We played another physical game against the Crafty Vets, this time without the post-match riots. Although we played well in the first half and in patches of the second, the Vets muscled their way to a 3-1 victory with a little additional help.
The game was played on the Vets' wind-swept field, and even though the field is turf one side of it was reminiscent of our own home "turf" at Nahanton, waterlogged and heavy. One of the most important decisions of the game was which way to play if we won the toss. Mike O favoured playing with the gale in the first half, Karsten suggested playing against it so that the wind would be at our backs when we were tired in the second. This reporter has no idea who won the toss, but we played with the wind at the start.
Just a few minutes after kick-off Ivan had a gilt-edged chance when he charged down an attempted clearance and chased the ball into the area from the left. With the goal in sight he opted to cut the ball back when a shot might have been the better option (although, based on later effort, perhaps not). Karsten had a similar chance from the left a little later, but his effort shot curled wide of the far post (compare and contrast).
The Vets' attacking game was simple and effective: the ball was aimed at the corners for wingers or overlapping defenders to fire in crosses. One such cross from the right should have been collected by Mike about five yards out (he called for it at least twice), but Kirk G, sweeping in ahead of an advancing Vet had other ideas. Never has Kirk been so mercilessly effective in front of goal, drilling the ball past Mike to open the Vets' account.
We leveled when Pedro muscled a Vet off the ball, and, as the Vets whined to the ref, he played a clever ball into Karsten's path. Karsten took a touch, nutmegged the central defender and chipped the ball over the advancing keeper to tie up the game.
The second half was a struggle from start to finish. For the first 15 minutes we hardly advanced past the half-way line. The wind and the Vets pushed us hard, but it was Kirk who came closest to scoring their second goal when he sliced his attempted clearance from ten yards out, prompting Mike to dive quickly low to his left to turn the ball around the post. The Vets created some other good chances but didn't make them count: one accurate shot from the edge of the area, destined for the bottom corner, was deflected wide of the post by a Vet repaying the debt to Kirk.
We had our chances: after a nice build up Ivan shinned Pedro's cross from the right wing well wide, then turned another Pedro cross, this time from the left, over the bar with his head. Abdullah hit a cannonball drive from 25 yards that the keeper got an arm to, and Steve Gans looked to be fouled when trying to take the rebound, but the ref didn't want to hear about it. Another low cross from the left, this time from Andy, was met on the volley by Ivan but this one went wide of the near post.
With fifteen minutes left the Vets took the lead. A dangerous cross from the left skidded across the face of the goal and a player at the back post somehow managed to head the ball in from the tightest possible angle. With five minutes left they put the game out of reach when tired legs in defence couldn't clear the ball and a Vet slotted the ball inside Mike's right post from 15 yards.
Squad: Mike O, Mike A, Tony, Kirk G, Kelvin, Ivan, Andy, Karsten, Abdullah, Steve G, Samuel, Pedro
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