

Joe Benson off as Alan Brindley comes on. Tavern now on top as they have renewed heart after their goal. 12.10 and we are waking up a bit but not enough as we allow them to score once more.

4-2. Are we again going to fall apart!

Brad Jones off and Elliot "Razor" Steventon on. Good player. Very calm air about him. This is his second game with us. Sun in now and a chill in the air. Young boys here with us arrive back caked in mud after falling over. Will make a mess of car seats on the way home later. Good run by Connor Jones but misses. Fierce shot by Kev Mort – saved. Corner from Graham Brown is met by Connor and he scores.

5-2

Good man to man play by us. Shot by Gary Jones is saved. AFC now working well and Mike, watching, says this is the best he has seen them play.
Elliot has a shot but goalie saves. Then back comes Elliot and not a close shave – more a full transplant as he fires in a fine goal. His second for us in just 2 games.

6-2. What a pleasure it is to report that.

Kyle races the full length of the pitch but fires wide. His last part in this fine game. As he goes off with a groin strain. No more subs allowed so we finish with the 10 men. Graham Brown juggles the ball with some very fancy footwork- takes the ball up field- strikes, but his shot is saved. End of game.
Poor referee yet again. Will be nice to have a good one next week , we hope .

A final comment as we enjoy the good fortune of a win

A strange thing in times of so much discord and terrorism in the world is that that haven of funk money, gold, has seen a drop in price from the heady heights of $1800 in 2012 down to just $1150 now. And this at a time too of such low interest rates so holding money earns so little. Must be a chase in the stock markets and better return for those in the know.
We feel we have struck gold in our win today!!!
Next game at home versus Crewe F C – in no way as courteous as Market Tavern. Let's hope we can win again

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.