Game 37

With yesterday's game falling victim to a heavy frost I wasn't too hopeful of this morning's game being on, particularly as I live only a mile from the field and the weather seemed bleak when I headed off to bed.

A blustery night with rising temperatures saw my fop inspection pass the field as fit, with the exception of the huge splat of animal droppings. It was either a full warren of rabbits with a specific target area for their toilet or a passing fox who had a digestive problem. Either way the droppings had to go before we could kick off.

Once we got going I had a fantastic game on my hands with both sides coping well with the sticky conditions and the strong gusting wind. The ball as being passed freely from wing to wing and only the goalkeepers at goal kicks seemed to be struggling with the conditions. Early in the game, the home side were clinical in the opposition penalty area and opened the scoring on 8 minutes. The away team cancelled this out with a well taken equaliser 6 minutes later and looked like they would push on and take the game.

They moved up the field with ease, preferring to use the wings on both sides (staying out of the sticky middle) and despite the home team deploying a sweeper and wing backs, they found plenty of room. The away team took the lead with 10 minutes left in the first half but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the home team. They continued to push forward and the away team seemed disjointed in their own penalty area. On one occasion a rash challenge, from behind, saw an attacker felled and the resultant kick from the penalty mark was scored to level the scores again. I felt the offender had little chance of actually playing the ball, and he took the first caution of the game.

At half time I noticed that the game on the adjacent field had stopped. Being the nosey type I wandered across to find out what was happening. The home side were the same home team from Game 22 and while I knew they had a few problems I never thought things would get so bad that a game would be suspended. The referee dealt with the situation, with the help of a league official and they completed their game.

I got mine underway with the score at 2-2 and 1 caution in my book and never looked likely to get any more. Both teams were committed to playing football and battled well against the field. The driving, gusty wind had dried out the squelchiness of field but had left it porridge-like in consistency. I was feeling the strain in my hamstrings (too much training this week methinks!) and inwardly cursed every time one of the teams played a long ball that I had to chase down.

The away team were taking advantage of the wind at their backs and having put two attacking substitutes on, they must have felt it was only a matter of time before took the lead. With a free kick outside their opponents area a good chance arose and a firmly struck shot beat the goalkeeper only to slap off the cross bar. Up the other end of the field the away team's lively forward had a shot on goal which looked like it was pushed, at full stretch, by the goalkeeper's fingertips on to the post.

On 85 minutes a cross into the away goal area wasn't managed and the strong running midfielder poked the ball past the sprawling goalkeeper to give the home team a 3-2 win. I had two late cautions for the away side, both for dissent, which took the edge off a great game.

Calories 1402, max hr 88%, average 75% - easy ... apart from the very tired hamstrings.