Following the tough win against Medics the previous week, the UWMCCFC were missing star striker Jack Gould for their fourth game of the year, leaving some to wonder where the goals would come from. Fortunately, this week’s opposition was a rather poor Politics side, who somehow managed to prove even less of an opposition than Tennis in a rather calamitous first half. Tennis must be thanked however, after their captain manfully stepped in to repay the favour from Jewson who had refereed their game beforehand. The referee no show however, only four weeks into the season, is a poor effort from Warwick Sport and caused a few team members to question what their ten pound fee was for.
On to the game and the UWMCCFC started brightly, everyone having turned up promptly after a stern Facebook message from captain Thomas about punctuality, apart from Thomas himself who rocked up ten minutes late. The UWMCCFC dominated the early stages, with SDT and Sam Haslam controlling the game in the middle of the park and the early pressure soon told with a surging run from Liam David past a couple of static defenders giving him the opportunity to stab home with a decent toe poke finish. Like most goals in E & Y football though, questions could be asked of the keeper as the finish was very central and ended up going underneath his body.
The remainder of the first half saw the UWMCCFC comfortably on top, with goals coming almost at will. The second was bagged by JT, who it has to be said must be commended for managing to go through a game without diving and also doing his best to show he’ll make a better fist of taking his chances than last year’s captain. A pass from Walker was deflected to Thomas on the edge of the box and he finished coolly, doubling his tally for the season. SDT also got himself on the score sheet; if rather fortuitously after Thomas proceeded to miss the ball from a couple of yards out. Nice link up play between David and Berger-North down the right saw a ball fizzed in across the six yard box waiting for someone to tap in, SDT doing a good job of showing Nicklas Bendter how it’s done.
The final goal of the half came courtesy of some more poor keeping, with a volley from Chobbs sneaking in at the near post thanks to the keeper getting his bearings all wrong. The UWMCCFC entered half time safe in the knowledge that the game was won, and came out in the second half keen to boost their goal difference and ensure a second consecutive clean sheet.
However, the UWMCCFC’s levels dropped in the second half as the game became more open and slightly more disjointed. The UWMCCFC’s superior quality did show in brief moments though, particularly when Jewson hit a rasping shot from distance that produced a surprisingly decent save from the keeper who managed to push it onto his post, much to the disbelief of Jewson and his astounded teammates. Nonetheless, the less said about the keepers’ contribution to the last goal the better, as he was only able to divert a fairly tame shot from distance right into the path of Chobbs who followed up well, showing good strikers instincts.
Politics did offer more of a threat in the second half, with one or two shots from distance, but again the UWMCCFC defence stood firm, continuing the season’s trend of not allowing any real clear cut chances. Johnny Hall filled in manfully at centre back, giving the captain real selection issues at centre back for future weeks and raising the possibility that Rory Annandale may pay for his absence. Jewson also continued his fine start to the season, again showcasing his love of the two footed slide tackle and the loud shout of ‘Jack’s Ball’ following every goal kick. With videos currently circulating of potential goals of the year ahead of FIFA’s award ceremony, the UWMCCFC had a chance to provide their own entry. A scintillating move ended with a ball whipped in from the right toward Thomas who attempted what can best be described as L2+O, only to fluff his lines when the goal was at his mercy. The game petered out to a tame conclusion, with the UWMCCFC left celebrating a one hundred per cent start to the season, and a healthy looking goal difference. Thoughts now turn, not perhaps to next week’s clash with Russian Speaking Society, who suffered a thrashing at the hands of the UWMCCFC’s perennial punch bag, Tennis, but the following week’s matchup against Staff & Postgrad, the only other team with four wins from four.