DFC Foundation's Think With Your Feet squad played their second XI aside friendly match on Saturday morning. The opposition this time were Real Social Dads, a team made up primarily of our Foundation Manager's mates who play together on a Monday evening led by his cousin Mark McMahon. After skipper, Adam Lynas, rushed back home to get some buckets to empty the puddles in the goalmouths, the pitch scraped through a pitch inspection.
TWYF made a few changes from their first game, a 5-5 draw against Teesside Ermitus back in August with seasoned veteran Kevin Mallen being added to the squad alongside Jack Lodge and a change in goal with Jay Blewitt taking over from the Sunderland-watching Ben Hodgson. The game kicked off with TWYF adopting a 4-5-1 formation and they started well until a lack of a big boot ended with a corner falling to the unmarked 6ft 5 Mathew Vaughan (yes his name only has one t) showing a bit of magic that Paul Daniels would have been proud of before burying the ball into the bottom corner.
TWYF Foundation boys weren't phased and cheered on by their gaffer for the day Ash Waters, who was serving a one-match ban for his sending-off in the first game (well not really it was because he was boxing that night) they soon pulled level after a cross from Palace-fan Danny Heather was spilled by their keeper Harrison Mann and the white-haired fox-in-the-box Foundation Manager Barry Thompson swept the ball in on the volley to make it 1-1.
Shortly afterwards, Heather made a bursting run down the left handside and pushed the ball a little too far, the keeper collected, fumbled and the ref somewhat surprisingly pointed to the spot. Thompson quickly got his hands on the ball and without too much hassle made it 2-1 to the Darlo-red and black kitted team. However, a great strike from one of the RSD ringers made it 2-2 on the stroke of 11am. At this point both teams stopped and gathered round the centre-circle for a two-minute silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Shortly after the resumption Thompson picked the ball up in midfield and slid a perfect ball in to Lynas. With the goal gaping and only the keeper to beat, Lynas choked and put it wide of the target, blaming the state of the pitch when it was the state of his right foot that was the issue. Undetered Thompson snuck away from his marker once more and squared the ball to Heather who made it 3-2! But yet again, defensive frailties were on show and just before half time RSD made it 3-3.
HALF TIME
RSD 3 TWYF 3 (Thompson 2, Heather)
The gaffer, Ash ripped into the team at half time demanding more from the lads, especially in the way of passing. 'We hit too many long balls, let's play like we do on a Tuesday' was his cry. And with those word ringing, Owen Agnew swiftly made it 4-3 to the reds after another left-footed Thompson assist. The RSD continued to show their resilience attacking again and as we felt sorry for them Shaun Layton decided an own goal was the way to go to make it 4-4. As the game approached the end, Thompson broke through the offside trap and with just the keeper to beat was violently hacked down by former Screentech employee, Damien Dent now sponsored by MySportsWear. Lucky not to see a red, Dent tried his best to save Thompson's penalty but it was too good. 5-4 to the reds, could they hold out?!
No! One long ball from Dent went straight through everyone with late replacement Matty Wheeler not being able to reach his foot out far enough to stop the ball and 5-5 it went.
Despite the best efforts of both teams no winner could be found and the TWYFers were left ruing the missed opportunity from Lynas in the first half. None more so that Manager Thompson who complained 'if you'd scored that I would have had three right-foot goals and three left-foot assists!'
Well done to all who played, we had great fun and everyone played well!
FINAL SCORE
RSD 5 TWYF 5 (Thompson 3, Heather, Agnew)
TWYF (4-5-1)
Blewitt, Mallen, Layton, Cave, Graham, Agnew, Lodge, Mansfield, Lynas, Thompson, Heather
Subs: Lyall, Gallagher, Wheeler
MOTM - Jack Lodge
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