by Andrew Tidswell
Elite Sports Academy MD and Holbeach United player
Last week I found myself in a position where I was taking to the pitch for Holbeach United as a goalkeeper.
The bizarre events unfolded as, less than an hour before kick-off, it was confirmed we had no recognised keeper for our tough home fixture against the league’s leading goalscorers in Thurnby Nirvana.
I decided to put myselfforward to do the job in goal for the team as, strangely, it was not my first appearance in goal for the Tigers. That came in a 4-1 victory at home to Deeping Rangers back in 2012. Although this wasn’t a full game in goal, I deputised for the injured Leigh Overton as he hobbled off around the 65th minute mark.
Therefore, being in goal wasn’t completely foreign to me personally – or the loyal Holbeach fans.
Playing as a keeper, you have a completely different outlook on the game – and I did come away with a different perspective of what the team’s number one has to do and deal with.
Sometimes looking back towards goal from my usual position as a striker, things look very different to what is actually happening. The biggest thing that was going through my head for the majority of the game was to not let my team down.
By this I mean that if you make a mistake as a striker, you have ten other players to help you out. Make a mistake as a keeper and, nine times out of ten, it will be a goal.
The long shots from distance that were straight at me were the hardest to deal with, because everyone expects you to save them. But it’s harder than it looks, especially when the ball bounces into you with two opposition strikers bearing down on you.
Even with those pressures and potentially some people waiting for a mistake, I did thoroughly enjoy the match – and for the team to work as hard as they did in front of me, made my life a lot easier. With some of the players having played 90 minutes the night before in the reserves, having four recognised centre backs out injured and captain Jamie Clarke missing, the performance gets even better every time you think about it.
Charley Sanders was outstanding as a lone striker and the young back four really stood strong.
In situations like this, a team’s character is tested and it showed what a good bunch of lads we have at Holbeach. I am a believer that you make your own luck in life and think all the hard work and graft put in by these lads in the game earnt us the luck which shone on us.
Twice the ball ricocheted off the inside of the post and away to safety – and then in the last minute we scrambled one off the line. In other games both of their shots go in off the woodwork.
Will I don the gloves again for Holbeach? Who knows – because I will if I’m called upon. After all, I am undefeated as a UCL keeper!
Not many other people can say that.
