The Kraken awoke

Predictably, following last week’s eighteen-man fandango we were struggling for numbers on Friday night, with young Sam being drafted in to make two teams of six aside.

As far as memory serves the two teams were:

Bibs: Yev, Alan, Simon Gas, Paul, Geoff, Andy

Colours: me, (older?) Sam, Danny, Simon Inkpen, (young) Sam, Joe

It was a slightly odd affair, in that the colours took the lead with a brace from Simon Inkpen sandwiching an equaliser from the bibs. The colours then took a 3-1 lead through Joe and at this stage were pinging the ball around prettily and generally looking extremely comfortable indeed. Joe and young Sam in particular forged an excellent understanding and created numerous chances, albeit largely from angles either side of the ‘D’. Older Sam, (this is starting to sound like a tale from the Viking chronicles – Sam Youngsson as opposed to Sam Eldersson?) and I dropped back to contain the simmering goalscoring menace that is Yevgeniy.

All was going well, when suddenly the Kraken awoke and decided to win the game single-handedly; Yev brought the scores back level with two goals, one a rasping shot that fizzed into the net, the equaliser more of a Gerd Muller style finish that capped a fine team goal. The one that made it 4-3 to the Bibs left the outside of his right boot and crashed into the bottom right hand corner from about 20 yards; I forget who scored the fifth. Viewing events retrospectively, having lost their lead the colours seemed to drop too far off the ball in midfield having previously been so comfortable and yielded too much possession. A real game of two halves.

Other notables included Andy miscuing repeatedly from the edge of the D but still contriving to nutmeg Sam Eldersson, (much to his chagrin). There was what I have promised to call a ‘lovely moment’ when Alan somewhat paternally admonished Sam Youngsson for going in feet and metaphorical studs up: ‘Don’t go in studs up’, quoth the genial Irishman; ‘I just raised my foot’, replied the fair-haired tyro. ‘Well don’t do it again’. ‘Sorry’. It reminded me of a scene from the Waltons. I had a good chance toward the end but passed the ball into the grateful arms of Joe rather than either side and into the net.

And so to the pub, where the big news was the reappearance of mercurial punk legend Spizz, shamelessly promoting his last gig in London… until December. Clad in customarily DIY branded tracksuit bottoms (i.e. leggings) and other punk paraphernalia he was promoting his appearance on Saturday evening at Electrowerkz alongside Punishment of Luxury and Dutch Order. If you missed it, your next opportunity to see the Spike Milligan of Punk will be in Milan and Belgrade. Book early to avoid disappointment.