After our last performance I was really geared up to play and looking forward to Sunday's match eagerly. I think it's really important to let momentum work its magic where possible and I was dreaming of the Vet's first win of the season. Imagine my dismay when Lev's email pinged into my inbox on the Thursday with information that our game had been postponed due to a problem with the opponent's pitch...Well pissed off. I think you can safely say my weekend was ruined.
I informed Ewelina that I had a football-free weekend and we agreed to 'do something' on the Saturday and 'go somewhere' on the Sunday...
So there I was working away quite happily at my desk in the office on Friday, having put aside my annoyed feelings at there being no game when the email came. I had to read it twice just to make sure I wasn't seeing things - all I got the first time was goal-keeping crisis, Saturday, and first team... but the slower read revealed that Pete Collop (first team skipper) was getting in touch as he had a major problem for their match on the Saturday as he had no goal keeper and could I, (would I) step in and help out?! I was only being called up into the fucking first team!!! I nearly fell over!
I now know how newbies to the England squad feel when they first get the call because my first thought was "this is a wind-up", followed by "fuck", followed by "is he mental?" A closer examination led me to believe this was genuine and I have to be honest the ego took a massive leap. Then all the insecurities kicked in and I had to ask myself if I was really going to be good enough. I consoled myself that a goal keeper of sorts was better than no goal keeper at all and was really just chuffed to be asked.
My mind flashed to the likes of Paul Robinson and Ben Foster who lately had retired themselves from England duty and I thought to myself they must be nuts. Here I was getting a chance with the first team of the club I play for and it felt great. Any opportunity that presents itself shouldn't be snuffed at and whilst this ain't England, for me it was a great call-up to receive. The game was in bloody Roehampton so was going to be a bit of a trek but I was mega up for it. Ewelina is an absolute diamond because she had no problem with me breaking our plans and I was cleared to play.
I wasn't really too sure of what to expect so I went along telling myself just to be confident and do my best. The journey over was long, as expected, but I got there in good time and was given a real genuine welcome by Pete and all of the first team lads, including a nice patter of applause before the game started when Pete introduced me as the team was read out. I half-expected them to be older but I'd say the average age must be about 22. All the boys were great towards me from start to finish and this was a massive help to me because I didn't want to let them down and I didn't want to make a fool of myself with any stupid, costly mistakes.I hoped my experience would help me to deal with what I perceived would be a higher standard of football and I also hoped it wouldn't be me who was the weak link.
The first team had played our opponents and won a couple of weeks earlier in a league match (no pressure)and this was a cup game. We only had a bare eleven so it seemed we were up against it right from the start.
I did my usual pre-match "I'm useless at goal-kicks so somebody needs to take them" spiel, and I was set.
Deep breath....
The first half was a fairly even affair. What I didn't want was to concede at all but especially not early. I had a few early touches - nothing too strenuous, but I was a bit embarrassed when my first two kicks out of my hands were terrible. This part of my game has massively improved of late but I totally screwed up with flat, life-less efforts that made me look a right twat. I think it was nerves. My kicking did get much better after that and I feel I did make up for those early shit attempts with some solid long, high balls right down their back-four's throats.
I dealt with a cross-shot that was a bit of a grass-cutter well as well as free-kick from distance that was well on target to my top left. I saw it in plenty of time and got a solid body behind the ball. I was impressed with our play as the first team definitely know how to play football. They are very industrious and work hard for each other. Our back four were solid with our full-backs James and Paul (I think that was our left-backs name - sorry if that's wrong) getting forward as much as possible and both Mark and John at centre-back, excellent at snuffing out danger as well as being great on the ball. In the midfield both wingers, Jamie and Jordan were nippy little beggars who were causing problems in the opponents full-back areas and Pete and Mark in the middle of the park didn't stop running. Our forwards, Aaron and Leon were both a bit of a handful so I felt we could certainly nick a goal.
Sadly, it was us who conceded first. The ball looped over from the left and caused a bit of a mix-up on the edge of my area. The ball fell to their striker who fired it past my left hand in to the net. It wasn't a great shot and I got a flick of a finger on it. Could I have stopped it? Possibly.
Our boys continued chipping away at their defence and the flowing, passing football that they were working hard with finally paid off only a few minutes after we lost that goal. A great move saw the ball pass accross our back four before Jamie was released down the right wing. His superb delivery across their box found Aaron who managed to slide a foot on the ball and into the bottom corner. It was no more than we deserved and I felt we could go on from here and get the win. Minutes later a similar break across my box box for the opposition saw the ball land at the feet of their striker. His shot was low and hard and was flying into my bottom right corner. Somehow, I reacted well enough to dive down and get strong hand on it to turn it round the post. It was a super stop and one I was mega chuffed with. It kept us level and added to my growing confidence.
We got to the break at 1-1 and it was all to play for in the second half.
We got to the break at 1-1 and it was all to play for in the second half.
We brought Ash on at centre-back and I have to say it's been a while since I saw a player with such a strong presence and who was so good on the ball. We were so dominant in that second half and probed and prodded the ball so much that I was kept pretty quiet. The pleasin thing for me was the level of my handling. Three or four time I had high balls both across my six yard line and straight down my throat which I claimed confidently and with a loud scream of 'Keepers!!' I was coming right off my line and getting to everything - the Vet's lads would have been amazed!
The sucker-punch was when on one of their rare forays on our goal the ball was cut back to easily thirty yards outside my box and their left back just simply ran on to it and wolloped it like an exorcet straight on goal. it was well wide of me giving me zero chance to do a thing about it as it smashed the underside of my bar and flew in to the net in the top left corner. I think the lad was more surprised than anyone (he hadn't had a good game at all) and we were gutted. 2-1 down.
There was still a good 25 minutes left and we had so much of the ball it was ridiculous. But alas, we just couldn't find the equalizer. We had three decent free kicks on goal, the best of which saw young Jordan smash the crossbar and then fall agonisingly away to safety. It was just one of those games where we didn't deserve to lose - but did.
It wiuld have been nice to have gone to extra time and then even penalties (goal keepers love them because it's the chance to be the hero and all that) but we trudged off at full-time more than just a touch deflated.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first team experience and was really pleased that I had made no serious errors and had actually put in a solid display.
But my heart lies with the Vets. The club have taken me in to their fold and I'll always step in and play where ever I'm asked if there's no Vets game on the Sunday, but I remain desperate and committed as ever to help the 'overs' grab their first win of season and then hopefully more after that.
I thanked Pete and the boys for the game - I am sure they will do really well this season. A super bunch of lads (Latymer as a club seem to attract great lads throughout the entire club actually) and once again I thank them for welcoming me.
In tru blog spirit I'll add a look-a-like. Young James Bentley, who chatted to me quite a bit and was a top bloke towards me played at right back and then switched to left back in the second half. As soon as I met him he reminded me of Wayne Bridge....James turned out to be a very good full back too so mayber they're related...?
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