Last week it was good to see the reserves, (a) keep a clean sheet and (b) not lose, could they continue with this form against a high flying Troon, well unfortunately the match was not postponed so this meant the boys would have to do it for real. As with last week the elements tried their hardest to ensure the game would be postponed but fortunately the pitch held true and the game commenced, be it in blustery conditions. The home side began brightly and attacked almost from the kick off using the wind to their advantage and pushed the away side back towards their own goal. Several chances went begging with the Troon keeper making a couple of decent saves from Pirret and Pascoe before the “Bush End” was treated to a spectacular goal from the evergreen Daz “Chopper Harris” Woolcock who caught the ball 30 yards out giving the keeper no chance as it crashed into the top right hand corner. Finally a start the fans had been waiting for and within a few minutes they must have thought that they had died and gone to heaven, when the Troon keeper spilled a swirling cross and Steve Pascoe pounced on the mistake slotting the ball into the net from close range. The Stones continued to press with the away side limited to a couple of half chances which the defence seemed to deal with no problem, it was then that a real miracle occurred as Threemilestones captain Mark “I really do look like Josh from casualty” Woolcock picked the ball up just outside his own penalty box, he strode towards the half way line, it is then that a vision of glory passed over him, as he saw the opponents keeper off his line and with the elegance of one David Beckham launched what could only be said to be a “’Ave Some” ball towards the said keeper, now it must be pointed out that the wind was blowing worse than after having a vindaloo followed by 15 pints night out on the tiles, but the ball managed to find the back of the net! .It is said that the cheers of the home crowd could be heard in Siberia, at last TMS had a healthy lead and not one pig in the sky was to be seen. Come on you Stone’s echoed around Polstain Road, but these decreased when some sloppy marking in the midfield saw Troon release their gazelle like forward who slotted the ball past the oncoming player/manager David Hill to reduce the deficit to two.

The second half saw the away side push forward with the same emphasis the Stone’s had in the first half using the wind to cause a few problems in the home sides defence, however, unlike previous weeks the side must have set their alarm clocks, and didn’t get caught napping but defended stoutly, at the same time reminding the away side that they could still be wounded on the counter attack. With fifteen minutes gone the home side looked comfortable, with this in mind Hill changed the formation to a four four two, to try and kill the game off, Jolly was replaced by Luff and Pascoe was pushed into his natural strikers roll. The game continued to progress with the home side seemingly comfortable with the forwards causing problems for Troon’s defence, then within minutes TMS found themselves floundering like the Titanic after striking an iceberg. Two unprecedented mistakes at the back saw Troon come back from the dead as if they had been resuscitated by an expert paramedic, from three one down to three all in wink of a nats eye. The home crowd groaned and sighed, yet again they had seen their side fall from gracel, but wait, Pascoe burst into the box, a push, the whistle, and a penalty. Polstain Road erupted, the blue and yellows looked like they could be pulled from the abyss. Now when the referee awards a penalty 8 to 9 yards into the box, you do not expect to see him change his mind after the away players remonstrate with him and give a free kick 2 yards out of the box, I think “WHO COULD SHOUT THE LOUDEST” comes to mind. Now I have been accused by a certain bald captain that I mention my name too much when writing these reports, well I am now going to mention it just this once, (although I actually created several chances etc), it was obvious that justice had to be done and Luff provided this with a well executed free kick which he guided into the back of the net with a little help from “fumbles the keeper” between the sticks. It seemed that at last the reserves would pick up the three points they had deserved over the last few games. Hill then made two further substitutions and brought on Butler and Waller to steady the ship, this however didn’t quite happen and like the Titanic the ship slowly sank when Troon managed to score twice in the last 10 minutes of the game, plunging the Stones into the black abyss of defeat once again. The final whistle blew on a game that really the home side should have won, or at least taken a point from. The team performance was excellent as it has been over the last few weeks, surely a win or even a draw must be on the cards soon, but the stats show the Stones are bottom picking up just one point from forty five, hopefully they can pick up forty five points from forty five in the reverse part of the season.

COME ON YOU STONES!

MAN OF THE MATCH: Gavin Counter – ran his socks off for the team.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THE LADS”

Richard Luff