Peninsula Pranks by Pilgrim Pete
With Coach Basford returning to the scene, two things of note happened on GPSFA’s annual jaunt to the south west. Firstly, the navigational outcomes improved by several notches. Secondly, and conversely, the Saturday result didn’t.
140 miles, two Gregg’s bacon rolls, a black coffee and three hours after departing our fair city, the battle bus pulled in to the Wrigley’s Stadium, its inhabitants primed and ready for the task ahead.
Plymouth though had other ideas, their team having serious designs on reversing the season’s earlier result at Longlevens, and with the slope in their favour, attacked from the off. With the obdurate Mclean well backed up by Lawson and Lynam and a hard-working midfield in the way however, the hosts, for all their enterprising interplay managed only a single real effort on target during the first half. Unfortunately for the visitors it counted, Kingdom’s header after his first effort had struck the bar, giving the Greens a 20th minute lead.
The city side pushed forward immediately the second period began and there were half chances for both Wilkes and Blacker before Plymouth broke and extended their advantage thanks to a fine finish from Lidstone, in off the back stick.
Back came Gloucester and Blacker reacted well to convert Liggett’s knock into the box – a real striker’s goal.
With the game now in the balance, two incidents turned it completely Plymouth’s way. Firstly Liggett played in Blacker but the keeper was out quickly to smother the threat, then at the other end Smith’s effort took a deflection and, with seven minutes left on the clock, possible parity had turned into a two-goal deficit.
Let’s be honest though. A similar sequence of events worked for us in our previous outing at Woking, so let’s not weep for long. Two cheap goals in the dying minutes did initiate the odd tear or two however, as they gave the eventual scoreline a pretty lopsided look – but 5-1 is 5-1, cheap goals or not. On we go.
Dennis apart, the Rising Sun pub lunch was eagerly consumed, with an afternoon in the pool at the Plymouth Life Centre on the ‘as soon as you finish’ horizon.
At the city’s premier leisure centre, Lynam treated the spectators to some Daley-esque back spins from the top board, while Mclean depressed both onlookers with some Peter Kay-like bombs. Blacker meanwhile washed his dirty knees in the shallow end.
Ten-Pin saw Gloucester, comfortably in the end following an early wobble, retain the Bowling Culendar with an 83-pin victory and following an extended foray around the amusement arcade which included screams in the Zombie box, the Duke of Cornwall hosted Match of the Day, lights out and a dozen serious sleeps.
Breakfast beneath the chandeliered dome in the Duke’s restaurant saw both manners and etiquette in keeping with the opulent surroundings observed by all, before the short drive over IKB’s Tamar Bridge saw us enter Cornwall for a couple of hours.
Chamberlain (3), Smith (4), Liggett and Clifford were all on target in a big win against our very pleasant hosts from Saltash, with a second pub lunch to follow.
Back on the M5 and a comfort break at Gordano featured a variety of sustenance from KFC to the Subway health-mongers, from the WH Smith sweet shelves to Mclean’s cuppa tea.
How much can you fit into 34 hours? Around 300 miles of travel, two footie matches, two service stops, two pub lunches, swimming / diving / sliding / washing, ten-pin bowling, amusement arcade-ing, a night in a very nice hotel, the Tamar Bridge, a visit to Cornwall and a couple of hours at the Wrigley’s factory. Now there’s a list worth chewing over.
Gloucester: Moroney; Lynam, Lawson, Mclean, Blackburn, Clifford, Jones, Liggett, Wilkes, Smith, Blacker, Chamberlain.
140 miles, two Gregg’s bacon rolls, a black coffee and three hours after departing our fair city, the battle bus pulled in to the Wrigley’s Stadium, its inhabitants primed and ready for the task ahead.
Plymouth though had other ideas, their team having serious designs on reversing the season’s earlier result at Longlevens, and with the slope in their favour, attacked from the off. With the obdurate Mclean well backed up by Lawson and Lynam and a hard-working midfield in the way however, the hosts, for all their enterprising interplay managed only a single real effort on target during the first half. Unfortunately for the visitors it counted, Kingdom’s header after his first effort had struck the bar, giving the Greens a 20th minute lead.
The city side pushed forward immediately the second period began and there were half chances for both Wilkes and Blacker before Plymouth broke and extended their advantage thanks to a fine finish from Lidstone, in off the back stick.
Back came Gloucester and Blacker reacted well to convert Liggett’s knock into the box – a real striker’s goal.
With the game now in the balance, two incidents turned it completely Plymouth’s way. Firstly Liggett played in Blacker but the keeper was out quickly to smother the threat, then at the other end Smith’s effort took a deflection and, with seven minutes left on the clock, possible parity had turned into a two-goal deficit.
Let’s be honest though. A similar sequence of events worked for us in our previous outing at Woking, so let’s not weep for long. Two cheap goals in the dying minutes did initiate the odd tear or two however, as they gave the eventual scoreline a pretty lopsided look – but 5-1 is 5-1, cheap goals or not. On we go.
Dennis apart, the Rising Sun pub lunch was eagerly consumed, with an afternoon in the pool at the Plymouth Life Centre on the ‘as soon as you finish’ horizon.
At the city’s premier leisure centre, Lynam treated the spectators to some Daley-esque back spins from the top board, while Mclean depressed both onlookers with some Peter Kay-like bombs. Blacker meanwhile washed his dirty knees in the shallow end.
Ten-Pin saw Gloucester, comfortably in the end following an early wobble, retain the Bowling Culendar with an 83-pin victory and following an extended foray around the amusement arcade which included screams in the Zombie box, the Duke of Cornwall hosted Match of the Day, lights out and a dozen serious sleeps.
Breakfast beneath the chandeliered dome in the Duke’s restaurant saw both manners and etiquette in keeping with the opulent surroundings observed by all, before the short drive over IKB’s Tamar Bridge saw us enter Cornwall for a couple of hours.
Chamberlain (3), Smith (4), Liggett and Clifford were all on target in a big win against our very pleasant hosts from Saltash, with a second pub lunch to follow.
Back on the M5 and a comfort break at Gordano featured a variety of sustenance from KFC to the Subway health-mongers, from the WH Smith sweet shelves to Mclean’s cuppa tea.
How much can you fit into 34 hours? Around 300 miles of travel, two footie matches, two service stops, two pub lunches, swimming / diving / sliding / washing, ten-pin bowling, amusement arcade-ing, a night in a very nice hotel, the Tamar Bridge, a visit to Cornwall and a couple of hours at the Wrigley’s factory. Now there’s a list worth chewing over.
Gloucester: Moroney; Lynam, Lawson, Mclean, Blackburn, Clifford, Jones, Liggett, Wilkes, Smith, Blacker, Chamberlain.
