After a disappointing previous outing from the boys in Purple, you would expect the teamer responses for this weeks trip to Croydon to be coming in thick, fast and green. Unfortunately, some weekend revision, a Mexico-based pun and a game day cry off meant a full 90 would be required from the each of the starting XI.

Old Tiffs started the game brightly, knocking the ball confidently around the sloped pitch. A tight opening half ensued, with a few half chances and shots from distance, but nothing to trouble the Whitgift keeper too much. The oppo were pinned back, relying mostly on push-in-the-back fouls to create their own opportunities at goal. A sin-bin offense late on in the half, and followed by an exquisite indirect free-kick routine, meant Tiffs would be starting the second 45 with a 1 man advantage.

A half time team talk about applying the pressure, pushing high and making use of the extra man went out the window almost instantly, as a breakaway goal left the Purps 1-0 down. And 2nd followed shortly after, and this seemed to trigger the Tiffs self-destruct mechanism, as tempers became short and tackles became late. There were lunges from Sadler, handbags from Sammarco and nibbling from Owusu-Adu. Seeing these battles all over the pitch, you could forgive the match official for feeling like he was missing out on all the fun, at which point he decided to up his involvement.

Clearly growing tired of the traditional rules of the beautiful game, the man in black decided to start offering corners upon request and applying the totting up process for persistent fouling to entire teams rather than individual players, resulting in a booking for Jordan after a mild challenge on the half-way line. Determined to show what a real bookable offense looks like, Owusu-Adu clattered an opposition winger down just outside the Tiffs penalty area, with the subsequent free-kick leading to the home side taking a 3-0 advantage.

T’s looked as if they had got themselves back in the game at 3-1 thanks to a handsome long range effort from the equally handsome Ala(r)n. The Purps rallyed and applied serious pressure to the opposition defense, and a late comeback looked as if it could be on the cards. This was until a playful bit of sarcasm from Hucks was taken as a personal attack by the referee, awarding an indirect free-kick to Whitgift and a sin-bin to the offender. The resulting free-kick ended up in the back of the net, and the game seemed good as gone.

A 4-1 defeat for the not-so-good guys. Post-match pasta was eaten, Guinness was drunk (to very specific markers) and hefty fines were dished out, as the boys hope to get back to winning ways next week against Glyn.