Class finishing

With Simon Gas returned in one piece from North Africa, virtue seemingly intact, it was business as usual at Coram Fields on Friday. Here are your two teams:

Yellows: me, Ian Gooner, Aussie Tom, Simon Ink, Alan, Bristol Paul, Tony, Joe and Liam

Blues: Andy, Ian Baggies, Steve, Simon Gas, Ed, Ross, Danny, Mario and Yev

The Yellow team had the man advantage for the first ten minutes as the Blues awaited the inevitable arrival of the prodigal Yev, but failed to make the best use of this time. The nearest they came was when I thundered a sweet volley following a post-corner melee, but specialist goalkeeper Ed showed why he is the specialist goalkeeper by somehow managing to tip it onto the bar. I had another presentable chance soon afterwards and once again found Ed an unmoveable barrier, although his save was slightly theatrical given my shot was probably drifting wide. Soon afterwards Liam did manage to find a way past the seemingly impregnable Ed as he hit a clever shot into the ground which squirmed under the young keeper.

By this stage in proceedings Tony had vacated nets having conceded the first Yellows goal, although if memory serves he was undone by a very uncharacteristic defensive slip from the usually immaculate Joe, with Mario (?) capitalising. The game thereby continued with neither side going more than one strike ahead; for the Blues, Danny, Mario and Yev enjoyed plenty of possession in midfield, but arguably won the game at the back. Steve returned to action following his antipodean sojourn with no ill-effects from his three week holiday and formed a formidable defensive holding pattern along with Simon and box-to-box Danny.

With either Mario or Yev scoring the Blues second goal, Andy pounced from all of about six inches to make it 3-2 following a rifled centre from Yev. Alan then scored a tremendous headed equaliser, timing his run into the box to perfection and thumping his header down into the ground and beyond the grasp of Ed. 3-3.

With the game beautifully poised, the coup de grace was applied by Andy – twice. Both finishes were rather similar to his first in that he managed to capitalise on some generous defending from the Yellows and exploited space to knock the ball in from close distance following expert approach work from Yev and Mario. Bravo, Andy.

Final score: Blues 5 – Yellows 3

Mercifully little controversy this week, although we really need a seminar on the handball rule, as there are a number of us who appear to be under the illusion that if the ball hits someone’s hand it’s automatically handball. Please see here for a definitive guide.

Onto the pub! Topics under discussion this week ranged from social class and its impact on 1970’s children’s photographs, the patronisation of the arts and crafts by the hyper-rich, Joshua versus Klitschko, government policy on tobacco, alcohol and other substances and the plight of the catering at Wembley stadium.  

So, all in all, a standard Friday night out.