Match 12 - Cripps First and Second Years

This week has seen me involved in two games between a freshers' and second years' team. On Sunday, I assisted Luke as Nightingale's second years beat their freshers team 3-2. Today roles were reversed as I refereed the corresponding game between the Cripps teams.

We were on the astro pitch, in weather conditions which weren't exactly ideal. It was warm and sunny - but too warm really. I predicted some exhaustion to follow. As we only had the pitch for a limited time (although as it was no-one turned up at the end) we were limited to two 40-minute halves.

The opening period of the game had a nice flow to it, although it lacked clearcut chances. It was frenetic, but unproductive. I recall only one intervention from me in the early stages, and indeed I was merely a passenger for most of the first half, with minimal interventions - which suited me just fine. The second years took the lead in the 25th minute. It was a rather scrappy goal, coming from a corner, from which defender and goalkeeper collided, leaving the rather surprised forward with the simple task of slotting the ball home. The freshers complained that the ball was rolling as the corner was taken, which it probably was, but it was difficult to keep it still on the sloping pitch and I had let this go on several other occasions. They were merely finding something to moan about. In any case, they equalised in the 31st minute after a splendid breakaway goal and a neat exchange of passes. Half-time arrived, with the score at 1-1 and the teams evenly matched.

The second years started the second half poorly and were behind within two minutes. It was again from a corner, although this time it was perhaps the marking at fault, although the delivery and header were both excellent. The freshers held a 2-1 lead. The second years took a while to respond, but gradually improved as the half wore on. I had kept in the background until the second years had a penalty appeal. Their forward was attacking on the left hand side and got the ball off the defender - I considered giving a foul but let it pass. As he headed into the area, there was some shirt-pulling going on, but I thought both parties were engaging in a bit (even if the defender was more at fault) and that it wasn't enough for me to give a penalty. I was surprised to find his shirt had ripped. I didn't think there had been that much in the incident at all. I went with my gut reaction at the time, and I'm still slightly mystified as to how quite so much damage was done.

Throughout the second half, players were falling down at regular intervals with cramp, and there had been plenty of substitutions. With no-one coming to use the pitch, I elected to play five minutes of stoppage time, which was obviously better received by one team than the other! About a minute in, I stopped play for an offside against the freshers (in fact they kept the ball and I could have played on, but never mind), and some time after the whistle had blown one of the freshers kicked the ball over the fence out of the court. Given the time that had elapsed since the whistle, I booked him for delaying the restart. It took the best part of two minutes for the ball to be fetched, but when we restarted there were still four minutes to play.

Yet it wasn't over. The second years got the equaliser they so desperately wanted, and it came from an unlikely source - a beautiful header by a fresher. Own goals are always painful, but as an equaliser in the depths of injury time they are even more so. Plenty of opportunities for some banter there! Soon after, I blew the final whistle, sparking a huge debate as to whether we should play extra-time or go straight to penalties. I thought that the teams should decide - I'm not a dictator on such matters! Eventually, we settled on two 10-minute halves of extra time.

The second half had to be cancelled when another group turned up to take over the court. The first half was notable for only two reasons from my point of view - a claim that I should book a second year after he had had the ball kicked at him whilst retreating from a free kick. I merely ordered a retake - I don't want players getting others booked purposely. The other was when a fresher thought he had been fouled and immediately chopped down an opponent - a senseless thing to do as the decision was my fault, not his opponent's! Perhaps I should have booked him for his stupidity.

As the second half was cancelled, we then went straight to penalties, still having one half of the pitch free to ourselves. The penalty shootout was close - both teams missed their first penalty (including a spectacular blaze over from Caesari), with both then scoring each of their next three. 3-3, with one take each before sudden death. As the second year tucked his away confidently, the fresher came up and I reminded him he needed to score, to which I got a sarcastic response! He couldn't though. Neither keeper actually made a save - the three takers who failed to score all missed the target. To clarify, the second years then who triumphed 4-3 on penalties.

Altogether, it was an entertaining match which had a nice flow to it. I felt I did my job - there may be arguments about the penalty I didn't give but my instincts at the time told me not to. I can't change it now, and I'm not unhappy with the decision. I think it is the first time I have booked a player for a technical offence, but it was certainly a deserved one! Overall, I enjoyed the game and hope that the players did too!