Match Report
This late arranged fixture was the perfect opportunity for the Dad’s to rectify their previous defeat at the hands of their sons. It promised to be an epic encounter between the energetic youthful Colts and the heavyweight Thoroughbreds and it didn't fail to deliver. The football world knows you win nothing with kids so the Colts drafted in Senior Haase to bring up the average team weight. Game on!
It was a cagey start with both teams tentatively assessing the opposition in the opening minutes. Truth be known, the old timers' cogs took a while to get going but once they did there was no stopping them….literally. ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’ was definitely a thing of the past.
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The Dad’s took an early lead but the Boy’s did not drop their heads and rallied around to level almost immediately. The game ebbed and flowed with both teams looking to play good attractive football driving to gain the upper hand but it was always going to be tight affair.
The personal family battles were evident all across the pitch with the Jordan’s having fun at several one on ones in front goal. Junior Jordan putting Senior through every stretch imaginable to stop his shots at goal.
Coach Ramayon normally known for dishing out tough tackling treatment was on the receiving end of a ferocious blow himself with Junior Ramayon cutting him down to size midway through the half. Senior picked himself up, dusted himself off with a glimmer of pride running through his eyes. That’s my boy!
Junior Khera was freed from his usual defensive duties and enjoyed his roaming midfield role, sleeves rolled up and beast mode on, his mouth having as much of a run out as his legs. Senior Khera raised his game when confronted by his junior and couldn’t resist a discrete body check on the young doppelganger!
The initial friendly ‘banta’ had now well and truly disappeared replaced with a tense father son rivalry with neither party wanting to lose. The half ended even with both teams hitting 7 goals each.
Even the half time break brought drama with a mini pitch invasion, a couple of rogues trying to get a game thinking this was just another kick in the park! The answer was simple, not a chance! This was serious stuff and we were not about to allow any Tom, Dick or Harjinder to just jump in. Time for the second half.
What a hit son! Or should I say Dad! Take a bow son! Or should I say Dad! Senior Messi (Matt) was super striker for the day and boy could he strike, a half volley, a super right foot that whizzed into the back of the net. Even leaps like a salmon out of water. Tekkers! Junior Messi’s response was to follow though. Anything you can do I can better, Junior Messi twisted and turned sending Senior Howes dizzy and leaving him firmly planted on his backside before giving the keeper the eyes and placing it neatly into the bottom corner. School boy defending! Now nobody does that to Howes who was the most capped player on the pitch with 50 years of footballing experience. It didn’t happen again trust me.
There were some tired legs out there by now but it didn’t stop the cultured left foot of Senior Haase who began to venture further forward teaming up with Junior Haase, getting the one two's going. Haase started to ping a few well struck shots from range blocked by Khera taking the full impact on his chest, he obviously did not flinch. Then on another occasion catching Howes full on his belly, again he obviously did not flinch. Old skool men made of steal.
Haase in Punjabi actually translates into ‘laughter’ which was apt as there was plenty of that throughout the game.
If you thought that was the end of the Junior Messi Howes confrontation, think again, chopper Howes known for his no nonsense defending accidentally on purpose caught the magician second half causing a brief stoppage in the game. Now the cynics amongst us would say it was a calculated retaliation. Yellow card offence all day long.
It was obvious that the Dad’s had lost half of yard of pace as the tikka takka philosophy continued, however, Fifa flicks did not always pay off and Howes let it be known in no uncertain terms – stop flouncing man! There was another frown and look of disgust when Snr Messi and Snr Khera tried a Pogba handshake celebration - epic fail!
Over hit balls which in yesterday year would have been pounced on with ease were going astray and causing much huffing and puffing. Still gave the old thumbs up for the right idea though. There were 3 shouts of nuts in the game, Snr Khera on Jnr Haase, Snr Haase on Snr Jordan and then Jnr Jordan’s strike in the nether region of Snr Jordan which made everybody wince. Watery eyes moment!
The zealous Jordan battle resumed late on in the game with Senior coming out on top, spurred by the earful he was receiving from Junior, netting a hat-trick in the closing minutes including the Golden ‘next one wins it’ Goal!’ Young blood 9, Veterans 10! Dad Dab! They think it’s all over? It is now my son!
The conclusion is simple there was more piff paff puff than Va Va Voom! …..but what fun!
Photographer: Sarah Ramayon, thank you for a great job capturing some of the memories mentioned.