Underwood Villa 1 Keyworth United 3

Every Day is Like Sunday!

Bill Shankly once quipped that football was not a matter of life and death, it was more important than that! Frankly, Mr Shankly was wrong, but try telling these kids that! The way they played, they clearly agreed with him! This was a pulsating cup tie, full of passion, commitment and energy with no little football either. In the end it was a case of different day, same result for a Keyworth side that seems to be taking a liking to Saturday football and ran out worthy winners in this highly entertaining battle between two excellent and well matched teams. We arrived at Underwood’s splendid facilities to find the pitch very wet after heavy overnight rain.

This was not only bad news for the football purist but for Keyworth too. With Sam C still ill, Ben absent, goalie Sam a last minute withdrawal through illness and Luke barely 50% fit, Keyworth were severely depleted and needed a heavy pitch about as much as turkeys need Christmas. Heaven help us if it went to extra time!! Despite the poor conditions though, both sides started brightly and were looking to play football. After a pretty even start and two fine saves from stand in keeper Harry, Villa took the lead following a fine move. Undeterred, Keyworth battled back and went close twice in a minute. First, Danny cut in from the left and fired a low drive which drifted millimetres wide, then, almost immediately, Jacob found space twenty yards out, slipped the ball past the goalkeeper and watched disbelievingly as the ball stuck in the mud on the goal-line enabling a Villa defender to hack clear before a Keyworth forward could cash in. Against the wind, the Greens were battling superbly and didn’t have to wait long to get the goal their efforts deserved. Peter Matthews found Danny in the box, who jinked past three defenders before driving the ball to the far post where Josh, showing excellent awareness, ghosted in to tap home from close range.

It was now end to end stuff and although Villa flashed the ball into the side netting following a clever training ground corner routine, it was Keyworth, particularly Marek, who looked the more likely to score. Coming on as a substitute with instructions to use his pace, Marek fired wide from the edge of the box with his first kick, then proceeded to make up ten yards on a defender to win a ball to which he had no right, drove forward and skilfully side-stepped the keeper only to lose his footing and slice high and wide with the goal gaping and no defender in sight.

Then came a moment of controversy! With Marek in an offside position but “inactive”, the ball reached Peter Matthews who closed in on goal and drew the keeper before slipping the ball to Marek who buried it. With the linesman’s flag raised for the initial offside and Marek now active all expected the goal to be disallowed, but it was only after lengthy discussion with the linesman that the ref ruled it out.

After the match, the ref came to ask my view of the incident. I explained, as I had at the time, that I thought it was clearly offside. However on hearing my version of events, he stated that he felt he’d made a mistake and the goal should have counted as it was “in the second phase”. First phase, second phase …what difference does it make?...bring back the old “not interfering with play” rule please to help us all make some sense of this!! But how refreshing for a ref to be so self-critical, open and honest! His performance on the day was superb.

Honours even after a well contested first half, it was Villa who started the second period brightest and twice tested Harry, whose handling proved exemplary. With Douglas back at the heart of defence and dominating in the air, the Keyworth defence refused to panic and remained composed. On the one occasion Villa got through, Jacob got back to make an unbelievable last ditch block which epitomised the Greens team spirit. Shortly afterwards, Keyworth went ahead. Deep in his own half, skipper for the day, Isaac looked up and played a delightful Hoddlesque pass to Marek down the right. With a blinding burst of speed, our summer signing left the full back standing before crossing low and hard for the onrushing Josh to smash a cracker past the bewildered keeper for a blinding goal.

Things got even better five minutes later when fine work by Peter Hennessy and Cian set Danny free from half way - as always, there was only one winner as Danny ran into the box unchallenged and calmly slotted home. Only a belated (but correct) linesman’s flag denied Danny a second two minutes later and although Keyworth still had some defending to do, such was the desire and resilience within the team that Harry had only two more saves to make and the Green’s comfortably saw out the game to record a splendid victory.

This was as good as it gets! Last week, at times, we were half asleep but not this week! Against an excellent Underwood who remain unbeaten in the league, we were sharp and alert, worked tirelessly for each other and secured the victory our efforts deserved. All were magnificent! Harry was great in goal, Douglas gave a commanding performance and Peter H was outstanding; Isaac led the defence and the team brilliantly, never say die Peter Matthews, Luke, and Jacob battled tenaciously never letting Villa settle; Reece and Cian showed guts and guile in equal measure, with Reece winning more ball than he has all season; Marek dazzled; Josh continued his recent improvement with a splendid, hard-working performance capped by two fine goals and Danny showed touches of brilliance in yet another fine display.

A word too for Underwood - a welcoming club and fine side who more than contributed to this fabulous game with some stylish football played in a smashing spirit. Good luck for the rest of the season lads!

As for us, a place in the last sixteen awaits, after taking a while to adjust to eleven a side we’re now flying. I know these things take time but I’m delighted with the speed at which we’ve developed.

A place in the quarter finals is definitely not beyond us - bring on Cotgrave or Selston on 12th Jan!