Magnets 2 - 2 Spencer Vintage MO50s (H)

Squad: Barnicoat, Beaney C, Beaney R, Dowthwaite, Frost, Green, Jackson, Sharpe, Todd, Waller, Wingfield

Scorer: Beaney R (2)

Once we had cracked the code on the padlock to gain access to the SHS pitch there was little time to familiarise ourselves with the conditions before the two elderly gentlemen in yellow called us together to start the game.  

We lost the toss and had to play against the bright sunshine which made it difficult for the defenders to see the ball and time their tackles. Fortunately, we welcomed back Frosty in goal after his recent injury problems and he made at least one stupendous stop in the first half that drew applause from the opposing team and handful of spectators. It was a quite incredible save given how hard it was to see the ball. However, despite Frosty’s presence, and sterling efforts by the defence, we found ourselves two down after Spencer pounced on a couple of unforced errors.  

As in the previous week’s match vs H&W, we were determined not to give up and continued to threaten, with Dick Beaney, last week’s temporary GK, and our very own vintage ginger Action Man (TM), a constant threat playing high up the pitch. This week he went from being goal stopper to goal poacher, slotting two deflections from PCs to draw us level. This was no more than we deserved although we had to see off two last gasp PC opportunities that Spencer had to ensure a share of the points.

This was another gritty performance from the O50s, playing with just 11 against a team with a squad of 14. At this level, having extra players can make all the difference and it meant that our formation had to be slightly tweaked. But we worked well and everyone played their role in securing the draw. Overall, both teams acquitted themselves well in the chilly and frosty conditions, especially as patches of the pitch started to get quite dangerous as the sun went down. Not having played against Spencer’s younger masters side before, it was a pleasure to host such a decent and social bunch.  

The last word goes to Ray and Powders who umpired with authority and little rancour from the players. Especially amusing was Ray’s decision to blow from his side of the pitch an early offence that took place right under Powders’ nose, definitely asserting his authority as the more experienced umpire. We were grateful to them both for umpiring so ably in difficult conditions.