Match Report
Fine margins can make or break a managerial career, this is well known. Had Everton won a penalty and Virgil Van Djik been sent off on Wednesday night, Liverpool would be spiralling into mid-table mediocrity, Everton would have won the Derby at a canter and Marco Silva would be a legend with a job for life. Acknowledging the precarious nature of his tenure after 3 losses on the bounce, the skipper decided to make amends. The finest oranges known to man were picked up from Colin Lunt’s greengrocers, the balls were inflated to FIFA specifications and in Lesley’s absence a feast of Costco sandwiches was arranged. Only extreme bad luck and devilish subterfuge could thwart his plans. Both came to collide in a perfect storm and surely nothing can save him now.
The bad luck came in a number of ways. First, Kingsford, Bagley and Whyte were whisked away by the 3rd XI. Next, Bodey arrived but 15 minutes before kick-off with the keys to the clubhouse after the President had valiantly left the golf course and forsaken attending to a family emergency to come himself to help out, albeit without the requisite bunch of keys. Bob King hit the bar and Finno the post in a spirited performance of much higher quality than in recent times. An apparently nailed on penalty was not given – those three events would have provided the three goals needed to win with better luck.
And then the subterfuge. Infuriated at being offered up to the Supervets, Jim Byrne took possession of the oranges and put them high up on the shelf in the elder statesmen’s changing rooms. With his team having lost their manager in the week, he was keen for the same to come about in the Vets XI, perhaps looking to be the Ramblers’ answer to Nigel Pearson.
As to the details of the game … Gorton was back and in the event, back to form. RvP had recovered from shagger’s neck and was back alongside the President Elect at the heart of the defence, but was shrugged aside a little too easily for the Nomads’ opener. The first half performance was, on the whole, pretty good though, and with better fortune we could have been at least level and possibly ahead. Surging runs from King posed a constant threat. Eddie Jones had to withdraw with a hamstring injury which hopefully will not jeopardise his turnout cup ambitions, but Rushie performed admirably in his place, not least because he managed to put to one side that the fact that he had spent twenty minutes looking for the oranges. Nothing should be said about half-time.
Nomad’s second goal was really well worked and it should not be forgotten that they are one of the best teams that we play. Mornington arrived fresh from the foothills of Everton’s Champions League ascent but couldn’t spark the magic of a revival. And then at full time the skipper’s malaise was complete with news from Repton that Kingy, fully 52 years older than two of his teammates, had turned in a Man of the Match performance for the 3rd XI. Hopefully he can make it to Manchester Grammar School next week, to allow full attention to be given to the Tupperware by yesterday’s man.