Having lost Alex Kiszczuk to the 3’s we travelled across to Old Westminster Citz for our first game of the new year. Suffice to say that for the first half which I had the pleasure to watch was terrible from our point of view. In fact some of our players clearly had eaten “too much Christmas turkey!”. Suffice to say we actually went one nil down before Mark Raven equalised making it 1:1 at half time.
A few harsh words were said at half time. Call it a wake up call. It seemed to work as we started to play our football rather than be out battled. I remember saying to our midfield that their opposite numbers were twenty years older and twenty stone heavier! – the joy of having lots of youngsters in the team. We went 2:1 up through a very well taken goal from Ross Davies who trained well on Thursday and was given the nod ahead of the subs…I was particularly pleased that after going 2;1 up we built on the lead rather than let them battle their way back…Matthew Mc scored to make it 3:1
I then made a sub bringing Wini on. I called the referee’s attention, he nodded and we swapped Wini with Ross. For some reason the referee booked Wini. I thought he was just recording that the change had taken place. We don’t really know why this happened. In the meantime we sent wave after wave of attacks into their half with James Thorley and Sam linking well with Matthew and Luke – sounds all very Christian. Tom Scola got his game together at left back and my centre backs Dick and Matt (nicknamed Boumsong and Bramble!) remembered to how to stop the opposition turning.
Sam Johnson scored his weekly rocket running from the halfway line around five players before breaking the net – was Sam a fish in a previous life I wonder coz he seems determined to break the net each game! We were 4:1 up and Ross Wilding then joined the game. Again I made the referee aware that he was coming on. Again the referee booked the sub as he ran on the pitch. The referee nodded that it was okay for him to come on. Ross five minutes later made a silly challenge in the penalty area giving a penalty away as their player was going away from goal.
No need Ross. Just shepherd him out. The ref then booked Ross and consequently sent him off. Poor old Ross lasted 5 minutes and was very upset. Very strange set of circumstances. I am conscious after the Old Salesians debacle that we need referees we really do so I don’t want to go overboard at all but I don’t understand the bookings for the subs coming on.
