At the top of the list of the Old Tiffinians selection criteria is ability.  Players seem to think this means having a good touch, or the ability to beat their man, some even think it’s about scoring goals and creating chances.  However, an OTFC captain knows that the best ability is availability.

This week OTFC III’s players responded to the call for a game on Saturday with all the speed and enthusiasm of ……………..  This lack of availability led to a last minute scramble for players and a bare 11 showing up for a tough league game.  Sticking with the same attacking formation as the week before, Tiffs forced as many square players into round holes as they dared and kicked off.

The first half saw Wandsworth make a few decent chances, but some profligate finishing and committed defending kept them from taking the lead.  Tiffs made a few chances themselves, once even managing to convince the Wandsworth keeper to pass the ball straight to Adrian Janjeva, who kindly passed it back to him in a superb act of sporting kindness.  The half closed out with Wandsworth countering after a Tiffs corner only for their striker to shoot wide from 6 yards.

At the break Tiffs made some changes to shore up the defence and protect their tiring legs, a tactical decision later praised by Wandsworth in the post game showers.  The 2nd half was a similarly tight encounter but this time a pinpoint Wandsworth through ball and calm finish allowed them to take the lead.  In previous games this season that could have led to a Tiffs capitulation, but instead, looking to their empty subs bench the brave 11 dusted themselves off and started to get back into the game.

First they equalised, as it’s hard to take the lead without doing so first.  A freekick from near the corner flag was whipped into the box by Reece Evans and, in a desperate attempt to keep it out, the Wandsworth defender was only able to flick it into his own net.  The dubious goals committee debated long and hard about the goal after the game, and eventually landed on awarding it to Reece to stop his moaning, and because it may have been going in anyway.  A few minutes later another Tiffs freekick caused chaos in the penalty area before debutant Ali Kashan poked home the winner.  Sadly, the ref decided that a player standing directly in front of the keeper, and jumping over the ball as it went in, was probably interfering with play and ruled the goal out for offside.  The decision may have been technically correct, but I think everyone can agree that the ref should have let this one go, as Tiffs didn’t have any subs and morally deserved it.

The game continued to be tight, with a few half, or maybe even three quarter, chances for Wandsworth but in the end Tiffs managed to see out the game for a hard earned point.

POTM: Ali Kashan