The first game of the season is always important for building morale and getting everyone lathered up for the season ahead. We started against Tonbridge Invicta Reserves who are always competitive and usually offer a challenge so it was good to see that everyone (ok maybe not a certain newlywed) looked in quite decent shape after the summer.
It was good to see a debutant in young Adam Jefferies (Ghandi’s Ghost) who is certainly not as welcome at the So Solid Crew’s Christmas party being a few shades paler than his bro but he certainly had an excellent game in his first for the B + A. Let’s hope the shower boys don’t scare him away.
The game started off in the perfect way as Mantis received the ball on the right after good work from Baggo, he sent in an inch perfect cross for the Hobbit to leap like a pixie and slam home with his head…that really must be embarrassing for any opposing team to see happen to them. The rest of the half we managed to contain the leprechaun up front but perhaps were resorting a bit too much on the long ball however there were certain spells where we knocked the ball around real purdy and really should have gone in at half time 3 – 1 up after their keeper made two brilliant saves and they hit our crossbar. Hobbit pulled his hamstring so hearts sunk when we looked at the bench to see all we had to bring on was Gozzy - talk about lack of strength in depth!!
The second half started and we seemed to lose a lot of concentration and allowed them to get back in with a scrappy goal from a corner….the 15 people at Goldsmiths were lapping up the Hollywood celebrations that in no way made their player look a complete and utter helmet. We managed to gather ourselves together a bit more after this and following good interplay between Bert and Gozzy sent Junior down the right, his high cross was headed in with aplomb by James. Disaster struck however when their striker was sent through and fired past Dan to make it 2 – 2, another Hollywood celebration followed which again did not in anyway make him look a complete Jeb End. Fair play to us though as we never let our heads drop and were playing good football, Bert was having a real impact in the centre after coming on and it was him who set the winner up, after an excellent run he played the ball through to James who rolled back the years with a superb finish into the top corner from outside the area, 3 – 2 was how it finished and all in all this was a very good performance.
Special mention to MOM Dan H who made some amazing saves, Jedward (Tim) for a Vidic like block on a shot and Huffers who saved Juniors blushes after getting nutmegged by their striker. Also to Berts dad who kindly booted one of the balls onto the top of a tree!! Also to the ref who nearly sent Pat Lawrence packing off to the stands after a comical interchange with our captain who was then told to pass the message onto Pat despite the fact that Pat was stood there anyway!
Great hustle at Hobbits birthday afterwards as well, although we might see the end of several Crowborough Town players careers due to a certain fella with eye catching hair!!
Shaggy x
