Waving, not drowning
A week of rain leading up to this game meant the pitch was
part swamp, part lake. It seemed to suit Dunthorne whose underwater performance
was the best of any central defender in Recreativo's unsettled back line this
season. Leaping like a salmon, blocking like a beluga, surging like a sturgeon,
he deflected and dulled the pointy harpoons of a Clapham side who by half time
must have been wondering why even with superior numbers and smarter shirts they
hadn't netted even a tiddler.
Dunthorne wasn't the only hero. Chris, newcomer Greg, the
ageless Mario - all were immense in defence and provided a steely platform to
launch some broadsides of our own. And despite playing the whole game with 10
men - depleted by flu, Sunday jobs and family commitments - we were always in
it. Even after going behind on the hour to a dubious penalty we quickly struck
back: Ben's superb threaded pass finding Tom - playing upfront as Max took a
stint in goal - and he poked it into the only space available between
super-sized goalie and posts.
We felt we could go on and win it. And even after conceding
another Recreativo heads didn't drop. Then Tom, through on goal again for an
equaliser, was tackled by the pond lapping at the edge of the penalty area and
the energy started to ebb
In the end Clapham's extra man was the difference - we
succumbed to the overlap and the last hope of taking any points from the game
slipped from our grasp like seaweed off a mermaid's back. No shame in this
result, a really encouraging team performance. Special mentions to me, Max and
Haley for taking turns in goal.
Team: Adam Bradbury, Aaron Gayle, Ben Chambers, Chris
Chambers, Joe Haley, Joe Dunthorne, Tom Winter (1), Greg Stewart, Mario Pisano,
Max Bland.