Match Report
By June 1511, most of the Romagna was in French hands; the Papal army, disorganised and underpaid, was in no condition to prevent Trivulzio from advancing on Ravenna. In response to this debacle, Julius proclaimed a Holy League against France. The new alliance rapidly grew to include not only Spain and the Holy Roman Empire (which abandoned any pretence of adhering to the League of Cambrai in hopes of seizing Navarre from Queen Catherine and Lombardy from Louis), but also Henry VIII of England who, having decided to use the occasion as an excuse to expand his holdings in northern France, concluded the Treaty of Westminster—a pledge of mutual aid against the French—with Ferdinand on the 17th November 1511.
Fast forward precisely 507 years and a similar treaty was required in the second half of this game, a Holy League was required to repel the Nomads as wave after wave swarmed into the Vets half, apparently appalled and astonished in equal measure at the prospect of losing to this occasionally Papal gathering of men. But there was both honour and portent at stake. A new Rambler and a new Catholic had entered the world this week, and this assembled 14 could not, would not, let his first Saturday be marred by defeat.
That this ferocious and well-organised rear-guard was necessary came from another stellar first half performance, in which chances were clinically finished and only a freak provided the opposition with a lifeline.
First Lewis, third game in a row, gave the Vets an early lead. Then the freak. An unconvincing Bodey header was followed by an unconvincing Power punch. The ball landed at Killen’s feet at the edge of the box, he turned into trouble but cleared, only for the ball to ricochet cruelly from a Nomad knee into the bottom corner. These days, setbacks like this only galvanise the Vets. Almost the very next phase of play saw the lead being retaken. Phil the Ref seemed to take an age to award a nailed-on penalty for handling on the line. No-one but the new Rambler’s father was having the spot-kick. He rolled it into the middle of the goal, and the Nomads keeper, knowing destiny was against him, dived obligingly out of the way.
The game remained tense until the break, but just before the whistle blew, Rogers sent a long throw into the box and Lewis bundled ball and keeper into the net. 3-1. A rather more prosaic Tesco offering of oranges arrived in the green Tupperware box this week. But it was battle cry rather than tactical nouse that dominated the words and no-one seemed to complain.
Early in the second half the once-more excellent Killen was crocked. Clay, who had played until then at right back with barely a paragraph of complaint, joined McGuckin to bring an experienced feel to the centre of midfield. Enter Van Pointon, fresh from the 3rd XI, committed to the cause. The new father hit the bar when it was easier to score, the Chairman passed the rebound to a grateful keeper, who had already rolled onto the floor in the hope that the shot would be kind. The new father had another chance to put the result beyond doubt but inspired by the Chairman moments earlier, was equally kind with a feeble shot that was easily saved.
It was a different business at the other end. Corner after corner was repelled. A promising attack was inerrupted by a tackle from Bodey which was more like a criminal assault. A Rogers tackle in the box brought frenzied appeals to the referee for a penalty, but none came. Sometimes a never-ending succession of frenzied appeals to the referee can be counter-productive. Just saying.
The final whistle blew, it was three wins on the bounce. Next week’s game is at Essemmay Vets. Four wins in November after none in October? Let’s dare to dream.
Maxwell Gabriel Mornington, born 13th November 2018.