MV’s put in a very solid performance against a tough Guildford side this afternoon in the EH Cup. We had no recognised forwards so Matt Bradley and Paul Povey led the line up front with both putting in great shifts. In midfield we had Matt Viney, Geoff Slack, Stuart Hobkirk and myself and at the back Dave Houston, Graham Jackson George Earle and John Thompson with Griff in goal. Simon MacDowall and the lovely Georgie Jackson rotated from the bench in to midfield and defence respectively.
The match was played at a high tempo and we were on the backfoot early on as Guildford moved the ball around swiftly and stretched us about the park. We were holding firm with Dave H making a superb goal line clearance in the first five minutes but we then conceded a couple of quick goals in the next ten. However as the half continued we got ourselves further in to the game and started creating chances with Paul going very close. Griff made some solid blocks and clearances and it remained 2 – 0 at half time.
We were certainly in the game and in the second half matched Guildford in all areas. Stu continued to dominate the midfield with his surging runs creating great openings but we couldn’t capitalise on the increasing amount of possession we had. We still had plenty to do at the back and unfortunately conceded again when F&E ‘old boy’ Richard Meakin somehow squeezed the ball in from a very tight angle. However we kept working hard, were rewarded with a few shorts and from one Matt B dispatched a superb low shot just inside the post to pull a goal back. There were further chances at both ends with Griff again keeping out anything thrown at him but no more goals.
An enjoyable and good spirited match with everyone playing well. I someone got M-O-M and JT scooped D-O-D turning up without a stick but that now seems part of a longer story with his stick bag and contents somewhere currently unknown and apparently likely to be at one of the various places the M4s have played over the last few weeks…
Guildford had five subs to our two, are a regular Vets side and are currently top and unbeaten in the South Masters Men’s O50’s Div 1, so I reckon that’s a really creditable performance. Thanks to Rob Scott for umpiring (alongside Guildford’s umpire another Fleet old boy, Matt DeSouza) and to our supporters
Var Houston, Dawn Card-Slack, Lauren Slack and
Nicky Edwards who braved the lack of ‘facilities’ in the Guildford clubhouse as local flooding meant’ no water. It was also good to see yet another F&E old boy the Rev Nick Williams - I lost one tussle with him on the pitch no doubt due to divine intervention…
So we are not out of the Cup and now enter Tier 2, with the next match scheduled for 26th Nov. Details to follow soon