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The first XI made the unfamiliar trip to the Old Wulfrunians Memorial Ground for a league game against CPA Smethwick. It was the first time they had played at home since 6th November 2004.
With manager Pete Tipton away on stocktaking duties, Paul Tudor took over the reins and gave his team instructions to pass the ball around and enjoy themselves. They did this for the first four minutes and could have found themselves a goal ahead had Tony Morrison opted to shoot rather than attempt a square pass to strike partner Dean Wright.
On five minutes all well laid plans went out of the window when Dean Wright was harshly sent off following the first tackle of the game. Things almost got a whole lot worse for Wulfs when the resulting free kick was headed just wide of the post.
From this point on it was all about hard graft and sensible counter attacking, a job which the ten remaining players did to perfection. Such was the expertise that Wulfs completed their task that Tony Gallagher, who had arrived ten minutes late to watch the game, hadn't even noticed the one man disadvantage until it was pointed out to him late in the evening. Then again, Gal isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the box since he got struck down by cupid's arrow again.
Wulfs took a deserved lead on twenty-seven minutes when Tony Morrison grabbed a goal that his hard working performance had thoroughly deserved. Liam Evans played a long ball forward and after a defender stretched in vain to cut it out, Tunner ran on to round the keeper before walking the ball into the empty net and then feigning injury to waste a few more precious seconds.
From then on in Wulfs made it as comfortable as could be for the stand-in manager, restricting Smethwick to just one meaningful attempt at goal, a twenty-five yard shot that was tipped over the bar by the faultless Tim Tipton.
The final few minutes saw Smethwick throwing men forward and piling on the pressure but in Simon Hardle, Wulfs had the perfect release valve. Just give him the ball and watch in amusement as five opposition players make fools of themselves while trying to get it off him.
The Lard managed to set up a game clinching chance for substitute Nigel Pearson a couple of minutes from time but Peo, in unfamiliar territory, could only fire high, wide and not very handsome.
Final score: Old Wulfrunians 1 CPA Smethwick 0.
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