Matchday squad

  • Dave Smith
  • Trevor Huggins
  • Pete Markham
  • Carl Naylor
  • Simon Baile
  • Steve Moodley
  • Alan Coe
  • Dave Gardner
  • Luis Silva
  • Jon Kent
  • Simon Burton
  • Ricky Evelyn
  • Warren Arlow

 

The vets would not normally celebrate a stalemate but this was one welcome point after a run of defeats.

Tiffs were forcd to field a makeshift midfield in the absence of a number of regulars.

But with Dave Gardner and Alan Coe doing a fine job in the middle and Luis, Jon Kent and Simon Burton in the wide roles the team made light of absentees and earned a much needed point.

Skipper for the day Pete Markham knew that chances to score were likely to be rare – they are most match days – and considered offering this word of warning to the team before the start. The point being, focus and grab every goalscoring opportunity that comes along.

In the event Markham kept quiet and just as well, as it was he who failed to capitalise… twice in the first minute!

A break immediately down the left led to a cross scudding across the area. Ricky stretched out a foot to divert it slightly out of stride but it was an opportunity. Markham struck it goalwards but not with enough conviction. From it, though, arose a second chance.

A defender’s block fell back to the Tiffs’ centre back’s path, and this time, determined to give it more oomph, he curled the ball over the bar.

In the game which followed chances were indeed rare. The MMB were probably the more enterprising going forward but a stout Tiffs rearguard limited them to the odd potshot.

One opportunity arrived in a bizarre manner. MMB had taken good note of goalie Dave’s propensity for dribbling the ball out and were urging their attackers to close him down. On one occasion the Tiffs defenders jogged upfield content that the ball was in their keeper’s hands, only to turn round and see it rolling back towards the goal. Smith smothered it on the line, and the crisis was averted.

MMB fashioned a chance in the fractic final minute but defeat would have been tough on Tiffs, who were pleased with a doughty draw.