Football is Freedom

Everything's Gonna Be Alright.

On what would have been Bob Marley's 77th birthday, Tattenhall reflected on the great man's life through the spectrum of 90 pulsating minutes in the C.D.VALE BRICKWORK SECTION B.

The sun was shining, the weather was sweet, as we got up, stood up, out of the changing room, and the referee parped his whistle and Tattenhall kicked off in their grudge match against AC Innovent.

2022 has not been kind to Tattenhall, a win on the opening weekend of the year was followed by two demoralising defeats to teams they should be beating, and this morning followed a similar fashion, as AC won a freekick, and the ball was whipped into the box, and prodded home beyond the goalkeeper. The defence were sure it was offside, and in the post match team bath Wetherby told Wilson that he could've shot the sheriff when he allowed that goal. But the sheriff, the umpire, the referee if you like, did allow the goal, and AC had broken the dreadlock.

Tattenhall didn't let their heads drop, and kept the pressure on the AC goal. A corner was swung in by Wilson, but was headed out of the defence, and cleared to Innovent's pacy young winger. Tattenhalls full back Cooke slid in with a vital block to deny the break and looked up. There was a glint in his eye that suggested something magical was going to happen. He lifted up his wand, 37 yards from goal and took aim. From the moment the ball left his foot, he was greeted with cries of admonishment; "Pass the flippin' ball" shouted Damon Smith. "What the heck have you just done that for, you fool" came the cry from Mutete. "You've done some stupid things in your lifetime Cooke, but this takes the biscuit" chorused Evans and Withe. But clearly those guys don't believe in magic.....KABLAMMO!! The ball whizzed over everyone, over the outstretched fingertips of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net like a buffalo soldier.

The stadium erupted, and through the most improbable source, Tattenhall were level. AC stormed up the other end shortly afterwards, and slotted home to secure a 2-1 advantage as the sheriff looked to blow up for half time. Whilst AC were dreaming of their half term oranges, Tattenhall's top scorer James Withe capitalised on their dithering defence to race through and slam the ball into the roof of the net for his 16th goal of the season.

The second half was a cagey affair, with neither side wanting to break rank for fear of leaving their bottom's vulnerable. After Wetherby's first half injury, the makeshift defence of Mutete and Smith patrolled the box like angry geese, snapping and hissing and honking at every AC attacker, while January transfer Rixham smothered every ball like a mother goose incubating her most precious of eggs.

Chris Rixham was signed in the January transfer window from Vancouver Whitecaps, and unlike most goalkeepers, seems to have his head firmly screwed on his shoulders, at that calmness exudes through the rest of the team. Bob Marley once said, "Football is freedom" and Tattenhall began to play like they had been released from the cage of the changing room. Some of the football was delicious, Sayles, Dutton and Arathoon jamming together in midfield, whilst the three little birds of Evans, Noden and Withe up front toyed with the little worms in the AC defence. But it was still tense, with 5 minutes left we were still on a Desmond (2-2) and James Withe exploded down the left flank, dinked a delightful cross slap bang onto the head of Evans. Pandemonium ensued and every man and his dog bellowed in jubilation. Southern was brought on to stem the flow of AC attack, but with the damage done, Withe found space once again beyond the opposition defence to drive home his second, to put the game to bed, 4-2 to Tattenhall. After both Cooke and Withe had missed penalties in recent shootouts, this was certainly their redemption song, and what sweet music it was too.

Is this love? I think so too.

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