Vintage Enjoy Away Win at Hampstead

Vintage 3 – 0 Hampstead & Westminster Grandmasters

Team (all Vintage unless detailed): Frost (Magnets), Bishop (OC’s), Sharpe (Magnets), Dunn, Silverleaf. Kant (Holiday), Beaney C (Magnets), Cheng (Magnets), Green (Magnets), Foster, Hitch, Gorbert, Tripp, Waller

Umpires: Hampstead

Scorers: Cheng, Gorbert. Beaney

The AA said via routemaster that my journey would be 21 minutes but they shut the Westway and over doubled my journey time, parked opposite the Carlton on yellow line, scrambled to the pitch to find others had suffered traffic as well and could be late. All turned up and then I touched my car keys and doubt about locking car started – so off I went back to the car and typically it was already locked. Whilst walking back and forth, I worried because I had seen their team and recognised some good talent amongst it. Got back to find we had conceded several shorts and cleared them and we were beginning to find shape and belief in each other. The shape was a bit difficult to understand and more difficult as subs took place.

Gradually we took more control and eventually we scored via Bobby Cheng who I think was left mid at the time. I have to mention the pass of the month from Bobby at wide left mid. An overhead all the way to right wing, who was quite wide – it deserved a goal but that didn’t happen.

We started the second half as we finished the first but we became a bit more defensive. We somehow we managed to score again through a strong dribble by Ross Gorbert which fooled the keeper and just made it over the line. Ross paid for this by being struck on the knee and having to leave the pitch to be replaced by a midfielder which confused the formation even more. Nonetheless we soldiered on until we lost Roger Hitch to a muscle tweak. But this just led to another goal struck hard by Chris Beaney and slightly deflected by ex-OC Tim Bamford. A good result and well deserved by a team that worked hard for each other.

Gather bits and back to changing room having temporarily lost my stickbag, which had fallen under the seat out of view. And Umesh then retrieved my stick. At dressing room, realization that I had left my phone at the pitch, so off I went again – good exercise!

Then to the historic Carlton to have a drink and teas. Again we had had a decent game, decently umpired with humour and communication, good opposition and a healthy chat afterwards. Well done team and thank you.