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For the first time in it’s history, this year’s Annual Easter Football Grudge match didn’t actually feature any current Cobden or Kinder scouts – they were too busy making their stew for lunch! And so it was that about 60+ old-boys from the two troops (in the form of Marple Explorers, Network and Alumni) battled it out for the prestige of being named Marple’s best Scout troop.
In 2009 it had ended in a stale-mate. 2010 saw the match won by Kinder on penalties, though Cobden took some comfort from the fact that they had been unassailable on their usual patch of moral high ground. Would 2011 prove to be another classic? Read our full report & then have a look at our exclusive match highlights.
At 14:00 Cobden kicked off, with some neat inter-play between Spielfuhrer Dan Hopwood and Ben Potter creating the first chance of the match (dutifully smashed well over the bar by Andy Togs.
It took Kinder just over two minutes to work out what was going wrong compared to last year – they had forgotten that they needed to make the rules up as they went along! Throw-ins and free-kicks were both written out of the games rules, with crunching, lunging tackles suddenly deemed to be fair play!
Playing to their new tactics, Kinder suddenly started to get a feel for the game, and it wasn’t long before they had opened the scoring. The ball was launched into the Cobden box. Goalkeeper Fraser Posford looked to be dealing comfortably with the situation, jumping up to take the ball but then somehow inadvertently losing grip of it at the last moment. A goalmouth scramble ensued before Ian Ridgway poked it home from just over three yards. Kinder 1 – Cobden 0.
The expected Cobden backlash failed to emerge, with the likes of Ric Statham and Tommy Togs unable to get a hold of the ball and spray their usual passes around. It was whilst Cobden concentrated on trying to curb the influence of the Ridgway trio in the centre of the field, that Ben Alty found space on the right wing. His cross into the box was troubling nobody until Ben Duncalf decided to try and head it clear – it glanced off the top of his head, over the keeper and into the back of the net. Kinder 2 – Cobden 0.
Kinder increased their lead a well taken Ben Ashworth goal, making it 3-0 at half-time. Whilst the rest of his team-mates grabbed a drink, Tom ‘Hoggy’ Reeve was rushing to grab his kit on in the back of his Dad’s car, having been playing football for his Sunday League side in the morning. Would his skill and versatility help save Cobden from losing?
Err, no. Another unlucky own-goal was conceded by Cobden.
At four nil down, Cobden had no option but to revert to all-out attack. A consolation goal came in the form of a wonderstrike by Adi Togs from at least 4 yards out, after the Kinder keeper had leapt for and missed the ball, but it wasn’t enough.
Ian Ridgway wrapped up the match with a long-distance shot that found its way to the top corner.
Cobden could console themselves that they hadn’t committed any of the startlingly bad tackles of the match (eek!), but would be disappointed at the space they allowed Kinder to play in.
See you next year!