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Ryman League Division One South
WORTHING (1) 2 (Geddes, Knee)
ASHFORD TOWN MIDDLESEX (1) 1
Attendance 475
With just pride to play for and a cup final in mind, this game had “End of Season” written all over it. Well not the game itself but the programme certainly did. With our day trip to sunny Eastbourne in mind, the Pookmeister rested a number of players and staggeringly recalled the forgotten man of football, Gavin Geddes. “Gallic Sensation” Florian Mateos was also given a place on the bench with Withdean not in action. Sam Francis captained the side for the first time in the absence of Dodge, Davies and Gricey. (Quiz question! Can you name the other player that has captained Worthing this season? And he played the whole game)
We started really well with Sam, Gavin and Pook Junior all looking lively and our goal came as a good run and cross from Roy was found Sam. Despite being clean through on goal he opted to pass the ball (for the first time this season? Only joking!) to give Gavin Geddes an easy tap-in. We understandably went into cruise control and conceded a sloppy goal at a set piece when a random Ashford player was allowed a free header.
Half time came and two changes were made – Flo for Francis and Edwards for Pullers. We huffed and puffed and ran around a lot but didn’t really create much. Fortunately for us Ashford created even less and didn’t even huff or puff as well. Mark Knee replaced the tiring Pook and took less than five minutes to make an impact as he slotted home a Gavin Geddes cross just as I was looking at some dodgy pictures on one of Nick’s mates camera phone.
The final whistle came and we were invited to join the players and management team in what was probably the most orderly pitch invasion ever and celebrated our success rather decadently with champagne and a kickabout on the hallowed turf.
And so the curtain is drawn on our league campaign and we finished second behind our country cousins from the east. It is easy to say if Freeman had scored that last minute penalty at Lewes then we would have been champions, but let’s not forget the 4 points dropped in our 2 games against Epsom. But now is not a time for regret, we lost fewer games than any other side, we finished in our highest position for ages and the happy times are back again.
I’d have settled for that at the start of the season.
TEAM – Will Packham 7, Andrew Beech 7, Chris Dicker 7, Des Guile 7, Andy Lutwyche 7, Stewart Holmes 6, Mark Pulling 7, Owen Hill 7 (sub Sean Edwards 7), Sam Francis 7 (sub Florian Mateos 4), Gavin Geddes 8, Roy Pook 7 (sub Mark Knee 7) SUBS NOT USED Ross Johnson, Paul Rogers
MY MAN OF THE MATCH – Gavin Geddes, who came back from retirement and did the business. May have earned him a place in next season’s squad with this performance. I think there’s room for him but what do I know?
7th Feb 2004