Pink was the colour football was the game……A slow start from the away side saw the depleted Cringleford defence soak up an early barrage of mediocre advances from the portly Downham players.
However, it wasn’t long before the tried and trusted combo of the Wilson left boot (only) combined with Westy’s jinking runs (the randomness of which appeared to confuse the balding opposition) found Pyne and Fairman rekindling their old partnership on a picnic blanket on the edge of the box.
It was just this type of move which, in the 17th minute led to Pyno flicking a first time ball from Wilson into the path of Fairman who needed no encouragement in controlling the ball on the run and deftly blasting it past the advancing keeper. 1-0 Cringleford, against the run of play it could be argued.
However as the away sides’ confidence grew, so did home sides frustration with some ‘robust’ challenges flying in. (Wierdly though being kicked by someone in pink doesn’t hurt as much, in fact it’s quite amusing). There then followed a series of attempts at both ends the most memorable of which was a Pyno 35 yarder ending up in the car park and Olly’s braveheart style dive at the feet of the advancing Downham forward, brilliant goalkeeping.
The home side went into the changing rooms pink with frustration at half time having nothing to show for a 45 mins which had been dominated by a resilient Cringleford defence and tireless midfield.
The 2nd half began as the 1st had ended with meaty challenges from the pinksters (primarily it seemed aimed it seemed at Pynos bandaged right knee) which were going unpunished by the portly balding ref.
Another crunching challenge, this time on Bartlett as he ‘danced’ with ball, was the final straw….
the gloves were off….But so was Pyno, complaining of ‘feeling a bit tired’….and on bounced super sub Kevin who made immediate inroads to the Downham box .
The next 20 minutes was a master class in defending a lead, by the back four and the midfield and a meister class in goalkeeping from Cringleford’s German superhero.
Blocks from short range, dives right and left and superman style punches cutting through a wall of pinkness. It was still 1-0, danke shonne Olly.
At the other end Shared (whose own pink glow seemed to disorientate the opposition players around him) wasn’t done yet, beating two, and firing a looping 25 yarder, destined for the goal, but denied by the fingertips of the retreating keeper.
And just as there seemed an inevitable last minute equaliser, extra time and penalties on the stormy horizon, Rob’s slide rule pass finds Richies head at the near post 2-0.
As cries of ‘how long ref’ echoed across the pitch, wave after wave of Pink squadrons attacked the Anglo/ German fortress to no avail…. However as the ball ricocheted around the box the ball it appeared to strike Huw on his well developed chest, ‘PENALTY’…
Strangely the ref was uninterested in Huw’s side of the story….2-1.
The only notable incident of the last 5 minutes was the enquiry by Payne to the referee as to whether he was related to any members of the opposition, result, yellow card.
A great result well done lads
