The first Sunday of the Swindon Sunday League season and Jovial Monk have been handed a very tricky opener as they face First Division AFC Walcot in the Knockout Cup. Walcot are traditionally one of the best sides in the Swindon Sunday League setup and despite the game being a home tie, it represents a difficult start for Monk.
For manager Shaun Smith the day started badly. His 20 man squad had already been reduced to 15 for one reason or another, and to make matters worse, one of the 15 available didn't have any boots. It was only 8:45 on match day.
The day didn't get any better either. With an under-strength squad Monk found themselves 3-0 down by half-time. They'd battled hard and matched their opponents at times, but the were set back by Walcot scoring what Shaun described as a "worldie" for their first goal. Walcot kept the pressure up in the second half and Monk, after using up all of the substitutes including their player-manager, sustained an injury to their goalkeeper which meant they finished the match with only 10 men on the pitch.
The final score was 7-0 to Walcot signalling a very swift end to Monk's cup run.
Next week is another week but, with both regular goalkeepers injured, Manager Shaun is expecting to have to play between the sticks himself. The Monks travel to Mannington Rec where they will face AFC Stratton, who got off the mark in the league this Sunday, drawing 3-3 at home to Mario's FC.
Find out next week but, meanwhile, why not go along to support grassroots football?
AFC Stratton v Jovial Monk
Sunday 12 September 2021, 10:30am
Mannington Rec, Pitch 4. Paddington Driver, Swindon, SN5 7YW
Catch up on previous editions:
1. A Sunday In Swindon - Edition 1
For manager Shaun Smith the day started badly. His 20 man squad had already been reduced to 15 for one reason or another, and to make matters worse, one of the 15 available didn't have any boots. It was only 8:45 on match day.
The day didn't get any better either. With an under-strength squad Monk found themselves 3-0 down by half-time. They'd battled hard and matched their opponents at times, but the were set back by Walcot scoring what Shaun described as a "worldie" for their first goal. Walcot kept the pressure up in the second half and Monk, after using up all of the substitutes including their player-manager, sustained an injury to their goalkeeper which meant they finished the match with only 10 men on the pitch.
The final score was 7-0 to Walcot signalling a very swift end to Monk's cup run.
Next week is another week but, with both regular goalkeepers injured, Manager Shaun is expecting to have to play between the sticks himself. The Monks travel to Mannington Rec where they will face AFC Stratton, who got off the mark in the league this Sunday, drawing 3-3 at home to Mario's FC.
- Can Jovial Monk get their league campaign under way?
- Will Shaun need to play in goal?
- Will everyone have boots?
Find out next week but, meanwhile, why not go along to support grassroots football?
AFC Stratton v Jovial Monk
Sunday 12 September 2021, 10:30am
Mannington Rec, Pitch 4. Paddington Driver, Swindon, SN5 7YW
Catch up on previous editions:
1. A Sunday In Swindon - Edition 1
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