From TOM WINTER at Clapham Common
With Jimmy 'The Boss' Lloyd sent on gardening leave
following some indiscretions at a local night club last week, Tom 'Fergie'
Winter was ask to take the reigns. Last season Tom played his part in picking
the team which would eventually get relegated - was this a chance at
redemption? We would find out. Suffering from the dreaded 'man flu' all week,
and ignoring the future wife’s birthday, the Chosen One would not miss his
chance. As the Reccy boys rocked up at what might as well be their new home
pitch (Clapham Common) optimism filled the air.
Like all proper Sunday matches, only the 11 turned up –
which meant my dream of only playing if needed went out of the window. The team
picked itself, the Sunday league classic 4-4-2 - Radu between the sticks, a
flat back four with Mario, Joao, Jamie, Miles, a midfield of Jordan, Andrew,
Ben and Eddy and the deadly combo of Joe and Tom up front. Andrew would swap
with Joe to keep our options open - simple.
The game kicked off and the early signs looked good.
With Reccy moving the ball better than in previous weeks, an
early drive from Eddy resulted in the ball spilling to Tom - the keeper lost
the race to the ball but a defender had read the situation and comfortably
blocked the goal-bound shot.
More pressure followed and eventually Reccy would get their
deserved lead, Jordan causing mayhem down the left flank, keeping to the
by-line and beautifully cutting back to yours truly to slot into the corner.
1-0. As confidence soared the pressure on FC To Madeira mounted, a corner came
a few minutes later and up rocked the big boys. Joao did his usual and smashed
a wonderful header, a stunning reflex save from the keeper kept the ball out of
the net but somehow the ball got played back in and Joao followed up his header
with a left footed scissor kick volley. Brilliant - you might not see a better
Sunday league goal - our own personal Ronaldo. 2-0.
As FC To Maderia collapsed Reccy started to enjoy volumes of
possession, the third coming from some tidy work by Eddy on the left wing as he
cross/shot the ball in. 3-0. Pure dominance.
But this wouldn’t be Sunday League without the dreaded
collapse. FC To Maderia literally had nothing going on and then, out of nothing
they crawled three horrible goals back. That old Sunday league enemy ‘the long
ball’ and before we knew it - 3-3. How? What? Are you serious?
Shakespeare once wrote “Some men are born great, some
achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” and I’m pretty
certain he was on about football….Tom ‘Fergie’ Winter made the big decision to
change a team, that at times had played FC Maderia off the park. Ben swapped
with Joao to sure up defence, Joao pushed up, Miles swapped with Eddy and Joe
was told to play in a free role behind Tom – Andrew was to stay in the middle
of the park.
The second half kicked off, with the everyone knowing the
first goal would be key, and it came deservedly Reccy's way. A through ball by
Jordan to Tom, who took it first time as the keeper came charging out 4-3. 10
minutes later and Joe in his free role worked some magic on the edge of the box
to place a right footed shot in the corner 5-3 and Reccy were back on top. The
sixth came from some lovely work from Andrew to release Tom down the wing to
cross to Joe for a simple tap in. 6-3 - this had to be it.
How we didn’t score anymore I’ll never know. Joao had
another header saved, Tom (pumped on drugs and goals) thought he would do a
classic FIFA finesse shot by curling the ball in when through. This was then
followed up by what might as well been an open goal when a long throw bounce
past everyone to the penalty spot for an unchallenged header. How he didn’t
walk away with his first Sunday League ever hat-trick I will never know...
FC To Maderia would claim a late consolation to make it 6-4.
The first league win of the season, well deserved, some special mentions to Ben
and Miles, on debut, who both played brilliantly.
Whisper it quietly, the talk on the common was that some
team in red, with a charity sponsorship had finally turned up –
"Barcelona" they said... no... "Reccy"... the English
equivalent.
Well done lads.
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