The One With Collective Amnesia

Central Midlands Football League
Buckingham Insurance Supreme Division

Ollerton Town 3 Kirkby Town 1

As a groundhopper (yes, I admit it, ok? Although semantically I would claim to be a matchhopper) the opportunity to reflect upon the cruel twists your life has taken are many and frequent. Why on earth would you eschew the relative delights of a comfy sofa and the TV, and travel many miles to stand in the midst of a bleak field? A field most people who live a hell of a lot closer have decided not to visit for a very good reason.

Last bus home?

So when the opportunity presents itself to pop round the corner, why would you not? Sure, the complexities of your life choices are still there, but you're still at home at half seven, and back before ten, so it doesn't all seem quite so bad, does it?

Atmospheric, no?

One of the advantages of visiting somewhere like Ollerton (and Frickley before it) for a night game is that you don't actually get to see the place. The fact that the night hinders vision shouldn't be breaking news to most of you, but it when it means you don't have to lay eyes on slag heaps, boarded up houses and the like, you truly do appreciate the wonder of nature.


On the downside, it gets cold. Alarmingly so when you're not prepared for it.

Kirkby came out of the gates on fire. In the first ten minutes they broke the home sides' offside trap on numerous occasions, and were foiled several more. The pace of their front line looked set to scare the Ollerton Town defenders all night. And the poor old lino on the near side who, god love him, was carrying a couple of extra pounds, had the look of a condemned man in his eyes with every push forwards.

It was only a matter of time until they scored, and once the defence was breached, a rout was on the cards.

But then, they stopped. Whether this was Ollerton working them out, or Kirkby getting lazy, they simply abandoned that which had worked before, and insisted on playing across the centre of the pitch. Ollerton sat back, challenged them to break them down, and hit them back harder.

The home side got a deserved equaliser after half an hour, and a second soon after. It was half time score no one could have predicted after 10 minutes, but which was not undeserved. Kirkby looked like a team, resplendent in their shiny new kits, and with a couple of decent players (note to the management - number 11 goes like shit off a shovel. Stick up front and reap the rewards) But Ollerton played like one, and that, ultimately, was the difference.

The whole pitch, and you stand there?

At half time I expected the Kirkby management to point out to their charges that they were doing something that was working, so they should go back to doing it. They didn't, and as a result, Ollerton maintained the upper hand. Kirkby were reduced to playing on the break, but lacked a purpose.

A third goal came virtue of the hard-working Wells, and that was pretty much that. If I'm being picky, Ollerton should have tested the visiting keeper more, as he was carrying a knock from the first goal. If an outfielder is taking goal kicks, then surely to goodness you can push the strikers much higher up the pitch. But that's unnecessarily harsh. Ollerton deserved the win, and whilst Louth may have the title sown up, local bragging rights are still be won.