Old Wokingians IIIs 2 – 3 Old Tiffinians IIIs

We’re almost there.  Another long season is drawing to a close and so Tiffs made one final away trip in their penultimate game of the season.  Our previous visit to Woking, in the cup, was an absolute s**tshow, and the return league fixture was only slightly better, so skipper Conrad Bell was determined to come away with 3 points.  A quick chat with his stand-in vice skipper about the team and long standing existential dread about if there is a front of the net settled the nerves.

Getting 14 players available was a great start and the mood in the changing room was very positive.  The pre-match team talk was mercifully brief, mostly focusing on the rock hard pitch, extra long grass and extremely windy conditions.  Tactics are for the weak.

Tiffs started poorly, and for 10 minutes barely touched the ball.  A few tweaks in midfield were made and suddenly Tiffs started to push a little higher up the pitch and start seeing more of the ball.  Both teams struggled to play good football, with relentless bobbles and high winds making it hard to play on the ground and in the air.  With 10 minutes to go in the 1st half Tiffs took the lead.  A foul on the edge of the box allowed Oli Lofthouse to step up and score yet another freekick this season, smashing the ball into the top middle bins.  The lead didn’t make it to half time.  Woking scored their own direct freekick, this one from wide out on the right hand side. Aimed at the back post, a swirling wind assisted curve sent the ball over a line of waiting defenders and strikers and past a stranded keeper.

 

At half time we briefly discussed how bloody windy it was and that the game was there to be one, don’t drop your workrate and don’t drop your heads even if they score, chances will come.

Of course, Tiffs started the 2nd half poorly.  But yet again, after weathering a 10 minute spell of just not having the ball the good guys were back in front.  Some good defending down the left saw Ollie Robini launch a wind assisted through ball for Alex Belemet to race on to.  Belemet beat his man to the ball, cut across him before steadying and firing past the keeper.

Sadly the lead didn’t last long, with Woking scoring a good header from a long throw.  With the half time team talk ringing in their ears, Tiff’s heads did not drop and they kept battling.  They were rewarded when Harry Littlejohn scored what proved to be the winner.  An inswinging corner was given some wind assisted extra swing straight into the goal.

Tiffs dug deep and for the last 20 minutes or so defended well to limit Wokingians to weak penalty appeals and a few set piece half chances.

With one game left to go this season, Tiffs have the chance of ending on a high with back to back wins for the second season running.

POTM: Ollie Robini