22 January 2006 M&DSFL Div 9 at Nursery Road Recreation Ground DCFC 3 Matty 2, Jeff Old Wimbledonians III's 1 by Matty Aitken

 

 

 

 

 

A fresh Sunday morning and a flat Nursery Road pitch were the setting for this, our third game of the New Year as we searched for our first win of 2006.

It was Old Wimbledonians who made the brighter of starts on a pitch that would be too small for the annual Oompa- Loompa tournament. We were closing down well in midfield but lacked any real threat so it was no surprise when the Wombles took an early lead after a scramble in the area.

Instead of our heads dropping we greeted the goal with a spirited response, pushing forward, threading numerous through balls to the two strikers. Eventually one of these fell to ME who lobbed the keeper from outside the area. A real master class in finishing. Absolutely genius.

It was a tight affair for the rest of the first half as both teams pushed for a vital second goal that none found, well not just yet anyway. We had to wait for that midway into the second half as the game was proving to be a very competitive affair.

A bit of magic was needed and who better to deliver than our very own heavy weight-birthday boy Wayne? He received the ball on the brink of Old Wimbledonians half and ran like Forrest jinxing in and out of unsuspecting midfielders and defenders. And all of this while being screamed at by 10 of his team-mates, no make that 13 including the subs and Mel, “pass it, pass it, pass it, pass it!”

We all doubted him but the boy came good as he slid the ball through to Gary who whipped the ball into the box where I and a defender were waiting. Fortunately the defender gave me a helping hand by kicking the ball onto my shin, the ball done the rest and nestled into the roof of the net.

In true hero style Wayne then came off with an injury to a standing ovation, although yes, the ground was damp and freezing. For the 99% of the game remaining we were under pressure. Notable mentions go to Rob who made a fantastic save getting down low and Gary who cleared heroically off the line.

Then came one more piece of magic. Little Jeff picked up the ball deep into our half in the last seconds of the game and just ran leaving all the defenders for dust. “He couldn’t finish his dinner” was one cry of encouragement (Gary) that surely helped him when it came to his clinical finish sliding the ball into the keeper’s bottom left corner.

That signed, sealed and delivered the result. It was a deserved victory and a fantastic performance with every single player putting in an admirable performance. And things got even better with this week being up there in Dundonald Chase’s most successful what with Ed winning the Leather Bottle Pool tournament and us winning the pub quiz (and the raffle) with a little help from an A to Z. Let the good times roll!