City Life 8 - 0 Saffron Rangers   22/3/08

This week saw scenes more accustomed to the climes of Smithy and Collin's expedition in Antarctica than a spring day in East England. Wintery showers were the order of the pre-match morning and more were forecast for the afternoon.

The pre-match sprint race was between the almost ever-present, sprint guru Ian and part-time sub Ben who had been goading Ian that he would beat him wearing Jeans and trainers. Ian was determined and took the lead from the gun. He maintained his narrow lead all through the race and finally clinched a narrow victory as Ben slipped with the wrong type of shoes on his hooves. Everyone looked on enviously as Ian had got himself properly warm on a day like this.

The line-up on this wintery day was fairly similar to last week with the Coach replacing an absent Sam, still sulking about his lack of goal, at centre back. Ian came in on the right with Dave moving up front. The back four were looking for their fourth consecutive 90 minutes without conceding a goal. In fact only one goal had entered the City Life net since our intrepid explorers had set sail down south. What was amazing about the preparation for this game was that there had been no pre-match teamtalk from Coach Faz. In fact, unless I had missed it (quite possible), he didn't even tell people where they were playing. The only instructions were for Captain Col -  win the toss and bat. Nope, wrong sport. Win the toss and play with back to the wind so the blizzard like conditions were going straight into the faces of the Saffron defenders. Col won the toss and batted.

It was now important for City Life to build up a good first innings lead and then set about putting up a good performance in the second innings. The first half started brightly with City Life playing some excellent football in the adverse conditions. Within minutes the City Life players were celebrating what they thought was a perfectly good goal. Wayne finished a good passing move with a thumping left foot shot from the edge of the area. Unfortunately the linesman stuck his flag up claiming Halse was offside earlier in the move. The disappointment was short lived however as more attacking play led to a corner on the left. Martin stepped up to take it and curled it over the keeper straight into the net. The second goal direct from a corner for City Life this season.

More good news was to come when a free kick was given right on the edge of the left hand side of the penalty area. Having seen a corner go drifting in Martin's confidence was up. This time he sent the free-kick over to the far post. Again it eluded the keeper and went straight into the goal. A few moments later a free kick was given on the opposite side a little further out. This time Matt with his left foot stepped up aiming for that famed far post. Again the keepers best attempts were not good enough and the ball went into the net. 3-0 up after 20 minutes. The snow and lack of a team talk had certainly not dampened City Life's enthusiasm.

Things in the first half then settled down for a while and Saffron became more involved, winning the occasional corner kick and trying to make the most of the ball holding up in the wind to confuse the City Life defence and Matt in goal. Nothing came of these chances though. Half time came and went and the second half brought with it more snow and more goals.

In the flurry of action that occured in the second half City Life played some very attractive football with some moves ending in goals. One of these came from Ian who gambled on a cross from the left by Martin. He reached the far post and nothing was going to stop him getting to the ball, including the attentions of a Saffron defender who, following the challenge, had to be taken from the pitch by car. Will Ian stop at nothing in his pursuit of goals? He got another after pouncing upon some confusion in the opponents defence and rolling the ball into an empty net. Two further goals from Martin, another hat-trick, and a goal from Joe, making an impressive 30 minute appearance, completed the 8-0 rout. The second half was by no means as one sided as that with Saffron hitting the frame of the goal on one occasion and City Life resorting to some last ditch defending on several occasions to prevent their goal-line from being breached.

It is now over 400 minutes since the last goal was conceded and with 24 goals in the last 6 games it looks like the promotion challenge is coming hard and fast from the boys in purple in white.

Matt Double