Sunshine Slows Sparkshop Ascent

In a little publicised cup game, Sparkshop found themselves in a match up with fellow promotion seekers, Glory Boys. They are the one team to have beaten us this year and it was the first game of the season before the acquisition of our heroic keeper Rich when we had held them to 0 - 0 before the sending off of Darren and subsequent penalty had allowed them to exploit the gaps left in defence. As a result it was disappointing to start the game with only 6 players as Dom had not realised we were playing and Kev had put his back out on the driving range the previous day.

It meant we had to play very defensively and put paid to the formation which has served us well of late. However, the start of the game was even and we didn't look in too much trouble as long shots sailed high and wide whenever an attack threatened. In fact we created some chances ourselves before their attacks began to carry more menace forcing Rich into a number of fine saves including a great deflection onto the bar from a close range shot.

The first goal came from a similar shot which was curled high into the far corner in a decisive finish. The second came early in the second half with a flowing move freeing an attacker who calmly lifted the ball clear of Rich in goal. Having been such a barrier to the opposition in previous games he had been beaten by two great goals and there was third shortly after a fierce header from the edge of the D flew goalwards. The pace was simply astonishing and it took a Gordon Banks style dive to get a hand to it and push it almost clear. You can only imagine how good it looked. If only the sun had not been going down Rich would have not been blinded and it would definitely have been saved.

Actually it was a tame header which somehow squirmed from his grasp and into the net leaving us all in an embarrassed silence and Rich on the verge of 'getting his coat'. It's good to see the standards set by the rest of us have now worked their way into his play! He really is part of the team properly now. But the sun was very, very bright at that time. You should have seen it. It was like a scene from 'Sunshine', the Danny Boyle film, and a vivid yellow like you'd see in a painting by a 3 year old after a morning at nursery. We could all sympathise.

It was darkness that played a part in the fourth goal. The number 5 burst into the box leaving me bereft of hope in the penalty area. With the instinct borne of years of ineptitude and an inability to tackle, I ignored the cover provided by Dougie and Matt C. Lunging at the attacker in a comedy moment, I clipped his legs and sent him to the floor where he didn't seem to appreciate the joke my assault had been in my mind. Luckily Gary did get it and pretended to give the kick to us for diving which caused the 5 to begin his complaints. It was just rubbish from me - no excuses - and left the same player to slot home the resultant penalty.

So for the second game this year against them we played with only 6 men and conceded a dubious penalty. The last one was for handball when Darren caught the ball on the line.

The big games start on Monday though with a 9.30 slot against the team in fourth. Back to winning ways is the only way to go.

Rich Matt C Not Dom Dougie Chris New Matt Iain