26th December 2011

Has Beens 5  Never Beens 5

Footballing greats of yesteryear converged upon the village of Sturminster Marshall on Boxing Day for the annual Stur versus Stur Legends match.

With all the ageing Legends managing to survive the winter (so far at least), manager Merrick Smith had a full squad to choose from, so in front of a crowd of quite literally 30 star struck supporters legendary names such as Beckett, Lane, Best, Young, and Smith wound back the years to enthrall their fans with some mouth watering skills.

The current management team combined well to give the Legends an early lead.  Dave Abbott’s lightening speed could not be matched by the young full back as he raced after a through ball out on the wing. He stole the ball from the defender before crossing to the far post. First team manager Matt Morris had sprinted the full length of the pitch to get onto the end of the cross and hammered the ball into the net.

Five of our current Under16 side made the average age of the young side as low as it has been for many a year and it was one of the babes who scored the equaliser. George Reid picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fired home. Morris – living proof that when God made Johann Cruyff he didn’t break the mould - was pulling all the strings in the centre of the park though and the Legends regained the lead and when Matt Saunders headed in from a corner, then went further ahead when Dan Lane curled in a free kick from the edge of the area.

As half time approached, and with the Legends beginning to run out of ideas – and oxygen – the youngsters got back into the game when Richie Davies curled a corner straight into the goal. Mark Reynolds then equalised with a sort of falling over header/ kneeing type thingy and so the teams went into the break with the score at 3-3.

The Legends regained the lead just after the break when Abbott hammered in a penalty. The youngsters began to push forward in search of an equaliser, but the Legends centre back pairing of Best and Beckett – who had first played for Stur back in the days of mutton chop whiskers and dubbined boots – stood firm. Even they couldn’t last forever though and the pressure told when Lee Thomas grabbed the equaliser. The youngsters then took the lead for the first time when Matt Saunders scythed down Will Gage and Jake Weston slotted home the penalty.

Despite having a combined age of almost 700 and a combined weight adding up to around that of a Blue Whale, the Legends refused to lie down and they got the equaliser their efforts deserved when Dan Lane turned back the clock and swung in a magnificent cross for his old strike partner Darrell Williams to bullet a header into the back of the net.

And so the game finished all square. Ten goals for the crowd to enjoy, bragging rights shared and a post match drink up in the Churchill Arms meant everyone had a most enjoyable day.