M2 vs City Of Peterborough 2

Saturday began well, it was sunny, Kabir was back and Buckers was there to run the bench (the only running he did that day). For me that was where the good part ended. After a delayed pushback clearly unsettled the visiting Peterborough team, City capitalised on some shambolic defending to win PC number 1 of the day (make sure you keep count reader). Gerrit promptly sent an absolute rocket wide of the left hand post, except, except the opposing postman had gotten lost and stood in the way of it. Penalty stroke, somehow. It was my time to shine, in my head replays of my last flick replayed through my mind - post and in, top left. Surely I'd just do the same again. Alas, my first touch of the game sent a rather tame looping ball straight down the middle, where the keeper gleefully batted it away. 0-0 still. However, being the dogged unit that they are, M2s kept pressing for another opening. PCs 2, 3 and 4 came and went - no dice.

Fortunately the opposing keepers need to play the ball soon played into City's hands. A rather innocuous ball into the D was sidefooted quite elegantly to a waiting Alex Winn to tap in. Deadlock broken, floodgates open? Not quite. It took a good 10 minutes or so for the next goal to come. Some good work down City's left culminated in a bobbling ball at the top of the D. This was followed by what can only be described as the hockey equivalent of a sombrero flick by a CoP player teeing up Roy Scott to flash home a cover drive that Virat Kohli would be proud of. 2-0 at HT. 5 PCs and 1 PS but still only field goals...

The second half was a scrappy affair. There was not much notable action, a few chances were fluffed, some flat sticks were run into and some good old gamesmanship was employed. Oh and needless to say City didn't score from PCs 6, 7 and 8. However with about 15 minutes to go, a lifeline appeared for Peterborough. The whole City M2s right-hand side went to sleep and allowed the oppo to waltz into the D unopposed. The ball somehow managed to make it to the back post where a Peterborough striker mopped up; 2-1. Nervy times for all in red as nightmares of previous bottling acts came to mind. Thankfully following a quick break Dudgy decide to pass to someone who could trap the ball and Winny calmly took the ball round the 'borough keeper before nonchalantly rolling the ball into another empty net. FT 3-1, in the end a convincing performance from the Men's 2s, well most of them anyway.