So another week, a blistering wind, showers that gave 3rd degree burns, and another disgraceful pitch that elder players such as Steve Cousins (missing with a broken toe nail or something like that) would remember from their time on World War 1 battle field like Ypres and the Somme, STC welcomed the visit of a strong Farnborough side to a wet and boggy Ivor Grove
Before we get onto the action, a serious point to make. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE about the showers and the state of the pitches, simply not acceptable with the money we pay. It’s lucky we like the bar or we would be looking elsewhere come next season…..
So, STC started with Jordan in goal, Hooky’s shower bitch at right back, Bilbo’s even smaller brother Bob at left back, the headmaster and Slim at the heart of the defence, Gok out right, the returning Sheggs AKA Darren Anderton on the left, the chuckle brothers in the middle with the WhatsApp pervert and the Tattooed man up top, leaving Deano (Are you ever on time) and the new import from north London Ken, sorry Peter Dodd on the bench.
Farnborough started the stronger of the 2 sides, adapting to the poor pitch better than STC who seemed to get bogged down and quite literally stuck in their own half. After scrappy opening 20 minutes the visitors deservedly took the lead, albeit through a disappointing goal to concede from an STC perspective. Slim failed to marshal the front post area and the corner passed along the STC goal a yard out where at the far post, Sheggs put into his own net under pressure from the forward. 1-0 down, but questions must be raised as to how the ball as allowed to pass along the length of the goal a yard out……. So penned in, struggling to string passes together and soon it was 2-0.
A nothing ball into the box, all the keeper had to do was bend down and pick the ball up, or simply clear it, but no, somehow at the last moment, Jordan seemed to side step away missing the ball completely and it tamely rolled in. 2-0 down inside 30 minutes and the second was a howler. An additional disappointment for this writer would have been the polite debate that would have ensued had a certain fireman been present.
STC started to look a little brighter towards the end of the half but made no real chances, but started to show some heart and fight. Something that had been sorely missing. 2-0 half time, against the wind and all still to play for.
The second half started pretty much the same as the first, with Farnborough on top making a string of half chances and playing the better football. STC by contrast were struggling to adapt to the conditions, passes going astray, Hooky did 3 in a row at one point, and the new boy resembling Bambi on skates, spending more time on the floor than humanly possible, new boots fella me thinks.
10 minutes in and it was game over, an awful clearance from Jordan went along the deck straight up the middle where Hooky, surrounded by 3 Farnborough players was brushed aside and the forward finished well. 3-0 and another error.
Not much happened after that with both sides settling and accepting the inevitable. And so it finished 3-0. A disappointing result, by Farnborough deserved victors, albeit on another day, with no hand outs given, this could have been a hard fought 0-0.
Strong performances from Crabby (although you do need to pass sometimes rather than go on a 1 man mission to beat the whole back 4), Scott and Hooky, all of whom received votes, but Man of the Match this week goes to Slim, well played in the changed role of Centre Half. This writer would have given to either of the chuckle brothers in the middle, tireless display in midfield from the old farts, but it is a democracy we live in, well until 23rd June.
No game as of yet next week, but word is, Roberts is trying to get one. Watch this space.
