It appears that there could be no better phrase than "bogey team" when it comes to Cringleford talking about Archant. Although "those guys with the idiot running the line" also springs to mind.
With a blizzard forecast, Dave and Huw took the easy option of deciding to turn up late in order to stay warm. This only succeeded in forcing Woodsy into taking his thermally insulated tracksuit off earlier than anticipated. Despite the freezing conditions the game kicked off on time with every player sporting some kind of under garment either to keep warm or display some kind of political message in the event that they netted. Unfortunately Phil's Free East Timor T-shirt is now well out of date as yet again he failed to net. Is he the only player never to score?
Cringleford started the better of the two teams and won several corners. The most memorable being when Wilson fired the ball to the near post where it was flicked on only for Fairman to shoot over from close range. A theme appeared to be starting and despite several chances Cringleford failed to score.
Cringleford were made to rue their misses as during Archant's only decent attack of the half they crossed for the centre forward to nip in between two defenders and tap in from close range.
With Jennings looking lively down the right several crosses were floated into the box but again nothing was converted. Archant almost made it two nil against the run of play as they broke away and as Shaul tackled bravely the ball fell in the path of the Archant striker whose effort was brilliantly parried by Ollie.
A stirring team talk by Wilson and a chorus of Rule Brittannia (poorly observed by Ollie and Ecky, the foreign imports) re-energised the Cringleford Team and together with two fresh faces as Sharred and Payne made their belated presence felt. This meant that Cringleford came out all guns blazing.
Both Woodsy and Ecky fired close before a long kick from Ollie caught the Archant back four napping. Woodsy raced on (well raced as in a slow bicycle race) to the high ball, controlled it well before firing into the corner to even up the game.
The next ten minutes saw the snow come down in force as Cringleford started to play their best football of the game and on the 60th minute Cringleford went 2-1 up. The ball broke to Wilson on the left, stuck for space he did the old watch my right foot while I bring my left foot round the back of my ankle, do the okey cokey and toe poke the ball. It confused everybody and in the ensuing scramble Fairman drilled home Cringlefords second.
Cringleford pressed hard for the third with Sharred and Skipper combining well down the left on several occasions. Fairman rounded the keeper only to hit the side netting weakly. Shaul headed against the post and when it came back to him decided he liked it so much he headed against the post again. If that wasn't enough to make everyone laugh/cry (delete as applicable) then Ecky The Entertainer decided he would try blasting the ball straight at the Archant keeper from close range. Just like a small child when it got a good laugh he decided to do it again and again and AGAIN!!
As Cringleford pressed Archant hit them on the break and Dennis and Shaul were caught down field discussing a corner. With Jennings and Sharred struggling to provide cover the Archant striker fired from long range. Ollie's cold hands could only parry the ball into the roof of the net.
Cringleford still had plenty of chances to win the game in the final minutes but against their Bogey Team they could not score and it finished 2-2.
Whilst everyone was disappointed they started to look forward to next week's game. Well all bar one player, Ecky relived every moment in the changing rooms afterwards, and down the pub. And as he is not available next week, he will have another three weeks to think long and hard about what he should have done differently instead of blasting the ball straight at the keeper!
