Match Report
28th October 2017, Attendance 3.
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Saturday was the 131st anniversary of the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty and, as the Veterans squad selection policy is based entirely upon the sentiments of Emma Lazarus’s (yes, really) renowned sonnet, it was decided to honour the occasion by declaring Upton Magnates’ show pitch a dominion of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Gone were the stifling norms of strict formation and employing no more than a 1, 10 strategy the Vets kicked off into a stiff breeze unchained. Freedom of movement abounded, and being staunch egalitarians, it was decided that the same latitude should be afforded to the Upton attack who burst through the Vets back line within moments of the start. The one on one that followed was a master class by Keeper Hulme in psyching out your opponent. Whilst most custodians would have rushed to the edge of the box Hulme retreated not only towards his line but to his right leaving Upton’s forward wondering both (a) where has the keeper gone? and (b) is the open goal ahead of me a trap? Hobbled by doubt the forward resolved his issues by first locating his opponent and taking the ball wide and towards him and second by then trying to score off the far post. He didn’t.
The resulting giddy sense of confidence meant that Gorton, Bodey, van Pointon and Rushie continued with what football connoisseurs would recognise as a false back four strategy. Spurred on by their reckless stand in coach Bagley they executed breathtaking “tippy -tappy football” – as Matty Gray described it- in all areas of the pitch. It was a wonder to behold, with a midfield grouping of Byrne, Yates, Chester and Gray giving full vent to their skills in linking with the redoubtable strike force of Jones and Mornington. Unsurprisingly to some (Matty Gray again) Upton broke through once more and the same choreography ensued, this time resulting in a Schmeichel like save. However, the rebound fell kindly and rather than shoot again the ball was squared to an Upton forward who knocked it in from 3 yards.
With the half time score at 1-0 to the hosts Harthan and Morris joined the happening and after a flowing move down the right Mornington got the better of their sweeper and clipped the ball across their keeper for the equaliser. The possession stats continued to favour the visitors and the felicity with which the Vets were changing positions, even when it was totally unnecessary, was foxing the Magnates. Warren joined the fray, a like for like substitution for Rushie who later returned to create havoc up front, and it was against the run of play, notwithstanding an occasional goal-line clearance, when Upton scored a headed goal from a corner to lead 2-1 with 8 minutes to play.
Lesser teams would have capitulated but this line up was made of sterner stuff. Drawing on its last vestiges of ideological zeal it upped the pace and harried the opposition into repeated error. With 4 minutes left the ball fell once more to Mornington some 25 yards out and he belted the ball home off the inside of the right post.
The game ended in a draw, honour satisfied on all sides. However, football can be brutal and Captain Power, having learnt that Coach Bagley was planning next Saturday’s tactics around the 171st anniversary of the grant of patent for an artificial leg to Benjamin Palmer has thanked him for all that he has done for the club and sacked him, announcing Adrian Rogers as his immediate replacement.
Next Fixture: Liobians away.