COWHC Men's 3s vs Old Cranleighans Men's 4s - 12th November 2016

An added fixture for the 3s Div 3 campaign saw us travelling to Thames Ditton to play a newly formed Old Cranleighans team who had decided to jump into the fire of this particular league.

A late pushback on a drizzly Saturday meant it was dark enough when we started we wondered if it would be more a case of enter sandman than enter Cows! Maybe he did actually have an effect on us as a frantic start saw OCs putting us under a bit of pressure for the first 10 minutes or so, and it's sad but true for them that they didn't make that period count.

Gradually however, like some kind of monster, the 3s began to take control. Hutch at the back was like a master of puppets, organising the team in front of him into a more coherent unit. Then, from a long corner, debutant Tom picked the ball up, drove into the D and from the top unleashed a shot which, with the aid of a small deflection, left the OCs goalkeeper broken, beat and scarred as the ball flew past him.

Thus settled, our passing game clicked into its regular rhythm and goal number 2 arrived when Raj drove in from the left of the D, beating a couple of players and smashed a shot that gave the poor OC 'keeper whiplash as he watched it shoot by.

Halftime score 2 - 0.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with COWs weaving their magic across the pitch, creating several chances but we were unable to convert. The memory remains of how OCs couldn't make their pressure count, however fortunately our profligacy did not work against us.

There were a couple of highlights from the second half, most notably when Raj and an OCs player exchanged a couple of words and St. Anger himself, Corny, couldn't help but get involved. But we calmed him down and he went on to create one of the best opportunities for us to score a 3rd goal, before getting caught in two minds about whether to shoot himself or pass to Adam Cady, making the opposition keeper a harvester of sorrow as he pulled off the save.

The final whistle came, and we were very grateful to leave the darkness with 3 points and another clean sheet in the bag. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the Division 3 table is looking very beautiful at present!

After some liquid fuel in the bar, the votes were cast:
POM went to new boy Tom
DOD/ the unforgiven/ king nothing was Raj - you may have scored, but nothing else matters!

Special thanks to Mike Ford for stepping in as umpire.