Following Guy's decision that his numeracy skills were better put to ordering the shirts in the kit bag post wash it was left to the less numerate me to record Saturday's results for posterity.
After arriving approximately on time to the most impressive of facilities, Si and myself were met by a fully focused captain Coyley already talking game with the ref. Coyley's focus continued in the changing room where James was forced to change from his fetching blue shorts and socks into team standard black kit borrowed from the bottom of the kit bag. Si and myself looked on sheepishly with our navy blue socks but thankfully passed kit inspection, just.
The team that took the field were: 1.Sanj 2.Micah 3.James 4.Ian 5.Gibsy 6.Liam 7.Jeff 8.Hudson 9.Coyley 10.Si 11.Guy. After walking past London's finest players ( http://kickabouts.intheteam.com/modules/page/Page.aspx?pc=12140&mid=2445&pmid=0) and putting up the nets in a suitably homoerotic manner whilst being photographed by Micah the game got under way. The Alliance, like the weather, started brightly with captain Coyley launching what at first looked like a speculative effort towards the Strollers' goal which finished as an exquisitely struck dipping effort off the outside of his right foot that had their 'keeper in all sorts of trouble and looked for all the world that is was going to end up in the top corner until it was finally parried away to safety.
The rest of the first half was fairly even with the oppo attacking well down the wings and the Alliance building well through the center via Hudson and Ian. Guy and James down the left and Jeff and Micah down the right did a good job of fending off the Stroller's attack. Slowly the Stroller's pressure built and if it were not for some last ditch defending from Gibbsy and Jeff they would have taken the lead. Finally the pressure proved too much as Stroller's went 1-0 up just before half time. A seemingly harsh in-direct free kick was awarded in the area after an apparent foot up. A 5 man wall and everybody else on the line wasn't enough to prevent the ball being lashed into the top of the net.
That rather took the stuffing out of the team and an unusually circumspect half time talk from Coyley was sign enough that the Alliance being behind was not fully deserved. The second half went with the weather for the Alliance it just got greyer and more minging. Stroller's finally managed to break through Gibsy and Liam's damn like central defensive partnership to curl the ball past me and into, I'd like to hope, the top left corner to make it 2-0 (weather: dark grey skies). It was 3-0 after Stroller's broke down right for a simple tap in (weather: drizzle). The fourth followed moments after this time from a break down the left, Micah unfortunately deflecting, a most likely goal bound effort anyway, to just inside the near post in a last ditch attempt to tackle their striker(weather: persistent rain).
Then a piece of tactical wizardry brightened up the Alliance's half with Bernie switching to 3-5-2 with him coming on for James and Steve for Jeff. The extra man in midfield made a definite impact with Guy down the left and Micah the right both making surging runs and producing some penetrating balls into the Stroller's box. Unfortunately none of the balls fell kindly to the rampaging Coyley and Si to get the goal that the team deserved.
This attacking endeavour finally bit back as the oppo broke quickly down their right for another tap in to make it 5 (weather: ming). I think for some the final whistle couldn't come quick enough after that and fortunately it did.
The 5-0 scoreline really doesn't act as fair reflection on the performance with the team playing well together in both defence and attack. Gibsy cleared up over and over and over again and Liam was a rock not allowing anyone to pass. Guy and Micah worked tirelessly up the flanks in attack and defence. Hudson, ably assisted by Ian, ran midfield with many a mazey run and had Coyley's early effort nestled in the top corner as it probably deserved to, the sun would have probably shone for the whole match and we may have won 5-0. Despite all this I'm meant to give man of the match to myself for letting in 5 for the second game in a row.
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