Mens 2s vs Blueharts 4

Letchworth Men’s 2nd XI 1–1 Blueharts 4th XI

Another Day, Another Overlooked Employee

Letchworth Men’s 2nd XI went into this local derby looking to build on last week’s strong defensive performance. For Gentry, however, it was simply another day at the office: turn up, do the work, take responsibility, deliver results and hope that, one day, management might finally notice.

The away side started the better of the two teams, pressing Letchworth and moving the ball quickly from defence into attack. Letchworth absorbed the early pressure, helped enormously by debutant goalkeeper Joe Reed, who produced an excellent performance deservedly winning the MoM award and immediately demonstrated that perhaps the recruitment department does occasionally get something right.

The Letchworth back line of Gentry, Albon, Kiff, Burnell and Parhar gradually took a firmer grip on proceedings, dictating the tempo and allowing the midfield to move higher and create attacking opportunities.

At the heart of it all was Gentry, quietly getting on with the job without fuss or recognition. Defensive organisation? Done. Aerial distribution? Done. Release of pressure? Done. General firefighting? Done.

Recognition? Apparently not.

The first half became a game of attrition, with neither side managing to trouble the scoreboard. A fairly accurate representation of the modern workplace, where those doing the most often seem to receive the least recognition.

The second half continued in much the same fashion, with Blueharts arguably the more progressive side. Once again, the Letchworth defence held firm, with Gentry’s quarterback-style aerial dominance providing some much-needed relief from the pressure.

Then came the inevitable.

Penalty corner.

Gentry stepped forward and unleashed another rocket-like flick, the Blueharts goal keeper was lucky to still have his hand!

1–0 Letchworth.

Another result delivered. Another box ticked.

Will it lead to promotion?

Don’t be ridiculous.

With Letchworth pushing for a second and Blueharts searching desperately for an equaliser, the game opened up.

A slightly misplaced aerial from Gentry kept the crowd entertained and, in a remarkable example of corporate accountability, resulted in him being awarded the prestigious D*D award.

Because apparently one mistake outweighs all the things you’ve done correctly.

An over-zealous shoulder then earned captain Dave Ribchester a green card and a two-minute enforced break. Even senior management occasionally need to step away from the office.

Thankfully, Ribchester duly served his time and returned to the field, ready to resume his leadership duties and presumably take responsibility for whatever went wrong next.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Blueharts found the space they needed. A few too many turnovers in midfield and some slightly slow closing down allowed the visitors to work the ball into the D, where three Blueharts players were waiting patiently on the back post.

A tap-in followed.

1–1.

Ribchester was back on the pitch, but apparently his return to senior management wasn’t enough to prevent the inevitable.

The equaliser was ultimately a fair reflection of the game, with neither side able to claim complete control.

Then, with the clock ticking towards the final two minutes, veteran Jon Oliver decided that if the younger members of the workforce weren’t going to finish the job, perhaps it was time for experience to step up.

Oliver burst into the D with purpose, sending the expectant crowd into a state of delirium. The collective assumption was that the veteran had finally produced the moment of inspiration that would secure all three points.

The crowd waited.

The net waited.

The opposition goalkeeper waited.

And then came the shot.

A wonderfully optimistic bobbler rolled agonisingly wide of the right-hand post.

The net remained intact.

The crowd remained frustrated.

And Jon Oliver was left to reflect on what could have been — although, to be fair, at his age it was impressive enough that he had made it into the D in the first place.

The final whistle followed shortly afterwards.

1–1.

There were plenty of positives for Letchworth: another strong defensive display, an excellent debut for Joe Reed. some tireless running from George, Leon and Ben, and the continuation of the team’s 100% penalty-corner conversion rate.

And then there was Gentry.

Doing the job.

Taking the responsibility.

Launching the aerials.

Scoring the goal.

Taking the blame.

Receiving the D*D.

And still waiting for the recognition.

And sincere apologies to the Smith-Muire family, who came perilously close to being collateral damage.

Final score: Letchworth 1–1 Blueharts

Employee of the match? Probably not. Promotion? Certainly not. Recognition? Let’s not get carried away.