Match report v King Edward, and a bit about Tom’s Shad Shop!

Match report v King Edward, and a bit about Tom’s Shad Shop!21/08/2007

Probably the easiest game we’ve had all season was welcomed after a mauling the previous week (let us not mention THAT score…)

The team was lively from the word go in this one as some of the absentees from last week came back. A 5-0 lead at half-time included a clinical hat-trick from Ishy Chothia, and it suggested we would impose return the drubbing we received in the last game to these lot. However, as so often is the case in such ‘easy’ games, the 2nd half was (a little) tighter, Saif bagging a cool no-other-word-to-describe-it hat-trick. I, myself scored an absolute blinder after receiving the ball from Saeed that resurrected some favourite chants from the crowd…!

Special mention for Yasin who came on for Imran in a slightly unfamiliar left-back position – he immediately made a vital interception and fought hard not to get outmuscled by their unavoidable ‘big boys’. A couple of excellent one-twos also led to openings for us and showed what he can do given the opportunity.

I don’t believe there is much to learn from this game as King Ed did not put up any fight. Last week’s game, however, was a different matter altogether. It has so often in the past that when teams ‘push’ us about and incur some crunching tackles on us, we simply don’t like it, i.e. we get intimidated and stop playing our game. This leads ultimately to failure – it seems that we can only play when things are rosy in the garden and conditions are right for us.

Tom’s Shad Shop was a different challenge altogether because they didn’t get rough with us. Instead, we were faced with some first-teamers unexpectedly not showing so that, at the last second, our regular subs were thrown on to make up the seven.

Granted, it was messy, and we immediately went a goal down. But I believe that this is when true stars have this exciting opportunity to help QPT grind out a performance by displaying the maturity and composure required of such players. The complete opposite happened – cries of “What’s going on?!” and an abusive negative vibe that works like a chain reaction, putting added pressure to an already challenging situation. Consequently, the chances that we had (and we easily had a handful of clear ones) went begging and players refused to do what they do best, i.e. their job!

It was embarrassing, especially since only their GK was really top class. The history books will say this is our record defeat, but the opposition was not worthy of it. For that, we should be ashamed; the positive spirit of QPT was lost that day, a perfect day for rising above a rough period and fighting through the challenge, both physically and (more so) mentally and psychologically.

My motto has always been to stay positive – keep it up guys.