Don't Go Breaking My Heart!

Saturday 28th November 2009
"The Rabblers" 2
Watford supporters 15
IFA League match
at Belair Park

Report by Mishi D. Morath.

It was a brave bunch of 'Rabblers' that turned up for what was going to be nothing other than a heavy defeat against Watford, who are one of the strongest, and certainly one of the friendliest teams in internet football. We didn't want our hearts broken, as Watford fan sang with Kiki Dee, but break them they did with our heaviest defeat for over a decade.

There were no selection problems for our management, it a simple case of if you have your boots you're in, as we had a bare minimum sqaud of a dozen!

The squad, for the record, was Matt Hammond; Mick O'Shaughnessy; Steve Rickerby; Shaun Dooley; John Prendergast; Mark Hutton; Mishi Morath; Phil Doyle; Darren Nicholas; Trevor Owen; Matthew Virgo & Chris Garrett.

It really was a case of 'damage limitation', & against all odds, 'The Rabblers' fought an amazing rearguard action for the first fifteen minutes or so, and although I have misplaced my brief notes from the game, I do recall trying to make a note of the first few goals, to use as my lottery numbers that night, but gave up after the seventh went in! I think we were a 'mere' eight behind at half time!

But we weren't torn apart by a single player, two Watford lads got hat-tricks, with a total of no less than NINE of their squad getting on the scoresheet, the most delighted being a defender, Phil McBride, who scored his first goal for them, in nearly a hundred appearances, so he certainly won't forget Dulwich Hamlet!

Also on the scoresheet for them was an own goal from Steve Rickerby, not that it was his fault really, when you're under that much pressure at the back someone is bound to deflect it into their own net. It's just unfortunate for 'Big Vern' that he seems to do it more often than others! ;-)

Our chances were few and far between, the closest before we scored, was an effort from Matthew Virgo, that hit the bar. We were thirteen behind, I think, before we pulled anything back. Our two goals coming from Chris Garrett, the latter being sheer quality, hit from the edge of the area into the back of the net!

Although this defeat equalled our previous record defeat, against a Dulwich Hamlet Junior FC Managers, Staff & Parents XI on one of the all-weather pitches at the Crystal Palace National Sportscentre, back in the mid-nineties, this game had a better outcome for the keeper in both, Matt Hammond. For after that previous thrashing I accidentally stabbed him in the hand with the half-time oranges knife, which resulted in him missing his Sunday Team match two days later, as in was in Kings College Hospital awaitiaing an operation to repair the damage! After the last goal went in I wonder if he was thinking back to that unfortunate Friday night? ;-)

It's hard to single out any particular incident, or the effort of one player over another, everyone gave their all & what more can you ask? But I can't finish without mentioning a superb goal line clearance as the 'Gaffer' Mick O'Shaughnessy turned back the years & headed over a certain goal, that he flicked over the crossbar. True Matt Hammond pulled off a number of fine saves, but I'd like to think that this was the one incident in the game that prevented a new record loss!

Fair play to Watford, despite being in almost total control, they never 'showboated' or 'gave it large', well apart from the aforementioned defender after his 'virgin' goal, but you can't begrudge him that! Never flash, never patronising, they simply appreciated the fact we never gave up, despite being second best.

After the final whistle the general opinion of our team members who had played in the ten nil debacle against Ladywell three weeks before, was that if we had played like this against them htere is no way we would have lost.

So comfort can be taken out of this huge loss, spurred on by the incentive from the Gaffer, who said that hec wouldn't forget those who took part this morning, & that everyone who did would get preferential treatment up in Glasgow, on the spring Queens Park tour!