ETHIOPIAN FOOTBALL MATCH REPORT
HALLIFORD SCHOOL VERSUS EDIGET FELEG FOOTBALL MATCH
GONDER, WEDNESDAY 22ND OCTOBER
On the afternoon of Wednesday the 22nd October Halliford School Occasionals played a hard fought away match against Ediget Feleg Secondary School, Gondar, Ethiopia. The Ediget Feleg team played in a smart yellow strip; the only uniform feature of the Occasionals strip was limited to a red bandana acquired in the local market that morning. The match was played on a pitch that was nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. The pitch contained as many rocks and stones as blades of grass which meant that sliding tackles and intricate passing moves were definitely out. It was going to be a game for the long ball.
The Ediget Feleg team was selected from a school of just under 3,000; the Halliford Occasionals were selected from a party of 15 of whom two were already injured, one was female, one was 60 years old and the most sporting were rugby rather than football players. However, after a brisk warm up session in front of a crowd of nearly 1500 spectators, followed by the usual stirring pre-match team talk given by Mr Gray, our playing coach and captain, and a rugby team squeeze which proved very popular with the crowd, the team entered the match full of confidence.
The opposition won the toss and chose to play into the sun for the first half. A couple of long passes after the kick off saw Halliford receive a free kick some 20 yards from the opposition goal. A Beckham like spot kick from Mr Gray saw Halliford take the lead. This was followed by a long period of pressure on the Halliford goal during which the Headmaster, the Halliford goal keeper, was nearly sent off for accidentally taking out one of the opposition when making a save. Mr Gray was really worried that his football career at Halliford would end, as it had begun, with a sending off. A very solid and physical defence, accompanied by some expert use of the offside trap, was provided by Adam Davies, Matt Flavelle and Adam Watts, ably supported by the powerful and intimidating rugby playing figure of Sean Winsall. This kept Halliford ahead until shortly before half time when a through ball lead to a well taken goal.
With the score 1-1 at half time, and buoyed up by the obligatory inspirational team talk from Mr Gray, Halliford started the second half full of confidence. Unfortunately, a brilliantly taken corner saw Ediget Feleg take the lead. A series of counter-attacks using the long ball were then launched by Halliford with Alex Durrans' dancing feet dazzling the opposition defence, supported by Charlie Davy, the team's playmaker in midfield. These counter-attacks led to Sam Tucker pouncing on a through ball and sweeping past the goalie to even the score. Ediget Feleg returned to the charge, but the midfield domination secured by James Adams and Will Pallot, now supported by Cian Tapp (who had come on as a replacement), and with Mr Gray everywhere, prevented them from scoring until the final minute of the game when an unlucky deflection from one of the defence saw the ball fly past a well and truly ambushed goalkeeper.
The close fought game ended 3-2 to Ediget Feleg with the Halliford Occasionals disappointed, despite what had been a brilliant team effort under difficult circumstances. At the final whistle there was a pitch invasion. The invasion mobbed, not the winning team, but the Halliford players who then found themselves, for the first time in their sporting careers, having to sign their autographs for an enthusiastic crowd. The mobbing was so extensive that the Halliford support team of cameramen Peter Keith and David Truby and team medic, Mrs Cottam had to wait some minutes before being able to join the team.
Goal scorers were Sam Tucker and Mr Gray. Undoubted man of the match was Mr Gray.