Drew 0-0
MoM: Matt Ratcliffe
DoD: Toby Young
With thanks to team sponsor MFri
A Turning Point for the Friars?
The skipper – the Silver Fox Jonesy – just back and a little fatigued from successful international duty in Rome, lined up with his Friars on a crisp and sunny Saturday morning to face Old Williamsonians. Well, most of the Friars that is, with 3 injured within 24 hours of push back and young Toby (an instant shoo-in for DoD) missing with an injured toe that had somehow incapacitated his ability to call in about his podiatric issues – maybe he texts with his toes? So just ten Friars were in the line up. Not an auspicious start so how would they fare?
Quite well actually! Lead by Matt Ratcliffe, heroically in goal and the returning and ever steadfast Geoff Philpott at centre back the Friars defence repelled wave after wave of fleet footed attacks leaving Mike Barton with a look of Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead facing the Zulus at Rorkes’ Drift. The midfield marshalled by Chris Hendy put in a solid shift and up front a number of good attacks were co-ordinated, winning, if not (as usual) converting a number of short corners. Jamie Harris as ever put in a solid shift.
The final score was a 0-0 draw. This was a remarkable achievement for the 10 man Friars – notching up our first point of the season made it feel as good as a win.
Could this be the turning ‘point’ for the Friars fortunes or will we come down to earth with a bump in downtown Gillingham next week?
Mystery also surrounds a “first aid kit” offered to The Friars that turned out to be a car cleaning kit(sic), which with one Friar with a dodgy back, one sick and one with a bad toe is more important than health it would appear.
With huge thanks to Phil and Al for umpiring. Thanks also to our excellent cub reporter John Boy for submitting this copy to the Friars International office in Toronto from where the Scribbler is editing this week.