Easton Monday 4 - 1 Re Union

  

[06 Apr : Axa Sun Life]

Predictably the Monday started by hoofing it at any and every opportunity.

Before the match, Chairman Purnell observed... "though it was mid-April and the season had begun in August this was only our 4th game of the season due mainly to games getting cancelled for bad weather, our regular pitch being only fit for ducks and scuba-diving after a few inches of rain, and the opposition being unable to raise a team. This effectively meant that our game-a-month casual schedule was becoming a game -a-week fixture backlog. I only hope we can manage to raise a team ourselves to enable us to have a real crack at the title."

The pleasant surprise was not just to see Rance in the squad but actually in the starting line-up in the pivotal central midfield role providing the backbone that the side has been lacking so far this season (nothing to do with the fact he'd slipped Treasurer/Coach for the day Sheridan a 'monkey' & threatened to publish the pictures of the leek/sheep fetish party he had been seen at).

The Blues did dominated the early stages. Their keeper tipped a Sheridan volley over the bar and Brian & Felix tested the ball boys' stamina with a series of wayward efforts from distance.

It didn't take long for Rance to find his touch and before his trademark long passes were being sprayed around the park, unfortunately the game wasn't being played in the park but on Pitch number 2 next to it.

Felix was in a fiesty mood with the ref, who threatened to send him off for next tackle or verbals.

Marcus commented that he was..."surprised to see that the opposition had signed Bradley Walsh as a striker and even more surprise when he stamped on my foot, he always seem so nice on the telly. (Badly bruised possibly broken toe)"

Then after some dogged chasing down of their defence by the ever-young Colonel (is he realy 46.8 years old!) forcing a lame back pass which Sherridan followed in on a goalkeeping fumble, which included at least fifteen pirouettes, to put us one up.

Monday doubled the lead from a superb Rance corner was flicked on at the near post by young Colonel (Born 1961) disorganised mayhem followed as the ball lobbed at least fifteen feet in the air landed at Felix's feet whose shot was cleared off the line. After about 30 seconds of pin-ball it bobbled off Sheridan into the net.

'Retired' Stillman was sorely tempted to score an own goal from one Re-Union cross (It was like that bit in Father Ted when they're in a plane's cockpit and Dougal is staring at the big red button with 'Do Not Press This Button' written on it - a strange mixture of panic and fascination with our goal yawning at me and the ball coming onto my foot six yards out) but managed to put it behind.

Re Union got one back with a lovely strike the last touch of the first half.

Half Time

Many words of encouragement at half time from the stand-in management (Yarrow was off on important Honeymoon type business) helped us keep our heads up and we battered them after the restart.

Brian nearly scored from a corner but Sherridan got in the way as the ball bounce off his back and into the net which led Felix to comment as..." the ugliest hat-trick I have ever witnessed." Rance's interpretation of events went thus..."A peach of a corner struck the far post and went straight in, Sheridan said that it had struck the post, then hit his arse before going in and claimed his hat-trick. The Mondays thought about this for a moment, conferred and decided that with an a**e that size it must be true so gave the goal to the prolific centre forward."

Matt demanded more shots. he came forward to show us how it was one. He hit the corner flag!

Teague did another superb job chasing down their South American winger but landing badley on his left hand with hi fingers bending the wrong way. (Four sprained fingers). He'll do anything to get man-of-the-match these days.

Nick Hurley (on for surely-he-must-play-for-the-youth-team Colonel) 'nicked' the ball from Jones and finished well from a tight angle to make it 4-1.

Quite how Sherridan put another headed chance over the bar (after Fele had hit it) I don't know.

Marcus got closer to an own goal than my first half effort with a flying header into Sir's arms.

In the end it was reasonably plain sailing it must've been as 'Retired' Stillman was seen to attempt some overlapping full-backery!

For a faultless defensive display, Jason Molter got the Man of the Match award.

Probably the best team effort of the season and still pushing for the title if only they can complete all their games.