3rd September 2016 - Alsager Town 1 v 1 Holker Old Boys - An easy trip down the M6 in somewhat grim and grimy conditions with a few toxic roadside smells adding to the lowly feel of the journey that was done in less than 1 hour. The lasses dropped me off at the ground well before kick-off before they tootled off and indulged in a shopping excursion to Hanley. I settled down with a cup of cha, the matchday programme and my latest book 'Aliens - Out of the Shadows' and let the chill creep in whilst I whiled away the pre-kick-off time.
The teams came out, the leaden sky leaked like a lavatory onto a verdant pitch whose thick grass looked like making things a trifle wearing on the old boiled eggs (legs). No sooner had I assessed the line-ups then a quick goal by the home side Bullets was neatly worked that gave me a suggestion that the Old Boys of Holker needed to hang in there or face an early assault that could blow them away before the match had started proper. Hung in they did and what came was a long bout of testing tactics with both sides acting like two octopuses who had recently fallen in love and were indulging in a lot of wary prodding and poking all to no avail. Alsager were hefty and numbers 9, 10 and 11 were a niggling threat that seemed ready to come to fruition, the Old Boys were industrious but on the back foot so it came as a surprise when a sweet long range effort flew in and the match was all square, something the Alsager lads must have been certainly frustrated by. The half ended and the match was in a state of exact equilibrium.
Hotdog and tea were purchased whereupon the lady serving warned me to watch that my sausage didn't fall off. Ooh the sexy sauce and I wasted no time in responding with 'Bloody hell love I ain't that old'.
Munch, munch, slurp, slurp and...piddle.
Seat re-taken and the second half came and soon developed into a toilsome tussle that swung many ways with sweat pouring but no result in the last third for either team. The toss of a coin would be easier to predict than the outcome of this one and as one side seemed to take command it was soon taken away and the opposition grabbed ascendancy. As it transpired the match ended all square with no further goals but Alsager had the better chances but were held at bay by Holker's No1 (Ross Liddicott), my personal Man of the Match due to his grand reflexes, excellent rushing tactics, several good blocks and an all round alertness that gave his defenders an extra buffer. Alsager's No 10 ran the choice close and is worthy of a mention due to him being a right ruddy handful throughout - one to watch methinks.
FINAL THOUGHT - On grass that was slightly shorter than the pubes of a 1970's rhythm magazine exhibitionist the two sides gave a decent account of themselves and at the season end should be up in the top half pondering the play-offs. I wish them all the best!
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