MATCH DAY REPORT 6/15

Last week was hot, this week was a joke.

As sweat dripped on to an already slick field, the white team threatened to run away with things in a 14-a-side match up. But when cooler heads called time on the perspiration fest, the blue team had pulled within striking distance of a huge comeback.

It might have been a day for father's but the heat was a mother. The white team shot out of the blocks and at one point led 6-1. This was down to a couple of reasons - the five man forward line that was tormenting a defense that couldn't cope, and the rub of the green in front of goal. Three of the first four goals the whites scored were:

1) an own goal
2) a cross from Dan that drifted into the far corner
3) a deflection off Keeble's gut from about an inch-and-a-half

Speaking of Dan, he was unstoppable. Yes, the ball fell to him often, but his finishing was unsurpassed.

While the white team had a combination of John and Ken guarding the onion bag, Doug took up his usual stance on the 25 yard line as the last line of defense. This cavalier approach to keeping paid off - none of the goals he conceded came from outside the area (except one that was disallowed when Doug was checking on the health of a fallen Keeble and some opportunist stabbed one in from the 30.)

Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps it was the rush of testosterone caused by the annual celebration of manliness. Perhaps it was because we were playing in humidity soup on a field slicker than a Hockenbeck backheel. Whatever the reason, the injuries piled up thick and fast.

Bobby, still wearing his badge of honor and sporting a shiner from last week's incident, started the game walking wounded, but finished with a flourish. That couldn't be said for Keith nor Jody who limped off after falling and neither returned. Bilow, so often at the wrong end of a rash challenge, managed to survive but took his time getting up at least six times.

Talking of Bilow, he was just one of six Johns on the field of play today. Aside from Bilow, there was John, John, John, John and John. Surely some kind of record!

Despite the superiority, the blues nearly came a cropper. Led by Scott's booming shots (as always) and Moe, the general in the middle of the field leading by example, the scores were nearly level after an hour at 7-6. By full time, at the point where only the strongest pack mules weren't ready to pass out, the score was 11-7 in favor of the whites. It was certainly a poor reflection of what seemed to be an evenly-matched game.

Final Score - Whites 11 Blues 7 (more or less... it might have been 8)

Man-of-the-match: Dan. At least 4 goals, and every one a cracker.