After such a great win on our last outing, the return of B&A favourites Kenny and Baggo and a mid week rousing speech from Thom ‘Wiston Chode Churchill’ Nowell all the signs were looking good going in to this game. Not to mention the fact that we beat them 4-0 only a couple of months previously. But when the numbers started to fade the team was back down to the bare bones. Ken Dog and Baggo were both hoping to ease themselves back in to the team and get a few minutes under their belts but with injuries, shopping trips, house moving and some general gayness they both had to start. When we arrived at the ground things were getting worse, we had no water bottles, no balls to warm up with and Pat the bastard stole the last bit of my mars bar.
The game started and was tuff going from the off. The pitch was huge and ground was heavy. It was fairly even in the early stages until East Peckham broke the deadlock. A free kick was lofted in and flicked on, NiceGuy made the punch under heavy pressure from an East Peckham player but the ball fell to one of them and he poked it in to the onion bag. We struggled to recover from that goal and before long it was two. A harmless ball was played in to the penalty area, the normally reliable NiceGuy came out to collect the loose ball but somehow it squirmed out of his clutches and fell invitingly to the East Peckham attacker who slotted it away. I think NiceGuy needs to take his gloves off next time he butters his toast. This time we pushed on to try and get back into the game and pulled a goal back just before half time. Some quick thinking from the Hobbit who played a short corner to the Chode who in turn crossed for Captain Dynamite to slot home his 54th goal of the season. Game on.
Te second half was a much more even affair with chances at both ends. We were living dangerously at the back and not clearing our lines. Kenny seemed to improve as the game went on and chipped in with some good headers and some great last ditch tackles. Bert, playing out of position in centre mid was again the main driving force in the team, putting himself about and making countless tackles. Gozzy was also leading by example and didn’t stop running or talking throughout the 90 minutes. Mitch was introduced midway through the half coming on for Axel. This gave some much needed life in to the attack as he linked up well with Gozzy and Bert. We still couldn’t find the equalizer. At the other end it was still scary stuff with EP pushing on to try and make the game safe. Two chances were cleared off the line.
Hobbit had a brief chance but could quite conceal the hands as well as Henry and the free kick went against us, then Gozzy had a wonderful chance to pull it back. Thom Thumb played him in with a lovely little pass, he turned the defender inside out but with only the keeper to beat he blazed over.
It finished 2-1, only our 2nd league defeat of the season. Not many positives to take away this week and plenty of work to be done before we face Hadlow Evolution next week.
