Not a grrrrrrrrreat night for Tigers

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Tuesday 11 January 2011 at the Recreation Ground
Result	Colney Heath 3 Kingsbury London Tigers 1
Competition	South Midlands Premier League Cup QF
Hopping	Venue #366, chosen because I live 20 minutes away!
This match in one sentence
A closely fought encounter, played at pace, with a critical period just after half-time as a red card for the visitors was followed by the home side’s second goal.
This match summed up in the style of: a three-part lesson plan (Passing Ofsted inspectors and my friends from the wacky world of education will understand …)
Aim: to win the competition and entertain the supporters. Objective: to secure a place in the semi-final and get revenge over KLT for last season. Starter (15 minutes): get stuck in from the kickoff, put the officials under incessant pressure, and gain an early lead. Development (75 minutes): hold the lead.  If opposition equalise, repeat attacking play until lead regained.  Observe with amusement as opposition argue among themselves. Plenary (2 minutes): add insult to injury by getting another goal in stoppage time. Homework: icepack application as necessary.  Practise ways of questioning decisions without being booked for dissent. Evaluation: Job done.  Objective secured and aim still appropriate.
So what?
Colney Heath go forward into the semi-finals, having despatched Hadley and Oxhey Jets away from home in the two previous rounds.  They will play at home in the semi-final against Hillingdon Borough, who beat Dunstable 4-1 this evening.
The drama unfolds
Colney Heath players and management screamed for an early penalty but only got a corner, which lead to a frantic minute of play and a goal for Ashwood (or was it Ashton?) after three blocked shots. 1-0.  However, the equaliser from Barinovas came before the break and the score of 1-1 at half-time was fair enough, I thought. The decisive moments were early in the second half.  A second yellow card for a KLT player allowed the home side to use the full width of the pitch and assert themselves.  They were looking the more likely to score, but KLT were defending well until Ashton (or was it Ashwood?) hit an unstoppable screamer from about 25 yards.  He may even have intended it, we will never know.  2-1. Visiting heads dropped somewhat at that point and there were several angry exchanges between teammates.  Nevertheless KLT created a few half-chances as they pushed forward in desperation and it was not until the 92nd minute that the Colney Heath #11 unselfishly laid the ball across goal for substitute King (I think) to finish.  It’s fair to say that the home players were pleased with this result.  They lost on penalties to KLT in last year’s competition and they will have high hopes of reaching the final and even of winning it.  Final score 3-1. A few video clips appear below.
Alternative activity of equal excitement for tourists in nearby St Albans
Go on a pub crawl in St Albans (warning – there are rather a lot of them) and finish up at The Horn, well known for its support of local musicians, where there will no doubt be some post-hardcore deathmetal quasi-punk neo-unclassifiable experimental band to rattle your fillings.
A snippet from the programme
“Colney Heath FC are currently enjoying their highest ever senior position since they were formed in 1907 but we need your help.  We need more supporters and more importantly we need new supporters.  Please come and watch your local team, the second highest-ranked team in the St Albans and Harpenden district.”
What I learned today
The chairman of Colney Heath turns out to be none other than Martin Marlborough, who recognised me straightaway as a former headteacher for his children.  We chatted about the need for constant fundraising for a club to keep going at this level.  Martin pointed out to me that another former Beaumont School lad, Jamie Eames, was wearing the #7 shirt for the club.  He had a very decent game.  (Best wishes too for the forthcoming wedding to another former pupil, Matt Beswick, whom I bumped into in the car park before the game!)
What Next?
Can’t promise, but a foray into the Essex Senior League might be on tonight (Wednesday).