Our last game of the season was a tough one against the probable Div 4 Champs Predators. Scholesy performed miracles in goal, while Brian and Jez proved a perfect mix of youth and experience to restrict Predators goal scoring chances. Simon battled on at left back despite a nasty head clash(butt!) incident, and Danny stood up to the Predators nifty left winger. In the midfield we continued to battle against the odds and Sam and Bran won their fair share of ball and fed Lee and Keith for a few chances. The inevitable Predators goal came. Predators, despite being well ahead, insisted on playing the game like it was Arsenal vs Man Utd and continued to kick lumps out of us. One of their players was sent off and several booked! Are you Wymering in disguise?
We played our penultimate game of the season on saturday over at Oaklands Park against bogey team Ambassadors. It was a beautiful sunny day and both teams struggled with the heat and longed for that post match beer, but it was the Coalie who managed to concentrate on the game and after tremendous pressure it was a rugby league style up-and-under from stand-in keeper Geoff that put in Lee to make it 1 v 0. We had stacks more pressure with Sam, Keithy, Jez & Chalkie all putting chances into the Elm trees! We should have been two up when a free-kick from Danny deflected into the goal, but was cruelly ruled out after a non-existent foul on the keeper. At half-time Sam collapsed from beer starvation and was replaced with Geoff. Brian went in goal, Tim came on in the heart of defence with (almost) Birthday Boy Scholes, and Bran replaced Jon in the middle. The pressure continued in the second half...with the Loyal Coalie Supporters making daisy chains by the pitch...'Are you winning?' Keith, Geoff, Lee, Bran and even a long range effort from Simon went close as the pressure continued but we just couldn't finish it off. Ambassadors scored two quick goals from break-aways to take all three points. The final 10 minutes saw the return of Dangerous Duncan Dixon. Dunc has been out since his leg fell off playing against Ambassadors nearly two years ago. They have glued it back on now and he replaced Danny for the last ten.....good to have you back Dunc. A good game on a great day, great support, good ref...shame about the result.
The Coalie came back from a run of bad results to put five goals past old rivals Amberley on saturday. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the game started well for the Coalie with Bran and Jon in the middle creating early chances for Keithy and Lee upfront. Brian had volunteered to go in goal in the absence of Big Sav and coped well with a couple of early corners. The Coalie went one up after a slick build up and wonder finish from Keithy. But as the skies darkened the game took a strange turn as the ref began to make some very strange decisions. We have experienced this ref before, but today he surpassed all his previous barmy performances. A ball rolling a foot inside the touch-line was called out by the ref despite no flag from the lino and no players appealing. He gave free-kicks for non-existent challenges. Keithy got on the score-sheet again despite the ref, before the moment that nearly sparked a riot. The ref gave a hand-ball after a point blank blast from an Amberley player. He sent Andy off for complaining. Then he gave two indirect free-kicks for pass backs - that never happens. He also booked Geoff, Jez and Simon for various offences, some deserved, but all provoked but his goofey refereeing. Amberley came back but we were 2v0 up at half-time. Tim swapped with Brian in goal and Joe came on for Jon in the second half. Jez filled in for the dismissed Andy at centre back and we played one up front with Lee dropping back to midfield. A mix-up at the back gave Amberley their first goal, and the ref gave them a penalty (more nonsense) for their second, but despite the ref we played some very cultured football and ran out winners 5 v 2. Five goals for Golden Boot Keithy. Great performance from the Coalie. Shocking from the ref. Incidentally the weekend got even worse for poor old Andy as he saw his beloved Southampton humiliated at Fratton Park on Sunday.....All together now.....Sha la la la la la la we gonna send the scummers down!!!! (sorry Andy I promise I won't mention it again!...much)