Decliners 2 v 4 EM95

Nov 17th, 2024 BAWA Bowl

TEAM: Sir, Teague,  Dan,  Jim, Yinka, Rob, Duds, Stu, Alex, Morgs, Drane

SUBS: Sheri

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MONDAY OFF THE ROPES WITH A LATE KNOCK OUT

BAWA has some quite sloppy pitches but I suspect the groundsman took note of the number of players Decliners rocked up with and gave them the best pitch. However the canny Decliners groundsman had left the grass knee length in an attempt to disrupt the 95ers free flowing football. Pre match Stu recalls... "Sheri gave a proper 'don't fuck about lads' inspirational team talk" as he was "going to rotate the front six players” meaning Yinka had to play his cameo role at centre half alongside Jim, as Yinka commented at the time… “it made a change since I’m used to telling Jim ‘WTF you doing up here?’ to now resorting to ‘Jimbo where the F are you going now?" The 95ers warmed up, wandering what footwear was appropriate for the deceivingly flat pitch and eying their opponents with what seemed to be a plethora of ringers from every team in the league. The first half was a scrappy affair not made easy by a pitch with the long and sticky grass. Decliners played some neat football. There seemed to be loads of them. Monday were a bit more agricultural, struggling to get their foot on the ball. As they squeezed the 95ers got a bit rattled. However, the combination at the back looked strong, with new boy Dan slotting in at right back, Decliners could not really penetrate and make any real headway. Stu later told his admiring fans... "I'm not really a tackler. But for the first time in my 'career' I won my first tackle. A slider! The guy even said well done. I didn't realise that's pretty much all I'd be doing for the rest of the game." Early on Duds had a brainfart and left a backpass short. Lee narrowed the angle well and tipped it round the post.

Then Yinka, who had the encouraging shout from Sheri… “what’s the fu*k is wrong with you, injured?” ...which sparked a response, the wrong one unfortunately, a poorly timed clearance header from Yinka, well more face/eye to ball rather that head, looped in the air where Jim, Duds and Stu all decided to compete for it. Of course the three amigos messed it up and the the ball dropped nicely to Decliners who swiftly knocked a through ball past the momentarily blinded Yinka to their striker who had a free run on goal and rounded Sir Lee nicely to put them one up. The goal celebration showed what this game meant to Decliners. A few chances of note were Draner put through one on one and Lee pulling out a good full length save from a 20 yard shot. Mid way through the half Sheri came on for Al with Draner moving to left wing and Monday started to battle back and dominate slightly as they looked for an equaliser. Morgan was on a mission to score and managed to dribble fast enough to earn a penalty. Decliners compalined who thought it a bit soft. Draner came forward and slotted it the right corner 1-1. Half time saw Morgs replaced by Al who moved into defence, Yinka shifted to the left and Draner moved up top. Alex later told Sky Sports that the half time talk had been… "The pitch is shite, let's forget about playing pretty and knock it up the pitch.”

Second half saw Decliners bring on their second team and pushed a lot more up the pitch in search of a goal. The game was becoming an arm wrestle with the 95ers passing verging on shocking (let's blame the grass). With Yinka now moved to left midfield, the spaces at the back were easier for Decliners to exploit and they were putting some testing balls into the box. On the other hand it also meant that there was space for the Monday and when Yinka received the ball out wide he made a run into the box and turned the defender, who kicked him and then as Yinka just about stayed on his feet he kicked him again as he went down under the challenge. Ref said no penalty, the defender protested... “kicked you harder the first time and you managed to stay on your feet.” The second half was an arm wrestle with the 95ers passing verging on shocking (let's blame the grass). Things didn’t get better for Yinka, as he had another break where he danced passed the defender to be presented with a shot on goal or a cut back to his team mates, he managed to do neither and tamely passed the ball to the keeper. Monday were overloaded in midfield all game. In theory that meant they had a spare player somewhere else. No idea where they were though. The Blues never really got to grips with it, and it led to their second goal when they had loads of time to pick a pass behind our defence which subsequently deflected off Jim and Dan to give ‘gun-for-hire’ forward Tahir a tap in. It was the lowest point of the game for Monday but then, a lightbulb moment, they started to play to their strengths! Stu who was dogged and superb in midfield released a quick ball out to Yinka, Yinka on the turn passed a searching ball to Rob (some say pass of the day, well Yinka does), who was haring down the right. Rob opened his legs and showed everyone his class, gliding round his man and striking a sweet pass to Draner who skipped up the byline to cut back a perfect ball in the box for Yinka to empathetically finish 2-2 game on. Monday then started to use the width more and stretch their opponents more, though Decliners kept pushing forward the Blues were always strong on the break and this showed in the resulting further two goals. With twenty to go Morgs came back on up front on for Rob with Draner moving to right midfield.

The 95ers passing had been so poor that Jim decided to head the ball 50 yards to the loitering Morgs who had a yard on the centre back and calmly lobbed the keeper 3-2. Jim told his adoring Tik Tok fans after the game… “I was basically trying to get the ball to go as far up the picth as possible, Morgs read its beautiful arched flight perfectly, then did the hard bit.” Alex was subbed after getting elbow to his face which left Monday with no defensive options and it seemed like Decliners had 15 players on the pitch for the last 15minutes.

With the clock ticking Decliners got caught out with some mess up and Draner was on it like a flash and smashed it in from 40 yards! 4-2 and game over.

At his post-match press conference Sheri commented… “Overall not a pretty game against a team that are always tough to break down and had a bit more to offer up front with their additions, but any team that comes back from behind twice in a game has a backbone so all very satisfying in a different way to the last games, onwards.” Yinka added… “Will be good to play them on our pitch which I believe will suit our style of footy better, but a determined display by the team, heads did not drop, excellent midfield play from Stu and Duds but for me MOM goes to Draner, excellent pass to me set up my goal but also and excellent goal from him to make it 4-2, a willing runner through out the game.” Alex told reporters after the game… "Overall, nice bunch of lads, all graceful in defeat, other than not knowing the offside rules. Comforting to know that we can see games off even if we switch to 70s style football. Dan was a great addition, playing midfield, then defence. Personally, I think Mark had a great game, but Dudds and Stu had the water carrying duties, big time.” Stu later obseved... "The U15s team I coach were playing at BAWA after our game and I'd invited the other coaches to come along and watch the magic happen. They all politely declined, and I was glad of that because I spent the last 15 minutes of the match falling over. I tried having a lie down on the ball, but apparently that counts as obstruction these days... Not the best advert for over 50s football, but everyone put a shift in and we edged it thanks to a few moments of quality, good finishing, and Jim's mahoosive header."

Jim had the final word adding… “Hard working victory in a game best described as an ugly win.” MOM: Nobody really had their best game of the season but the timing of Yinka's goal soon after their second to get Monday llevel was a game changer as it deflated them.