ESPSDadsFC

The home of the original and still the genuine ESPS’s Dads’ football team. #toolate We’re not savages WWSS

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

A disappointing result despite a great performance which just goes to show that when opportunity knocks you can either grab it or get punched in the face. Sadly by the end of the night it very much felt like the latter for at least half the team. We’ll be back

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

There was an air of inevitability about what happened next, a long ball wasn’t dealt with, the ball falling to the centre forward and just like that we were 4 3 down not 4 3 up, on such tight margins are tour legends made

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

Astonishingly the ball passed him by and with it went our chances of glory. “Nuts” shouted an exasperated £Apprentice from the sidelines although it was not clear whether he was commenting on the miss or just trying to start the post match games early

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

And then the sliding doors moment, concerted pressure led to a delightful cross from the right travelled along the six yard line where 🐧 stood in acres of space. Any sort of touch would have been enough to score, literally any, really just any touch, just get your head on it

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

With the ref making increasingly erratic decisions (probably because he covered the same amount of ground as a former manager and as he didn’t have the requisite eyes in the back of his head) we pressed on in search of a potential winner

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

But not to be deterred we battled back and Morgue Man capitalised on a goal keeping error to bring us back level and we began to dream of a historic win

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

As old age, general lack of fitness and a lack of a functioning bench began to take its toll on your plucky heroes the opposition took the lead as Amazon - by now playing in goal with the Phoenix having moved to centre half - was beaten

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

ESPS played the second half into an ever strengthening wind which resident meteorologist Dickens had assured us would have subsided by now

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

The lead wasn’t to last long however as defensive indecision led to an equaliser just before half time but being all square at the break was better than expected and an improvement on previous trips

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

Better was to follow as 🏑man solidified his position as the seasons leading scorer by curling home from outside the box to put us into the lead for the first time ever against the Esteponians

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

However you don’t go a year without defeat by not being resilient and slowly we began to string some passes together demonstrating once again that we’re a better side sober and so it was a fair reflection of the game when 🏑Man bundled home from a cross

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

It was, therefore, not part of the master plan for us to go one down inside five minutes as 🍆Man channelled his inner Subbuteo by trying to play out from the back before laying it on a plate for the opposition centre forward

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

ESPS took our year long unbeaten run to the hills above Estepona, Spain on a sunny evening buoyed by a rousing team talk from 🐧 which can be condensed down to high line high risk high reward and don’t concede early

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

However I do know that it’s a privilege to be able to write this report and I am privileged to be able to do so from my privileged position as head of social media

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

“Recollections may vary” as the late Queen said although it seems unlikely that she was trying to write a match report 36 hours after the game and when the intervening hours had been spent consuming rose, limoncello and being punched in the face

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

Starting lineup

Phoenix

Bouncer
🍆Man
Dickens
£Apprentice

Correspondent
🏑man

🐧

Too Late
Morgue Man
Amazon

Subs

🎱
1 Touch

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

Sorry 40!

[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

The exciting news for all 35 of you is that you can follow us on our full range of social media platforms

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[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

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[ESPSDadsFC @espsdadsfc]

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