Hulk Herridge hounds, hassles and harries Heath

Local derbies are always tough derbies played out in the same locale. Which doesn’t mean they get any easier. I had bad omens about playing a team called Heath on a Heath, but hey, didn’t help Blackheath much.
The visitors were on top from the start, whilst Ash tried to find their legs, having long since given up on the feet. Cometh the hour, cometh the machine, short corner, Rudduck, backboard wincing, 1-0. Then the shackles were off. At least metaphorically.
The next three goals were all fine flowing moves, demonstrating not only “total hockey”, but also how to break on the counter. The first led to a calm finish by Wotherds and the final one tucked away by Peel. The pick though, saw a swift counter before Rudduck picked out PoM Herridge on the back post for a calm tap in.
In amidst all the fun, the defence was as solid as the Aswan Dam, and even when breached, we had George. I liken watching George keep to Neo in the Matrix, it’s like he sees everything so much quicker than us mere mortals and was ready to repel all shots before they had even been fired. Another day, George would be PoM, but Noah got his green on early again, got stuck in, led the attacks and deserved his goal.
Time keeping should be mentioned too, our late comers were saved their blushes by the fact that half the Heath team turned up later than they did. By they, I mean Peel, just him.
I asked a wise man (Dave Ovenall) a long time ago how do you know when it’s time to retire. He said when the day comes, you will just know, you know, which Crash then plagiarised many years later. I think that day maybe here, when the combined age of our two best players is still not the same as my eldest child.
Thanks to clan Coles, clan Herridge, Michael Hurst (great to see you getting better), Hendo for organising us and special thanks to Laurence Ball and Steve Course for umpiring, without whom there would be no game.