IN MEMORIAM

Cambridge South 3rds' Winning Run

Age: 17 games

Born: 3rd December 2011, Ely

Expired: 13th October 2012 on a muddy field in Boston

This game had loomed in the calendar as a significant challenge. Not only our first game beyond the fuzzy embrace of Cambridge, or indeed away from the Abbey, it was going to require one of our longest away trips and that to take on a side relegated from 4NW last season. There was some nervousness in the cars on the way up, although that was mostly confined to Joe after Tom had threatened to be sick in the back of his (borrowed) vehicle. The slight feeling of trepidation wasn’t helped by a look at Boston’s pitch, which was liberally splattered with mud. It looked... agricultural. The opposition from a previous game kindly pointed out the areas that were particularly treacherous underfoot. Remaining upright would be an issue, but seeing as none of us had packed any suitable footwear (ice skates would be one suggestion), we were going to have to make do.

The game opened up with Boston looking quick on the attack. Not really that much of a shock, as one member of our team had complained they looked worrying young and enthusiastic. That this comment came from Tom, still a teenager himself, was a bit perturbing. Our attacks were of a slower build variety, but they were still looking dangerous, and in fact we took an early lead. Tom made the most of a good advantage from the umpire to feed the ball square to Matt. Matt threaded the ball through a minuscule gap between two defensive sticks for Rupert, who steered it wide of the ‘keeper and into the far corner.

In the following minutes, we had our chances to extend the advantage. If we had done, maybe the game might have followed a different pattern? We will never know, as a couple of decent chances from short corners went unconverted and other promising situations petered out. The failure to put a gap on Boston was clearly an issue, as their pace up front was proving something our ‘experienced’ defence was finding very difficult to handle. An equaliser looked certain when ‘keeper Chris was rounded, but somehow Neil managed to cause enough of a nuisance for the open goal not to be banked by either of the Boston players on hand. One of the home players was heard to exclaim “How did we not score that?!?” Well, quite...

It would prove a temporary reprieve as another attack burst into our circle. The forward lost the ball, but two defenders chasing in his wake couldn’t pick it up as their momentum took them sliding past. In fact the quarter strength contacts that the defensive sticks got helped tee it up perfectly for one of Boston’s next wave, who put a slapshot inside Chris’ near post. Slightly fortuitous in how it had actually occurred, but it would be hard to argue that an equaliser wasn’t coming.

The second half followed a fairly similar pattern to the first. We probably had more of territory and possession, partly as Boston chose to sit their defence pretty deep, but of the two forward lines the hosts looked much the more dynamic and penetrative. In fact, the flow of the game can be summed up by the short corner count, which I made 7-1 in our favour, and by the source of Boston’s go ahead goal; one of our shorts! We messed up our routine and gave away a free-hit. This was quickly taken, launching a 6-on-3 counter. Despite an attempt to slow them down in the middle of the field with a surreptitious foot, the attack reached our circle before any of our hastily retreating short corner unit could offer assistance, meaning that the Boston centre-forward was unmarked on the penalty spot to sweep into an open goal.

We now had to chase the game, which left more space for Boston’s dynamic attackers to exploit. Such was the source of their killer third goal, as a player weaved past two men, got himself into the circle for an unmarked shot, and put a wrister high past Chris’ glove side. Both teams kept looking for goals in the final minutes, with Boston probably going the closest, but that was the end of the scoring. And of the winning run. *sob*

And so it was on to the bar to ponder what will hopefully be a rare loss, and to try our best at consuming the vast spread our beneficent hosts had laid on for teas. Sausages, chips and beans. And gravy. And buttered rolls for constructing chip butties. And three plates of sandwiches. And a plate of cakes. Did a game get cancelled or something? The introspection threw up the following (not a Tom reference); we no longer have a 100% record, or the leadership of the division. But at least it gets easier next week, as we return to familiar surroundings to take on... oh... um... the only team who are still at 100%, St. Ives 3rds. Like Boston, they were relegated from 4NW last season. Still, Barton should be back for this one, which means his teammates have no excuses or opportunity to place the blame on a convenient scapegoat. So we better not need to find such a beast, eh?

Thanks to the Umpires, one from Boston and the other a youngster provided by Lincs HUA (I believe from Leadenham HC). They both had fine games. Possibly their best decision was, from our perspective, irritatingly spot on; disallowing Matt’s rising shot from a short corner on the grounds that that a sweep is more like a slap-hit than a flick. Which would have put us 2-1 up, if they had given it. But that would have been a mistake... Is it wrong to wish for errors from Umpires?