Democratic Monologue from the captain

After a few weeks struggling for players, the Men’s 4th team ventured way out west to the frontier town of Rickmansworth with a full team, plus a couple of substitutes. The addition of Messers Churchman and Blannin brought a welcome blast of experience to the wagon train and the reappearance of Jimmy Rivers meant S&S started the match with a more balanced looking side. Having had selection problems of their own, Rickmansworth started with a bare eleven, but all of them wily experienced campaigners.

The match started very slowly with S&S abandoning their recent passing game and playing the game at the opposition’s pace. Few chances were created at either end with S&S enjoying the majority of the ball, limiting Rickmansworth to the occasional break. Unfortunately one of these occasional breaks brought about the opening goal for the home team. A rare misplaced ball from the normally reliable Coverdale, played in an attacker who shot from outside the D sending the ball directly into the goal. The umpire, having decided that this was a legitimate goal, then undertook a gentle general knowledge quiz which included questions on his eyesight, his interpretation of the rules and whether he’d like to change his mind, but he decided to stick with his first answer.

After a democratic monologue from the captain at half-time S&S started the second half with crisp, fast, passing hockey which brought about a succession of short corners. From one of these a shot was stopped on the line by a Rickmansworth foot and a penalty stroke was awarded. Steely eyed Neil Blannin stepped up, placed the ball on the penalty spot and prepared to take the stroke. Years of experience had taught him how to fool a hapless keeper and as he eyed the keeper’s right. He sent the ball to the keeper’s left. Unfortunately, the keeper hadn’t been looking into Blannin’s eyes and went left, but luckily the ball didn’t get off the ground and dribbled into the far corner.
The rest of game saw Rickmansworth pulling their wagons into a circle and defending for their lives. S&S kept pressing with the Pennington brothers, Angell and Wood busy in midfield and Wood junior, Parkes and Christoudolou causing mischief up front, but a mixture of unlucky chances and questionable decisions kept them at bay. With ten minutes left on the clock Gully decided to come off the bench where he had been all match, up to then one of his better performances. A rare break from Rickmansworth saw them hitting the post and right at the end Gully hit the Ricky post. As the last post sounded the game ended, Shefford and Sandy feeling that an opportunity for a win had gone by them.

S&S Men’s 4s; Steer, Coverdale, Rivers, Angell, Churchman, Pennington M, Pennington E, Wood E, Wood A, Christodoulou, Blannin, Parkes, Gully