Veni, Vidi,Vici

[I came, I saw, I conquered; then conceded six goals, lost the game and had an ice cold coke with a straw to try and cheer up!]

Gaius Julius Caesar

Felixstowe 2nd 2-6 Norwich City 4ths
Saturday 24th September 2011 - East Mens League - Divison 4NE

Let’s be honest; losing by such a big margin was not a particularly lovely start to the day. Some might become all humble, rational and downright annoying by quoting Kipling;

‘If you can keep your head when all about you are losing there’s…………’

You know the poem…….goes on to say;

‘If you can meet triumph with disaster and treat those two imposters just the same!’

He starts sentences with ‘If’ and then calls the poem ‘If’. Well done Kipling for that original title! 

The poem of course is nonsense; it does not possess a particularly convincing message. He claims that ‘IF’ you go through different pitfalls and stay standing then you will become a man. Well, straight away he is alienating 50% of the world’s population! Furthermore, he is assuming that becoming a man should be the focus of one’s [only men] ambition. Therefore, after facing stuff; having an issue and continuing to plug away the highlight of your life should be graduating as a man. Congratulations, you can now down a pint of beer and sing ‘Who are you-Who are you’ whilst standing alone in the bar of your local sports club.

However, what Kipling fails to grasp is once we become men his nice little words do not leave any real solace. The Men’s second team is as the title suggests; a team full of men! In fact, some of the men have even made their own men. I will not be quoting Kipling to ease the hurt.

So what of the match; what of the Hockey?

Norwich, a fine city was enriched in beautiful sunshine and an exquisite blue sky. The stage was set for an enticing game between two teams who had both showed pre-season quality. [I can not verify the last sentence but one of the Norwich lads said they had been tolerable of late] Felixstowe started dazzlingly with a fresh brand of offensive hockey full of short passes, imagination and tri-angles. Felixstowe crafted a couple of early chances that caught Norwich cold on their blocks. The ever valiant Sam Harris was running the line with immense threat penetrating for opportunities. His trickery surged to the dead-ball line and his awareness squared the ball to a pouncing James Pettit who delicately swept the ball into the corner of the goal. Within five minutes of the new season, a disappointed James Pettit had grabbed his season’s goal thus rendering the remainder of the season strike-less. Felixstowe continued to press but were only met by the begging of chances past; this included the open-goal missed by player unknown! [This will be updated once the perpetrator has been found! Sources initially linked Charlie Burton to the scene of the crime but his people issued a statement denying all knowledge of said miss]
 

Unfortunately, games seldom continue in a straight line with players tapping out the identical rhythm from beginning to end. Norwich had conceded the introduction to Felixstowe but awoke for a crunching middle eight and a catchy hook. Norwich pressed hard and took advantage of the erratic ball retention of their visitors. The lead dangled by a thread and finally succumbed when Norwich pulled level. A flying Martin Hopkins had been performing minor miracles in goal but alas even he could not hold fire. Felixstowe battled back towards the end of the half and the game remained level.

Half-time 1-1

Felixstowe confirmed their liking for strong introductions by again starting on the ascendancy. Sam Harris fashioned a classy reverse stick snouter that lobbed into the corner of the goal. Felixstowe had taken a lead and this should have been the beginning to a comfortable end. Regrettably, it was the beginning of the end, just not an end that had been foretold or wished for by Captain Beecroft. Norwich turned a 2-1 disadvantage into a commanding 6-2 lead that included such goals as a scramble, a short corner, a penalty flick and an undercutted finish that could probably be deemed as half decent.    

Norwich played the more consistent hockey and proved an uncompromising opponent. Felixstowe lost out on the spoils despite holding the lead twice. In order to not throw away advantages, Felixstowe has to become more than the sum of its parts and stay together as a team. A game against North Walsham should prove the perfect tonic to kick start Felixstowe’s season. 

This weeks attempt at a Match report closes with a thought provoking quote by Franklin Roosevelt;

‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself’

Sam Harris claimed the unofficial man of the match award.

Martin Hopkins, Jonny Bax, James Naylor, Mark Bailey, Aarron Taylor, Tim Hands, James Pettit, Jay Steward, Joe Leckie, Sam Harris, Robin Beecroft, Charlie Burton

An apology has to be made to Martin Hopkins for suggesting he took part in ‘Casualty’ auditions in a previous report. Hopkins claims he is above a watered down and not very good Saturday tea-time show because he does it for real! 
Yeh right; next he will be saying ‘Soldier Soldier’ was tame because he was in the Army as well! Some people………………