The news season kicked off last week with the revamped league seeing us in the Championship with a regular list of fixtures for the next four months but drawn as always seems to be the case against perennial rivals U Drive.The last few games with them have been settled by one goal either way and they are always closely fought affairs as they defend well and with good organisation.
However, it was a more high scoring game although the result saw the teams spilt by a single goal. The remarkable aspect of the game was that so many of the side were nursing post-folk festival injuries which were actually more accurately defined as hangovers. Kev was not well and struggled with his well earned pint afterwards but manfully played through the game as we saw the big man at the back limp off with a twinge late in the second half.
There were few chances early on but it was Kev who hit a speculative shot who opened up the defence for new Matt to skilfully redirect the ball goalward and saw it nestle snugly in the corner of the goal. On the basis of the previous games that ought to have been the end of the scoring but we were hit by an equaliser before half time which left all to play for as we turned round kicking toward the uphill goal
It was a scrambled second which led to us leading again as the ball was expertly thrown forward by outstanding keeper Rich. The keeper came as new Matt bore down on goal closely pursued by a defender and they hit the ground together in a melee of flailing limbs. Matt it was who thundered his thigh into the keeper's midriff and left him prone as I picked the loose ball up and stumbled forward as the last defender hit out at the ball. From nowhere a long leg flicked out and pushed the ball home leaving new Matt with a second and giving us the lead. Sportingly he suggested the goal should not stand as the keeper was out of the play but showing enormous restraint he accepted the ref's decision to let it stand without demur.
A third came soon after with a neat interchange between myself and new Matt saw his put through again. Once more the hooked right foot finish spanked the ball into the corner and gave us breathing space. More goals looked likely and there could have been a fourth when a lovely one two opened up the defence but the left foot shot rose above the frame of the goal.
With barely seconds remaining there was a consolation second for U Drive but too late and to no avail.
With Dom in dominant form and Pete, Matt and Dougie all showing well with boundless energy, it was a deserved win and one which sees us extend our unbeaten run to at least one game.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Glory days!!!
There was a good turnout for Monday's final game of the season with Sparkshop looking forward to the possibility of promotion in 2nd place or maybe even as champions.
The warm weather seemed to suit our continental approach as we passed and moved slickly in a fast start with close efforts seeing us on the front foot. It seemed only a matter of time till we took the lead but out of the blue we were struck by a counter attack exposing us at the back. A ball beautifully weighted over the top of the big fella at the back left Rich facing a one on one but a controlled finish meant his fingertips were insufficient in keeping the ball out.
One down and suddenly there was a better balance to the play and the next goal going to be crucial.
Kev had hit the post direct from a corner and had another cleared off the line and throw ins were adding to the pressure as we pushed hard to equalise.
It was from a long throw which ran across the face of goal that we finally got our reward and it was long range Phil who stabbed home from close in. From that point on there was to be only one winner.
A corner taken short to Matt C was smashed home like bullet unerringly finding its target in the corner causing the net to billow in submission as he opened his scoring account for the year. The keeper didn't even have a chance to wave the ball on its way as it flew past him, straight and low.
Half time and 2 - 1 up we played uphill in the second half but dominated and could have added several more goals but the ones that came were quality. New Matt played a lovely ball through to me and I struck a left foot volley goalward and inside the post to give us a comfort zone and the prospect of winners' medals.
Dom roared forward in search of his first goal for a period (best left unsaid how long) but it just didn't fall for him. Dougie was manful at the back and gave as good as he got as the game became a little more physical but strangely the decisions seemed to be going against us. Not sure what our mate Gary was up to.
Kev tracked back and forth gluing defence and attack together while Rich was unerring in his distribution setting us forward time and again.
It was 4 - 1 following a free flowing move as the ball was passed forward. An interchange outside the area between myself and new Matt opened up space outside me and I rolled the ball into Phil's path and he hit what can only be described as a Carlos Alberto special, the 4th of Brazil's goals in the 1970 World Cup Final. It was just as important!
The ball skimmed over the surface of the pitch just millimeters off the ground and sped to the far corner like an arrow, a satisfying swish of the net accompanying the roar of the crowd who stood in unison and applauded with vigour recognising godlike genius as Sparkshop bestrode the footballing world like giants of the game. Schoolboys across the world will be able to name the victorious 2009 squad in decades to come whilst old men will tell them of the day they saw the team advance gloriously upwards.
Sadly the top team won 5 - 1 but that did not detract from the pleasure of success. We beat them 4 - 2 in the fixture and on those grounds will surely be seen as the better team.
Well done lads and congratulations to King Kev who has taken the side to the final of the cup and to promotion in just a couple of months. It can't be long until the call of clubs with more financial muscle come a-calling with the lure of enough money for new shirts.
The warm weather seemed to suit our continental approach as we passed and moved slickly in a fast start with close efforts seeing us on the front foot. It seemed only a matter of time till we took the lead but out of the blue we were struck by a counter attack exposing us at the back. A ball beautifully weighted over the top of the big fella at the back left Rich facing a one on one but a controlled finish meant his fingertips were insufficient in keeping the ball out.
One down and suddenly there was a better balance to the play and the next goal going to be crucial.
Kev had hit the post direct from a corner and had another cleared off the line and throw ins were adding to the pressure as we pushed hard to equalise.
It was from a long throw which ran across the face of goal that we finally got our reward and it was long range Phil who stabbed home from close in. From that point on there was to be only one winner.
A corner taken short to Matt C was smashed home like bullet unerringly finding its target in the corner causing the net to billow in submission as he opened his scoring account for the year. The keeper didn't even have a chance to wave the ball on its way as it flew past him, straight and low.
Half time and 2 - 1 up we played uphill in the second half but dominated and could have added several more goals but the ones that came were quality. New Matt played a lovely ball through to me and I struck a left foot volley goalward and inside the post to give us a comfort zone and the prospect of winners' medals.
Dom roared forward in search of his first goal for a period (best left unsaid how long) but it just didn't fall for him. Dougie was manful at the back and gave as good as he got as the game became a little more physical but strangely the decisions seemed to be going against us. Not sure what our mate Gary was up to.
Kev tracked back and forth gluing defence and attack together while Rich was unerring in his distribution setting us forward time and again.
It was 4 - 1 following a free flowing move as the ball was passed forward. An interchange outside the area between myself and new Matt opened up space outside me and I rolled the ball into Phil's path and he hit what can only be described as a Carlos Alberto special, the 4th of Brazil's goals in the 1970 World Cup Final. It was just as important!
The ball skimmed over the surface of the pitch just millimeters off the ground and sped to the far corner like an arrow, a satisfying swish of the net accompanying the roar of the crowd who stood in unison and applauded with vigour recognising godlike genius as Sparkshop bestrode the footballing world like giants of the game. Schoolboys across the world will be able to name the victorious 2009 squad in decades to come whilst old men will tell them of the day they saw the team advance gloriously upwards.
Sadly the top team won 5 - 1 but that did not detract from the pleasure of success. We beat them 4 - 2 in the fixture and on those grounds will surely be seen as the better team.
Well done lads and congratulations to King Kev who has taken the side to the final of the cup and to promotion in just a couple of months. It can't be long until the call of clubs with more financial muscle come a-calling with the lure of enough money for new shirts.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Waiting for Godot
The three of us went to London by train on Wednesday to visit the Haymarket Theatre and watch 'Waiting for Godot' described as the most important play in the English language of the 20th Century. We walked from Waterloo across the Thames, past Downing Street and into Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column. Glen was suitably unimpressed but that was nothing compared to his visit to the national Gallery where I wanted to have a look at the impressionist paintings. It was quite a long hour for him so we cheered him up in TGI Fridays where he had a steak and worried about watching some incomprehensible play!The cast was suitably starry though with Patrick Stewart and Ian Mckellen, both stars of the XMen films, and notable as Gandalf and Captain Jean Luc Picard. I'm sure they would much rather be famed for their theatre work of course. Alongside them were Ronald Pickup and Simon Callow, both famous in their own rights with Callow having died in Four Weddings and A Funeral whilst dressed in a kilt.
It was very entertaining and quite humorous considering the play deals with the question of human existence and the futility of it all as we search in vain for meaning to our lives.
We were amazed at how taken with it Glen was and he questioned us all the way home about what we thought it all meant having initially been angered by the fact there was no answer or satisfactory conclusion as far as plot was concerned. He even looked it up on Wikipedia later and was chatting about existentialism whatever that actually is!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
New Forest - Godshill and Fordingbridge Park
We had a lovely visit from Chrissie, Jamie, Rochelle, Charlie, Emily, Grace and Lily over the weekend including an evening in the garden by the chimnea. Godshill was warm and perfect for a walk with the dogs including Alfie for the first time. They had a great time and got on well. The game of rounders was played in good spirits as the local cricket team made their preparations for a game this afternoon.
We stopped at the park in Fordingbridge and the smaller ones paddled in the pool near the river.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Not Southampton, more Birmingham
The theme for this report reflects the contrasting fortunes of 2 favoured sides within Sparkshop's ranks with new Matt seeing the glory of the Midlands in stark relief to the grim spectacle of the Saints supported by Dom and Kev. Sparkshop are on the verge of a Birmingham like promotion after two consecutive wins put us in second place with just one game to go.
The first win came courtesy of a one nil win in hard fought game against the top side in the division but the goal that sealed victory was one that was worthy of winning any number of games as it flew from Phil's boot over a stranded keeper from at least half way. It was a stunning way to open his Sparkshop account by any measure and we expect the same every week now!
This week we played a team that found itself struggling but they failed to even show as they struggled with numbers leaving a second team to play us. Knowing we had the points didn't make any immediate difference as the game was quite cagey to start but after a couple of chances we opened the scoring with a Matt C throughball to me leaving us in a two on one with new Matt pulling off the last defender. He coolly slotted home into the far corner with a tidy finish leaving us one up at half time.
The second half was pure Hollywood football as new Matt and I raced for a loose ball but I managed to toe it in to give us a comfort zone that saw us play really well with lots of passing and moving for a change. The third goal was a stunner with Kev flicking the ball up perfectly for new Matt to crash his shot home on the volley.
We conceded a goal with men pushed up the pitch but from the kick off I played Kev in for tidy finish low into the corner. There was almost immediately a penalty given away when three pint Pete took one of them out after he'd ridden several challenges.
There was still time for a fifth as Kev played a lovely ball across the area for me to slot home.
One more win and we're in a new division, maybe even as winners!
Happy birthday to Phil and, given how late this report is, commiserations to the big fella at the back who saw his striped heroes bow out the Premiership rather limply this afternoon. Matt and I have another club to check on in the Championship now.
The first win came courtesy of a one nil win in hard fought game against the top side in the division but the goal that sealed victory was one that was worthy of winning any number of games as it flew from Phil's boot over a stranded keeper from at least half way. It was a stunning way to open his Sparkshop account by any measure and we expect the same every week now!
This week we played a team that found itself struggling but they failed to even show as they struggled with numbers leaving a second team to play us. Knowing we had the points didn't make any immediate difference as the game was quite cagey to start but after a couple of chances we opened the scoring with a Matt C throughball to me leaving us in a two on one with new Matt pulling off the last defender. He coolly slotted home into the far corner with a tidy finish leaving us one up at half time.
The second half was pure Hollywood football as new Matt and I raced for a loose ball but I managed to toe it in to give us a comfort zone that saw us play really well with lots of passing and moving for a change. The third goal was a stunner with Kev flicking the ball up perfectly for new Matt to crash his shot home on the volley.
We conceded a goal with men pushed up the pitch but from the kick off I played Kev in for tidy finish low into the corner. There was almost immediately a penalty given away when three pint Pete took one of them out after he'd ridden several challenges.
There was still time for a fifth as Kev played a lovely ball across the area for me to slot home.
One more win and we're in a new division, maybe even as winners!
Happy birthday to Phil and, given how late this report is, commiserations to the big fella at the back who saw his striped heroes bow out the Premiership rather limply this afternoon. Matt and I have another club to check on in the Championship now.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Another 1 - 0 defeat
Sadly Sparkshop lost a tight game on Monday last week by a single goal after dominating the first half. There wasn't a whole lot to say about the game which never saw us at our fluent best. The main outcomes where introductions to 'Zeus' or whatever Kev's dog ends up being called.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Maria on the slide in Guernsey
She loved the park but the slide was best. It was still cold despite the blue sky.
Monkey World
We had a day out at Bere Regis near Wareham yesterday where we visited the rescue centre for the monkeys which has regularly featured on TV. We took all the family bar Joe and met up with Sand. Glen's girlfriend came along too.
Maria has enjoyed going on slides recently and you can see how much she loved it at Monkey World. She and Bridie look great together as well. The other photos are of the orang utan, gibbon and chimp. The place is well set out and gives great views of the animals as well as serving a great cause with so many rescued apes and monkeys there.
Work in progress
It's been lovely having the new TV in the utility room as it has been connected to the aerial and gives us digital and hence an alternative to watching in the front room. The dogs are settled in there now and it makes the rest of the home a good deal less stressful without them jumping up looking for attention and so on.
The garden is looking good too with a fence having been put up yesterday to keep the dogs off the grass and allow Maria to play safely whilst keeping her away from the pond. It's just a couple of willow hurdles and posts with a gate knocked up in a few minutes with wood from an old bed. It does look ok though and adds to the cottage look of the garden which has plenty of plants coming into flower now.
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