M3: Oxford University 1 Reading 6

Oxford University Boys 3s 1 – 6 Reading Mens 3s

A grey autumnal Saturday afternoon in the heart of one of the great academic bastions of the world was the backdrop for a nail-biting early season six-pointer. In dazzling white shirts starting from the Jackdaw Lane end the big, hairy men that comprise the Reading Mens 3s were in good spirits, making their intentions for the game clear from the start with 0% shots on target from the two-on-one pre-match warm-up. The opposition were mere boys, arriving in dribs-and-drabs and looking underfed and pale, puberty barely having taken hold.

The game started slowly, early Oxford attacks repelled with style and panic by the Reading defence. The match-up between Rooke and the diminutive Oxford forward line seemed only to be going in one direction, and was typified early on as, under pressure from the Oxford winger, Rooke stuck his backside out, flinging the poor child half way across the pitch. Ignited by the early self-substitution of Babbage for “playing crap”, Reading slipped effortlessly into 4th gear and scored two goals. The second goal was a beautiful flowing move from defence to attack, rapturously applauded by onlookers, of which there were none.

Comfortably ahead in the game, it was deemed an appropriate moment to get Foster on at left-half. It was clear after 30 seconds that Foster had given everything in an earlier game and whilst inwardly debating whether he could substitute himself after just a minute without a touch of the ball he found himself, dangerously, tracking back into the Reading “D”. Meanwhile, under a melee of sticks and men, a half shot was let off by the Oxford attack and squeezed under Jukes’ pads just off to the left of the goal. The ball, slowed by the semi-save, trickled towards the goal line, each revolution an eternity. Seeing the danger, Foster flopped to the floor in an attempted dive and swished at the treacle-ball on the reverse to clear to safety. Inexplicably, Foster’s stick failed to make contact, the motion of the stick if anything speeding the ball towards its destiny. 1 – 2 and DotD award.

Fearing a Reading collapse, the Oxford keeper generously let-in two more goals in the first half leading to a half time score of 1 – 4.

The second half was comfortable; Barker, Walsh and McCartney dominated the midfield but were occasionally hindered by Babbage and Ansary. Under cruise control, Kimber and Factor 8 Hall, led moves up the pitch with various outcomes, predominantly unsatisfactory. Hamilton and Armitage pulled the Oxford defence this way and that and arguably could have scored hatfuls. As it was, Reading added a fifth goal and then Walsh breezed through the Oxford midfield and defence late on and unleashed a shot from the right edge of the D to make it six. Easy.