A GRADE MATCH REPORT

Lane Cove West (Over35) 2 - 0 West Pymble (Over 35)

Match Report

Another great score-line: 2-0 says something, doesn’t it? Workmanlike, competent, in control but only just: a moment away 
from a knife-edge. Who can forget Johnnie Warren telling us that 2-0 was the most dangerous score, as Australia coasted 
at 2-0 towards France on that fateful night against Iran?

And: Ipswich 2, Aston Villa 0. April 1962. Last Saturday of the season, Burnley, with a game in hand, lost and suddenly, 
it was Ipswich – first year ever in the top flight - Champions!

Today at Blackman was terrible weather again. Bright, sunny, clear: terrible for those of us who are injured, and hoping 
for just one game to be rained off and replayed when we’re fit. Mark S was back from Fiji, proudly an Australian citizen. 
Neil and Warren were back too, which might have been a good omen, as we hadn’t won when they’d not been playing. Mind you, 
when you’ve only won two, this may not be so significant: we hadn’t won without Dave W, Eric, Martin C, Tim F, Steve L, 
Ernie, Peter, John or Dave B, either! (Though this might be an appropriate time to mention that we have only one player 
who has only won, this season, but modesty prevents me from telling you who it is.)

Mark S recalled that we had played West Pymble in a pre-season game which (not having yet mastered the vernacular guide 
that came with the citizenship) he referred to as an “exhibition game”. Not exhibited widely, it must be said: no one is 
bidding for the cable rights, as far as I know. Which reminds me of a crowd record today: or one that was equalled, at 
least. I mentioned two weeks ago that word of our attractive play & 4-3 results should swell the crowds at our home games 
beyond Bill & Tony. Space on the far touchline at Blackman for a bit of a temporary stand, perhaps, until our games get 
moved to somewhere with better protection for players from the crowd, like North Sydney Oval? Well, today the crowd was, 
indeed, not just Bill & Tony. In fact, Bill & Tony weren’t there; clearly overwhelmed by the emotion of that last-gasp 
win. Today’s crowd was not one to encourage half-time Bovril sellers, or the makers of souvenir knick-knacks. Today’s 
crowd was, I regret to report, zero.

And a fair treat they all missed, too. Keen to avoid the early deficits of recent weeks, we started with determination, 
and a resolve that was to be the feature of the afternoon. The mid-week rain had settled the dust but done nothing for 
the bounciness of the pitch (nor shrunk it either). What with the sun and the bounce and the wind, it was not a day for 
the finer points of the game, and we settled better when we discovered that the uncouth hoof out of defence was more 
effective than cultured passing, which can wait for another week. Tim F, in particular, was sterling in the strength of 
his clearances, and should have featured in the man-of-the match stakes, in my view. But it was a day when everyone 
played well: not a bad game in the squad, which isn’t what you can say every week (not that you’d read here of such 
matters: a discreet veil is drawn in this column).

After a few scares at our end, the scoring was opened by an exquisite Peter header from a corner. Peter later tried to 
make out that he’d made a silk purse goal out of a pig’s ear of a corner, but in truth, Neil’s floating kick, with the 
wind behind it was perfectly placed: a fine combination.

More joy was to come: our opponents had not mastered the swift clearance and a loose ball in the area bounced invitingly 
for Mark S on the right, and he made no mistake for his joyous first goal in competitive football. Of course, Mark has 
a big advantage over the rest of us. As a new convert to the game, he is not burdened by the years of accumulated memory 
of what we were once able to do, but now can’t. So savour the goal, Mark, and hope that there are many more to enjoy 
before the crest of the hill. (Jung, I think it was, who pointed out that there comes a point - not discernible at the 
time - when the arrow of one’s life ends its upwards trajectory, and begins the path back down. But this is perhaps not 
a thought to help us with our mental preparation for next week’s game, so we won’t dwell on it).   

At half-time we all searched our bags for the game-plan for defending a two-goal lead, but it was nowhere to be found: 
no-one could ever remember it being needed. We worked out from scratch, though, that the key point was probably that if 
they didn’t score we’d win. More subtly, it was important to deny them a goal because if they scored and we didn’t, we’d 
be on that knife-edge. So scoring again ourselves might be a good plan, too.

As it turned out, neither happened. We didn’t score, and nor did they. But the second half was far from dull. The football 
was as good as the conditions allowed, and there were chances at both ends, although neither keeper was called on for any 
heroics. Dave W did have a bit of an altercation with a large WP forward whose preparation for a corner involved getting 
overly close. But Guy’s excellent refereeing sorted this out and passions cooled. Neil looked on the point of scoring after 
a good run but a last-second tackle just stopped him. In the other half Martin P & Martin C were man-of-the-match and runner 
up respectively, which was justice for their stout work in repelling attacks. Ernie was third after a dubious recount 
(performed by Ernie) but he did play well. As did we all.

When did we last win 2-0?, was the question of the day. 7 April 2001: division 1, first game of the season v Mount Colah. 
Bill scored both of the goals. Seven of our team yesterday played that game.

Thanks this week to Guy for refereeing, and to Ernie for being linesman for the As.

Next week we will not be the first team to beat North Sydney as they lost to Lindfield B today, and are now only third. 
Only three teams have scored more than us, and they’re not one of them. And their goals conceded for the season has tripled 
to three! Time to start winning away as well as at home.

MARK BRYANT