78CC vrs. Fishpods Legends

We arrived at Frys spanking new clubhouse/airport terminal 2 short of a full team.

Reception informed us our changing room was double booked so we had to change in the skittle alley.

The gaffer confessed he hadn’t brought a football.

Wayne volunteered to goalkeep. The keepers Jersey was huge and went down to his knees. The gaffer confessed he hadn’t brought any keepers gloves.

Reception informed us we were playing on pitch 13.

The Nine emerged blinking into the bright sunshine. In the distance Fishponds Legends squad of 15 were warming up…

Legends kindly lent us a player, and when no-one else showed after 30 minutes they lent us another.

Despite the depletion we gave them a game and made them work hard for their 12-2 victory.

Our first goal came early in the second half. A goal line deflection from a Bolts header was knocked over the line by Ade (one of their players lent to us), we agreed later that Bolts could claim it.

The second was the culmination of a beautiful move starting deep in our own half, in which just about everyone played a part, moving the ball in short passes all the way to Charlie upfront who finished classily.

At the other end Wayner made some great stops, using virtually every part of his body. Best of which came when he dived to parry a hard low shot from the edge of the area. The ball fell into the path of the approaching forward who wound up and absolutely leathered it from 3 yards straight into Wayne’s face. Again the ball fell back at the attackers feet, but he just stood there, gobsmacked that Wayne was still alive, and we managed to clear.

MOM was shared between Alex Adkins for his fine shift at centre half and Wayner for his gloveless heroics. Cider Moment was Wayne’s face save.