Clifton FC complete signing before Sporting Santos (Friendly)

With no league fixture this week the Gaffer slipped a friendly fixture in to keep momentum going. With no availability at the home of football the game was played at Eltham town...the boys were meet as normal by the dog from Snatch trying to eat anything that stood still long enough! With a few regulars dropping out with other serious commitments and others just going shopping it gave the opportunity to bring in a few new faces!

Before the game started - the gaffer was bsy completing business and tying up the transfer for Darren. (Darren has played for us in a few other friendly and was aquirred after Andy borought him down for the mamangment to look at). Rumor has it he will be playing in the number 7 shirt next season!

After the 10 minute walk we finally found the pitch..looked like they had found a spare acre of land the night before and then run a mower over it and banged some goals up that morning! After fizzing a few balls round pre match u could see the look of worry on a few faces as that they could be spending the game chasing their own touch!!

Nobby took the warmup and got pretty serious with Scott who wasn't taking the stretching serious enough. Nobby has now put him on report for next week!!

Game finally got under way and it started at a decent pace! Ball was flying about at all angles off both sides like playing with a hand grenade! Soon Len made it 1 nil after a great outside of the boot shot from outside the box!Game was pretty stretched from then on with no side keeping too much pocession! After a bit poor defending they nicked a cheap goal...Champs pulled the pin on Timebomb Oldfield and he went off with 3 weeks of fury..was like mutley with torettes!! We calmed and got back to it,with Dunc flying in,Andy chasing the ball like a dog at the park and Stu nearly pulling his hamstring chasing his first touch and Nobby having a full WWE turnout with their winger! !

They soon made it 2-1 with a decent finish at the near post. Few changes were made and soon Len had the ball in the net again but disallowed. We finished the half the better side and were doing OK.

Couple more switches made and second half started...Darren who had come on late on in first half switched now to the wing was causing problems early! After an early penalty area assault the keeper fumbled the ball over the line but wasn't given. After a long throw from Len Stu nodded home well after a solid week of heading practice but the ball was deemed to have already crossed the line! 2 early goals but none given. After his 6 and final death pass Champs made way for The Skipper to come back on at the back and Andy came off for Nobby the beast!

Game was still scrappy but we had more control and Darren was a great outlet and was always available going forward but worked hard dropping in! Soon like the parting of the waves everything opened up for Hoops he had options left and right but went alone only to strike the ball well wide!

We had some half chances from corners and was the only side that looked like scoring. Champs came back on for Dunc who had by now lost the top layer of skin on his thigh after a series of slide tackles over the flint like mud piles!

Game played out and although was only a friendly and they are higher ranked we felt disappointed not to have turned them over!

Good little work out with good spells of football on a very tough surface. Another friendly next week and hopefully with the same passion and effort!

Another top Saturday.

Come on you Clifton ⚽🍊