Valence welcomed Blackheath to a sunny Prep school pitch this weekend. With Dicky Turnill absent, captain Whitmill had a selection dilemma, being unsure who to bench this week instead. Andy Barr drew the short straw this week, but hopefully Dicky will be back next weekend to take his rightful seat.
As for the game, Valence started very strongly. Kevin Kirkham and Andy Turnill reunited up front for the first time in years, and were running the Blackheath defence as ragged as Andy’s thinning hair. It didn’t take long for the two to combine, with Andy deflecting home Kevin’s reverse shot. That one goal lead swiftly became three, with two near identical short corner finishes into the bottom corner from Kevin. Blackheath didn’t know what had hit them, but to their credit they regrouped, came into the game and play evened out. As the half went on, Valence started to tire, and Blackheath moved into the ascendancy. First, they got a goal back from a short corner and then, just before the half time whistle, thought they’d got it back to 3-2 in a goal mouth scramble, only for the goal to be chalked off for a back stick in the melee.
Into the second half, and initially Blackheath stayed slightly on top. They had another goal disallowed, this time from a short corner, after the ball had not left the circle, and while this decision was correct, it did cause the game to start to bubble. It then finally boiled over when Andy Turnill made it 4-1 from a short corner. Unfortunately, as his flick sailed into the top corner, a whistle from the nearby netball court apparently distracted the Blackheath defenders and caused them to stop. By this time they felt like the world was against them, and it was hard not to feel a little sympathy. To their credit, they probably kept their tempers better than our other long reincarnated pairing of Chris Johnson and Chris Back, who spent much of the second half rekindling their 2000s relationship of Back giving ‘advice’ to Johnson, and Johnson promptly getting very upset by it.
Once all the toys, from players on both sides, were back in their prams, the rest of the game turned into a competition between Kirkham and Turnill, as they battled to get to their hattrick first, and maybe their good interplay of the first half suffered a little as a consequence. Kevin Kirkham did finally reach that milestone, as on a breakaway he found himself one on one with the keeper, did his best to mess it up, but just about sneaked the ball past him. There was just enough time for Stewart Young, in the Valence goal, to break Blackheath’s hearts one last time with a fantastic save low to the corner.
So, the game was won, ending a run of defeats, and some fine beer was enjoyed at the QH. Blackheath were not keen on joining in, but Valence were comforted by the double portions of sausage, chips and beans, and watched as Scotland had their annual Arsenal-esque “the difference between hopes and dreams” moment of realisation. To continue the 2000/2010s theme, there was much discussion on how “We’ll be a great Vets team in 5 years”, until it was realised we are that, with the entire team over 40 (though maybe “great” is pushing it). Yet another reason to get young gun Dicky back for bench duty.

Goals: Andy Turnill (2); Kevin Kirkham (3)

MoM: Mark Whitmill sneaking it from Kevin – rock solid once again at centre back. Steve Parker who?!

Team: Stewart Young, Chris Johnson, Chris Back, Mark Whitmill, Russell Blanchard, Rob Bray, Tom Willson, Ben Tragett, Andy Barr, Chris Stille, Andy Turnill, Kevin Kirkham.
Umpires: Iain Simmons; Lewis Mitchell

Match Report by Tom Willson.

The 2nd Xl’s game next week will be away at 12.30 against Folkestone Optimist 3rd Xl.