Noah
On a plateau named Ararat, one of the seven hills overlooking Aqua Sulis, the rain beat down and the fog descended, but the Gloucester A Squad remained undeterred as they contested the Premier League 9s.
After riding, parking and eventually emerging from the relative comfort of the changing area two-by-two, Plymouth were just edged out in Game One. The decisive moment occurred after seven minutes. Hanlon’s fine pass picked out Adichareh whose drive struck the post, only for the Second Knight to follow up to give the city team the lead.
The Pilgrims gave as good as they got after that and Pargeter, Peirce and Kelly were made to work hard at the back, while Franks was forced into a fine save from Kingdom to preserve his team’s slender advantage.
Game Two resulted in three Gloucester goals before the midpoint, as Bath were quite proverbially sunk. Kelly gleefully volleyed home the First Knight’s corner with his standing foot before Mitchell squared for Knight to convert the city team’s second. The skipper then profited from the Second Knight’s persistence down the left and Gloucester led by three.
Another fine save from Franks ensured a second clean sheet, before an hour’s break spent sheltering in The Ark saw Jaffa cakes consumed and Kit Kats disappear without trace. Those cheap half price chocolate things from Tesco Express proved extremely popular too.
Feeding time over, the team returned to the fray to take on Poole, another appropriately named team, as the heavens opened once more. The First Knight was undeterred however, skipping through and pirouetting in his ballet shoe-like boots before registering his third score of the day after Adichareh’s initial effort had been saved.
Mustoe, Knight and Hanlon continued to make hay down the flanks and it wasn’t long before the lead was doubled, Walters firing home from the edge of the box and Gloucester comfortably saw out the remainder of the game to register their first win.
Miraculously, the rain suddenly cleared and Portsmouth held firm as the sky turned blue to nick the semi final 1-0 with a last minute goal from Evans. Barely sixty seconds earlier Adichareh’s fine strike had been touched on to the bar by the Pompey keeper, but for all their territorial advantage, Gloucester created few other real chances, despite another promising all-round display.
There were a few glum faces at the end, none more so than Moaning Lisa, who set a new record for lowering one’s chin without moving the rest of one’s head and raising one’s bottom lip above the level of one’s runny nose. Lots of positives though from a good event, with everyone surviving the deluge and enjoying the offerings from the burger tent, where Mr & Mrs Noah worked relentlessly throughout both morning and afternoon to appease the increasingly ravenous throng.
There were no medals presented at the end of the day’s proceedings, but if there had been, it’s people like these who should receive them.
Gloucester: Franks; Peirce, Pargeter, Kelly, Hanlon, Mustoe, Walters, First Knight, Second Knight, Shivering Mitchell, Adichareh.
After riding, parking and eventually emerging from the relative comfort of the changing area two-by-two, Plymouth were just edged out in Game One. The decisive moment occurred after seven minutes. Hanlon’s fine pass picked out Adichareh whose drive struck the post, only for the Second Knight to follow up to give the city team the lead.
The Pilgrims gave as good as they got after that and Pargeter, Peirce and Kelly were made to work hard at the back, while Franks was forced into a fine save from Kingdom to preserve his team’s slender advantage.
Game Two resulted in three Gloucester goals before the midpoint, as Bath were quite proverbially sunk. Kelly gleefully volleyed home the First Knight’s corner with his standing foot before Mitchell squared for Knight to convert the city team’s second. The skipper then profited from the Second Knight’s persistence down the left and Gloucester led by three.
Another fine save from Franks ensured a second clean sheet, before an hour’s break spent sheltering in The Ark saw Jaffa cakes consumed and Kit Kats disappear without trace. Those cheap half price chocolate things from Tesco Express proved extremely popular too.
Feeding time over, the team returned to the fray to take on Poole, another appropriately named team, as the heavens opened once more. The First Knight was undeterred however, skipping through and pirouetting in his ballet shoe-like boots before registering his third score of the day after Adichareh’s initial effort had been saved.
Mustoe, Knight and Hanlon continued to make hay down the flanks and it wasn’t long before the lead was doubled, Walters firing home from the edge of the box and Gloucester comfortably saw out the remainder of the game to register their first win.
Miraculously, the rain suddenly cleared and Portsmouth held firm as the sky turned blue to nick the semi final 1-0 with a last minute goal from Evans. Barely sixty seconds earlier Adichareh’s fine strike had been touched on to the bar by the Pompey keeper, but for all their territorial advantage, Gloucester created few other real chances, despite another promising all-round display.
There were a few glum faces at the end, none more so than Moaning Lisa, who set a new record for lowering one’s chin without moving the rest of one’s head and raising one’s bottom lip above the level of one’s runny nose. Lots of positives though from a good event, with everyone surviving the deluge and enjoying the offerings from the burger tent, where Mr & Mrs Noah worked relentlessly throughout both morning and afternoon to appease the increasingly ravenous throng.
There were no medals presented at the end of the day’s proceedings, but if there had been, it’s people like these who should receive them.
Gloucester: Franks; Peirce, Pargeter, Kelly, Hanlon, Mustoe, Walters, First Knight, Second Knight, Shivering Mitchell, Adichareh.
