Frederiksen drops bollock!
Team nice guy and genuine tall man; Steven Frederiksen dropped the clanger of the season that saw the Gator’s give up two valuable points in their chase for mid table security.
The Alligator’s were revved up, motivated and looking to start the game like Superman on a mission to save Louis Lane, and that’s exactly how the game began!
After only 47 seconds the Gator’s saw their first chance arrive as the returning Bywater slotted in Wallace from the inside left position. Wallace took a touch and cleared the defence with his gazelle like pace, cranked back the left foot and scuffed the ball horrifically into the floor from only 12 yards. What a start that would have been for the Gators!
The Mr Motivator DVD played by Pluminho during the team talk had worked wonders, the Gatorade@wilsons Lane based club had never started like this before as they snapped into every challenge and dominated the opening proceedings. The boys were everywhere, even when the ball was out of play Gators were seen performing the splits, star jumps and in Rich Ellis’s case – a cartwheel. They were pumped up and baying for blood!
On five minutes Holden strode forward from the back, looked forth and saw Gedly Ward in the distance. Holden sprayed the ball fully 50 yards like an arrow from Robin Hood’s bow – it hit its target. Ward brought it down Zidane like and fired home to open the scoring, and take himself top of the goal scoring charts with 3 pokey hits.
The start rocked the Ganton Grasshoppers, who themselves had their tales up after their defeat of the Gator’s two weeks before. The Flixton outfit just couldn’t string 2 passes together as the Alligator midfield hassled everything and dominated from the off, when suddenly for no apparent reason; the Gator’s took their foot off the gas.
The Grasshoppers began to become a force as their collection of job seekers and footballing Leg-Ends upped their game. McKenzie in the midfield was seeing more balls than Gary Glitter on a year 6 school trip as he began to draw his side back in to the game with a succession of splendid toe bungs.
Pluminho was becoming incredibly frustrated as his troops gave the ball away time after time, instead of keeping it simple as they had done previously.
Veteran midfield general Phil Wignal found the Ganton stopper in top form as he tipped over his 20 yard screaming bullet of an effort, a certain goal of the season contender if that one had hit home.
Another returnee; Mike Graysocks found himself in acres of space down the right on 35 mins, and he rifled in a shot from an acute angle which was saved by the rolly poley stopper in the Ganton net. Sadly for Graysocks as the half time hooter went his game was up due to wedding commitments. Into the changing rooms he went as he got changed faster than a chink at 9am racing to the digital camera shelves in Currys - so that he could get there in good time, and collect his plus one; Frank White.
Pluminho reminded the boys their pride was at stake, a reverse of the 1-0 score line, currently in Gator’s favour would result in the Alligators becoming the first team in 45 years to be defeated by the Grasshoppers home and away!
Pluminho was sweating like Josef Fritzl on MTV Cribs as victory was in sight for the first time in 4 matches!
Half Time
Ayton Alligators 1 v 0 Ganton Grasshoppers
Jamie Tyler was introduced at the interval as he took time out from his busy schedule of being on the run from the feds. The sovereign wearing Eastfielder took Graysocks place on the right side.
The second half was an exhibition of soccer from both sides as the crowd were woo’d by some exciting attacking play, mostly due to mistakes from the opposition.
Gaz Lewis’s extremely large…..kick was causing the Grashoppers back line all sorts of problems, as it was Jedd Ward as he ran back and forth like a yo-yo, and became very frustrated. Ward yelled “Gaz you blistering idiot, take some off it, I may be fast but I’m no Linford”.
One of last seasons heroes showed glimpses of a revival as Danny Alves was on occasion spotted darting down the right wing, using his quick feet, pace and silky dribbling tekkers to make his way in to ‘Hoppers territory. His best move saw him beat 3 men and hit the byline, only to fail to pick out the killer pass with team mates well placed.
The game was on a knife edge, the next goal crucial when a long punt by the Vanessa Feltz sized Ganton keeper saw the ball bounce over Frederikson’s head. The race was on between our 6 foot+ throw in taking hero and his much smaller opposite number. Fantastic Frederikson got there first, all the time in the world. He got out his pack up, out came the crunchy corner complete with spoon, as he took time out with nobody anywhere near him… With cries of “AWAY, GET RID, PUT IT OUT, FREDDIE FOR FORKS SAKE KICK THE B*STARD”….. Freddie committed a boo boo. Not for the first time this season a Gators defender dwelling on the ball has cost his side, in fact it’s the third time. Freddie hacked down his opponent with match official Al Marshall taking him to one side after the incident and saying “That was a fuckin disgusting tackle, I want no more of that” (His actually comments!!).
Ganton had a free kick in dangerous territory down Gators left. The defence sluggishly set up as the kick came over and was slammed home by the leaping Sean Rowley with a towering head but at the back stick. A blow to the Gators, and to Frederikson who whimpered in the net in the aftermath.
On came Smart for the surprisingly disappointing Bywater as Pluminho looked for a winner. The remaining 20 minutes saw the Gator’s miss some of the biggest chances they are ever likely to get as Frederikson somehow managed to head over from two yards, AND miss the following corner as he shut his eyes and hoped it would hit him!
Ward did well down the right on 76 minutes as he beat the Ganton back line with his skill and upper body strength, he laid the ball back for the onrushing Jamie Tyler, 4 yards out, the goal gaping like an Essex Girl at closing time. Somehow our striking hero Tyler managed to miss, the Ganton keeper stuck out an arm, and it bounced off his bingo wing and back in to play. Tyler and the rest of the Gator’s were devastated.
The game was vastly becoming more like a basketball match as both teams looked for the winner. Lewis repelling everything Ganton had to muster with his years of experience between the pipes.
Gezza Ward again found himself at the heart of the action as the Ayton skipper turned and played a worldy of a through ball, Fabregas like and releasing youngster and soccer lover Jake Smart one on one. It was shades of Plumpton two weeks ago as his effort was easily saved.
Hick by this point had been introduced for the tiring Wallace, he tested the keeper from 20 yards but failed to threaten with the left peg.
Time was running out faster than a jew with a coupon. Sadly, that was that, it was all over. A point, which upon reflection, felt like a defeat, the Gator’s were a dejected bunch in the dressing room as Frederikson was found by Holden completely inconsolable as he hid himself in the kit bag under the changing room benches from his team mates, hoping they wouldn’t find him and forget it had all happened.
The crowd couldn’t quite believe the Alligators had managed to throw this victory away, and neither could Pluminho.
The John Hick Sponsored Man of the Match saw the award go to Gareth Lewis for some safe handling and dirty box management.
