Preliminaries

First things first:  The result of Jim’s survey on the question of Norm’s playing position. 

This was inconclusive.  However, a very fair and objective summary of the general view arrived at after reasonable expert analysis of the range of views expressed, and after has conducting an envy bias extraction process, appears to have been (1) that Norm is very versatile, utterly indispensable to the Team, a player with electric pace, great positional sense and great temperament and, (2)  that for the time being he will continue to play at right back, unless any of the long list of more competent right midfielders are absent and the three-legged half-blind old seaside donkey is unwilling to play that particular week.

The Match.

Malden Vets were the opposition.  Amazing, I thought, fancy someone setting up a football team made up entirely of Vets. Also, I thought, who would have thought that there would be so many Vets in Malden, seems such a small place, wouldn’t have thought that there would be the demand. Essex, perhaps, where apparently there are a lot of dogs.  Anyway, moving on.  Organised, hard-working, reasonably skilful, good pace up front.  Well, that’s Malden summed up, Now for Carshalton …..

We were on reasonable form.  We started well and the possession was reasonably even.  Unfortunately, once again (see match report 10th December 2005), the Malden ‘giant No.5’ scored from a corner with a fine driving header which possessed as much power and accuracy as a Derek Cadman half-way blaster (see match report 12th November 2005).  Shortly after that we equalised with a fine own goal, with Norm claiming an ‘assist’ as he expertly flicked on a Sam Karlsson long throw right into the centre of the Malden 6 yard box to cause confusion, panic and a goal.

Malden took the lead again, this time from a long ball through the middle of the defence which exposed Dave Aldridge to a one-on-one encounter with a pacey Malden striker (nothing Hampstead Heath mind you). 

In the second half we brought on a new wonder boy, Brian (surname to be supplied!).  He was just what was needed, good pace and skill, and good use of strength to fend off defenders and eventually burst through the opposition to score a superb goal; a good and promising debut performance and hopefully we will have more to come from Brian. 

Malden would have had 2 or 3 more if it had not been for some amazing acrobatics from an in-form Dave Aldridge.  Given the quality of his overall performance, the rest of the team were somewhat surprised when at the end of the game Dave expressed dissatisfaction with his own performance, muttering things like “maybe time to hang up the old boots”.  We hope that rather than expressing a possibility of retiring from the game, he was merely indicating that the purchase of a new pair of boots is imminent.

We had a number of other opportunities to take the lead, with lots of attacking play from Brian and the dynamic duo (Peter Culham and Gavin Dykes), and there was solid midfield creative stuff from those young pretenders who are apparently good enough to keep The Norm out of his favoured midfield position. 

Defensively we were in good shape. With John Foster on duty at left back things were always going to be secure on that side.  Wayne Stone was doing a lot of quality yelling, organising (and playing) in the centre, John Shaw was also in the centre and doing a lot of good playing and some quality backchat to the Ref. (alleged but not proven beyond reasonable doubt) and Norm chasing back at high speed when he realised that the Malden left winger had passed him yet again, but doing a good holding–up job when he did on each occasion make up the yards on said left winger.  Unfortunately with about 10 minutes to go John Shaw pulled a hamstring and will be out for a few weeks.

However, despite the efforts we conceded a third goal and that was the way it ended. The general assessment was that the match did not really deserve a winner and that we should have had a draw.  Never mind, another good game, played with effort, enthusiasm and generally good spirit, against a team with a similar attitude and pleasant personalities happy to engage in a bit of banter in between the more serious bits.

 The Norm