Plymstock 2 Foxhole 2

[Darin Morse]

Plymstock 2 Foxhole 2

Saturday 22nd November 2008

Saturday was the anniversary of the assassination of John F Kennedy and I admit that I cried on the day he died. I had dirtied my nappy but soon cheered up once mum had changed and breastfed me. (In all the years since, I have yet to find a more agreeable pastime than gently sucking on a lady's tender nipple). Apparently Kennedy foresaw his death but believed so strongly in reincarnation that he left everything to himself in his will. Given his famous fear of heights, it is ironic that he remains the only US president to have been named after an airport. Strangely, his successor Lyndon B Johnson, was scared stiff of widths.

By the time I had settled at my spot on a grassy knoll near the dugouts, Foxhole were two goals up. On seven minutes, Rickard shot across Dent into the corner and, two minutes later, friendly defending allowed Rickard to lob home from 18 yards. But the Foxes' subsequent display was mediocre at best and they had Ryan Holland to thank for escaping with a point after a host of fine saves, including from Francis' twenty-second minute penalty after Adam Holland had tripped Jasper, comfortably Plymstock's best player. Neil Kennedy, no relation to the doomed president, fired a free-kick narrowly wide and also went close with a header, while Jasper skipped around Rowe before flashing a low centre across goal.

Foxhole's performance deteriorated further after the break, although Dent did prevent Rickard completing his hat-trick after a good run and Bromley nodded over Warne's inswinging corner. The introduction of Everard provided Plymstock with added impetus and he twice called Holland into smart action before, on 57, Jasper collected Jones' corner to blast home at the near post.

An equaliser was always likely and it duly arrived with 20 minutes left when Holland failed to hold a bouncing ball under pressure from Ridgway who made no mistake from close range. The Foxes rarely threatened to re-establish the lead, and persisted in lofting aimless passes in the general direction of the disappointing Capeling and the frustrated Rickard. The referee was clearly doing his utmost to keep his cards in his pocket but eventually ran out of patience with Rowe, who was booked for dissent at the death, but there was still time for Holland to brilliantly claw away Harris' firm header to deny the home team a deserved winner.

Foxhole (4-4-2): Ryan Holland 8; Phil Hobbs 6, Lewis Prince 7, Mark Rowe 6, Adam Holland 6; Andrew Butler 5, Kyle Friendship 5 (sub. Liam Nicholls 5), Jason Warne 5, Adam Bromley 5; Carl Rickard 7, Steve Capeling 4.

Plymstock (4-4-2): Jack Dent; Sean Jones, Chris Stoffell, Lewis Young, Sean Byrne; Kevin Francis, Joe Knight, Gary Harding, Neil Kennedy (sub. Duncan Everard); Joe Jasper, Joe Ridgway (sub. Josh Harris).

Referee: Mr Jason Haywood (Dartmouth) 8.

[gas on tour]

Superb Darin