Match Report
With M.W.W. Bagley larging it in some swanky murder trial in the Old Bailey and the groundsman having gone to ground, a Mornington emergency dash to Tony Almond for some makeshift white spray for line markings set the tone for this meaningless pre-season friendly. McGuckin was stuck on a train at Stafford so Colin Thomas kindly forsook high level pre-season training for the glory of playing alongside the spritely Gendall and King in midfield. There was also a welcome return for Psycho, who brought his boots, kit and enthusiasm but not his match fees.
The opposition brought a competitive spirit and soon engineered a two goal lead within the first twenty minutes. Counterintuitively, they spent the next fifteen minutes haranguing a 70-year-old referee who had kindly given up a pleasant August evening to officiate. Lord knows what might have happened had they been two goals down.
All ends up, things calmed down in the second half when the kindly referee awarded the opposition an unlikely penalty (about which they did not complain) which was thunderously despatched. Then, gosh, a precision finish from Rogers and two from Mornington gave this meaningless pre-season friendly every chance of becoming the first official game of season. The match became enjoyably open but returned to type when the Ramblers conceded an unnecessary fourth with two minutes to go.
Five minutes after the finish the heavens opened in biblical style, giving the clubhouse roof the chance to prove it was still watertight. Let’s see if that holds good after A Level and GCSE results days at Holy Family.
Still, it was good to be back.