[Chief Rum]

July 24, 2002

"That was utter shite!"

Peter was still pissed at what happened, even though what set him off had occurred almost a half hour before.

"Relax, Tenford," his friend William Averby said, patting him on the back. "It's just a friendly."

"Besides, that ref is a ninny, and we all know it," Andy offered.

"I suppose so," Peter said. They were right--it is just a friendly, and that ref had been making odd calls all night.

"I am just satisfied that we came away with another solid performance from the side," Randall Wallace, the fourth member of their crew, said. "That's two D-Two sides now that we stood up to and came away unbeaten."

"True enough," Andy said. "I'll take a scoreless draw against these guys any time."

"It could have been so much more, though," Peter protested. "That shot by Dancy was in!"

"Well, no one is disputing that, Tenford," William said. "The point is the lineman blew his tooter before Dancy got the shot off. Asombang hadn't a saved it from the goal line before giving it off."

"According to the ref!" Peter gruffed. "I didn't see that ball cross the line, and it was a beautiful pass, even if I think 'Bong was aiming for McKenzie on the other side, and not Dancy. Left the Magpies' keeper flat-footed, it did."

"That it did," Andy agreed heartily. "He was rooted. It all would have mattered not a whit if Murray's shot earlier had gone in. He was off tonight, I think--that one should have been in all the way."

"Hell yeah it shoulda!" Randall said. "He had the break, and their keeper broke the wrong way. If he hadn't tailed it too much, it would have been in the back, easy as pie. Instead he missed it wide left."

"Don't be too harsh," Peter said. "He was our savior in the first two friendlies. Notched one against the Posh, and he created the entire scoring chance for us against Bournemouth. If it wasn't--"

"Hey, guys. Look there," Andy interrupted. He had turned back toward the pitch. "Look at the team walking to the clubhouse. Brien is supporting Goodwin,a nd he's limping pretty bad."

Peter turned, a crestfallen look overtaking his features.

"Oh, Heaven's sakes, not another injury to our wingers!" he said. The others reacted similarly, with groans of despair.

"We're short enough as it is on the wing," Randall said. "Inman's gone for the rest of this year. We can't afford to keep taking hits like this."

"Bloody Hell!" Peter swore. "Let's get this blooming friendly schedule over with before the whole team's in medical!"

"There's only one more friendly, the one against Kidderminster in a couple weeks," William said. "Maybe Goodwin's injury is light--two weeks should be enough to set him up right."

"We better hope so," Andy said.