Lost 2-3
Scorers: John Aikin (2)
MoM: Will Hanys
DoD: Rohan Banarse (Arun’s Dad) for being absent (He is our lucky mascot and this was the first game he didn’t watch and we go and lose!)
With thanks to team sponsor MFri
It was a much welcomed return to glorious sunshine for the Friars who faced Folkestone 6s away. After the standard pre match rituals of stretching and creaking, swapping health dramas and popping painkillers the match commenced.
The Friars began at a blistering pace – well at least for them. John Aikin hit the corner of the cross bar which ricocheted off the post with a reverse stick special two minutes in and celebrated prematurely, convinced it was in, but it was not to be! The Friars dominated the first ten minutes with at least six more scoring opportunities created, but with some good saves and near misses Lady Luck was not on their side and the Friars sadly failed to capitalise on the pressure.
Folkestone battled their way back into the match, and somewhat against the run of play found themselves with a 2 goal lead at the break. The Friars were, however, not downhearted as they munched their jaffas, and listened to wise, withering and colourful words from Mad Dog (Dave Kiernan) – our Irish international.
The second half started badly for the Friars with a third goal conceded…frustrating..but the modern Friars never give up, however luck returned with Folkestone Faffing a Flick – it got disallowed for a ‘double touch’ apparently – the 15 year old umpire picked that up from the the half way line as we squinted not believing our luck and certainly not complaining!
However, the final quarter saw the Friars return to their early form. The defence held solid, and a galvanised midfield piled on pressure, unleashing our youngsters (the 2 Wills) to terrify a tiring Folkestone defence though terror is normally supplied by Cllr Alex and James Blackburn and their vocal chords. Finally the pressure paid off with a well executed short corner, that was so slow from Hayward (who is a shade of his former self these days) that it fooled the charging Folkestone forwards who overran it with Phil Dowling setting up John Aikin who popped it in. A second goal for Aikin came three minutes later, again from the redoubtable Dowling who just managed to make it to the end of the game before yet another cylinder went and he was left gasping. The Friars were back in it – 3-2 with seven minutes to play!
Sadly no more goals were forthcoming, so Folkestone finished the victors, but they had had to work hard for it and it was a match played in very good spirits.
Thanks to Dave Kiernan for an excellent job in goal and all with a really bad back.
Well done to Trigger and his over 50s in the Cup – yes we didn’t know he was over 50 either! But The Young Ones are in the Final!
PS James Blackburn got an assist in our last match v Sevenoaks. This crucial fact got forgotten in the last match report and your Friars scribbler has been reported to the Press Complaints Commission as a result.