Mens 3 vs Cambridge Nomads 2

Heavy rain dulled spirits only slightly as team members cowered under cover and in the changing room prior to the game against Cambridge Nomads. The announcement of player positions, drove the players towards the pitch as the rain disappeared over the horizon.

A rallying on-pitch pep talk, and clearing skies meant the team were on an all-time high, but this sadly lasted only a few minutes before the opposition scored the first goal of the match. St Ives responded well, with everyone working hard to ensure the ball was won most of the time in open play. Possession was used to good effect, the first goal coming from a hard ball straight in to the D from Pete, which was delicately deflected past the keeper by Andy. Clearly, he got a taste for scoring and his second opportunity was from the top of the D, with time and space to nonchalantly slot a ball past the keeper again. At half-time St Ives had a convincing 2-1 lead, in part thanks to Ben’s epic goal-line save, after Denman went on a walkabout around his D. During the half time chat, spirits were high with positive discussion about dominating play.

If only the game had ended here, St Ives would have left the game as well-deserved winners. Alas it was not to be. It’s fair to say that the first half intensity dropped, and despite goal line stops by Jago’s stick and Joep’s thumb, Nomads scored twice to take the lead. Matt had a great first game with lots of excellent runs down the pitch and in to the D. A few attempts were made on goal by St Ives, notably Pete’s crowd-pleasing baseball swing just flying over the top of the goal, and the author’s shot saved by the opposition keeper. Like the weather before the match, the mood after the contest was a little dark and stormy