Yet again it's ages since my last post - purely as we haven't had a game for a couple of weeks. I've never known a season like it with so many spare weeks off. I think we were let down by a team for a friendly fixture so have ended up with no game since our last run out, which as I'm sure everyone remembers was my first win of the season (had to slip that in there again!)
I think it was probably more frustrating to not have had a game as I'm sure we would have wanted to carry-on with a bit of momentum following the victory. It seems a distant memory now...
A nice bit of news filtered through though from the club. Our yearly awards evening is taking place in a few weeks time and all the players were asked to put forward their nomination for the Player of the Season. I had to look twice when the email came through from Lev - I was both pleasantly surprised and a little taken aback to find that along with Paul Matthews and Andrew Gittens, my name was on the short-list for the Vets! I have to be honest, I don't really know what to write about it. I feel great to be put forward as a candidate, especially as this is my first season with the team. But I also feel a little sheepish. I mean, I've let in so many bloody goals this season! One person commented, "Ah, but there's also quite a few that you haven't." This is true, but still, I hope folk don't think I'm now strutting around like Billy Big-Bollocks with delusions of grandeur. I'm not like that. I am just genuinely extremely honoured to be nominated and whoever wins, I'm sure will agree, will feel really quite proud.
The next thought that popped into my head was "Who the fuck is Andrew Gittens?!"
It occurred to me that I didn't have a clue who this person was. I mean he must have had a good season because he too was being nominated. I racked my brain and went through the team in my head. Nothing. It bugged me for hours.
Eventually, it hit me. Wrexy. I'd had a conversation with him in the bar after the Winchmore Hill game a few weeks before where I had said to him: "Wrexy, I'm not being funny, but what actually is your real name?"
He smiled wryly as he sipped his pint and said, "Andrew Gittens" The nickname 'Wrexy' was baptised upon him at university apparently as young Andrew is of course from Wrexham. I guess it's better than 'Gittsy' or even just 'Git'...
Wrexy has been brilliant this season, mainly at Centre Back but also at Right Back and once on Right Midfield and Paul has been superb scoring some terrific goals all through the season. I'm looking forward to a good night!
Yet again, we had to play a double-header which meant that one game was dealt with in the first 40 mins and then the second game was essentially, the second half. It all seems a bit short - I'm used to playing two 30 mins-each-way games on double-headers. I think at Vets level the feeling is that two hours of football might be a bit much...
Lots of people were available again which meant that Lev had to leave people out. I know from experience how difficult it is picking a side and telling people that they won't be needed - especially if they've been around at the times when you've been really desperate for players. Someone is always going to feel pissed off. It's a catch-22 situation because you want to put out what you feel is the best team to go for a win but dropping people can result in losing them full-stop. I don't envy Lev. Everyone wants to play if they're available. I always found a phone-call across to individuals helped soften the blow and while trying to explain the situation isn't always easy, that personal touch makes a bit of a difference. There are lots of games in a season and experience tells us that there will be plenty of opportunity for everyone to be involved through the season. It isn't often that Lev has had to not include people because there have been weeks when we've been proper short. I guess those that have been there when we have been short feel a little snubbed to asked to step aside. Even so, when we've been losing nearly every game, any manager will want to and have to make those tough decisions to try and get 4 points.
So yes were were looking pretty strong in terms of personnel with a back four of Adam, Codz, Wrexy & Mark, a midfield of Nipper, Jonesy, Nick-the-skipper & Swailsey who were behind the strike duo of Paul & Matt. Luffy, Dino and Lev made up the rest of the squad - guaranteed at least a half.
We started the first game brightly. Kingsbury were actually down at the bottom of the table with us but had had an excellent result the week before when they beat Winchmore Hill. So we knew they were no mugs. The ball was being played around in the midfield quite a bit early on with a few loose passes from both sides meaning neither team could get a foothold on the game. Even so, we created a few little openings on goal with Jonesy flashing a shot wide.
I was feeling well up for it as usual and wasn't really troubled in the first twenty minutes except for clearing up a few back passes.
A little more pressure from them forced a few corners one of which was half cleared to one of them. He chipped it back to one of his team mates who smashed it on the volley from the edge of the area. The ball flew straight at me but was going in all the way just under my bar. I managed to flip up and get the merest flick of a glove on it to put it over. The ball had plenty of pace on it so I was well chuffed to save that one.
Other moments for me included a fairly easy save round my left post and then another decent save when their striker was put through one-on-one. He thought I was going to go to ground so tried a little chip over. I read it well though and stopped it with my left hand. There was even a couple of nice takes out of the air from crosses and corners so my confidence was sky high.
Our best move of the game should have seen us score to take the lead. The ball was worked down our left and Nipper and Jonesy combined and worked the ball through to Matt and Paul. A neat pass across the box was slipped into the right channel inside their box to a charging Swailsey who found himself one on one with their Keeper. I was getting ready to celebrate and the shot was decent enough but the Keeper, to be fair, pulled of a great save to keep it out.
Minutes later we were carved open down our left hand side for their nippy winger to cross it from the by-line. The ball was whipped in at pace straight over my six yard line for their striker to smash home. Yet again, despite our positive play we found ourselves 1-0 down.
We tried to conjour up something to nick the draw but time ran out and we'd lost the first game. We were unlucky because it was a close affair and I felt we'd deserved at least a share of the spoils. Anyway, we still had another game left to play and we were properly buoyed up.
Again we started well and remained clam when in possession of the ball. Swailsey was switched in the centre with Jonesy for this game and they were linking up well trying to push the ball either out wide to Nick or Dino or onto Paul or Matty. I always try and remember as much as possible from each game but it isn't always easy.
We gave away a free kick right on the edge of my box. Our organisation has massively improved so my wall was built pretty quickly. I probably stood a bit too centrally, rather than over to the left as the wall was covering the right. I was just a bit worried that if I was too far left then a simple deft chip would be enough to beat me on the right. Codz told me later that their player had a wee smile on his face as he stepped up. Apparently he'd seen a gap and then just smashed it. The ball flashed past my left and into the net before I could even fart let alone move. It was at a decent height to stop but was too quick and I'd got my position all wrong. I was proper fucked off.
Our play had gotten a bit scrappy and a few words were being said. I snapped back at Swailsey who as ever had plenty to say but it didn't do us any favours to have us rowing. I can get a bit heated sometimes so I hope everyone leaves all that kind of stuff on the pitch, as I do.
Finally we got a bit of a reward for our persistence. A lovely move down our right channel saw Matty do really well to get to the byline. His cross was perfect. Paul rose like the proverbial salmon and headed the ball back across the face of the goal straight into the top corner. A really great goal and we were back in it!
However, we seem to have a formula. We score - and then let them score within a minute.
We didn't deal with the ball properly as it fell between our midfield and back four and their lad was put through their right into my box. I came out to narrow the angle but he placed his shot perfectly down past my right to find it scrape in, shaving the post as it nestled into the corner. Bollocks.
Nipper had sweet thirty yard volley that looked speculative at best. But he caught it perfectly and it only just flew wide of the upright.
We went 3-1 down when again we struggled to clear the ball. Their player worked his way into the box and was immediately surrounded by us. However he managed to get a shot off that I had covered - but it took a nick off of Wrexy's leg and looped around my left and. I had visions of us caving in. Gutted.
We picked ourselves up and pulled one back to make it 3-2. Matty did really well to get on the end of a looping ball forward and managed to slide in on the Keeper, beat him to it, and slip it past him.
Their two centre midfielders were identical in every way. Not just because they were twins but they were both extremely good players. Jonesy summed it up after: "One of them was superb and the other one was better!" They did play really well and were a bit of a handful for our boys. It was one of these twins that made it 4-2. It was a straight forward slot past me after he'd had the ball squared back to him inside the box.
Time was nearly up and we were resigned to a second defeat on the day. There was time for us to add a third. Jonesy swept a lovely left footed strike into the top right hand corner that the Keeper had no chance with.
We were unlucky because in spite of shooting ourselves in the foot a few times we had battled and played well. It was very even throughout. The ref even said after that he thought we'd deserved at least a draw in the second game.
Poor Mark ended up injured on the day with a nasty cut across his top lip during the first game. Nothing a pint of Kronemburg couldn't aid which I was more than happy to get for him as Mark had been good enough to pick up my football boots after I'd left them in the changing room after our last game. I thought I'd lost them so thanks again for that buddy.
So just one league game left next week against Atlas at home and then hopefully a friendly to finish the season. We were upbeat after our double-header defeat because it had been enjoyable regardless.
I'll slot in a little look-a-like. It has to be our identical midfield twin opponents. Both superb players and pretty decent blokes to go with it. However I was reminded a little of Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee...
No comments:
Post a Comment