Match Report

Goals scored
Tony Bush

Man of the match
Dean Weaving

Today, after a 3-week break, Landsdowne took on Anchor Athletic. A win for either side would see them pull 3 more points clear of relegation. Some would say it was a potential 6 pointer as Anchor had played 1 game less but matched Landsdowne's total of 9 points to date.

The morning got off to a bad start - it was like a comedy sketch out of "Monty Python - as the team with only 10 players took to the field and during the course of the game 3 of the team were done (not alcohol related I must add for a change). 1 ill and 2 injured, yet Landsdowne with their close team spirit stood in unison, and credit must go to all the players as they did their best under the circumstances.

Manager Peter Smart decided in the face of such adversity that he would opt for a 4-4-1 formation to try and stem the attacking impetuous until Mark Hart arrived from Kent. Swapping Tony Bush to centre back and Danny Sarling to midfield, he left Graham Rix up front alone. Graham said he didn't mind, as he likes "playing on his own".

The tactics worked well and saw Landsdowne take a 1-0 lead early on, a quality corner from Dean Weaving left Tony Bush no other choice other than to rip the net with a powerful header which he took with aplomb.

Unfortunately the 1-0 lead didn't last long as Anchor equalised within 10 mins after a poor throw-in decision from the ref. To add insult to injury the ref then allowed a blatant and I mean blatant 2 yards offside decision to give Anchor a 2-1 lead, to which Danny Sarling said "Excuse me Sir I feel that was offside and I feel you have made an error" to which the ref issued a yellow card!!!

Unfortunately Mark Hart went back home for a couple of pints (of tea that is) leaving Landsdowne soldiering on with only 10 men, but despite their efforts Anchor utilised their extra man with conviction seeing them run out eventual 6-1 winners.

Man of the match Dean Weaving didn't stop running all game and wanted to dedicate his performance to Sam and Frodo Baggings and all the cast of "Lord of the Rings". He said if I hadn't got the part as Golom and climbed all those rocks in the film, I wouldn't have had the stamina for today's game.