Paradise (nearly) lost but then Paradise regained

Milton United 2 – Penn & Tylers Green FC 4

On the Milton theme again, what better headline than the two of John Milton’s many works quoted above. Paradise seemed definitely lost after 20 minutes when Milton (the opposition of today – not the poet and politician) were winning the game two nil.

Skipper Sepede leads out the team

The contents of the hipflask provided by our Chairman did not seem to make any difference to the mood of our supporters up till then. We do not know why but our boys, playing in red socks today, did not turn up for the beginning of the first half. They might as well have stayed in the changing rooms for 20 minutes, summed up as follows:

Paradise Lost

The handshake before the match

1 min: Kick off

3 mins: Penn & Tylers Green FC corner. Cleared no danger

5 mins: Too easy to get into box Matt Cannings saves well and rebound cleared

10 mins: After quiet spell, bit of indecision but Cannings clears well

13 mins: Too easy for Milton. Simple ball out to the right, cross, looping header by Milton’s Number 9 over Matt Cannings. 1:0 to Milton

15 mins: Their Number 8 runs through unchallenged and slots home from edge of box

20 mins: Great goal saving tackle by Dean Munday

Paradise Regained

25 mins: Jamie Hunt gets a good through ball and like all good strikers wins a penalty (for the avoidance of any doubt – it was a stonewall penalty). Chris Hurst tucks it in bottom right corner. 2:1 and Penn & Tylers Green FC back in it after awful start

Hat trick hero and man of the match

28 mins: Good work in the corner from Rino Sepede battles into box and ball falls for Chris Hurst whose shot is well saved by keeper

34 mins: Good pass from Aiden Taylor to James Louison who finds Rino Sepede in the box who shoots and their keeper saves from close range for a corner

41 mins: Quiet spell in a game which Penn & Tylers Green FC have taken control of

45 mins: Game peters out to half time. Controversy due to one opposition player doing what no one should do on a football pitch (that is enough on this topic). Penn & Tylers Green FC came back into game well; they should have been level by now

Half time Milton United 2 – Penn & Tylers Green FC 1

46 min: Penn & Tylers Green FC start well. Gary Crick’s shot well saved by their keeper

47 min: Three Penn & Tylers Green FC corners. Scrambles and eventually cleared. Good start

49 mins: Penn & Tylers Green FC still dominant

52 mins: Still all Penn & Tylers Green FC but no end product yet

56 mins: At last, the long overdue equaliser. James Louison hits a cross from edge of box which Chris Hurst gambles on and scores from eight yards

59 mins: Penn & Tylers Green FC switch off for one minute and Matt Cannings makes a great save

66 mins: The deserved lead, Gary Crick feeds Chris Hurst on edge who takes a touch and puts it bottom right

68 mins: Penn & Tylers Green FC corner. Now the moment anyone pays entrance money for, Dean Munday sealed the game with an Uwe Seeler style towering back post header into the top right corner – 4:2

The one and only Uwe Seeler

72 mins: Penn & Tylers Green FC are comfortable

78 mins: Great pass, Luke Cohen through and his hard angle good shot just goes wide

80 mins: Great one-two between Adam Weedon and Luke Cohen, unfortunately Adam Weedon scuffs it to the keeper

85 mins: Milton United get a free kick in good position but the boys defended well

88 mins: Penn & Tylers Green FC still doing well. Comfortable and a 5:2 is more likely than a 4:3

Dean Munday - Scoring like Uwe Seeler

90 mins: Luke Cohen causing havoc and wins a free kick which their keeper saves well. This is followed by the final whistle

This was a good performance by the boys in blue & white (well….and red socks) for 70 minutes. Good to be back on winning ways.

Let’s finish with a quote from Milton’s Paradise Regained “Whom well inspir’d the oracle pronounc’d Wisest of men”. Enough said; that is what happened on the pitch today.

John Milton

Now our professional players with all the clubs on lucrative television deals have a day to recover after the New Year’s celebrations to play away against our friends from the other side of the Chilterns, Chinnor on Monday afternoon in the next league encounter. Happy New Year to all of you.

Man of the match: Chris Hurst

Match report by Conor Latta (Youth Team and A-Team Goal Keeper) and Andreas Latta (Secretary)