9am Clissold Park. The gorgeous Spring sunshine began to tear through the clouds and cast a blanket of warmth downwards across the frozen soil, soon to be trampled by our junior teams at early morning football training. In the shadows, Jack Frost's icy cold fingers dug deep into the earth, a futile attempt to cling on as the inevitable magnificence of the Spring sun spread across the turf and in all it's golden beauty bathed everything in the park. A triumphant return of sunshine in all it's morning glory. It was going to be a good day...It was simple. We were up against Barking Mad, one point above us in the league having played five more games than us, and in our eyes, with the decent team we were putting out, there for the taking. The dressing room was bursting with good vibes today, that electric pre-match mix of anticipation and nerves, adrenalin and laughter. The banter flowed, kit spilled everywhere and smiles flashed across the faces of the team, a band of brothers about to charge out together across the battlefield of pitch eight, Regents Park.
The first 45 minutes saw Recreativo come well out on top. Despite the very odd scare (Barking's lone front man getting the better of our defence once, maybe twice in the first half), we dominated largely. Gregg's unstoppable 25 yarder carried both the ball and their big Polish keeper across the line to put us 1-0 up and then an exquisite curling shot from the left wing found the top corner to put us two in front, Max's wonder-strike competing with our better goals so far for goal of the season.
The half time team talk was simple. 'More of the same please'. However, with what seemed a gale force wind whipping up and carrying every lofted ball high up over our heads, a very different game opened up the second half, and opened up Recreativo like a sabre-rattling cut-purse about to commit daylight robbery. A goal for Barking gave them the impetus they craved. Every Recreativo ball forward was brought back at double speed by the wind, panic set in and after another Barking goal, the inevitable set in and we lost all belief. A high bouncing ball was charged down in our box and the ball bundled across the line with five minutes to go. A disastrous conclusion to a second half that saw us leave the park as if something inside us all had ceased to exist. A little piece of Recreativo died today. Stunned, silent, angry, lost for words, confused, shell shocked, hurt. I can't remember having ever felt this bad having lost a game of football. Someone tell me it really doesn't matter. Please.
The first 45 minutes saw Recreativo come well out on top. Despite the very odd scare (Barking's lone front man getting the better of our defence once, maybe twice in the first half), we dominated largely. Gregg's unstoppable 25 yarder carried both the ball and their big Polish keeper across the line to put us 1-0 up and then an exquisite curling shot from the left wing found the top corner to put us two in front, Max's wonder-strike competing with our better goals so far for goal of the season.
The half time team talk was simple. 'More of the same please'. However, with what seemed a gale force wind whipping up and carrying every lofted ball high up over our heads, a very different game opened up the second half, and opened up Recreativo like a sabre-rattling cut-purse about to commit daylight robbery. A goal for Barking gave them the impetus they craved. Every Recreativo ball forward was brought back at double speed by the wind, panic set in and after another Barking goal, the inevitable set in and we lost all belief. A high bouncing ball was charged down in our box and the ball bundled across the line with five minutes to go. A disastrous conclusion to a second half that saw us leave the park as if something inside us all had ceased to exist. A little piece of Recreativo died today. Stunned, silent, angry, lost for words, confused, shell shocked, hurt. I can't remember having ever felt this bad having lost a game of football. Someone tell me it really doesn't matter. Please.Team: James Humphreys, Jimmie Gregory (Mario Pisano), Nick Candy (Marcus du Sautoy), Gregg Morgan, Joe Dunthorne (Chris Read), Aaron Gayle (John Megaughin), Joao Spinola, Adam Bradbury, Tino, Connor Joseph, Max Bland.