This week's fixtures & results League III (winter 2010/2011)

Pesky Skids vs Dogma or Pie

The ref rolls up to court late, everyone seems ready to get started with a mixture of anticipation and excitement. These teams are fresh out of the stables, keen as mustard, the crowd hush as they take their positions... and we're off.

Note. Most of the following is a vague misty blur, my notes were not extensive.

Game 1.
Joe wins the charge and after a couple quick passes between himself and Wen they got a shot off, it goes in (1-0), Prav looks confused and Dogma re-group. Dogma take the ball up the court, but lose it, Joe punts the ball forward and Wen runs to goal, Wen scores (2-0), Prav exclaims "get in front of the man". Dogma advance and lose the ball again, Joe dribbles up the court and puts in through Prav's BB (3-0). The game takes on a repetitive edge as before you know it Joe has put another ball through the BB (4-0), Ed asks "how much time"... we're three minutes in. The next four minutes are a mixture of good link-ups between Joe and Wen (good communication for guys that haven't played together before) and tackles and breaks from Eggpie and Ed, Prav is spending most of the game holding the goal, as is John H for the Skids. "3 minutes left" is called and Ed steps up the pace... a lefty charge results in a lovely shot and goal (4-1), Prav lets out a small chirp. Dogma or Pie are now retaining the ball and have started dominating the shooting... Eggpie gets a goal within the final minute (4-2), but the game comes to an end before the can turn things around. Final score 4-2 to the Skids.

Game 2
The Skids win the charge and despite losing momentum in the last game, they're back on form again. Dogma or Pie can't seem to hold the ball, but get some shots off from more tackles and breaks. Skids are playing a good blocking game and Prav is struggling to deal with Wen reading his lines. The blocking turns offensive and Wen starts to open up the wings for Joe, after a couple missed opportunities Joe gets the first goal (1-0). Dogma are rotating the keeper and trying three out at times, but still can't seem to get through to goal. Wen releases Joe again and Skids get another goal (2-0). The game starts to slow down a little and the teams seem less hungry, maybe they're tired. Lefty Ed and the Righties for Skids keep forcing me to run up and down the court, I'm pretty sure this wasn't in the job description. Everyone's struggling to retain their grip on slippy Mitch and all the rim brakes aren't really doing the job in the wet. John H passes the ball to Wen who heads up the court before cornering back towards his own goal, an odd move, but Wen hammers the ball backwards and it goes straight between Ed's wheels, nice goal, Wen grins like a kipper. The game comes to a close at 3-0.

Game 3
Skids win the charge and everyone decides to spend the first three minutes falling off their bikes, it soon becomes apparent that this is not a winning tactic. There are a few shots, but most of the time both teams are charging too deep, maybe it's the lack of brakes, but there aren't many turns toward goal to really get on the score sheet. Eggpie gets the first goal (0-1) and Dogma start to control the game more with more holding of the ball and dispossession of the Skids. Eggpie gets another (0-2) after a brief scuffle in the D. The Skids advance up the court but Wen decides to self-combust thanks to his rear wheel slipping in the dropout, "time-out" is called while he fixes it and everyone takes the opportunity to have a quick day dream and think about how things could have been. The game restarts but with a strange sense of apathy and resentment caused by painful memories that die hard... this game's done and everyone has a nice bit of banter at centre court, final score 0-2.

TLDR
Skids 4, DOP 2
Skids 3, DOP 0
Skids 0, DOP 2