TWFC

In the build up to the match Scott was praised for having the credentials to be a good teacher. It was generally agreed that his gentle words are regularly heeded by players. Scott's latest success seems to be in getting Niyi to get ready quickly as, in the past, players have suspected that he was sometimes still unprepared by kick off.

Players split into four against five, Milo started with the Muftis on the understanding that at nominal half time he would switch to the Bibs. This meant that JonF's Mufti team would need to smash their way to a significant lead which they could then attempt to hold on to in the second half when their extra player would switch sides.

In order to deal with being a man down the Bibs operated mainly with a stick keeper even though they were entitled to play rush.This meant the Muftis had the task of four outfield players against three. With this advantage JonF opened the scoring and further goals gave his side a deserving lead but they did not pull sufficiently away to totally own the half. Our guest reporter Steve contributed the following:

' Niyi b r ought the game back level t o 3 - 3 with a battling run from just inside the Muftis 'half, passing two players before laying the ball off to Scott. Tottenham Wednesday FC's very own Iniesta returned the favour and fed a slide-rule pass back to the surging Niyi who took a touch and shot past the keeper.'

With this move Scott confirmed his position as the club's performance director and consolidated his ability to bring on under-performing players.

The Muftis were able to craft a 5 - 3 lead while the count down to losing Milo hung over them like the proverbial sword of Damocles. As the clock ticked away JonF took the unprecedented step of complaining that the Bibs' keeper was spending too long on goal kicks and that regulations deemed the keeper's actions were wasting time which would need to be added back on. With the score still at 5 - 3 to the Muftis and the half being up JonF ignored requests for Milo to switch sides and instead urged him to continue in the Mufti's attack.

Flabbergasted by the Mufti's subterfuge and flagging in the humid conditions the Bibs firmly advised that it was half time. JonF explained the half was not up as it was in to time added on. Koonal, who is believed to have a reasonable knowledge of the game, supported JonF with the spurious sounding rule that 30 seconds had been added on for every 'slow' goal kick and thus there would be four minutes of added time. Despite this version of 'Fergie time' the Muftis were not able to score again.

Second half. You know it is humid when players take their tops off and play bare chested in their bibs. The Bibs meant business and knew they had perhaps less than half an hour to retrieve the evening. A through ball to Steve on the left presented him with an open goal to shoot at as he sped down the wing. He launched the shot but Koonal dived at it and handled it outside the area before blocking a further ball inside the area. As it was not possible to send him off the infringement was deemed a penalty. Milo took it and blasted it home to the right of center past a diving Koonal to make the score Muftis 5 - Bibs 4.

With the extra man the Bibs were able to press much higher up the pitch against the Muftis who were quite possibly feeling the heat too but could not disrobe. Ben began cutting out more passes and setting off on mazy runs while Scott directed things from the midfield and acted as the Bibs' provider. Dave and Avvon were torn between falling back and pursuing the goal that might just put the game beyond the Bibs. In one of their forays forward the Bibs opened the Muftis' defence up on the right and floated the ball across to Niyi on the left. This open goal attempt was blocked by what were deemed to be foul means again by Koonal. The second penalty of the evening was taken again by Milo but this time against Avvon. Milo struck the penalty as true as anyone could hope straight down the middle and the fixture was stunned into silence when Avvon saved it thereby becoming the first keeper in over three years to save a penalty. The resulting rebound was scored however and the score was even. Bibs 5 - Muftis 5.

In another surge forward Steve again took advantage of the Muftis leaving their goal poorly guarded and believed he had scored from the very edge of the area. JonF ruled this goal out as he deemed that despite Steve not crossing the line into the area the ball was not fully in open play when he struck it. In another foray Scott carved open the Bibs from the middle of the park and spotting the open goal rifled the ball in from the half way mark. JonF ruled this goal out as it was suspected that Scott was inside his own half when he shot.

Seeking to make amends for his earlier deeds Koonal fell back into goal and pulled off a number of fine saves before Ben finally beat him. Another goal then brought the score to 7 - 5 to the Bibs, before Koonal ambling down the left floated a delicate shot which seemed to fly, as if pulled by a butterfly, past the Bibs' keeper into the net.

The score stood at 7 - 6 to the Bibs, with other teams arriving all around us which way would the match go? Avvon was owning the right of his team's attack but the Bibs were smothering all of his attempts at crosses so Dave and JonF had virtually nothing to profit from. At the other end back in goal Koonal was still pulling off save after save to keep the Muftis in the match. Then at 9pm on the dot the next team opened the gate and the match ended.

Despite facing inspired goal keeping, exceptionally draconian time added on and a penalty save the Bibs under Scott's captaincy had won the match.

Half time Bibs 3 - Muftis 5

Full time Bibs 7 - Muftis 6

Match awarded to the Bibs 7 - 6

Things to Note

A string of fine saves sees Koonal identified as one of Steve's goalkeeping understudies in the event that we play a competitive match and the first choice keeper has to be substituted.

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