Old Cholmeleians - League (H)

​

LOBs 6–4 Old Cholmeleians

 

The night before had been spent debating who should play where, but with Will Bainbridge making the trip down the M1 from Leeds and confidently volunteering to lead the line, the skipper stood firm: Will would start up front. That settled, the LOBs arrived at Tolworth in unusually good spirits, helped by the rare luxury of the kit being ready on arrival.

 

A gusty November afternoon greeted both teams, the south-coast wind suiting the LOBs far more than their North London visitors. The Old Cholmeleians, bringing a scratch eleven, nevertheless began as though they’d been training all week. After just ten minutes, their centre-mid toe-poked a shot through an array of lobster claws and into the bottom corner. 1–0.

 

The LOBs immediately responded. Will Bainbridge was found in the box and promptly wiped out by the keeper. Penalty. Up stepped the skipper, calmness personified, and slotted home. It would be the second calmest moment of Frankie’s afternoon. 1–1.

 

Momentum swung as the LOBs pressed relentlessly. Frankie, Will Honychurch, Luke and Will Bainbridge piled forward. A loose ball dropped to Frankie some 40 yards out; he took one look and curled it first time over the stranded keeper. One of the finest LOBs goals in 15 years. Five minutes later, he was back to slicing the ball in half. Minutes later, Luke burst forward and drilled into the bottom corner. 3–1. Pandemonium. The LOBs might have had more before the break.

 

Cholms came out fighting. A scrambled corner brought them back to 3–2, and minutes later a sweeping team move levelled the score. 3–3. The LOBs needed to come out of their shells fast. From a corner, Frankie delivered, and Luke Davie smashed home a thunderous finish into the roof of the net. 4–3. Moments later, Will Bainbridge produced a touch of class to make it 5–3.

 

Then came the moment Steven Crosby decided he was David Luiz, attempting a Cruyff turn (he maintains it was a drag-back) 20 yards from goal. Possession lost. A reminder that even with a combined age of 66 at centre-half, complacency was not an option.

 

As if scripted, Frankie then succeeded in annoying every single Cholms player. Cholms launched a hopeful ball toward our left back who had been excellent until his attempted clearance caught the wind and sailed cruelly over the keeper. 5–4.

 

Yet panic is not in the LOBs DNA. We scuttled, regrouped, and with ten minutes remaining Luke countered brilliantly to put the game to bed. LOBs win 6–4.

 

Honourable mentions go to Bradley in goal for several vital saves, Ryan and Crosby at the back, Luke for two composed finishes (one achieved while wearing someone else’s boot), and Will Bainbridge, exactly the kind of target man the LOBs have dreamed of since Demi. Honychurch was everywhere, and Frankie contributed two superb goals. Man of the Match: Wilfred - though in truth, several others could have easily taken it.

 

Oh, and Cholms went down to ten men after 65 minutes - though that feels like a minor detail in a 10-goal thriller.

​

Wilf