Quite a nippy afternoon with a brisk cool breeze drying out the pitch which was heavy but free of puddles. Nice to see my old mate Rob again, he always brings Lucozade Sport Isotonic for energy and jammy dodgers for fun.
Also present, John, the referee from Pewsey last week. His game at Trowbridge was off and he was kind enough to provide transport for his 'oppo when his car broke down. SO..todays ref knows all about me eh! Could be another cheeky afternoon.
Of course, first thing the youngster wants to do is "warm up", so, off I go again jogging round the f.o.p. at my age. Wear the old 'uns out first!
Vale got us started and as we suspected these two mid-table outfits are evenly matched. They also know each other and the ref had to keep the lid on any flashpoints.
The football was a mix of skill, speed and brute force with plenty of action in favour of Pewsey playing down the slope. The Purton goal was charmed and Vale hit everything but the back of the net. The defence was determined but only occasionally could they get the ball to the forwards. There were not enough front players to retain the ball for long.
Purton did manage a couple of sudden attacks on the break to scare the visiting keeper, but he was good enough to keep the ball out of the net.
If there is a good time to score it must be just before half time (or just before the final whistle) because the opposition hasn't got the opportunity of hitting back straight away. And Vale netted on 45mins on my watch. The ref allowed a restart before we went in for a cuppa with Pewsey on a high.
After the break Purton added an attacker for playing down the slope. With good use of the wide men thay penned Vale back. The ref cautioned a Purton player for a silly tackle and they all settled down to play.
Purton then got the equaliser they were looking for after 9mins. Pewsey switched their wide players and decided to go for the long ball out of defence to clear the lines. It worked well enough to prevent the home side from scoring again. Another player fro each side were cautioned for late tackles, and the game finished level with everyone pleased with the result.