v Masonians (H): 7 November 2009

And there we go again. Our chronic availability problems came back to haunt us as we managed to find our ranks reduced to barely half a team - and this for a home game. But, buoyed by the presence of 2 likely looking guest players from our generous and numerous opponents, and further boosted by our very special NPL secret weapon (read on), we pushed back in good heart.

We did ok to start with. Our 2 youngsters, Richard S and David R, began as they carried on - efficiently and skilfully. And with the midfield bolstered by the dashing skills (and no small dose of grit, too) of our secret weapon - the Ladies Captain (woohoo!) - all was well for a while. But then, damn and blast, the sight of a somewhat exposed GBB was all they needed to start pinging them in from all angles. And hard though we fought, our backboard was soon vibrating more regularly than Rolf Harris's didgeroo (Eeuuww, what a horrible image! Must you? Ed). Outnumbered and outfought, it was another sorry first half tale:

HALF TIME: 'Dogs 0 Masonians 5

Did it get any better after half time? Did it hell. It didn't take Masonians long to take advantage of a 4 on 0 breakaway and walk the ball round the GBB, then for a single player to do something similar unopposed from half way. Another one probably went in (did it matter by now?) before, suddenly, it all changed. Curt and Donald D turned up, added that missing something and, hey presto - a genuine contest! Ebb and flow it went for the last 15 or so, during which time we actually dominated possession and territory and, bar one further sloppy piece of defending, kept them at bay. And, best of all, in among the 'Dogs attacks, David R stepped up for a very smart finish to put us on the scoreboard at least. An excellent goal, his first for NPL but surely far from his last. Just time for Richard S to come back and produce some wonderfully composed defending to ensure his poor old man didn't concede double figures then, hallelujah, it was all over.

FULL TIME: 'Dogs 1 Masonians 9

I know, I know. But don't forget we did something similar last autumn and yet, within a couple of weeks, had won our first game of the season and kept a clean sheet. What did we learn today? That our youngsters are shaping up well, that the Ladies' Captain is a splendid Grass Conference player, that we get hammered with 7 regular players or fewer, but that when we have a full kennel of 'Dogs, we are competitive.

OOWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Come back, you missing 'Dogs, we need you!

WINSTON OF THE WEEK: An unusual award this week, made by our captain - and 2 of their players, who thought he had an absolute stormer. Take a bow, Richard S. You may have been the youngest 'Dog on the field by a distance, but you were quite brilliant in attack, midfield and defence. More of the same please. And an honourable mention also to our other BullPup, David R for his first NPL goal - and what a cracker it was, too.