to get through the masses, could do little
other than let the ball brush my finger tips
as it went over the line.
As the Dogs continued to dish out the punishment and draw the fouls, Webber had a
chance to complete the hat trick from a
dead ball that was about 25 yards out. With
a crowded box to contend with, the resulting effort slammed off the bar as yours truly
once more struggling to make up the
ground amidst the bodies. Yet Webber’s
moment had not yet finished and he still
had time to go in on Butcher HARD, leaving
the German lying in the foetal position (obviously I didn’t miss the opportunity to ask
him how it felt), which probably counts as a
hat-trick in Scottish football.
Throwing caution to the wind, the 3rds
switched to 3-5-2 and spent the final 15
minutes laying siege to the 2nds goal, with
shots flying in from Ricardo, Sotirous and a
particularly spectacular 30 yard effort from
Chris K. who clearly has been spending too
much time around Udo.
There was still time for the 2nds to attack
on the break and having been led out of
defence by Geordie, an erratic tackle saw
the entire 3rds team stop and wait for the
referee to blow for a free kick only to be
told to play on. Completely stranded, the
3rds players watched as Mo ran fully 40
yards unchallenged before a furiously back
peddling Mike B, the only 3rd outfield
player in our half, guided the 2nds captain
away from goal and the resulting near post
shot was tipped away for a corner.
A further spell of pressure failed to yield a
goal as Job dealt with various crosses and
scuffed shots with confidence. The final
whistle blew in the fading light and both
sets of players left the pitch after a genuinely hard fought game.
So, as the 3rds enter 2010, they do so with
the talismanic ‘Dogs Of War’, which won’t
do much for good relations with other
clubs but its bloody good fun watching
them run around as if our tactics have been
formulated by Freddie Kruger. Meanwhile,
some canny signings by Mo has created a
2nds team full of hard working, creative players, and Neil Page.
For both sides, the final half of the season
looks filled with promise.
Long Live The Fighting Thirds
Chairman’s Man of the Match
2nds: Scott Webber
3rds: Cindy
So, Blair keep your
England, and let
me keep my
Zimbabwe.
Robert Mugabe