MK vs London Wayfarers

The day: Saturday 10th October. The Place: Raynes Park High School. MK were off for their first away game of the season in beautiful west London hoping to improve on the disappointing result they suffered last week. The squad were missing last year’s top scorer Liam Foster, Leroy to his fans and stick sponsor, Tom Murtagh, official milk shake supplier, and Stephen Ruse, team strong man and midfield enforcer. This however was not a problem for the team this year, as for the first time in living memory we have a squad to pick from!

MK departed for Wayfarers in, if talking in nautical terms, what can only be described as a flotilla of cars, that was expertly organised by team secretary Mikey Gilson and arrived in good time to survey the near perfect surface that they were looking forward to playing on. This organisation carried on to the pre match team talk and MK were well prepared to perform their roles in order to pick up their first points of the season.

The game began very evenly, with both sides looking to get into the game. Milton Keynes transferred the ball around the back well, with Scott Craig, Andy Pettefer, Charlie Page, Ian Cooper and Nick Anderson all looking comfortable on the ball. This would be the basis of their play for the afternoon. However, Milton Keynes only managed to fashion one chance of note (the only chance I can remember) in the first period, which unfortunately Ali McColl flashed wide on his reverse.

Then things took a turn for the worse for MK, and Wayfarers had the temerity to score. Unfortunately, it seems to have slipped this author’s mind as to how they scored, but I am certain it was a goal of the highest quality, that not even the greatest defenders in the world could have prevented and neither could GK Nick Gagé. Half Time.

At half time MK, having been reminded to concentrate on what Coach Mike Anderson had to say, sorted out their defensive press and went into the second half with renewed direction.

And so the second half commenced. Milton Keynes began to have much greater purpose in their play, and with a better press were beginning to win ball higher up the pitch. As a result of this MK began to fashion more chances and expose the Wayfarers defence. Tom Anderson, Danny Newcombe, Toby King and Jamie Dodd began to dominate the midfield area and Frazer McColl and Mikey Gilson were tireless in the harassing of the opposition defence. All of this eventually led to the most beautiful of things; a Milton Keynes goal. Chaz picked the ball up at the back and played it to youngster and Man of the Match Eric Watkins, who after running a defender played a ‘disguised’ reverse stick pass to Mikey Gilson. He in turn fed Ali McColl who finished with a trademark reverse stick strike. Parity was restored.

Following this Wayfarers began to get frustrated and after a marauding run from CP, picked up a yellow card. CP had something to say about this, but no one was entirely sure what due to his incomprehensible northern accent… Poor fellow.

Finally the game finished and Milton Keynes had picked up their first point of the season. Eric was awarded Man of the Match after a superb display, but unfortunately this performance didn’t continue to the clubhouse afterwards as he decided to put ice in his glass for his post-game pint… the folly of youth…