MVP

My last post was composed on a wonderful sunny winter's day. Today, the sky is overcast, it's been raining, and I have as much desire to step outside as a sloth would give up it's slothing.

My mood is fine. I've been really lazy today, not getting out of bed until 9am, playing Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic (just love the randomly created maps) until 11am, then surfing the net since then, interrupted only by a shower whilst I was downloading some stuff. I've also been indulging myself with some nibbles throughout the day as well. I don't do it that often I should point out!

Yesterday though, another loss, but a game that could've easily had a different result had a) we had had a competent referee and/or a linesman, b) our main striker had been on target and c) we had a substitute. As it was, we managed to field a full team, but with probably three players still carrying injuries, or playing under the effects of viruses. Our team captain, who had been sidelined for the better part of two months, made his return to the pitch despite being nowhere near 100%. It was terribly frustrating, that we have 20 players registered for the team, but only 11 could take the field yesterday.

But gees, we gave them a great run for their money. A team with an average age of 35 taking on a team who'd be lucky to have a player aged 35, put up a great fight. I would almost say that it was our best effort for the year, especially since it was against the side running second in our division. The final score was 1-3 (half-time 1-2), but if you take into consideration the second goal was scored as a result of a blatant handball (the ball hit the goal-scorers lower arm, dropping nicely to his feet and he buried it) and their third from a player being offside, plus our striker missed a penalty and a one-on-one opportunity against the keeper, well...

And yours truly had, what the majority of the team commented after the game, the best game of the season. I wasn't arguing. I had felt like, to coin a popular analogy, I was "in the zone". Despite the loss I came off the field fully satisfied that I had completely frustrated the younger opposition, with all of their goals coming from an element of luck rather than good shots. The first of three goals, I should add, was struck hard, and despite having got both hands to the ball, it still went through, hit the underneath of the crossbar, and went in.

Every one-on-one challenge I had to meet, I succeeded. Twice kicking the ball away from the attacker after a long touch, once falling on the ball after a long touch, and forcing a fourth shot to go agonizingly wide. I had great back-up though. Twice, after having to go out to meet opponents, their shots were blocked and cleared off the line by defenders. On a third occasion they even had an empty net to shoot at, but dawdled and the ball was taken by a defender. I stopped three long shots, which posed no real challenge (though one did spill from my hands, but I recovered quickly) and a fierce header from point-blank range, which smacked into my nose, knocking me down, but I was able to get up on my knees and scramble to the ball, fumbling the ball over the goal-line for a corner. My team-mates were quite obviously impressed with the save. On asking me if I was okay, I responded "nothing like a ball in the face to wake me up".

A fair estimate of goals denied for yesterday stands at thirteen, which brings my season tally up to seventy-five. It was my busiest game this year, and, I must say, probably the best game that I have ever played. The common comment directed towards me after the game was "man of the match".

Naturally, this has pleased me no end. I was quite chuffed that my efforts were recognised by all of the team, and even some of the opposition. It's a pity there weren't more of the team there to see it.

We may be running third last in our division, but gees, the results don't reflect it. We have been a match for every side this year, failing due to a lack of substitutions, injuries, referring blunders, and, it must be said, inevitable defensive blunders. The team played it's heart out yesterday. At one stage we were down to ten men, with one of our players having to leave the field, clutching at his wrist. After a few minutes he came back on, and played on.

Next week, a home match against the team running last in our division. A win would be nice. A few goals knocked off the differential would be even better!

Ciao.