UNDER 12 MATCH REPORT: Allestree Colts 3 - 2 LEFC

Goals: Kieron – 2

Assists: Josh – 2

Man of the match: Kieron (for taking on board the need to hold the ball up and lay it off when he had his back to goal & 2 fantastic finishes – please note rest of team – he had time for a touch and didn’t snatch)

Last week I was looking on a website about phobias and discovered that some people are afraid of getting pushed out of windows by peacocks. If a flock of peacocks had appeared pitch side after the ref awarded Allestree an interesting penalty I would’ve gone and stood by a window.

If I had got a tenner for every chance we created at a windswept Markeaton Park I could have bought the kiddies train that relentlessly shuttles from one end of the park to the other. One day I’ll realise that what makes football so exciting is it’s unpredictability. Expecting to get a result because you create more chances is a bit like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.

As an aside I’m not a vegetarian but I do try to buy free range chickens. Although even that feels a bit double edged. When you buy a battery chicken you’ve helped to put it out of it’s misery but when you buy a free range chicken…well, one day the little fellow (are chickens male or female?) is running round the barn, happy as Larry with his mates and the next day he’s in the pot because of my preference for free range.

Fortunately I preside over a team that has more character than I have. In the final 10 minutes LEFC conjured up 2 goals and panic spread through the Colts ranks. At one point I thought I was going to have to give the Allestree lino the kiss of life.

Despite the result I thought that the lads were outstanding. Time and again they did the right thing. Matt H put in an outstanding effort in the middle, Kirk nobly volunteered to stand in for our brave but injured keeper (Tom S), Ryan was a constant threat, William kept looking to set up his strike partners, Sajid pretty much shut up the Allestree right hand side, Matt D and Richard the partypooper Adams made countless defensive tackles, an injured Robbie did a job for his team at right back and Tom B showed twinkle toes on the left. Terrier Josh Elliott’s 2 exquisite passes that allowed Kieron to finish the game in style were scant reward for a morning of high endeavour.

As an aside I have discovered that I have an ever-increasing number of professionals in our ranks. One striker is on £3 a goal, another’s got a mobile phone lined up and when William gets his first of the season – and he will - I’ll buy him a day saver on the Markeaton Express (after I’ve done my first cartwheel for 25 years – it’s alright guys we play within a stone’s throw of the Walk in Centre).

Allestree, as ever, were good hosts and I’m extremely grateful for the sense of perspective shown by their manager. Other manager’s, myself included, could learn a lot from him. Last year Allestree Colts won the League’s Fair Play Award. To me that’s more meritous than winning the League Title and was richly deserved.