5th February

Match report by Geoff

REDS ….0 versus BLACKS….0

Yet again another 9 a-side game at the Polideportivo on Monday, however in an endeavour to discourage less running the match was played on a slightly shorter pitch than normal with smaller goals.

There was a warm welcome back from everyone to Olaf our popular German friend after some 8 months away from the Polideportivo for a variety of reasons.

Sussex Ken in the early stages was less than pleased when after slotting the ball past  ‘Canadian’ Alan in the Reds goal only to have it correctly disallowed for running by John aka Fireman Sam the referee.

Both teams had difficulty creating chances in the opening session, however just before the end Breck surprisingly missed a penalty after a foul by Dave Cab on Ken K.

With the smaller goals undoubtedly making it difficult to score, it nevertheless had the desired affect on encouraging less ‘running’ and more 3 touch football, this in no small part due to the firm refereeing of Fireman Sam.

Nil apiece at the break.

The best effort in the second session following some excellent inter passing by the Reds was  a superb effort from Keef which narrowly went wide of the Blacks goal.

Highlight of this session was undoubtedly Plasterer Dave becoming the first person to be given a yellow card for consistently running, he was not best pleased to say the least, yet  another first to tell his young son about afterwards!

The third session began with still no score with Kevo hitting a terrific shot which Han in the Reds goal superbly tipped over the bar for a corner.

This was followed by the Plasterer dramatically appealing for a penalty claiming he had been fouled, in essence all that happened was him putting on the ‘brakes’ not wishing to be sin binned again for running, in doing so he tripped over his feet, or then again maybe it was his long baggy shorts cut down from his old pyjamas!

The session finished with Laurence hitting a terrific shot from distance, the first thing  Keef in the Reds goal remembers was the ball hitting the crossbar and bouncing away to safety. Fortunately unlike a previous occasion it didn’t go into the goal off his backside.

Still no score at the end of this session.

The stage was now set for a frantic and exciting finale when one goal would almost certainly settle the match.

Straight from a quickly taken kick off Keef now playing in attack for the Reds struck a superb shot from halfway which Bambi somehow saw at the last minute making a good save and punching to safety.

In added time Dazza thought he had scored the winner when he blasted the ball past Bambi in the Blacks goal, his joy was short lived when he was given a yellow card for running and sin binned by Fireman Sam. He took this decision in a true sporting spirit perhaps knowing for some weeks he had been getting away with murder, or was it merely to have a five minute breather!

In the very last seconds even more dramatically the Reds got a penalty after the Plasterer was alleged by the referee to have encroached his own goal area, strongly disputing this decision he left the field in a real strop throwing his dummy to the ground out of a pocket from his  baggy long pyjama trousers!

Yet another tale to tell his young son. To his credit Dave a few hours later made a wholehearted and genuine apology on the clubs website.

Han mister cool took the resultant penalty and surprisingly shot wide.

The whistle went and the match perhaps fittingly ended goalless and all square.

It was only later that the Plasterer learnt  of the missed penalty and that he hadn’t after all cost his team the match.

Full credit to John aka Fireman Sam for a solid performance and ensuring the rules of walking football was adhered too.