Better never than late

Our second game of the season was played in a sub-tropical humidity more akin to balmy south east Asia than central London. A slightly lower turn out this week following the start of the season, with Simon Gas selecting the following teams:

Blues – Mario, Simon Ink, Tony (in goal), specialist goalkeeper Phil (not in goal), Ian Baggies, Danny, Dave

Yellows – Simon Gas, Andy, Alex, Alan, Ian Gooner, Steve, me

(No Mick this week – out injured, apparently. A groin strain, no doubt).

The next forty minutes saw a close-fought game, with neither side able to get more than one goal in front. With Potteries maestro Alex (playing his first game of 2014/15) pulling most of the strings for the Yellows, Alan was able to test Tony, also playing his first game since a Winter sports leg break, peppering the Yellows’ goal with a series of shots. I’ll have a go at recalling all the goals, but don’t shoot me if I can’t remember everything. 

I believe that the Yellows took the lead through Alan, before the Blues replied following a bizarre goal by Mario who raced after a ball that looked for all the world as if it was going out, and promptly squared it where it hit Simon on the hands (he was in goal) and dribbled apologetically over the line.

Alex was also on the scoresheet for the Yellows, who were pegged back again when Mario scored following a cross from the right that I was unable to cut out. Steve was also on target with a header and I managed to get a pretty decent goal, bringing down a long pass from Simon Gas with the instep of my right foot and lobbing it past Tony. 

Dave grabbed the fourth equaliser for the Blues with a fierce effort that fizzed into the top left hand corner after Danny had, very typically, pursued a lost cause all the way down the right wing.

With the game very delicately poised at four apiece, Yev then arrived at around twenty to eight. Rebalancing the teams would have been virtually impossible, and Ian Gooner decided that he’d had enough and duly trounced back to the changing rooms. The consensus was that a new game would be the fairest course of action, so Yev joined the Blues while Ian Baggies crossed the Rubicon and joined the Yellows.

An admittedly raggedy fifteen minute game finished 2-1 to the Blues, with Yev getting one of the goals by accelerating inexorably past the hapless full back charged with marking him (me) and Mario getting what turned out to be the winner. Alex got the Yellows goal, which was a fine effort following some characteristically intricate dribbling through the Blues’ ranks and a fierce shot that slammed into the bottom left hand corner. 

So, to conclude, game number one finished Blues 4 - Yellows 4 and game number two ended Blues 2 - Yellows 1. 

Following the game there was the decree of a New Rule: if you turn up after 7.30 pm, you won’t play. End of. Simon Gas has spoken. 

Another good turnout at the pub, with Tony and Ian getting there first. Given the referendum result the night before there was much talk of all things associated with the Union. Among other topics up for discussion were card clash, the Clapton Ultras, Stiff Little Fingers’ first two albums and an impromptu Tinder tutorial from Simon Ink. Purely for research, you understand.