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3rd XI v LE QUARTIER 01 NOVEMBER 2008
Saturday was a thoroughly miserable, wet, windswepped day and although the rain had died out towards the evening, it was still pretty depressing. So I decided to foresake my cocoon and venture down to the stade to watch the 3rd XI match against Le Quartier's reserves.
And I'm glad I had, too, for there wasn't much of a crowd at all. And there wasn't much in the way of players either. Pionsat could only muster 10 - with the guy who took over the gloves in the last match keeping his place in goal (at least, I think that it's him) and there was no no11. The young lad that I quite like who played no10 last week - he wasn't there either.
Another person conspicuous by his absence was the usual referee. At this level (about level 14 of the pyramid) the home team supplies the ref, and the habitual one is quite efficient and professional.
I'm not sure who this ... er ... person is, though. Jeans, wellies and belstaff jacket - all he needed was a flat cap, a pipe and a labrador and he would have been well away. His manner of refereeing was to leisurely amble around the centre circle and blow his whistle rather weakly about two weeks after any kind of incident.
You can tell that I wasn't impressed. I had the feeling that it was going to be one of those nights.
And that's just how it started. Pionsat were pinned on the back foot right from the kick-off.
Le Quartier's no10 broke through the Pionsat defence and let loose a shot that tested the keeper. Despite a fumble here and there, he managed to hang on. Which was just as well, really. If he had have dropped it, I don't reckon the no10 would have missed from that range.
But the first goal wasn't long in coming. The ball was played wide across the face of the goal until it found the Le Quartier no11 in space, and he drove it in past the keeper.
The keeper could have done better but I suppose that at this level of football and in a village the size of Pionsat if you are (by my reckoning) fifth choice keeper then it's inevitable that something is going to be lacking. And Le Quartier looked like the midfield and attack could be quite useful.
Which was more than could be said of Le Quartier's defence, that looked ... er ... well, pedestrian, if not suspect.
Pionsat's forwards burst right through the middle and one of them had a shot that didn't miss by much. Mind you, the keeper did have it covered, but that means nothing at this level of football.
Nevertheless, it gave Pionsat and the half-a-dozen supporters a crumb of comfort.
And much to everyone's surprise, Pionsat equalised close to the end of the first half. Le Quartier's central defenders dallied on the ball, and were then caught in two minds.
Pionsat's centre-forward wasn't, though, and made a good interception and ploughed his way on to goal, beating the keeper's desperate attempt at a save. This was beginning to become interesting.
Not as interesting as the second half, however, as even more surprisingly, Pionsat took the lead.
Once again, indecision in the Le Quartier central defence, a suicide pass across goal, and a brave interception by whoever was playing no10 for Pionsat, who had suddenly woken up (I wonder what they had put in his half-time cuppa?). He just took one pace forward and banged it wide of the keeper and that was that.
But it was unfortunately to no avail. Le Quartier had the measure of the Pionsat keeper and contented themselves to peppering the goal from long distance hoping that sooner or later one would land on target.
And sure enough, midway through the second half, this was just what happened. A speculative shot from outside the area and the keeper was nowhere near it. Like I said, chwarae teg that he turned out when several others didn't, but youhave to make an effort all the same.
And the Pionsat keeper proved to be his side's downfall towards the end of the match. Presumably stung by some kind of criticism from somewhere, he galvanised himself into action.
Now that's all very well if you know what you are doing, but if you don't it can be fatal. And charging off your line is not the thing to do unless there is an emergency. But off he went, to intercept a ball that he had no hope of reaching, a clever sidefoot into the centre of the penalty area, and a young enthusiastic Le Quartier forward isn't going to miss an open goal.
You may notice the old guy - the Pionsat player on the goal line cleverly concealing the ball from the photographer. A couple of times I've seen him, he's played down the right side of midfield. Tonight he was playing right-back, and he had quite a good game for this level of football. He could be worth another run-out in this position.
Pionsat were still playing some nice football going forward and looked dangerous at times. The no9, who had a quiet game, managed a shot on target despite being crowded out by a couple of le Quartier defenders.
The keeper was up for it though and wasn't really troubled too much by the effort. But there always was this feeling that with a little luck Pionsat could get back into the game.
And they nearly did, too. A shot from just off-pic to the right eluded everyone else and landed on the roof of the net with the keeper out of position.
It has to be said that had Pionsat had a full team out, and a regular keeper in goal, they would have had this match won by now. That young lad who played no10 last week - he would have made mincemeat of this opposition. The Le Quartier defence was not inspiring.
But then another rush of blood to the head of the Pionsat keeper. Despite the yells of "nooooooo" from his team mates, he ran off his line for another hopeless interception.
And another sidefoot into the centre of the penalty area. And another tap-in from half-a-dozen yards and that was effectively game over. And it really was disappointing as Pionsat ought to have won this game by some distance.
There was still time for Le Quartier to go for nap in this match, and they continued to pepper the Pionsat goal from long range.
Here's another shot from about 25 yards out that screams past the post with the keeper pretty much beaten. It's just as well that it was going wide for I don't reckon he would have been able to keep it out.
All in all, a very disappointing night for Pionsat fans. And I'm wondering whether or not I ought to go and get myself a French Football Association licence. You can't let a team like this play with just 10 men. 10 or 12 years ago when I was still running distance, I could have been well up for it.
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