Give Me a Button and I'll Push IT!!!!

Sunday 29/03/09
Vernon Park 10:30am
Robin Hood v Pheasant Inn

At the start of the season the Pheasant were flying high and when the Robin visited them they sat top of the league. That game ended four all, but time has taken its toll on Pheasant's form and they had steadily slipped into mid table. This was a sixth versus seventh clash and the chance for the Robin to make up some points after two successive defeats. The Gaffer and the Guru had decided to shake things up to counter the pacy striker of the Pheasant, so placed the Terminator in center of defence with Wayne. With Obi-Wan playing the holding midfield role. The sun was shining and I had a pocket full of 'Nice' biscuits it was time for football.

PEEP! and the hare is on the move! Sorry the first half kicks off. The Pheasant's back four were your stereotypical pub footballers, beer bellies galore, if their legs were as fast as their tongues they we without doubt be the best defence in the league. Right from the off it was obvious that this was to be a completely different game to the last meeting. The Robin imposed themselves on game right from the beginning playing the ball around and controlling the pace. Six minutes in and Gattuszola goes on a mini maze up, working his way through Pheasant's defence to slot it home, GOAL!!! a great start for the Robin. Robin 1 - 0 Pheasant. The Robin continued to dominate the game, Pheasant had no real response and early on started to cry foul at every opportunity , questioning the Ref's decisions, and some of their support hurled abuse in the Ref's direction. Lets just say some of the language was colourful. But this did nothing and the Robin carried on dictating the way the game was going. The speed of the Terminator was more than a match for the Pheasant's striker, so the positional changed looked to have paid off. Thirty minutes in and against the run of play the Pheasant peg back the Robin GOAL!!! Robin 1 - 1 Pheasant. This does not faze the Robin heads are still up and they carry on what they had been doing all game so far. Again the Robin see most of the play, but are unable to convert any chances. The half ends with things all square.

A quick rousing team talk from the Gaffer and the second half is under way. It starts in the same way the game had been played up to now with the Robin on top. Some of the Pheasant's players had now resorted to tumbling with the slightest contact from a Robin player, but the Ref did not fall for any of it which resulted in more choice language from the sidelines. Fifty seven minutes and the Skipper goes on a rare run, bulldozing through the opposition to fire home from a tight angle, GOAL!!! Robin 2 - 1 Pheasant. By now the biscuits were half finished and so it seemed were the Pheasant. A controversial free kick is awarded to the Robin right on the edge of Pheasant's area, the Ref explains that the free kick was given as the Pheasant's keeper had left his area whilst still handling the ball. After a few minutes of woe-is-me from the Pheasant it was time to take the free kick. Normally Skip takes the free kicks this time however Kebab had asked for it and Skip stood aside. Kebab puts his foot right through it powering the ball low and hard past the Pheasant's keeper, he had no chance really GOAL!!! Robin 3 - 1 Pheasant. This seem to shake the Pheasant into action and although the moaning and tumbling continued they started to mount pressure upon the Robin. Roughly twenty minutes to go the Robin had their backs against the wall as Pheasant continued to come at them. The eighty seventh minute Pheasant pull one back GOAL!!! nervous defending from the Robin made the last few minutes tense. Robin 3 - 2 Pheasant. In the end it was nothing more than a consolation for the Pheasant and after what seemed to be a never ending period of added on time the Ref finally blew for the end of the game. The Robin were back to winning ways with some kind of style despite the little stumble at the end. But three points in the bag and a good way to start the run to the end of the season.

Player Ratings

Quavers - 8

Welshy - 6.5

Terminator - 8.5

Wayne - 7

Kebab - 7.5

Obi-Wan - 6.5

Skip - 7.25

J-LO - 8

Gattuszola - 8.5

Ali "Mr Magic Pants" - 6.5

Kyle - 8

Subs

Pone (They don't like it up um) - 6

Joint MOM

Gattuszola + Terminator

I'm Not Angry Just Disappointed (As the Guru walked away from Blog Boy shaking his head)

Sunday 22/03/09

Vernon Park 10:30am

Robin Hood v Calverton Cherry Tree

(OK this week is going to be a little different. Due to an unfortunate incident involving me, a clown costume, and copious amounts of evil alcohol, I was late and missed the majority of the first half and was some what on a different planet for the rest but here goes.)

Calverton Cherry Tree have something of a reputation for intimidation, they bring with them an unfeasible amount of people for a Sunday league side. What ever their tactics it seems to work for them. Cherry Tree are third in the league with two games in hand over top and three over second placed Westdale, and with a goal difference of +52 it was going to be a tough test for the Robin what ever way you look at it.

The Robin on the other hand had a psychological battle on their hands to overcome the disappointment of last weeks shocker.

Within two minutes the Robin's mountain had become that little bit steeper as Cherry Tree took and early lead Goal!!! Robin 0 - 1 Cherry Tree. The Robin dusted themselves off and began to do what they are supposed to and play a bit of football. For another twenty minutes the Robin and Cherry Tree locked horns. With Cherry Tree using their pacey strikers as much as they could. Slack marking from the Robin lead to the Cherry Tree extending their lead through an over head kick, Goal!!! Robin 0 - 2 Cherry Tree. The game returned to the same pattern until thirty minutes when the Robin were awarded a corner kick, taken Ali "Mr Magic Pants" the cross was met by Skip's head to power into the back of the net, Goal!!! Robin 1 - 2 Cherry Tree. The Robin were back in it. It was roughly at this point I turned up to the disapproving head shake of the Guru! The remaining fifteen minutes of the first half played out with good football being played by both side and the Robin giving as good as they got against a very good team. Half Time.

Half time team talk done, so time to get on with things. The second started as the first had finished, both teams playing end to end stuff. The pace of Cherry Tree's strikers was proving problematic with the Robin's back four, but they coped with it admirably until the sixty minutes when an excellent flowing moved from Cherry Tree opened up the Robin defense to restore their two goal advantage, Goal!!! Robin 1 - 3 Cherry Tree. The score line in honesty was a little flattering to the Cherry Tree as the Robin's performance was at least matching them, but just missing that killer touch. The Robin had a chance to edge back into the game when on seventy one minutes Gattuszola was sent spiralling in the box, PEEP! and the Ref pointed to the spot. Having won the penalty Gattuszola stepped up to take the spot kick. Hitting it hard and low to the left hand side of the goal, Sh*t! Cherry Tree's keeper guessed right saving the attempt. The Cherry Tree ride that storm with their two goal lead intact. The Robin began to put the pressure on they had roughly twenty minutes to get something out of this game. A great pass from Ali "Mr Magic Pants" found Kyle who thundered the ball into the back of the net, as Pone would say that was a Club Banger! GOAL!!! Robin 2 - 3 Cherry Tree. But it was little to late, despite continued pressure from the Robin right up to the final whistle they could not find the opening to snatch what would have been a deserved point.

Robin Hood 2 - 3 Calverton Cherry Tree

A marked improvement on the previous weeks game (though it could not get any worse) a decent performance against a good side who despite their reputation did not come across intimidating at all, yes they had a lot of people with them but as far as I and others who were there could see they were there to enjoy football.

Player Ratings

Quavers - 7

Terminator - 7 MOM

Obi-Wan - 7

Wayne - 7

Kebab - 7

Welshy - 6

Skip - 6

Ali "Mr Magic Pants" - 7

Gattuszola - 6

Pone - 6

Kyle - 7

Subs

J-LO - 6

Magic Pants & The Never Ending Ball Bag

Sunday 15/03/09
Vernon Park 10:30am
Robin Hood v Station Hotel

Bare bones, add together injuries, work commitments and a rush back from Amsterdam and the choices for the Gaffer and Guru were at best limited. Quavers' hand injury enforced positional adjustments with Quavers slotting in the back four and Shaggy bravely taking up the mantle between the sticks. The rest of the team was assembled with even the gaffer having to don the fabled Green and Black of the Robin Hood and stick himself up front with the promise of free beer for the rest of the day ringing in his ears (Phew! said the Guru when the goal never came).

Things were not looking good for the Robin as they wanted a return to winning ways after last weeks defeat to Westdale Tavern. Station are second in the league and now only two points behind leaders Westdale. The previous encounter between these two ended in a emphatic Robin Hood victory was that on the cards again this week?

The weather was nice, really nice like a spring day which made standing on the side watching a little more enjoyable. The game was three minutes old as I arrived and the scope of the task at hand was there for all to see. The Robin hand no subs milling around the bags as normal, the Gaffer was on the pitch and the Guru was running the line. The team looked like strangers out there and were making things very very easy for Station who must have been wondering is this really the same team that took us apart on our own manor? Station dominated the game from start to finish. Frustrations were beginning to bubble to the surface early in the game and some dodgy looking decisions from the ref did not help things. Half way through the first half Kyle and Pone arrived, straight off the ferry from Amsterdam looking surprisingly fresh for two young lads back from the hedonistic capital of Europe. Well at least the Robin finally had a couple of subs. Pretty much as soon as Kyle was ready the first Robin substitution came, the Gaffer replacing himself with Kyle, by this point the Robin were already one nil down, would Kyle's introduction freshen things up any. Not really the Robin continued on a course toward (without doubt) the worst performance of the season. The Gaffer's annoyance with the Ref's inability to spot high feet against the Robin but punishing any Robin player that lifted his leg more than half a foot off the ground, was getting more and more audible. The first half finished and the Gaffer delivered a half time team talk which would have made Gordon Ramsey blush.

The lads started the second half with the Gaffer's talk in there heads but no improvement was to be seen as Station ran riot over them. Players had opportunities to show what they could do to oust regular first teamers who were absent for one reason or another did not take those chances and performances all round were at best poor. The second half continued and the Robin made another sub bringing on Pone for Welshy, again this did not have anything like a galvanising effect and the Robin now looked like they just wanted the game to come to as swift a conclusion as possible. The Ref finally had enough of the Gaffer's gob and sent him back to the changing rooms for the remainder of the game. The Gaffer was not speedy at leaving but trudged off like a opening batsman out for a duck with the first bowl of the game. The game came to its end with Station running out four nil winners, it was a gift of three points from a self destructive Robin Hood side.

Robin Hood 0 - 4 Station Hotel

Back at the Robin and some post match analysis from the side concluded that no one was good enough today simple as that, everyone had let themselves and the team down in one way or another.

The sign of quality however is how you deal with something like this. Its time to pick yourselves up dust yourselves down and take revenge by going out an claiming three points off top of the league Calverton Cherry Tree next week in a manner befitting the football that saw you get six victories on the bounce.

Player Ratings

Shaggy - 7 MOM
Kebab - 4
Obi-Wan - 4
Wayne - 6
Quavers - 5
Welshy - 4
Skip - 4
Ali "Mr Magic Pants" - 4
Gattuszola - 4
Chrissy - 4
The Gaffer - 4

Subs
Pone - 4
Kyle - 4

Ref - Minus 3

Ugly Weather, Ugly Score!! (Nice Breakfast Cob Though)

Sunday 08/03/09

Colwick Rec 10:30am

Westdale Tavern v Robin Hood

First of all apologies for the lack of blog last week. I shall make no excuses (as no one would believe them anyway!) and a big Sorry to our international readers.

But let us not dwell on the past and look to the future. The Robin Hood come into the game off five wins in a row and they were hungry for win number six. What stood in there way were Westdale Tavern. Westdale are top of the league having played fifteen, won eleven, drawn three, and losing only one game all season, factor into that a positive goal difference of thirty seven and it looks like the Robin have a challenge on there hands today.

So off to Colwick Rec to see them do battle, the sun was shining and a breakfast cob had been polished off.

Peep! First half under way and we don't have to wait long for the action to begin. Pressure right from the off by the Robin see the action concentrated round Westdale's area, the ball breaks to Kebab on the edge of the area, he precedes to smash the ball goalward... GOAL!!! What a start, what a goal. Westdale 0 - 1 Robin Hood. Just what the Robin wanted, however the Robin did not want what came just two minutes after they had took the lead. A miss placed pass and Westdale break, the pace of their front men is too much for the Robin back four, GOAL!!! a calm finish and Westdale draw level. Westdale 1 - 1 Robin Hood. Westdale's tactic seems to be to capitalise on the pace of their strikers, which is considerable. Meaning the beautiful game is not so beautiful as they continually lump it forward. When the ball is on the floor the Robin are playing the better football. The twenty second minute and a Westdale player takes the ball square in the nuts but composes himself enough to pass the ball before collapsing, the pass however leads to another long ball forward which is latched onto by one of the pacy forwards to slot past Quavers, GOAL!!! Westdale 2 - 1 Robin Hood. The Robin are rocked by this after such a good start. "If God had intended football to be played in the air he would have put grass there" The late great Brian Clough once said. Not a mantra that Westdale subscribe to. The Robin give away a free kick, Westdale knock it into Robin's area, GOAL!!! Damn, Westdale extend there lead. Westdale 3 - 1 Robin Hood. The game continues as it has for the last forty one minutes when the Robin are awarded a free kick half way into Westdale's half on right hand side. Ali "sex pest" Brown steps up and delivers a magic ball into the far post allowing an incoming Pone to volley ball into the onion bag, GOAL!!! Westdale 3 - 2 Robin Hood. That is the last action of a packed first half.

Westdale 3 - 2 Robin Hood.

Second half gets under way and my neck is beginning to hurt from watching Westdale hoof the ball at every opportunity. The Robin need to find an equaliser it will give them the boost they need and a spring board to go on and win this game, which despite the scoreline and the league saying different they are very capable of winning this. Things don't go to plan though and on the fifty seventh minute Wesdale restore their two goal cushion, GOAL!!! Westdale 4 - 2 Robin Hood. The Robin don't look the same after that goal and the weather had turned as ugly as the scoreline. Tired legs begin to show in both sides and the conditions are not helping. Obi-Wan goes for a ball against the Westdale keeper, in a 50/50 ball the keeper came of worse as a double cut to his eye ended his game. Despite the sub keeper the Robin never really tested him. Back and forth went the game and every time I looked skyward to follow another Westdale lump I got rain in my eye. As the end of the game draws close Westdale break again, Quavers makes a corking save only for, unluckily, the ball to rebound to another Westdale player to poke it home, GOAL!!! Westdale 5 - 2 Robin Hood. A minute after that the Robin pressure allowing Kyle to nick what turns out to be a consolation, GOAL!!! Westdale 5 - 3 Robin Hood.

So the Robin Hood's winning streak ends at top of the league club Westdale Tavern, not bad some might say. But the Robin had the beating of them but it just did not work out. Positives were the goals from Kebab and Pone, brilliantly taken and a delight to see. Next up boys a home game against Station hotel, lets really wind um up and take another three points off them like we did at there manor!

Westdale Tavern 5 - 3 Robin Hood