Three sides play through four seasons!
Athletico Aesthetico 0 Philosophy Football FC 1 New Cross Irregulars 2
A crunch game in the 3sided football calendar saw the first-, third- and fourth-placed teams face up at Fordham Park. Dark, ominous skies welcomed the teams and as the game kicked off, rain began to descend for the first time in the history of the Sunday afternoon 3sided league.
‘Early doors’ was a rather sedate affair as the teams seemed more keen on a Sunday afternoon in front of an open fire and a pint. PFFC – represented today by Colin, Ömer, Miguel, Mark, Alex and Rob, although we ‘loaned’ out Alex to the under-manned Husaria – looked the most keen of the three sides to get things going. We teamed up with a solitary AA player to foray into New Cross territory. A post was hit, a save was made before Ömer blasted a ball onto the underside of the cross bar that then bounced down and out. In true 1966 World Cup final tradition Colin wheeled away, convinced it had crossed the line. The movement of the net convinced the rest of us it had too, so first blood had been drawn and New Cross found themselves I an unfamiliar position: behind. Within minutes, drama in the PFFC goalmouth with a bizarre ‘handball’ on the goal line by Mark when the ball hit the PFFC bar and then accidentally fell onto his arms. Everyone insisted this was a penalty! New Cross blasted the ball past Rob and the half ended 0-1-1.
The second half saw the trickle of rain turn into a deluge and the weather was more like the old Regent’s Park days, hampering the silky deft touches of the midfield maestros and clogging up the boots of all and sundry. Rain turned to hail turned to frogs, ok that last bit was made up but boy did it lash down. We continued to probe the AA goal as we sought to even up proceedings but still the boys in blue stood fast and repelled what ever came their way. The final third saw the sun try to muscle in on the weather watch. New Cross made a short alliance with Philosophy to storm the Aesthetico barricades but then the tide turned quickly, as it does in this game: a quick build-up between Ömer and Ben from the Aestheticos saw Ben’s shot spiral parried by the New Cross keeper, with Colin baring down. He couldn’t miss from 2 yards and engineered the ball over the line to leave the men in orange reeling. Aesthetico tried to blast one past Rob but he sprung to his left to keep it out and the final few minutes saw New Cross attack the Philosophy goal to at least even the scoreline up but all to no avail. We finished 0-1-2.
3 more games to go and the PFFC boys still have a hope of a runner’s-up medal ... keep the faith lads!
Squad: Rob, Colin, Miguel, Mark, Ömer.