Date: Wednesday 20th October: Time: 19:30. The first of the phone calls from Warren "Bad news - Jamie was injured at the weekend as is out for the rest of the season with torn ligaments. Oh, and by the way, I am going out on Friday!".
Time: 19:45. The second call from Paul "Sorry, I've got to pick the kids up from a function at 9:00 Friday so I can't play".
With Alltraders now reduced to two players for this important clash, it was time to call on Sal. Kevin managed to get the ringer that played against British Bulldogs, so the plan was to try and grab someone off the steps to make up the rest of the team on the night.
Two hours before the start of the game, Warren rang up to say that he actually could play because his night out had been cancelled - so it was game game back on again!
Ifield Eagles were firmly placed in the top half of the table and looked odds-on for qualification. Alltraders knew that the success of last week would almost certainly be impossible to achieve with a completely different team, so approached the game with a calm resolution that they would do their best but not expect anything near last weeks performance. The camera girls didn't even bring the camera fearing a deluge of goals!
The conditions were mild, but extremely wet with the new ball skimming wildly of the surface. These were the kind of conditions that favoured the pace of the much younger opposition. Indeed, the early stage of the game saw Alltraders pinned back into their own half vigorously defending their goal. One positive advantage tonight was the inclusion of Sal with his superb balance and strong tackling that thwarted many of Ifield's early chances.
Strangely, as the game went on Ifield appeared to become increasingly frustrated with Alltraders calm, almost casual passing of the ball amongst themselves. Eventually they became drawn so far forward Tim Leader waited his time to dash unnoticed into his familiar striking position awaiting the final killer ball from Kevin Burton. With just the 'keeper to beat Tim's shot skimmed viciously close to the post and out for a goal kick. This was the first sign that the game was there to be won if Alltraders continued to stay calm and disciplined at the back.
The first half closed with no real goal scoring chances to talk of from either side.
The second half, however, saw a completely different contest. Ifield decided that it was time to lift their game and try to finish Alltraders off with their lightening pace. On many occasions the opposition broke with two or three attackers to one Alltraders defender. Again, tonight saw Warren Fiveash in the form of old continually frustrating the Ifield attack with save after save of high calibre.
With only three minutes left, a quick pass out of defence from Sal found Kevin on the half way line. As he turned to advance on goal, Tim Leader tried to find some space to receive the ball, drawing a defender with him. This left a huge hole for Kevin to make one of his characteristic weaving runs on goal, calmly knocking the ball past the last defender and smashing it hard against the back of the net with the goalkeeper motionless. This would have been one for the video archive if we had bothered to get the camera out tonight.
All that was needed now was a continuation of the solid defending to see the game out for an unlikely Alltraders victory. This seemed to be going well until the last thirty seconds when a pass from the Ifield central attacker was placed into the path of the sprinting winger. With the Alltraders defender looking odds on to cut out the pass with an outstretched left leg, he suddenly pulled up with a groin strain catching Warren and the attacker off-guard. Unfortunately the attacker was the first to react slamming his shot hard and low past the stranded 'keeper. Tonight, the luck was with Alltraders as the ball clipped the base of the far post and off down to pitch one.
With no time to take the goal-kick, Alltraders celebrated another victory well against the odds. This was chiefly down to the excellent goalkeeping from Warren Fiveash, well on target for his goals-conceded bonus, the first time since January that he has gone two games without conceding a goal! Credit also to Kevin who continued to dominate the midfield scoring the killer goal...
Next week sees another crucial game against CPI, old adversaries of Alltraders. If we can get past them, and then B and CE, it is very likely that Alltraders could finish in a qualifying position. (How many times have I said that in the past?)
This time, the rest of the team are playing to a win bonus - qualify and pay no subs, fail to qualify and pay Tim Leader twenty pounds each!
Lads, the choice is yours ....
Final Score:
Alltraders 1 (0) - (0) 0 Ifield Eagles B
Kevin Burton