Attendees: CB, DC, CG, JH, TH, TK, AW, TW

Goals: JH4, TW1, AW1 CG1

Result: 7 nil win to the Nannas

CV: RH

I went into this game with a negative attitude. The bloated eight: it would be hard to get into the game; I definitely would not find the ball or get any goals (and fulfil my dream of being striker). Maybe it was Captain’s late pull out (more on that later) that gave our team a more manageable size. Perhaps as an octet the Nannas struck a fine balance: we were on long enough to have some sort of coherence, off long enough to get a breather and off long enough to want to make an impact when actually playing because our time on would be short.

What was particularly pleasing about this week was our lack of the classic kicking the ball forward at all costs, heedlessly, frantically, Nannarishly. We did this for about two or three minutes last week but this week we paused, looked up and passed intelligently. It was a sight to see.

Maybe division 3 is our new home away from home, a place where we can recoup, regain some form, perfect our style and then have another crack at division 2, only for it all to fall apart again.

We were in front all night, and I’m not just talking about the scoreboard. The team we faced off against hardly got near our goals. I remember only twice when they either had a powerful shot or got one on one with Gilla.

This left the Nannas to attack almost at will and after a slow start that’s pretty much what we did.

Gill got proceedings underway with a trademark long-range effort that dipped, looped and had the opposition goalie thinking it was going to miss. It didn’t.

Then someone kicked the ball in my face. Fuck it hurt. I heard the call from the sideline to come off but with eight, I reasoned that I would never get back on again so I rode it out. After my eyes stopped watering the whack did seem to sharpen my senses a bit and it was about this time I got my first, our second, after intercepting a throw. My second was scored having a ping from a pass from a corner. Tao served up the assist just the way I like it: he dribbled the ball to my left.

I think I got the next two. Gilla threw a long one, which I wrapped my head around and sent into the opposite corner. Gilla is having a fine couple of weeks. Apart from his goal, which he is getting a lot more of these days, he is coming to realise just how important his distribution is to setting the tone for the Nannas in attack. He is mastering the art of bringing the ball out and laying it off just at the right moment. And his long balls are much better directed and he is mixing them up, so they are a lot less the one trick that we rely on.

I got my last from Cocky. Our beloved striker is turning more provider these days. There were at least three occasions when he could have banged away, scoring goals at will but lately he has been choosing to pass. And unlike the old days, when a pass from Cocky was somewhat hit and miss (he was very much an all solo running man, you see), his is now more often than not hitting the mark.

Tao got the next again with Cocky as provider. It was a bit of a pass fest back and forth in front of goal and nothing on his last week’s effort, which was a thing of pure footballing beauty, but a goal is a goal is a goal.

The last Andy put in from close range. He continues to have a knack for lingering near the opposition goals, just out of the line of sight of the enemy, unobtrusive and largely unmarked. Then someone will pass him the ball, on this occasion it was me, and he make them pay for having underestimated his sublime backdoor talents.

This was about it. The Nannas it must be said could have scored more if we had paid more attention to and then exploited some of the spaces that opened up on occasion. At times we were bunching but not really taking notice or advantage of the acreage we had created. Something to work on.

And now I come to a very troubling matter. You see, last week was our anniversary. All Nannas had committed to play. But then one Nanna, the Captain, had to withdraw. Now, there is nothing wrong with withdrawing. It’s how it is done that matters. And Captain failed on two fronts. First, he didn’t front with a reason. Second, in not giving a reason he, the Captain, our spiritual leader, set an example that flouting the rules is fine. One thinks the leadership group should convene a meeting.