Boom boom, shake the room... Another wonder goal was witnessed….

Sonning 2’s welcomed Wallingford 2’s to Fortress Sonning for a game that as usual, Sonning made a little awkward with 4 minutes to go.

A 12.15 meet is always ambitious for a 1.30 start, so the usual excuses for everyone being at the club at 12.45 came out. These ranged from traffic (boring, Dobbie), I was hit by a bus and now can’t play (better, Radar), I got dumped by my girlfriend (comical, Ned), I was at the doctors checking the rash out (truthful, Jamie?) and, I am too cool and have a bad masturbation injury (school boy error / hurt hand, Luke)

We welcomed back to the squad Poosie (who actually shouldn't have played, as the pass granted from his Margret Thatcher of a wife was for the 4.30 game), JP, Josh and Timmy Preston. JP it turns out has a double barreled surname, which is funny, as he is from the north and they struggle spelling one name, let alone two.

Anyway, with the pitch nice and fast we went into the game with high expectations and the hope that would not concede a goal for the first time all year, and our keeper (and captain) would keep a clean sheet. Just saying…

Side note: Wallingford play in green and white. I am struggling to think of anything that looks good in green and white. In fact, to prove this point I Googled (other search engines are available), “what looks good in green and white?” Its turns out it’s the colour equivalent of ‘should you sleep with your best mates sister?”. A resounding No No No..

With 10 minutes in, the deadlock was broken. After a couple of quick short corners we gave Timmy Preston a bite at the cherry and he didn’t disappoint (something his girlfriend regularly complains of). A nice, hard low drag put us 1 – 0. To be fair, it was deserved as we started brightly and looked the better team (we were not in green and white).

The game now started a pattern which lasted for the rest of the afternoon. It was a very stretched pitch with both teams using all the space available, which for the spectators of Tufty and Gemma must have been entertaining to watch. With Sonning pressing for the second, a few patches of champagne hockey actually happened. It must have been 15 passes through the midfield of Dobbie, Poosie, Neil (slower this week due to his ginger MoVember beard he is sporting), Coln and Huw which set us on our way to the second goal. With Sonning driving up to the right base line, a fumbled ball at the top of the D popped out to Poults. After the, what is now written in hockey folk law of a goal last week, you would have incorrectly assumed it wouldn't happen twice in a row. You were wrong. Like Radar spotting 10p on the floor, the ball was pounced upon in a flash and the sweetest first time strike went thundering into the top corner. I believe even God applauded.

From the re-start, after a patchy few minutes we again settled. Our, what was then composed (wait until later) defense of Ned, Grimmer and ‘the rash’ Jamie again started a nice move of maybe 10 – 15 passes. The crowd looked impressed ! With no-one to beat and the 3rd goal on the cards the ball came to Timmy. It then became all matrix, as he in slow motion produced some of the best anti-skill the game has ever seen and completely mis-controlled the ball off the pitch. Turns out he is better at short corners than stopping the ball. After the rest of the squad stopped laughing and a Sharpy swish a few minutes later, the double barrelled named, JP turned his man and on the 25 drove into the D and basically twatted it. Boom 3 -0.

Half time came and also became a huge disappointment. Who the hell forgot the jelly babies? Seriously, this cannot happen again. This is on a par as being forced to play in green and white. Not a good feeling.

The second half wasn’t as good as the first. Some again nice passages of play, the obligatory Colm miss. (In fact he doubled his miss ratio this week by putting one either side of the keeper) and then the usual, lets not commit a player and let him dribble until the 25, no lets not tackle him here either, in fact lets allow him into the D, oh go on, have a shot. Wow nice goal, maybe would should have tackled him on the half way line, happened. 3 -1. Then just to make it a little interesting, how about a short corner with 4 minutes to go made it 3 -2. As Poosie says, the short corners straight down the middle are the hardest to stop eh Mac….

Anyway we won 3-2 and now go second as the 3s only managed a draw with the traditionally angry team of Abingdon.

It’s also now at the end of the match report I begrudgingly thank Radar and Luke (one hand) for being good fun and doing the subs well. Well done chaps.

Finally stats up date. Sharpy ran 10km, I ran 8.5km (think the lack of jelly babies effected my second half).