Ladyboys lack the balls to win!

It was a confident Phil Baker, one of our own, but also of Ladywell FC, the self-styled Ladyboys, who turned up at Mottingham, hoping for their first ever victory against ‘The Rabblers’. But once again, it was not to be!

This match was originally set for January, prior to our trip to Namur, in Belgium; & their annual tour to Bolgna, Italy. But for reasons only known to himself he simply forgot to book the pitch & had to cancel at short notice. Rumour had it he was running scared of facing us again. But he was charitably offered another chance by our management duo, which he proceeded to build up for the weeks preceeding it. Billing it as his own personal ‘European Super Cup’ between his two sides, with a number of continental excursions under their belts across the Channel.

In fact it wouldn’t be untrue to say that there were some in ‘The Rabblers’ camp who were a trifle apprehensive about the match, as losing to the ‘Ladyboys’ was inconceivable. Not the actual loss, but for him having ‘bragging rights’ for the foreseeable future. Matters weren’t helped for us with five players crying off, for a variety of reasons, in the twenty four hours leading up to this match. In fact at kick off time there were only nine of us, and Mishi Morath was ‘pressganged’ into playing, having only turned up to take photos and watch the match. Luckily it was on an all weather pitch, so he could play in his trainers, and there was enough spare kit in the bag!

It didn’t look good for us when we were a goal down after less than a minute, by the time Andy Tucker arrived, having been unavoidably delayed, we had equalised. And we gradually took control, but the game to’d and fro’d as the goals rained in. But throughout the match we continued to gift them goals. And miss some that were ‘easier to score’! biggest ‘culprit’ for us was James O’Shaugnessy, who still managed to bag a hat-trick! Lawrence Marsh also scored one, but the most honourable mention in the goalscoring stakes was a player who made his debut in out first ever match nineteen years ago, at the old Champion Hill Stadium, & has been part of the team ever since. Step forward Mishi Morath, whose somewhat exhuberant celebrations can be forgiven by the simple fact this was his FIRST EVER GOAL for ‘The Rabblers’!

That was the strike that put us four three ahead, and it seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Ladywell team. We scored once more, before they rallied, to pull a late one back, but too little, too late as we kept up, and extended our unbeaten record against the ‘Ladyboys’, perhaps not quite as good as they are talked up to be, when old Big nose has a gallon of ale inside his belly!

The team voted on Mishi as man of the match, fitting for his goal and tireless running, even if it had little effect (!); but mention must also go to Shaun Dooley, who had a sterling game in goal between the sticks, making a number of top notch saves to keep us in the match; following the almost non-arrival of Amin Haque, who strolled up midway through the second half, and was reduced to a ‘bit part’ for the opposition, making up the numbers for them. Also an honourable mention in Hamlet dispatches to 58 year old Mark Hutton, ‘enduring’ a rare full ninety minute run out, who despite tiring in the latter stages, never stopped battling.

Oh what might have been for the Ladyboys, never mind no ringers from AFC Wimbledon ,who they've used in previous defeats against us, not even their biggest admirer would have helped them today!

‘The Rabblers’: Shaun Dooley; Mark Hutton; Steve Rickerby; Danny King; Mick O’Shaughnessy; James O’Shaughnessy; Lawrence Marsh; Ferenc Morath; Mishi Morath; Ian Gannon & Andy Tucker.

Scorers: James O’Shaughnessy (3); Lawrence Marsh; Mishi Morath.