Oscar

Many apologies for the radio silence over the past couple of weeks; the World Cup has taken up most of my evenings and the day job has taken up most of my days.

The game which took place two weeks ago is now too far away for me to recall, particularly with the stinking head cold that I’m typing this through, but I think Yev scored lots of goals. The chief memory of that evening is watching Holland thump Spain 5-1, which now seems like a very long time ago.

 

Moving ahead seven days, and even last week’s game is fading fast from the memory. We’re still having to take to the field via the children’s park adjacent to the pitches due to some anti-social behaviour from various local herberts, which means bringing the bikes through is an impossibility, much to Yev’s chagrin the other week when he was remonstrating, futilely in the end, to bring his two wheeled monster into the playing area.

Simon Gas picked the following two teams last week - 

Blues: me, Mario, Ian West Brom, Liam, Mick, Simon Ink, Bristol Paul

Yellows: Yev, Nick, Ian Gooner, Simon Gas, Danny, Will

Despite having the extra man, the Blues never really took advantage of their numerical superiority and with the Yellows having a strong defence, with Simon Gas and Danny in attendance, as well as Will and Nick pulling the strings in midfield, the Yellows were up against it from the off.

Yev scored the first three goals, I believe; Danny got one extraordinary goal as he run down the by-line, switching on the after-burners and leaving me for dead before calmly stroking the ball past Ian Baggies in nets. Nick also created a goal by dummying a speculative upfield hoof that evaded everyone and bounced apologetically into the net.

 

As for the Blues, they did get in amongst the goals – Mick grabbed a couple, including the Blue’s fifth goal which briefly threatened parity; the ball fizzed off his half-volley and nestled unerringly in the net, in front of the next group of players to take to the pitch, who nodded sagely in appreciation. The Yellows than had a breakaway which saw Nick get what proved to be the winner.

Mario was also on target for the Blues, (as well as spectacularly off-target on two occasions), and Liam and I both weighed in, my goal being something of a fluke as I overhit a left footed through ball to Liam that span outrageously and caught out Will in goal. Liam said it was Oscar-like. He must have been talking about my Academy Award winning performance of pretending that I meant it.

 Final score - Yellows 7 Blues 5

Tragically, I had to work last Saturday, so I didn’t make it the Skinners, but the fear was that the evening would descend into England’s woeful World Cup. 

Until tomorrow, gentlemen.