Five goals and a shin pad

Prescot Cables' game against Padiham at the weekend was one we had to win. Our visitors have not had a good start to the season, and are below us in the table, and we needed to end a string of defeats.

I continued my experiment from the previous week of working without a lens filter. I did not see any dramatic changes: the pictures seemed a bit washed out straight off the camera, but it was an overcast day, so that was only to be expected, and enhancing the lighting on the computer sorted that out. With five goals for us and one for the opposition, I did not do very well capturing them, but that will not have been down to filters.

Mason Ryan wasted no time in opening the scoring: not only I not capture the goal, I did not get a decent picture of him until some minutes later.

Mason Ryan

Next, Jack Phillips, of whom more later, was brought down for a penalty. Rob Doran stepped up to take it with his usual unflappable demeanour

Rob Doran prepares to take a penalty

The need for a second goal of which Neil Prince spoke a couple of weeks ago became apparent at the beginning of the second half, when we conceded a penalty, converted by former Blackpool, Southampton and Preston North End player Brett Ormerod. The game remained fairly even until Neil Prince brought on Sam Corlett and himself. A ball from Sam found Jack Phillips who shot from just outside the area. I was in front of the tea bar, and in the wrong position to catch this - a three quarter shot from behind only works if you can see what the player is aiming at (particularly the goalkeeper preparing for a save).

Jack was also involved in a You are the Ref moment, when he lost a shin pad, and naturally carried on playing. I understand the problem keeping them in place, I can walk 100 yards to the bus stop in long socks and wonder why I have cold ankles when I get there, although I do not wear shin pads, even on the 10A. The assistant referee flagged vigorously, explaining, to the mirth of those in earshot, that it was an indirect free kick for attempting to play the ball whilst not wearing the correct equipment. The referee did not look convinced, but restarted play in this manner, whilst Jack retrieved the offending shin pad. I trotted off to consult my refereeing pharmacologist friend James, who was standing behind the goal. The light was good enough to get a few pictures whilst I was there.

Sam Corlett

He had not noticed what the free kick was for, and thought it was like a question on the referees' examinations. Technology puts the Laws of the Game a couple of taps away, so we consulted. The only related free kick is for failing to leave the field to rectify equipment when instructed to do so or continuing to wear unauthorised clothing after being instructed to remove it: for missing items, play need not be stopped. However, if a player is instructed to leave the field in a break in play, he is out of action until the next break, unlike treatment for an injury, where the referee can permit him to return as soon as play has restarted.

Jack Phillips

It is often said that when your luck is out, it is properly out, and this was the case for the visitors, when they conceded an own goal. I do not as a rule include pictures in that situation, I concentrate on our own players (which can include coming off better in a challenge or outwitting the opposition), and dog shots are reserved for opposition players who have been particularly annoying.

In the final kick of the game, Andy Griffiths made the result complete with a long range shot that bounced off the upright and went in.

Andy Griffiths

This was a morale boosting win, opening up a gap over a team below us, and helping with our goal difference, which is significantly better than most of the teams around us. When you and your friends are being pursued by a bear, you do not need to run faster than the bear, you just need to run faster than your friends.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 5 (Ryan, Doran pen, Phillips, Own Goal, Griffiths), Padiham 1