Drew 0-0
Scorers: N/A
MoM: All the Friars
DoD: not awarded
So this week the Friars found themselves in sunny Gillingham to face league leaders Anchorians 3s – a young team hungry for promotion to better things; indeed Anchs had yet to drop a point after 7 games.
To counter these young legs the Friars’ selectors decided that age and experience would outwit these young pretenders and fielded a squad with a combined age of 672 years and an average age of 56 including four septuagenarians balanced with a couple of talented youngsters. How would the selector’s no doubt Gadd’s (unoffical team sponsors!) influenced plans survive first contact with the enemy?
Well quite well actually!
The Friars’ defence – Biggles alongside Mike G and Mike B – was stalwart with robust tackles and powerful hitting from the back. Mike B was asked by the umpire to take a little rest at one point – not quite sure what he did. Trigger was, as usual, outstanding in goal and never far from the action.
Our midfield was well organised and strategic with Ratty, Brian, Mark and Jolyon alongside the speed and flair of Tom R – what better use of an exeat from school than a spot of Friars’ hockey!
Upfront it was quite heavy going for team Aikin and Tony J (back in his usual birth on the left wing) who faced a well marshalled Anchorians defence.
Some further highlights were noted:
• Mike G took a nasty blow to the gonads and was laid out flat for quite some time presumably waiting for the reassuring whirr of the Kent Air Ambulance. He eventually arose and remained on the field muttering something about having children already and his blood line being secure!
• Our youngsters Tom and Arthur battled tenaciously, never afraid to take the fight to the opposition.
• Tom was flattened at least three times by a young hoodlum who was unable to get the better of him by fair means. This prompted a quite justified and vocal intervention from his mother on the sidelines which put the fear of God into the other side and some of us!
• There was tension at the end, bringing memories of last week’s last minute loss, but Anchorians failed to convert a late short corner.
The match concluded a 0-0 draw, which was the very satisfactory result of the Friars hard work – a great whole team performance.
The Friars team then enjoyed sausage (not a patch on Mr. Dunn’s) with beans and chips and reflected on the match with beer – a pleasure denied to their opponents who were in the main too young. Some noted it is now two weeks without goals for John Aikin – has he lost his edge was on everyone’s minds and even some lips?!