A Team Look Set For Second Place But Are Almost Stung By Bs!
The Farnham Town Flares walking footballers were back in action last week, with two Over 50s sides competing in the third round of fixtures in this season’s Surrey FA Walking League.
Fielding almost all of their first choice players, the A Team cemented their position in second place in the league with a 1-0 win over Walton and a 2-0 victory against Woking, although their title hopes have all but disappeared after a 2-0 defeat to Godalming, the reigning league and cup holders.
Although well beaten in their final game against Walton, a much-changed B Team, (who, unbelievably, would be fielding their fifth ‘keeper in 10 games!), performed creditably, collecting their first point of the season with a tense 1-1 draw against Redhill and matching the A Team’s result against Godalming.
However, the real action came in the third round of matches.
It featured what can only be described asan epic encounter between the Town’s two sides.
The A Team began well, with their superior passing and movement proving too much for a B Team that was often left chasing shadows, and it was no surprise when Drew Powell gave them an early lead with a crisp strike and Chris Pennell doubled their advantage with an equally well struck shot two minutes later.
So far, so predictable.
But what happened next was very much off script.
First, an error by Martin Cummings gifted the B Team an unexpected penalty.
Skipper Tony Fairclough took responsibility and his calm strike halved the deficit.
Now rattled, the Farnham Town Flares A Team then lost their discipline and, after a scrappy passage of play, allowed a B Team, very much their inferior, to draw level when Clive Green turned his man and placed his shot coolly into the corner of the net.
It was a goal that took the match firmly into the territory of “they couldn’t, could they?”
And perhaps, if they had held their nerve, they might have done.
Unfortunately, rather than continue to press their opponents into making errors, the B Team, understandably tiring, choose to retreat, attempting to see out the game by holding on to what they had.
Almost inevitably the tactic backfired and, as the A Team asserted their dominance once more, a second strike from Drew Powell spared his teammates’ blushes and gave the Farnham Town Flares A Team their third win of the round.
With their title aspirations all but over, the A Team will now look for cup success in June.
Meanwhile, denied what would have been a fairytale ending, their B Team colleagues were left to rue what might have been but can take heart from this performance and will look to build on it in the next round of SFA League fixtures in June.
As always, huge thanks to the Farnham Town Flares team sponsor Coffee Diem.
If you’re over 35 and fancy joining the Farnham Town Flares, simply contact Andy at walkers@ftfconline.com and he’ll get you along to one of our Tuesday evening sessions at Weydon School in Farnham.
Sessions kick off at 6:00pm and your first one is ABSOLUTELY FREE!