Adam Bradbury writes....
Mid-way through the second half of this hard-fought and good-tempered match a low-flying jumbo jet appeared to be struck by lightning directly above the pitch. The thunder clap stopped everything - players and ref glance up, and cockatoos that bring an exotic din to this corner of Putney fall silent. We picture the November drizzle turning to burning debris, black box recorder hauled from a crater in the centre circle. Then the engines roar, the plane goes on its way and Recreativo get back to defending the oncoming squall that is Rio Kaiserslauten.
Infact we gave as good as we got. On a pitch that feels like it's sliding into the Thames, and despite the absence of club captain Jimmie, we defended with passion and attacked with invention for 89 minutes, the Rio number 13 making most of the trouble with deft flicked headers from Delap-style throws. We repelled more corners and free kicks but the Rio keeper had more to do than our own - Joe Dunthorne drawing a great reaction save from a header and Liam constantly scurrying, chipping and testing.
With 20 minutes to go Joao pulled a muscle and had to leave the field. We'd used all our subs. The ref, a gent, talked Rio into allowing us to roll a player back on, and engines on full thrust we went at it again, Max hitting the inside of the post with a looping, swerving 30-yarder, Connor winning everything down the left, Benson terrorising with his pace.
A late corner saw the ball prodded out of James's hands into the air. For the second time in the game we stop and look up. The ball hangs in the air. We freeze, expecting a whistle. The ball drops, a Rio foot swings, ball in net. Mayday, mayday. Dead crow on the touchline. Blank faces. It's started to rain again.
Team: James Humphreys, Joe Dunthorne, Mario Pisano (Tino), Joao Spinola (Adam Bradbury), Adam Bradbury (John McGaughin), Joe Haley, Aaron Gayle, Benson Chambers, David (Connor Joseph), Max Bland, Liam Greenaway.