Easton Monday 3 - 0 AXA Vets

[11 Mar : AXA Sun Life]

AXA Vets have proved to be one of Easton's great nemeses over the years, indeed, a brief glance at the record books reveals that the Mondays haven't beaten the Vets in Casual League history. Owen-san has said 'sayonara' to Bristol and signed for Kashima Antlers in Japan, leaving a young person-shaped hole in the Easton defence. Seems like a long way to go to avoid hearing Stillman going on about Rovers beating City but there you go.

Also missing (on 'international duty' according to coach Jones) were Felix Francis and Chris Newby, prompting Stu Charlton to drop back into midfield and the speedy Canadian, Morgan Cummins, to be drafted into attack.

GAME ON

Easton settled quickly on one of the bumpier pitches at AXA's Cribbs Causeway headquarters, getting the ball down and passing it around like teenagers in a park with a bottle of cider.

Stillman, hugely relieved to find that the Veterans' left winger wasn't likely to get above walking pace, pushed forward at every given opportunity - mainly because Matty and Brian were shouting at him. On the other side of the pitch Marcus attached himself to AXA's right winger like a face hugging alien on John Hurt, while the midfield pairing of Yarrow and Charlton were doing their best to out-Felix each other.

It was Yarrow who came closest to breaking the deadlock - displaying the wye-aye of the tiger with a belting effort that tested the structural soundness of the crossbar before a rare AXA attack forced Lee to pull off a fantastic save low down to his left to keep the scores level.

Easton Monday 1 - 0 AXA Veterans

A lovely passing move saw Colonel Purnell cutting inside from the left and aiming a right-footed drive at the top corner. AXA's keeper touched it onto the bar and down onto the line, only to be beaten by Stu Charlton's follow-up header.

The goal had AXA rattled like a faulty exhaust on a Ford Fiesta and their keeper's choice of teflon-coated gloves was beginning to look like a mistake. Sheridan's fancy footwork, the speed of the Maple leaf menace and Paul Lappin buzzing around like a wasp in a baker's shop window were causing all manner of trouble for the Veterans' back line.

Charlton went close from one free kick and then fell over another while Rance caused the Cribbs shoppers to run for cover with an effort that resembled the Olympic bid - way off target and rising all the time.

Easton Monday 2 - 0 AXA Veterans

Morgan then put Monday 2-0 in front with a composed finish into the corner following a burst of pace that took him clear of the floundering AXA defence.

Easton Monday 3 - 0 AXA Veterans

A series of corners taken by Brian put more pressure on the Vets - one of them being thundered in by the be-goggled Morgan; a thumping header that took the keeper, most of the defence, the referee and a couple of players from the adjoining pitch into the net with it.

AXA brought on some of their 'Saturday' players in an attempt to stem the tide but Charlton, the meandering Mackem, went on a mazy dribble, dancing through the tackles like a ballerina in a minefield before being frightened by the keeper's face and finishing meekly.

HALF TIME

Having seen the Charlton ladies team arrive, Lappin asked to be replaced by John Howarth and was seen loitering around the car park. Purnell made way for Nick Hand and Brian's half-time rant called for the defence to remain strong and "get there first". There was something else about the front two "going long and short" which no-one understood.

Having urged Blazer Sheridan to shoot whenever possible, Brian had cause to regret his words when the lanky Welshman fired well wide just moments into the second half.

Understandably given the half-time score, Monday relaxed and fell back into a terrific rearguard effort. AXA pressed forward hoping to put an air of respectability on the scoreline but the back four, marshalled wonderfully by Matty and Brian, restricted the Veterans to a series of wayward, long range attempts that never looked like threatening Lee's clean sheet.

Terrier Teague was proving harder to shake off than a superglued crash helmet while Stillman and Hand teamed up like an elderly crime fighting duo to foil all sorts of dastardly intent.

There was just time for Morgan to mountie (sorry, couldn't resist) one last attack - his lobbed effort coming back off the post before the referee put AXA out of their misery. A battling win for Easton to maintain their title challenge and, considering the players they were missing, one to really shout about, eh Brian?