Jokers 3 – 3 Green Oak Moreton

Friday 28 October 2005, k.o. 7.30

Team: Linter; Lynes, Read, Gromb, Keen; Milner, Seaton-Smith, Gamson, J Perez-Tejedor; Mandolini, Wilby.

Subs: Vere (on for Keen, 45), Roberts (on for Mandolini, 60)

Scorers: Wilby (2), Milner.

For the second week running the Jokers conceded three first-half goals, but this time emerged with a point to show for their efforts. The Jokers have a habit of starting games slowly, but this was not the case here as they raced into a two-goal lead only to go in at half-time 3-2 down, before a second-half Milner strike direct from a corner salvaged a draw. This game had more twists and turns than the episode of

Given the time, it was a very strong team that the Jokers fielded. With Vere suffering from a strained ankle, Read moved into the centre of defence. Lynes returned at left-back allowing Keen to assume right-back duties once again, meaning that Mandolini could rejoin the attack. In midfield, Gamson came in for Hyde. A double scorer in the last game, Roberts can count himself unlucky to figure only as a sub. Their opponents, Green Oak, are a team of two halves. Going forward they are fast, mobile and skilful; at the back they’re pants. They soon set about proving the second half of that equation and within twenty minutes the Jokers were two up. Firstly, a ball forward by Keen should have been easily dealt with by the keeper, but he dithered, failed to pick up, and allowed Wilby to sneak in for a goal. Secondly, a Perez-Tejedor cross was nodded towards Green Oak’s goal by one of their defenders, leaving the keeper stranded. It was probably going just wide for a corner, but again Wilby was there to make sure.

Stung into action by the shocking nature of their own defence, Green Oak’s attacking players set about proving that they weren’t as bad, causing hesitancy in the Jokers’ defensive play. They soon got a goal back with some neat play down their right and shortly afterwards were back on terms as an attacker beat Read to head in a looping cross from the right. Shortly afterwards, the Jokers were slow to react to a throw-in, allowing a forward to get behind the defence to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead, all in the space of half-an-hour. And there were other escapes: Gamson produced a powerful last-ditch tackle, while Linter was called upon for a good save right on the stroke of half-time.

With the game in the balance, Linter introduced Vere to the heart of the defence and shifted Read to the right, taking Keen off. Green Oak also made a change, taking off one dodgy keeper and replacing him with another who would soon prove no better. The second half began well for the Jokers. Milner, wearing a very nice (but slightly out of character) pair of white boots, managed to repeat Lynes’s feat of scoring from a set piece while debuting white boots. While Lynes’s white boots are, sadly, entirely in character, perhaps Milner was aware that they guarantee you a goal. Expect to see Vere, Perez-Tejedor and Mandolini sporting white for the next match. In the meantime, some of the Division’s more uncomplicated sides will be relishing the chance to attack the Jokers’ white-booted left-hand side. Milner’s strike was direct from a corner, which is going to cause some problems for Seaton-Smith’s chart of assists. Expect to see it credited, Linter-fashion, to Stuart Sparkes, currently riding high in the league scorers’ table.

Thereafter, the Jokers survived one or two scares, produced one or two half-chances, Roberts came on for Mandolini and Seaton-Smith got cramp. Then it was all over, the Jokers turning down the ref’s kind offer to extend the match until the lights go out (a refusal that caused some confusion among the Green Oak camp; we are not “a bunch of losers”, we’re a bunch of drawers. If we were losing we’d have played on, thicko). A creditable attendance on the pitch was matched by a creditable attendance at the Elgin, where stories of old Jokers were swapped, Lynes came in for some stick for his ‘cashpoint pass’ and we all wondered if we would ever forget the day we saw Milner score direct from a corner in his new white boots.