Marlborough A 1 - Frys 1

With only 10 minutes left and Marlborough 1-0 down a draw seemed a good result. However, there was a nagging feeling that with the superior possession (59%) and territory (61%) more should have been gained.

In a goalless first half Marlborough, traditionally very strong at home (83% win ratio last season), struggled to adapt to some new faces. Marlborough’s newest recruit, Jules Riches, has denied that his last minute transfer window signing had anything to do with the promise of beer and a curry that evening. Holcombe’s multi-million pound offer for the best centre back in his village in Dorset just was not enough.

Once again, Marlborough 2s were a mixture of seen it and done its featuring Radnedge, Phillips, Hodge, new old recruit Darren Crawford and ex-retirees Penfold and Riches. Caswell’s preseason training had as expected caused him to peak too soon and a bout of tuberculosis caused him to pull out of the game. Fortunately he doesn’t live in Gloucestershire or a he’d be threatened by the cull. Making up the rest of the team (53%) were the kids who haven’t seen it, and don’t want to do it like the old gits. And I don’t blame them. Ewen had a solid start at right back and pleased his captain with a yellow card on debut and Rob Moore has been clearly practicing his hitting and dribbling over the summer. Meanwhile up front Charlie Hawley (body fat -5%) was welcomed back into the club after a few years up north fattening himself up on the booze and kebabs. Honestly, did you actually go to university at all?

Marlborough’s defence (average age of 48.6, despite half of the defence only contributing 30 years between them) and new keeper Brad Horton kept Frys to only a few half chances and a couple of corners through the game. Until half way through the second half when a Fry’s midfielder was given the Freedom of Marlborough on his voyage between the halfway line and the top of the D where his shot arrowed into the corner to put them 1-0 up.

Marlborough had the better of the chances and it was only the Fry’s keeper that kept the home team from scoring on a few occasions. Some dodgy corner flicks (success rate 0%) from our international also didn’t help. I would say they made the keeper look good, but he would have had to move to make it look like a good save, right? Eventually some silky skills from Charlie Hawley beat a couple of defenders before a pass across the goal left Charlie Down a simple tap in from a foot out. Marlborough continued to press for a win, but only a good point blank save from Brad saved Marlborough from going behind again on the counter.

Next week another home game on the new blue. Nice.

PS all statistics are made up, except the accurate ones. But you knew that.