Match Reports
23/09/06
East Grinstead 4's/5's 5-2 Men's 4th XI
*** And we're off***
The first (and only) friendly of the new season saw a combined 4's / 5's side , depleted by the loss of several key players to the 3rds, stutter into life and against a similarly composed East Grinstead team.
With 14 players to handle in his maiden outing as captain, Andy C shuffled the pack like a magician! Sadly it was to be more the Great Soprendo than David Copperfield as, despite brief hopes of a comback, Brighton went down 5-2 to the home side.
The match began as the heat of the day began to fade - a fact that seemed lost on most of the away side who played as if they were still on Brighton beach waiting for someone to bring them an ice cream, yes, that includes you Messrs. Scott and Selby!
Reverse stick hits were to be the theme of the day, with EG's young bucks trying them at every opportunity. Their first attempt at one provided a stunning goal low, into the right hand corner of Stevens' goal - a later attempt was also stunning, high, into Paul Ripsher's head. The young Harry Potter lookalike lacked the magic to avoid the strike. Unfortunately this meant a trip to the local A&E and deprived us of both him and Vice Captain Thompo.
The Super 4's bravely battled back from 2-0 and 3-1 down, as familiarity and trust began to spread through the team, to close the gap at 3-2, with James J's "tackling" upsetting EG's playmakers, one of whom received a yellow card to give him time to go and replace the toys in his pram. Josh and Tosh linked promisingly down the right flank in what could become the rhyming partnership of the season.
As time wore on, the greater fitness of a youthful EG side told as 2 late, soft goals were conceded. One senses better things are to come from this 4th XI...
SCORERS:
1 - Andy C, Josh