Premier Division
Horspath 0 OUP 2
Saturday, 29 September 2012
OUP: Jake Cooper , Sean Hurcombe
In local football certain grudge matches develop, for this reason and that. Horspath wanted to put OUP to the sword because they are being touted as league favourites, mainly by a Horspath old boy who'l tell anyone that'l listen, thats another key reason, a number of former Horspath players lulled away by constant tapping up, someone must have a very large phone bill.
Another man with a large phone bill this month must be Horspaths own Fergie, Guy "swing" Lowe managing both firsts and reserves, his rousing team talk for the firsts revolving around "show them what their missing".
So it was a football match but it was also a chance for the chaps of Horspath to show that despite their dwindling numbers they still have the fight and grit to take it to the opposition. On the pitch old acquaintances forgotten, both teams playing for shirt.
OUP started the better, a nervous Horspath on the back foot, OUP linking well, finding the wingers from the full backs, who in turn feed the forwards who squandered a couple of half chances. After ten minutes Horspath remembered what they had talked about and started to rally, the grit resulting in evening the game maybe not thru skill but desire.
Horspath finding the lone front man who held it up well and created chances. But it was OUP that opening the scoring thru Jake Cooper who found himself in space wide in the penalty box, his shot pinging around, bouncing of the keeper, defender on the line and trickled over the line.
Horspaths best chance falling to the usually lethal boot of Simon "Snake" Evans, somehow his shot didn't find the net. The game was a good watch, at times spectators from the other lot forgot where they played and cheered on the home team.
The game continued in the same vein, a hard fought enjoyable footballing match. At half time Horspath felt they could've run in evens, the management team of Lowe and Bishop making the point a one nil lead is a fragile thing so the next goal would be vital.
On the resumption Horspath pushed, the football now matching the desire, OUP changing formation to counter, OUP's new boys finding it hard to influence the game. The next chance came to Horspath resulting in a fine save from former Horspath Keeper Chris Hicken, flicking the shot over the bar.
It was far from one way, Horspaths own man between the sticks Chris Grey pulling of a potentially game changing save at the near post, a firm drive pushed wide with a firmer wrist, all that practice paying off. With less than 5 minutes to go the games next and last goal arrived, another odd bumbling goal to Sean Hurcombe, the ball bouncing over the defender on the line. The game finished two nil to the visitors.
Both teams back to the Queens knowing a draw would not have been an unfair result. Those still at Horspath know why they are there and it showed on the pitch, they are a group, it is about winning but it's about more, very few teams enjoy the whole affair more than us, it will result in victories sooner rather than later. So we are fine as we are thanks we've got our own lucky charms.