Thurs 29-04-2010 - Fulbourn 1st Team 5v2 Cottenham (H)
An overcast but muggy evening for the latest instalment in the continuing saga of the race for the Kershaw Premier League title with Cottenham the visiting team.
Cottenham are sixth in the league and they have the leading goal-scorer so they are no easy touch as they have shown in the past. As if to prove their point they proceeded to take the lead within five minutes, before we had settled, with a rather soft goal. This sparked some frenetic action and some rather strong tackles particularly on Joey who they had obviously identified as our danger man. This was not helped by a very fussy referee who was much more concerned with players comment’s than the risk of injury due to bad tackles
Our players were wound up to breaking point and two bookings in quick succession for decent, had everybody on the touchline holding their collective breath as we expected a sending off. The instructions from the bench were to calm things down and do what we do best, accurate passing and quick incisive attacks. Fulbourn strained every sinew to redress the balance but the visitors defence repelled every raid.
Joey was desperate to get one back and his determination paid off at the 25 minute mark as another attack produced our equaliser. Several more good chances came and went until just before half time Fearo headed in our second to put us ahead going into the break.
As we started again the referee continued to annoy both players and supporters with some inexplicable decisions which threatened to spoil the game as a contest. One of two supporters got really upset with him and his parentage, sexual persuasion and state of mental heath were all called into question.
The game continued to go from end to end and our lead was not enough for comfort with a very lively Cottenham forward line who threatened to get a goal back and upset the better home team. After 15 minutes Joey broke free latching onto a massive kick up field from Buster and went round the giant keeper ( six foot six at least ), plus several defenders and slotted in his second and our third goal. A similar goal followed a few minutes later and everything was more relaxed with fears of a slipup receding.
Ben came on for Frost and tricky little Lee Meadows for Smith and it was really all Fulbourn from then on.
Joey came off his night’s work done and credit to him for controlling his temper against the odds after a lot of provocation and he was replaced by Glass. The scoring was however, not over and Jake who has found a rich vein of form of late slotted in number five to round off the evening we thought. It was not all over yet though and a moment’s inattention let in the still lively Cottenham attack who got another back just before full time.
So it ended 5-2 and the Fulbourn bandwagon rolls on with our destiny in our hands and hopefully we will take the title from Camridge University Press with three more games to go for us but only one for them.
Report Dave Bradford