Match 6 - Cripps Freshers vs Cripps Old Boys

I was flying solo today at Grove Farm with Luke otherwise engaged, and as I arrived saw one of the Cripps players from last year who said that the freshers' match had been cancelled and so they were having an old boys game. When they met last term, we had a dramatic match with extra time, eight goals, a hatful of yellow cards and a sending off with a penalty shootout to decide it all. Today, the Old Boys had only just got a team together and played with 10 men for much of the match (and not because Doug was sending them off again!). They even borrowed freshers' players on a couple of occasions.

This game was rather more relaxed than the previous one, but didn't lack the drama. The Old Boys made a very lacklustre start and found themselves 2-0 down after two strikes in one minute. In both cases, the keeper didn't help their cause with his feeble attempts to stop the shots going in. However, they managed to pull one back in the 24th minute and were soon back to full strength, and the game became a much more even contest. The Old Boys thought they had levelled soon after but one of the freshers running the line (presumably injured and unable to play) put his flag up. Even though he wasn't in line with play, I thought it was probably right so gave the offside before the ball was put into the net. There was then controversy at the opposite end, with a fresher claiming he was fouled from behind as he entered the area. My view was obstructed, and in any case, the ball fell to another forward who toe-poked it towards goal, only for the keeper to deflect it agonisingly off the post and out for a corner. It may have been a foul, but I didn't have a clear view of it so couldn't give it. Shortly afterwards, it was half time.

The Old Boys started the half with a one-man disadvantage once again, and they only got back to full strength with about 20 minutes to go. The pace of the game was slow in the extreme at the start, but once it got going it actually became quite end-to-end. The Old Boys eventually got themselves an equaliser in the 59th minute after a nice exchange of passes. The freshers responded 10 minutes later to take a 3-2 lead. Totally unexpectedly, it was 3-3 a matter of seconds later with a looping shot from the Old Boys forward - some might say it was a fluke, I cannot comment! There were claims of a foul in the build-up, but I waved them away swiftly.

There were a couple of flashpoints, notably involving that same forward who thought he was fouled and kicked out in retaliation. I limited myself to having a word with him, but kept a close eye out for any confrontations in the minutes to come. I played some quite successful advantages through this phase of play, which the players gradually began to appreciate as the pace of the game picked up.

In the end, the Old Boys had the momentum, and took the lead with 9 minutes to go, making it 4-3. The freshers couldn't force their way back into it, and although there were claims of handball in the build up to their fifth I thought it had hit the shoulder at the very top of the arm so again let play continue. The Old Boys then had another attack as we entered stoppage time, but were fairly obviously offside so I called it despite not having a linesman. A couple of minutes later, their forward was through again but this time I waved play on and he beat the helpless goalkeeper to round off the win, and I immediately blew the final whistle.

This game wasn't quite as dramatic as the previous one, but did have more goals. Overall though, entertainment certainly wasn't lacking and I enjoyed refereeing it, a game in which there were few flashpoints or arguments of note. I tried to let the players play, and erred on the side of not giving fouls which means that, while I may have missed a few things here and there, the game flowed nicely. It was perhaps one of the more unusual games I have refereed - almost pedestrian at times yet end-to-end at others - but I enjoyed it all the same.