Match Report: Magic Touch vs. Southside’s (0-4) 17 May 2006

Squad: GC, Dale, B, Michelle, Cathy, Jay, Al, Simon, Woody, (Joe)

With the long awaited British summer still playing hard to get, game 3 of the spring season meant a rematch with old enemies Southsiders. With a delightful drizzle in the air, the mighty Green took to the field against the ramshackle assortment of desperados and mercenaries of the opposition. If there was points for smart turn-out we would surely be top of the league. Unfortunately there isn’t.

The match got off to a bad start with the skipper losing a second (out of 2) toss of the season. Undaunted the team set about a disciplined first half performance, playing to the conditions with some good quick dumps.

The first half was as tight as a darts players’ Speedos, with Magic spending the lions’ share in the opposition half. The team needed a bit of magic, and who better than the golden boots himself. Still recovering from the night before the Woodster sparked into action midway through the first half (perhaps conscious of the minus 2 try-difference he was carrying since the grading game). With an incisive bit of play on the 5 metre line the ball went out to the mercurial man himself. Like a golden flash he was down the left wing and dived for the line. Clearly in need of an optometrist the ref disallowed the try, leaving Woody wearing half the pitch and wondering what might have been. In a cruel twist of fate the opposition got a breakaway try soon afterwards, leaving the Magic 1-0 down at the break. Touch rugby is a cruel mistress.

After a rousing half-time talk by Simon “Sven Goran” King, which left many team members quite literally lost for words, the Green Machine took to the field to claim the victory that clearly belonged to them. Twenty minutes, and three tries later, the team headed to the pub to claim the plate of fried food that clearly belonged to them.

Although conceding three more tries, heads didn’t drop, and there were some second-half highlights.
Simon’s quick scoops, B with a great bit of juggling, another disallowed try for Woody and some great defensive touches from Dale and Cathy.

Great work in the pub as always - especially good to see that Joe’s cast isn’t inhibiting his drinking! Although worrying times for our kit supplier Al - could Skidmore Clothing be supplying Magic Touch next season? Only time will tell.

We start again next week at 0-0, with another chance to get a first victory on the board.

Skips.