Nomads go down by 1 in a tight game

It is the last official fixture of a difficult year. Nomads M2s are away in Peterborough. We have just 11 players, carefully selected to be able to run for 70 minutes, and put the year to bed.

The predictable Friday night scare arrived with a late call-to-work for Ellis. We overcame. We have a plan B.

The player availability crisis has robbed us of our top scorer, and 2 of our 3 midfielders from the last 2 weeks. But no worries – opportunity abounds for the likes of young Sam, and not-so-young Angus, to make their mark. The team looks good.

We are on time. Again. No late arriving Captain this week. Even pre-arranged late arrivers (Ellis and Paul) make it in good time for the start. Rick wins the toss. Brilliant. We start the game, and with festive generosity, promptly give Peterborough the ball.

The game is good. This is a different Peterborough variant to the one we thrashed 7-0 in September. They ask questions. We resist. We make chances, Mel sliding one agonisingly inches wide of a gaping goal. Will deflects a short-corner seemingly goal-bound, but no. Paul sees green for obstruction. Seems harsh. No goals.

Second half – Nomads dominate with only rare Peterborough forays into our D. But they do threaten, and John saves, or Tim and Barry expertly intercept. In front of them the midfield of Rick, Sam and Angus start to screen, to pass, to dominate. Nomads controlling the game, but still no goals. Ellis and Jude on our flanks flying forward. Will, Mel and Paul running their defence ragged. But they have good defenders this Peterborough team. Experience and nous. We don’t score. We don’t get much luck with some tight calls, and then Peterborough break-away and nearly score. They are awarded a short-corner, and this time it flies in.

Nomads keep pushing – 11 men, against 14, refusing to accept their predicament, determined to prevail, busting guts, lungs and hamstrings to try to claw back the deficit. But today it doesn’t happen.

Sport is like this occasionally, and it feels the result doesn’t merit the performance. Even our opposition were gallant enough to observe that, perhaps, Nomads were unlucky. And how well we passed the ball.

This is nice to hear, but I would rather have won!

Rick won Man of the Match in a democratic poll (honestly), and Paul (green card) and Ellis (Friday night scares) picked up DoD votes, in a surprisingly un-competitive category this week (no Felix present).
If we keep playing like that in the New Year we will do OK. But we will need to score..

Final note: despite no win to savour and celebrate, we had a great Christmas social, very well attended. And just to remind us of the year we have endured, Sam tested positive that night for COVID. Get your LFT kits out everyone…