Burnt (not Burned) Ash provided the latest opposition and the omens were not good. Despite the distance involved, they all turned up long before our captain could issue his usual pre-match welcome to their captain of 'well, we are expecting 2 more, so we should be 11'. Sadly, we didn't end up with more than 10 but the 10 began very promisingly. The Old Silver Foxes down the right, Barry S and Maxie were in full chicken plucking (mind that spellchecker, please. Ed) mode, the 2 Richards showed precocious promise, yet again, and our defence - with Martin M back among us - did a good job of keeping them at bay. A hard fought first half looked destined to finish in that rarest of 'Dog scores - 0-0. But Maxie had other ideas. A clinical strike in the 'D' set 'Dog pulses a-racing and the backboard a-vibrating. We responded well to the inevitable Burnt Ash counter and held firm to reach the break in the unusual (first time this season, maybe? Ed) position of...
HALF TIME: 'Dogs 1 Burnt Ash 0
Burnt Ash continued to put us under considerable pressure early on in the second half, but we held out. Then, when the reassuring presence of Donald D ('unbar' - not 'uck') arrived to bolster our ranks, the effect was immediate. They equalised. One of those 'least said, soonest mended', goals where the ball is saved, bobbles around a bit and they got there for a rebound a split second before our covering defender and, damn and blast, that was annoying. And hereabouts we came under the cosh as they got a series of short corners. But, hey, we're pretty good at defending them - maybe it's all that practice we've had? And then, crucially, the weather turned in our favour. The dark clouds rumbled in and the biting cold wind was joined by a barrage of rain/sleet/hail/snow. But we're British and the calendar tells us it is officially spring, so on we all played. And since no-one is more used to being (careful please, Ed) p***ed on from a great height than the 'Dogs, we coped with the conditions better. It might also have helped that most of this stuff was blowing into their faces. Anyway, we looked odds on for a well earned draw when, in the last minute a short corner was converted by ... Satbir! Yay! 2-1 'Dogs. And before even we could find an imaginative way to concede a second equaliser, the final whistle blew. Soggy but triumphant, we squelched our farewells to Fortress Teddington for this season with a hard fought win.
FINAL SCORE: 'DOGS 2 BURNT ASH 1
Well done to all for a good win against a good side. And with most if it achieved with only 10 'Dogs - including the Richard puppies - against 11, this was some result. Well done also to Burnt Ash for schlepping all the way over to us, for a great game played in the best of spirits in the worst of weather, and for an excellent eagle eyed referee. Cheers, guys!
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