TWFC

A proper good old fashioned five-a-side match this week. The return of Mark's defensive prowess meant that the opposing team would be hard pressed to get beyond a single figure score. Having Nathan and Avvon on the same side further meant that shots could potentially come from anywhere inside the halfway line.

With their seriously attacking combination the Muftis wasted no time in drawing 3 - 0 ahead and also hit the post twice while the Bibs explored the the best options for scoring. Finally having calculated the weak points of their opponents' defence AlMaher, Luteus and Scott set about passing their way around their opponents and picking off goals here and there until the score reached a more respectable 5 - 4 to the Muftis.

As certain as taxes and the sun rising in the east Danny and Nathan scored multiple goals. Danny then experienced being chastised for opportunistically hanging around the opponent's half and increasing his tally directly from a quickly taken goal kick. That said for once Danny did not have it totally his own way as Luteusmaximus assigned himself to attempt to negate him and was seen to tackle him and leave him standing a few times. At such moments it would have been easy to hear in ones mind the words 'My name is Luteus Maximus, commander of the bibbed defence of the north, and you shall not score Daniel'.

From 3 - 0 down the Bibs had gradually pulled the score back to 7 - 7. During the passages of play one of the picks of the moves crafted by Alex, Scott and Luteus was a shot that cruelly came back off of the bar before Scott teed it up for Luteus to blast home. At the other end the left footed Koonal had quietly taken two goals and was hunting for his first competitive hat-trick in a while.

Not to be out done Mark went on one of his trademark runs form his own box and set up one of his colleagues to finish sublimely. Opportunities arose for Milo to run from box to box too and given that his team mates knew both his current incarnation and the original Milo he was told that he should go alone and score. Milo duly obliged and in short order the Bibs were 8 - 7 ahead.

The Bibs were in the ascendency and so were not surprised when they pulled ahead again 9 - 8.

When the ball eventually fell to Koonal in space on the right he slid it thorugh the keeper's legs and completed his hat-trick. Players were to later reflect in the pub that Koonal should be watched as he has become a silent assassin. When Koonal was praised for his well taken goals he gently reminded Niyi that the Newcastle fans had made it abundantly clear over the weekend that keepers should not praise strikers who had just out classed them .

Avvon had been testing the opposition goal and from a keeper's perspective the pick of his attempts was a 15 yard strike that he fizzed low from the left straight into the bottom corner of the net beyond the keeper's outstretched fingers. The shot is remembered for the pin point accuracy of Avvon not striking at the bigger target of the middle of the goal but for picking the spot just insde the left upright.

Chillingly the Muftis had edged ahead to 11 - 9 before the ball went over and gave everyone a breather. By this time it was well after 9pm and there was some talk of the match coming to an end. The score was close enough for the Bibs to insist that the match continued. When the game resumed the Muftis edged further ahead and at 13 - 9 the Bibs swapped keepers for the first time. Out on pitch Niyi used his new found freedom to promptly lose the ball to Nathan who scored yet another goal. When the Muftis scored again it was finally accepted that the night was over. Despite the eventual score it had been a close match until the final few minutes. The Bibs also ruefully observed that they had hit the 'woodwork' at least five times throughout the night. With this in mind this goes down as one of those matches it would be great to re-play another day.

Match awarded to the Muftis 15 - 9.