Match report 

The Talbot vs Lords of the Manor
Monday 26th September 2011

King George Fields, Stadium of Light, Stow on the Wold

Kick off was due to start at 3.30pm but traffic to the stadium was heavy, preventing the home team from getting in to warm up and finish their pre-match tactic talk and refreshments!

Finally the Ref go the game going and what an atmosphere!  The town was buzzing with anticipation about the Michelin starred Lords of the Manor team, packed with superstars such as Beynon, Peaston, Biernacki and the cat like Girona, coming to play against the unforgiving, relentless style of the home team who had a couple of new faces that freshened up their squad.

As with such a high stakes game the first ten minutes of the first half were cagey as the home team’s play was constantly broken down the by terrier like Potts marshalling the midfield with sharp tackling.

Finally a breakthrough came when Jack unlocked The Talbot’s defense to rifle home a shot and the visitors were one up.  The game ebbed and flowed and the home team equalized with a great strike that bamboozled the Lords’ defense, the number ten sending Girona scrambling to the far post in vain.

The equalizer served only to aggravate the Lords team and questions were asked as to how number ten had ghosted into such a position in the first place.

Weedon called for magic to happen up front and Beynon duly delivered with a goal of Messi-esque proportions, set up by Peaston who was now switching wings and causing untold problems for the home team’s full backs.

The Talbot turned to a more agricultural style and hoofed the long ball which, with the Lords slick style of pass and move, caused problems with every kick allowing them to over-run the midfield.

Weedon went on a rare foray up the right wing as Peaston had switched flanks, was caught in possession and left the solid defense of Bond, Biernacki and Jeremie shorthanded only to pay the ultimate price, another equalizer!

Half time was called and Johnny kindly provided orange halves and tequila to live up proceedings.

With the game at 2-2 and most of the players wondering how they were still standing, the crown came to life and go behind both sets of payers to rouse enough energy for more of the same.  They had to be twenty thousand strong and hadn’t spent top money on season tickets to see just one great half of scintillating football – they wanted more!

More of the same is exactly what they got as both teams threw caution to the wind and went on raid after raid of slick one touch passing moves to gain the upper hand.  Bond was certainly on the end of some rough stuff but go booked for simulation by the ref who obviously was enjoying his Bulmer’s and roll up and gave a Wenger style “I didn’t see it, but he looks like he’s been shot by a sniper, the big fairy”, YELLOW CARD.

GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!  Jack hit the curling strike from 20 years that gave the home team’s keeper no chance and the lords were ahead again.

After the kick off The Talbot showed they weren’t done and 9, 10 and 14 were combining well and went close.

Again they pressed and with the loss of possession in the center by Beynon the pressure poured onto Girona’s goal and a long range speculative shot squirmed under his body. 3-3.

To make up for his faux par in the middle of the park, Beynon latched onto to a through ball from Shepherd and put Lords in front again with a typical poaches goad and with 6 minutes left the visitors thought they had won it.

The flair trio on the left side of The Talbot’s midfield exploited the gaps left by the tired legs of the visitors and laid siege to Girona’s goal once more, in search of the winner.  A cross came in and Matt, The Talbot bar man blazed over when it was easier to score and the Lords disheveled defense, which had stood so solid, began to believe that their name was on the trophy at last.  Girona had pulled off save after save, Bond and Weedon had fought with every last breath supported by Biernacki and the young French Jeremie, Potts had marshaled the midfield with slick inter play between Peaston, Dixon and Shepherd and the two strikers, Beynon and Jack had helped themselves to a brace each; was this the defining moment of would The Talbot force extra time?

Scrappy play in the Lords defense allowed the late equalizer as The Talbot team was virtually camped out in the Lords box and failure to clear led to the score of 4 all.

With two minutes left, Beynon sprang The Talbot’s defense with a perfectly timed run that was fed with a sizzling defense – splitting pass from Potts; the defenders arms went up and although this game was played without linesmen, the Ref obliged the home team and called offside as Beynon had just dropped the shoulder and shimmied past the sprawling keeper and slid the ball into the net.  The entire Lords team surrounded the Ref and bribes were rescinded and previous bungs retracted so as a gesture of good will the Ref called for penalties – MORE DRAMA.

Now after being hard done by you would have thought that the Lords team would have taken the denial of their late winner badly, but Weedon rallied his men and asked for them to stand up and counted – “Who’s taking pens then lads?” was the war cry of the 36yr old veteran centre back.  Peaston, Potts, Beynon, Bond and Weedon stepped up to the plate.  Lords won the toss and chose to go first, Bond calmly slotting past the keeper to his left.  The Talbot missed their first.  Potts was not found wanting as he made it 2-0 with a cool strike. Talbot makes it 2-1. Peaston the Marathon runner stepped up and was a cool as a cucumber to go 3-1 up.  Talbot scored and it was 3-2.  Beynon went in search of a Hat-trick but took a shocking penalty and missed.  Talbot scored and made it 3 each!  Was the comeback on for them?  Weedon approached looking fatigued and promptly duffed the ball into the keeper’s arms – had Lords snatched defeat from the arms of victory?  With a kick to win it The Talbot striker placed the ball down and an up, bang as the ball flew up from his boot, Girona leapt like a salmon swimming upstream and palmed it past the post to save Beynon and Weedon’s blushes.  Keeping of the highest order!

Into sudden death and The Talbot missing their spot kick the spoils went to the industrious Lords team who in the end deserved their victory, brining flair, panache and sexy football to this countryside backwater stadium.  The events here will be talked about for years to come.


Report Author – Anonymous.  Just a neutral football fan sharing his view on one of the games’ greatest contests.