September brings with it 2 good things, the kids going back to school and the return of Sunday league football.
The still men were ready to take on Naseby in their first game proper of the season.
After a warm up in the glorious red kit, we decided there might be a bit of a colour clash with Naseby’s orange and black and so debuted the beautiful yellow kit with the purple black haze.
10.30 the whistle blew and the season began, the boys were determined to make a mark against a team currently ranked two divisions higher than them.
For the first 15 minutes of the game Naseby enjoyed a little more of the play but found it tough going against a determined Still Men. Rob Curry was on fire so much so we might have to rename him Rob Vindaloo. He was commanding and strong in the challenge. If the ball surpassed the midfield then a strong back 4 were always in hand to mop up.
After approx. 25 minutes Naseby took the lead a corner was swung in, cleared by Barker to the edge of the area but it fell to an orange player who lifted the ball to the back post for their attacker to head in. 1-0
This goal though woke a giant in Tom Brown who just minutes later received the ball in midfield and played an exquisite through ball, like watching Iniesta in Harry Maguire’s body, Jonny Durham like a Duracell bunny raced through and clipped the ball over the on rushing keeper and in to the black and red nets. 1-1
Still Men were in the ascendancy and growing in stature for the remainder of the half, creating a few half chances with Will Wise always showing as an attacking force down the right. It was with one of these attacks down the right that found Leon Gavin unmarked in the box with just the keeper to beat, the delivery was perfect but the fact that the linesman flag was up really did save some blushes. There were a couple of chances for Naseby but Jamie Ford was on hand to make some mega last ditch sliding tackles to keep the danger away.
Half Time 1-1
The second half there was a buoyancy to the play by Still Men as they began to play the ball along the floor and transitioning from defence to attack really well, despite dominating the first 20 minutes of the second half, Still men just couldn’t find that killer pass in the final third. For the final 15 minutes of the second half Naseby grew back into the game and attacked down their right hand side on numerous occasions, most of the time they were stopped by the defence including Isaac who was having a faultless 2nd half performance and a hard working Kieran at left back.
After a flurry of corners for Naseby they eventually made us pay with 8 minutes to go, a cross in to the back post again found their attacker who knocked in. 2-1
However Still Men then raised their game for the last few minutes winning the first balls and the second and in the 88th minute a header from Ford fell to Gavin who lobbed the ball forward to Reynolds who knocked the ball in front of the defender, beat him for pace and finished with aplomb past the oncoming keeper. 2-2
And with that the full time whistle went shortly after and the game was to be decided on pens.
Bravely Kieran stepped up first, however sadly it looked like he was taking a passing drill as the ball ended nicely at Barkers feet behind the goal. Naseby scored their first to the right hand side.
Still Men dispatched the next penalty before Barker saved to bring us back into it, neither team then missed until the 5 penalty, when Ford did his best Chris Waddle impression and sent the mitre ball flying high into the sky, might have saved the planet though by changing the direction of an oncoming asteroid.
Still Men knocked out on penalties, not the result we wanted but a great performance full of hunger, desire and passion, it bodes well for the season ahead.