SPRINGHILL DADS v SECURICOR
by Scoop

Sunday 19th September 1999

On the run-up to this game the Dads' secretary had a good side out - even without Golden Boot winner, Dave Smith (where is Dave - he's disappeared, if anyone bumps into him tell him to get in touch). Things were progressing well and the Dads were confident of picking up their first win of the season. Then, on Sunday afternoon, Rob Thorpe rang up - injured (hamstring - hamstrung, more like. Ed!) 'Oh! its no problem, Les is still playing - we'll just get Martin along to make up the numbers'. 'What's that, Martin, Les can't make it - a forgotten arrangement - he said it's OK. Rob's playing!' - Paul Howarth is playing hockey . . . . that's it then.

SPRINGHILL DADS
Mal Barton
Tim Hart - Brian Medway - Tony Pascoe - Mark Shipside
Jason Furness - Dave Hedges - Jim Allen - Martin Kingsbury
Rob Frisby - A.N.Half
Arriving for 2nd Half :- John Frisby

What a state to get into. A game that was supposed to be a forgone conclusion was looking decidedly dodgey. Mal wasn't feeling too fit, his ribs still hurt after that clattering from Jack Frost in the game against Hire-It and his missus told him not to play cos they were going away the next day. She didn't want him injured. Tough, you're in goal! Securicor lent the Dads someone to make up the extra man and they were ready for kick-off.
Securicor kicked off, the ball was played through the Dads defence, the centre forward belted after it and buried it in the corner of the net. Mmmm! Starting to get an ominous feeling here. The next Securicor attack, directly from the Dads kick-off, when they nicked the ball saw a harmless shot into the area which Mal just managed to collect. Feeling a bit better he launched his kick almost to the centre circle and immediately curled up in agony. From the painful reaction to the kick, he deduced that his bruised ribs were probably, in fact broken. Someone will surely go in goal now - no chance.
From now on the Dads keeper was more or less a spectator - what's new! He was watching as the Securicor winger skinned Mark on the left before whipping in a cross for a forward to volley in from close range. To be fair that wasn't a bad goal. Better than some of the other ones where Mal thought he was playing 'Piggy-in-the-middle'.
The Dads did get some possession and managed a bit of footie but it wasn't enough to impress aspiring new Dad, Mike Nash who came along to gauge the talent. He soon disappeared into the Club-house for his half of shandy. Shame cos as soon as he left ROB FRISBY pulled one back after some good approach play. Jason was put away up the right, took his marker out and crossed to the far side of the box. Martin fired it into the far post where Rob gleefully volleyed home.
In between picking the ball out of the net Mal did manage to get in the way of one or two shots and even clattered into a forward or two. Brian was having to take his goal kicks - no different than if he was fully fit!
Towards the end of the half John Frisby turned up and slotted into mid-field relegating A.N.Half to the bench. Rob was playing up front on his own now but supported from mid-field when possible. The Dads were starting to show, now - if only they had a keeper. The Securicor goal was getting peppered now; Jason had one of his long range efforts hit the bar, Dave Hedges was unlucky to see a 20 yard drive fizz past the post and Rob was making a real handful of himself. Isn't is like that - Securicor played a desperate ball out of the box and there was Mal running into no-man's-land to watch the ball sail over his head into an open goal mouth. That's when Jason mentioned about Piggy-in-the-middle.

HALF TIME
DADS 1 - 4 SECURICOR

Rob tried his best to gee the Dads up at half time. They were looking in much better shape, now, since John had arrived. If they could just keep the ball away from Mal, they might have a chance of pulling something back.
Fair enough, the second half was a much more even show, the Dads were really having a go. In mid-field Jim Allen, Dave Hedges and John Frisby had total control - mesmerizing their opposition at times. Martin and Jason, those svelte gazelles of the flanks were doing their share of the damage by demoralizing the full backs and crossing balls that even David Beckham could only dream of. However, without goal machine, Dave Smith up front to contribute his share Rob was always struggling against some two and, at times, three on one marking.
When Securicor played the ball out in the second half the Dads defence of Mark and Tim at full back, Brian and Tony in the centre they had much more time to take control. Tim played his usual no prisoners, pit-bull game and no-one went anywhere near Mark when he started doing his kung-fu poses. When Brian cut out one ball and passed to TONY PASCOE breaking from defence, who would have thought he would be allowed to bustle and dance through to the edge of the box - leaving the whole of the Securicor side, dazzled in his wake before blasting a hole out of the net.
The Dads might have thought they could fight their way back after this goal and the level of pressure they were subjecting Securicor to but they discounted Mal going on walk-about again to see another ball flying over his head into an empty net.
In a last, mad 5 minute spell the Securicor side were pegged back and subjected to an unmerciful bombardment but the Dads were unable to make their superiority tell. Until, almost at the final whistle ROB FRISBY rose majestically from a crowded goal mouth to headed home powerfully Jason's corner.
FULL TIME
DADS 3 - 5 SECURICOR

Man of the Match

Rob Frisby
Worked his gonads off and . . . kept his temper. !

Index - Rules - History - Match Reports - League Table - Photo Gallery

[email protected]