Thinkerers start thinking

PFFC 4 Terrapin 2

Matt Turner, 10 September 2008

 

After last week’s promising yet ultimately disappointing opening result, Philosophy came out eagerly from the comfort of the fabulous Willesden changing rooms and onto the eternally windy City Academy pitch. Kieran took instant charge, taking everyone through a thorough pre-match warm-up designed to get the ageing muscles appropriately limber before the 90-minute footballing onslaught. After 15 minutes of different drills, the Philosophy team sensed something was afoot. Terrapin had a rather severe lack of players. After various negotiations between the refereeing staff and Terrapin players, we were all assured that a sufficient amount of players would eventually turn up. The increasingly prolonged warm-up continued. Finally, half an hour after the game was supposed to begin, the missing Terrapin players (or ringers; who knows?) arrived and the game got under way.

Philosophy got off to a composed and controlled start, making full use of the space vacated by the opposition’s missing outfield players by keeping the ball with a series of passes in midfield. After a period of Philosophy possession, Terrapin counter-attacked, putting together a decent run of passes with good movement off the ball from their forward players, which finally resulted with a corner. Philosophy defended this well and retained possession for a lengthy period afterwards, resulting in a few corners and free kicks. The deadlock was eventually broken by a decent move down the left, and the ball being passed across the box and eventually landing at Tony's feet. He then slipped the ball past the oncoming defender and coolly slotted the ball home.

PFFC then started to get sloppy, almost assuming the game had been won. From a wayward Philosophy pass in midfield, Terrapin’s central midfielder slotted a nice through-ball to their striker, who knocked a decent cross into the penalty area. This was met by the other tireless Terrapin striker, who managed to get a slight head to the ball. Unfortunately this slight touch rebounded off the head of Tony, and flew into the top left hand corner of the goal: 2-1. Philosophy went into the break somewhat bemused that we’d not scored more and had somehow conceded.

A good, open half-time team talk helped get PFFC onto the front foot again in the second half as Conrad scored shortly after the break: a goal well deserved following his non-stop work throughout the match. At the time I believe I thought to myself that this would be a ‘rout’, although this was sadly misjudged. Terrapin, undeterred by the 2-1 score line and mounting Philosophy pressure, to their credit got the bit between their teeth and put the Philosophy defence under a period of pressure which saw out the next fifteen minutes. Philosophy were now enjoying long periods of possession without producing the final killer goal. The chances we did have were miraculously saved by the stand in Terrapin keeper. Eventually, Ally broke through to score midway through the half for Philosophy’s third goal: 3-1, and the game should have been over.

Philosophy seemingly had an imperative hold on the game, although this only lasted but a few minutes from the Terrapin kick off. Defensive lapses in concentration lead to a throw-in to Terrapin deep in our half. The resulting quickly taken foul throw-in, was sent down the touch line and swiftly whipped into the box by the Terrapin right midfielder. This cross was tentatively cleared straight to another of their midfield, who happily lashed the ball straight back towards goal and straight into the bottom right corner: 3-2.

Somewhat embarrassed by the score line, Philosophy then put Terrapin under severe pressure for the rest of the game and were eventually rewarded by a fierce strike by Conrad which was palmed into the top of the net by the keeper which was literally the final kick of the game: 4-2.

 

Man of the match: TBA