Having again been victim of the dreaded ‘off’ week (due to an uneven number of teams in the league) we came into this match hungry... for VICTORY! But, also, I was hungry for food. At around two I’d treated myself to an apple and a Marks and Spencer’s mountain bar (some sort of hybrid home-brand copy of a Toblerone), but as 6.45 approached, I was feeling a tad lethargic, even a tad game reticent.
But then, just as these dark thoughts had begun to cloud my focus, Kosmirak arrived with a pack of those little drops of stomach treasure known as Maoam. STICK IT IN MY VEINS DAMMIT!
I had a strawberry one and it sorted me right out.
The stormy clouds that had turned our car park into an uninviting tarmac-y pond, began to dissipate; the sugary juices flooded round my body; the e-numbers re-invigorated my muscles. A change was happening - it was like puberty in ten seconds. I was ready to join Crackstar, Kosmirak, Francis, Farrar, Garlick and Ecuadorian International Stewart Williams into our bout with new boys on the block Cameron Oil.
An unknown quantity in the context of the powerleague, I confess to once or twice having played with a Cameron football team back in the day, so I had an inkling that they might be pretty decent. And so it proved, as even though we never once fell behind, they were persistently difficult to play against - particularly in the latter end of the second half.
In the first, we started well in possession, but were slightly suspect in defence. As is often the case, it wasn’t until ten-or-so minutes in that we really started to apply the defensive squeeze. When we did, often after great work by Francis, Williams and Crackstar high up the pitch, the Cameron mistakes came - and so did our goals.
However, it was the second half when battle really commenced. Cameron became more solid in possession, increasing the frequency and pace of their passing, testing both our defensive line and Garlick’s reflexes disturbingly regularly. Indeed one save stood out amongst many: Pinged low through a crowd of legs, the ball took a slight ricochet, leaving Garlick with a split second movement to get an arm down to prevent the ball nestling in the back of our net. He duly did so, and at a crucial juncture in the match, it gave us all the impetus to ensure that all three points would be won.
Our next to goals really swung the match in our favour. The first was a typically darting jink and finish by Williams (like taking dragon fruit from a baby), and the second was a delightful move between Crackstar and Francis. Crackstar made the hard yards down the left flank before squaring a perfect pass to Francis, who drew the keeper a dinked it into the bottom-right corner.
So, another win. Such has been the run of form that we’ve been on over the last month or two, we are beginning to forget what defeat feels like. It’s a dangerous way to be, I know, but it feels GOOD!
