Veterans Vs Northrop Hall(A)

Game 1 - Waterloo GSOB Veterans 4 Vs 2 Northrop Hall

Its that time of year again as we break out the Sanatogen Tonic Wine and slap on the Tiger Balm as the Waterloo Masters forsake the pleasures of a trip to IKEA to buy 100 tea lights for 99P with the local WAGS (Wives always go shopping) and head out on their weekly travails for one last swan song...

This years master of ceremonies Mark Williams knew he was going to have problems this week when he texted everyone that the team was playing over the water and the first 6 replies were 'I can't make it' and the seventh was 'would n't it be easier playing over the grass'

Never the less it was with a spring in his step that he finally rounded up an 'experienced' vets side from a squad so 'in depth' that its hard to get your ankles wet. Meeting at Deeside Leisure centre we were confronted with an immaculate newly mown pitch enclosed in its own grounds with plush stands and upholstered dugouts. Unfortunately the council had forgotten that you need more than four jumpers for goal posts and the travellers had to reconceve at a hastily re arranged venue a couple of miles down the road. With Mainey bringing up the rear using a modernistic version of SAT NAV (or waving at everyone through the car window as its more commonly known) the game was on.

The pre match warm up & team talk consisted of everyone standing to attention and saluting as Keith Richardsons very shiny new red boots undertook a fly past much to the chagrin of the onlooking Richardson Minor. This was followed by a 'picking of lint from the new socks' moment when a volunteer ref was requested. After a few seconds of tumbleweed the fittest man on the pitch 86 year old Simon Mummery (sorry Simon) stepped up to the plate and swiftly donned the mantle of the man in black.

The second half started with Steve Maine going off for a snooze in the long grass only to be cruelly awoken from his slumbers after 40 minutes by a subltle nod from Katie K indicating that he had to blow the whistle for full time as he was the ref. To be fair the first half had seen Maine doing a Simply Red and 'rolling back the years' as he broke up attack after attack by actually getting in front of the 'Hall' forwards. There was some more 'subtle nodding' throughout a fast paced game from Central Midfielder Ged Kinsella who covered every blade of grass within the centre circle as he set out to conscientiously (and sucessfully) win his own set of 'Neurofen' spurs. Together with the other members of the midfield 'triumvarate' the sprightly Keith Richardson and very very sprightly Dave 'dont worry I'll chase it down' Cregeen got through more work than Steve Gerrard in his pomp.

Anyway back to the action which took place on a lush full sized if slightly sloping grass pitch that underneath was harder than one of those pasties we used to cook back at the Brownmoor. The well organised Northop Hall scratch XI had a number of usefull players who made for an extremely enjoyable game but it was to be from a suprise source that Waterloos first of the game was superbly despatched.

With Striker Colin Watkinson challenging for his usual headed goal the 'Hall' Keeper could do nothing but parry a speculative chip into the box which fell to Joe Lundon who executed (and indeed exoceted) a perfectly timed volley that ploughed 'cannon ball' like through a sea of players and nestled comfortably in the bottom left hand corner of the net. The momentary stunned silence from both teams was testament to just how good the goal was. Later in the game Watkinson was also unlucky to miss a difficult diving header oppurtunity following a John Jessop lay back to Geoff Mc Keating who pinged in a side footer from the right to flash just past the far post.

A second was soon to follow however as 'outside right' Mc Keating notched up a few more miles on the old pedometer before being the first to react when Jessop sent in a great speculative effort which again the Hall keeper parried high into the stratosphere. Mc Keating travelling across the face of goal at speed (its true honest) delicately tipped the earthbound ball back over the out stretched keepers flailing dive to make it two.

Not to be outdone the ever reliable Jessop took over control of the left wing and threw in a further long distance drive that had everyone fooled including the unfortunate Hall keeper who other than the three goals conceded so far had had an excellent game. Likewise down the other end the impressive netsman Chris Mc Gunnigle seemed to have become a salesman for super glue as every 'rocket' that was thrown against him seemed to stick with ease.

Well in to the second half with both Paul Sweeney and Dave Cregeen pulling off more dribbles that a nursery of under twos it looked like the game was over but a resilent Northop side had other ideas as one of their speedy midfielders latched on to a rare defensive error to pull one back. Kinsella though was having none of it and took himself to the top of this years goal scoring charts as he went on to notch his own candidate for goal of the game with another perfectly executed drive.

With twenty to go late substitutions brought on the silver fox himself Kev Riozzi (for a one off guest appearance) who moved with ease into the right back slot and 14 year old Sam Richardson who replaced his erudite father Keith with some style Although the ever resilient Northop Hall managed a further goal the result was never in doubt.

After the game the 'Hall' skipper complemented Paul Sweeney on his excellent timing in the tackle but instead of swapping shirts presented him with a black hooded cowl, a sharpened scythe and his own set of pointy boney fingers...

Roll on next week and the 'auld' enemy' St Marys.

(c) Geoff Mc

Team

Chris Mc Gunnigle
Mark Williams (Riozzi)
Steve Mayne (Mummery)
Paul Sweeney
Joe Lundon (1)
Dave Cregeen
Ged Kinsella (1)
Keith Richardson
Geoff Mc Keating (1) (Richardson Jnr)
Colin Watkinson
John Jessop (1)

Sam Richardson
Kev Riozzi
Simon Mummery