5s STEAL VICTORY FROM UNDERMANNED GRAVESHAM

With Gravesham trying to avoid relegation, the 5th XI faced what appeared to be a different opposition to the one we beat 8-0 (others might disagree and they certainly looked different to me, but they weren’t amazing). They turned up with 10 players, and we still struggled. All day we played catch-up until the last 20 mins.

After 15 mins, true to form, your scribe managed to get a smashed up foot, and 5 mins later a high and hard hit to the thigh with a big red ring and bruise. The foot got worse and out for the rest of the game (after two weeks off for broken rib). At about 25 mins, the first goal went to Gravesham when a BOE defender tried to clear the ball across goal. Gravesham knocked it straight in. We gave them that goal, and we should know not to try to defend like that. So we were 1-0 down at half time, again. Strangely, the umpire blew a 30 min half. However, with the second half extended to 40 mins, this would work in our favour as they were undermanned.

On the face of it, you’d think that if we scored 5 goals to 2 in the second half, we had an easy half. But the new look opposition were a challenge. Ollie scored our much needed first. But Gravesham went one up again. Ollie scored our much needed second. But then Gravesham went one up again. When we needed a goal most, Paul B was there in true style, knocking in a ball that had come off the keeper and across the D. That equalised, 3-3.

Missing Zac and Charlie for our usual short corner setup, we practised before the game (unfortunately using Yours Truly at the top of the D, now out of the game). The new look short corners were working ok but weren’t very successful. Repeatedly the ball was not taken outside the circle. The umpire might have only called it twice, but it looked like four times. Finally we got one successfully, with Jonathan Coleman (defender) coming in toward left post and lifting it up slightly in to goal. Well done on your first goal with the club!

It was a nervous fifteen minutes remaining, but even with no bench we had the legs on the opposition’s ten players. At long last we were passing around firmly and sensibly (and playing surprisingly quickly). Ollie sealed the win, with a final hat-trick grabbing shot, and with that took Man-of-the-Match. Well done to the team, it was a real fright.

It was a treat to have two brilliant umpires – the young chap from Eltham College and the gent from Gravesham. Thanks! Blake Follen played his first game with the team, nearly scored in the first fifteen minutes after partnering for a run down the ground, but the shot was just slightly off. Excellent work!