You put your good goals in and take your bad goals out, do the ALKI-kokey and you shake it all about!
What to say about Saturday’s game? It’s rather well known that Potten End are not big fans of the county cup. Schlepping all over Hertfordshire (and beyond sometimes!) does sometime seem like a trail by petrol. What you can say is that it has provided some of us old timers with some good stories. I think on long cold winter evenings to come we may well trot out a tale or two about this game!
Having missed the game the week before to attend the Arsenal Chelsea match, I treated myself to a seat on the bench (well flag actually!). Macca and I were entertained with some fabulous football against a team that looked like they were up for it, and coming from the Spartan league, would be no mugs. Spartan is a tough league and so it proved. 2-0 down after 20 minutes, the score line did nothing to reflect the utter domination of the Potten play. Rob and Jonny were simply bossing the midfield. Rob rolling back the years and showing his young midfield pupil the full range of passing and hold up play in his repertoire. I remarked to Mac at 30 minutes that they had been in our half twice and scored both times! Not to worry, there is a very real sense of resilience growing at the Stadium of darkness: We might be unlucky with super goals against us and injuries disturbing our defense, but come to le stad noir© these days, and you had better be prepared to score one more than us. Genuinely I do believe that we could score against anyone. Alkie and Dale serving each other to level the scores at half time. The link up almost telepathic – almost MACHINE like! 2-2.
A rousing half time team talk from Macca sent an unchanged side back out for some more of the same. Unfortunately more of the same meant goals conceded! This time a sloppily defended corner and headed goal (haven’t we seen this before?)(- ed!). It was a wickedly whipped delivery in fairness, but we must go with our men. It’s about personal battles; your man should not be allowed to get to the ball before you. The excellent Potten End supporter’s Army was soon to be treated to something a little special. With rolling subs, Dave and I switched. Some sustained Potten attacking saw Jonny emerge from the midfield ball at feet. I found myself yelling for the ball at the back post as lighting bolts flew from a rapier right boot and an unstoppable drive arrowed its way into the top corner of the Inter goal. Three ‘keepers wouldn’t have saved that – take a bow son. 3-3!
Queue the theme tune from the keystone kops: Frenchie launches a goal kick straight up the adorable backside that is Paul Nolan, the resultant ricochet gratefully dispatched by Inter for goal no 4. Sometimes you don't recover from these mistakes, and one player is left feeling pretty grim, I’ve been there and it’s not nice. When this happens all you have to rely on is the other players on the pitch, and in this moment collectively the boys stood tall for their comrade. Almost before winning the corner Paul Nolan had started his run! The in-swinging (wand ™) delivered corner found the shiny bald pate of "premature Paul". 4-4 ‘ave it!
I thought Alkie was going to wet himself as the next goal went in some 2 minutes later. His good work winning a throw on the right, I called for his long launch onto my head and pointed to the goal. Looking at me in disbelief (the guy next to me was at least six’ four”) he sent in the throw. As the goal went in his impish look of giggly delight and disbelief will stay with me for a long time! 5-4. Some polish was applied shortly after when Alkie (Just shading Rob for MOM) slipped the Machine in for a composed sixth.
As is the Potten way, a Dave conceded pen gave the visitors a glimmer of hope (6-5), but it was always our day.
Special mention needs to be made to Gary C for a third obdurate, combative performance on the spin, Ben for Stepping up to cover Centre Half and Kieran who didn’t miss a header all game taking in his stride one return pass that was so late it was sent last week! Not forgetting the French who badly needs the clean sheet that his performances have deserved – this week?
Keep it Rotten’
