Renwick 9 Valley Comrades 3
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007Renwick continued their 100% record in 2007 by scoring nine goals for the second week in succession, in a friendly against Joel’s school friends the Valley Comrades. With Joel playing at centre back for the Comrades, Jonny started his first game in nets for a ages, Piemonger played left back, and apart from that the team was as normal. It was another great start from Renwick who got straight in at VC from the kick off, and with the first attack of the game AJ made it 1-0. Minutes later it was 2 as Phil headed in an AJ cross. It might be arrogant to write this next bit in the first person, but I don’t want to distress anyone by writing in the third. With AJ having got another goal already, I was starting to think that I might as well forget about getting top scorer at our end of season awards bash and concentrate on going for goal of the season. So when Mark hit in a cross from the right, I hit an overhead kick from a few yards right of the penalty spot and about 8 yards out, which sailed over their keeper and into the net. The only bad thing was that I didn’t actually get to watch myself do it, so if you want a better description you’d be better to ask the some of the other players or fans. So after going 3-0 up in about 10 minutes, we went on a goal drought for about 5 minutes until I dived in to get the 4th when their keeper spilled one of our shots. Soon after I nearly nicked it round their keeper to be in for a hat-trick, but he just managed to get there first. Around this time VC got on the scoresheet as they hit the post and then scored the rebound, with Glasgow unable to do anything about it. I then hooked a ball into the box for AJ to run through unchallenged to score his second of the afternoon, and just before half-time, Phil scored to join the hat-trick queue. Near the end of the half, Jonny pulled off an amazing full-length save (“with his hair going all over the place like a Loreal ad” – Strob) to keep them at one. They also came close with a 40-yard free kick which hit the bar.
Near the start of the second half, Conor unleashed a shot from outside the box that curled just wide of the post. Early in the half the unthinkable happened and we were finally awarded a penalty, for handball. Captain Mark graciously handed the ball over to one of the hat-trick contenders, who will remain nameless, who sent it agonizingly inches wide of the post. It must have been the pressure of our first ever peno. Eric Cantona missed a penalty once, y’know. The mystery player does wish to apologise however.
Soon after I made amends somewhat, as Conor flicked on a corner and I headed it over the line, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick against a team with an average age lower than 40. My 3rd header of the season, which I think makes me the leading header on our team. Joel. During the half-time banter we had said that whoever got a hat-trick first would go defence, so I duly spent 5 minutes or so at right back, with Walker going up front, but we soon remembered that change = bad and swopped back. VC got their second during this period, but I would hasten to point out that it was from the left!
After a brief interlude, Mark deservedly got on the scoresheet, hitting the ball in from the right I think, but my memory’s not what it used to be. Phil completed the rout with his hat-trick, squeezing it inside the near post after cutting in from the right wing, although we all temporarily wondered if it had actually gone in due to his lack of celebration and refusal to answer direct questions. VC were desperate to avoid double figures, and right at the end they scored a header, to make it 9-3, which was still less than the minister managed!
So all in all a fantastic game, definitely our best performance yet, and the longest winning sequence in our history. 18 goals in 2 weeks and at long, long last we’re beginning to click – bring on my fellow Londonderry citizens next week!
Talking exclusively to SWS, Renwick’s sole team selector today, Phil, said: “An inspired team performance, hopefully we’ll carry it forward to tougher fixtures. And I’ll try and smile after I score so you all know.”
Photos – special thanks to Rosie! They’re getting better every week!
The new boots made the difference!
Phil beats Gavin… (yes Gavin was playing left back, and no, none of us have ever seen him play that far back either :-P)
…and sends the cross in
The Glasgow edition of SWS contains only this photo
Me an Conor
The Singers
The non-Singers
Me congratulated after a goal
4-0
Conor doing tap ups
Me schooling Joel
Cheer up like
Steelo jumps highest – but where’s the ball?
Simon schools a boy – he moved to central midfield in the second half
Stevie gets surrounded
‘Pete’
Cantona
Walker launches one in
Simon was wearing about 17 pairs of socks so AJ’s size 11 boots that he was wearing would stay on
The limp wrist police were out again
The jubilant Renwick team troop off after a master-class
RENWICK: Jonny, Walker, Strob, Steve, Piemonger, Phil, Conor, Mark, Simon, me, AJ
Name: Joelerz
Name: Walker
Name: Strob
Name: Stevie
Name: Jonny
Name: Piemonger
Name: Philip
Name: Knox
Name: Mark
Name: Simon Curry the Baptist
Name: Steelo
Name: AJ
Surname: McCollum
Surname: Agnew
Surname: Sweeney
Surname: The Prophet
Surname: Sutherland
Surname: -
Surname: Fallows
Surname: McEwen
Surname: Coates
Surname: Loughridge