Fitting Honour + the Twos complete their mission 2-0

A tale of two halves began respectfully with a minute silence for Nomads’ late president and Twos stalwart, Seth Broadbent, who sadly passed away this summer. Both teams gathered around the centre circle to hear words from Captain Arthur and finish the minute's silence with a round-of-applause.

The game began in steady fashion with both teams confident on the ball, spreading play across the pitch. Arthur, Rick and Rich maintained strength in the middle, supported by Tim, Spence, Doug, Will and Jez at the back. Flashes of potential arose with Thom a step away from two back-post tap-ins, a ball into the D found Max on the P-spot with time to shoot, but the ever-present Peterborough defence surrounded him quickly and snuffed out the danger.

A couple of short corner opportunities came Nomads way with nothing showing. At the other end, Peterborough broke through at pace, evading Nomads defence to set up a 3 on 1. John (aka ‘the Green Mountain’) read the danger well, slowed down play and allowed Nomads’ recovering defence to put in a final challenge.

Again in the Nomads D, after a weak Peterborough injection, Spence saw the chance to unleash his pace. Charging down the opposition, with sticks at dawn, our heroic sweeper lanced the opposition, leaving a crumpled heap in his dust. After a nervous wait whilst the Umpires conferred, a second short was given. Again the Green Mountain rose to Nomads’ rescue, leaping like a salmon to swot the flick away.

Towards the end of the half, Nomads produced one of their best moves, passing in triangles to release Rich Mackie into the D, attack poised and ready for the cross, then in slow motion, with half-a-mind on his forthcoming fatherhood he swung with eyes on goal, “one for the bairn!” But alas, the air shot trickled on, the angle tightening, he recoiled, swung again… but connected only with the air. The gracious umpires blew for a 16, mainly to avoid further embarrassment.

As the clock ticked down, Matthew had a half chance for Nomads, firing wide before the second half elapsed. A vocal Nomads team talk ensued, the key message to raise our game 5-10%, know who you’re going to pass to and improve ball speed.

Out of the traps, Peterborough came at Nomads strong with repeated waves of attack, but gained little to show from it. A coordinated defence with the Green Mountain at the helm held firm. Credit to Doug (future Long Jump champion) and Sugi (windswept after a Malaga five-hours-a-day-Yoga retreat) on the left for their pace getting back, staying strong and breaking fast. A resolute Nomads side finally found their reward, attacking up the left Paul was released into the D, one-on-one. Calmly progressing forwards he flicked left of the keeper, evading a late defender to score; 1-0 Nomads.

The goal provided a needed turning point with space opening up through the middle. Even waves of attack went back and forth with Peterborough looking to exploit their right-back’s aerial weapon. Thankfully CoP hadn’t reckoned on Sweeper Spence’s picking skills, as he repeatedly took down the aerials, and turned defence into attack. Chances came and went at both ends. One-on-one with our Green Mountain, CoP shot to John’s left, despite diving right, with agility he parried the shot with a raised left leg. At Peterborough’s end, a firing strike across goal whisked past a sliding Whiffen, evading his stick at the back-post by inches.

With the game finely poised, and Nomads pressing, an attack down the right came to Paul on the baseline, cutting in he looked up to set the ball across, beguiling the keeper off his line, an angle opened up, which was subsequently exploited, the ball flicked past the keeper at head height into the far-inner-side netting; 2-0 Nomads.

As legs tired the game continued to open up with flurries back and forth, though with little meaningful result. One hospital pass came Tim’s way in Nomads own D, two feet from his goal line, who turned back-and-forth to evade a pressing Peterborough attacker. The Umpires called a minute to go with Peterborough continuing to press, but the resolute Nomads defence held strong finding outlets left, right and centre until the final whistle blew.

Three cheers to both teams for a fine match, a fitting tribute and a hard fought win to honour Seth’s memory. Four points from a possible six, roll on Kettering.