This Easter Monday, VV Rietmolen turns Scottish with a truly magnificent Manic Monday. Unfortunately, the boys in blue are not able to put the icing on the cake with a victory over runner-up SV Delden. After a 1-2 halftime score, Rietmolen start the second half with a fierce hunt for the equaliser. They get their share of chances but refuse to level up. After a sudden 1-3, Rietmolen’s resistance is broken and Delden are able to put in two more to settle for a 1-5 final score.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Super Sunday has turned into Manic Monday at Rietmolen football club this Easter Monday! For today’s edition, this yearly recurring holiday features Scotland as main inspiration, the free-spirited nation in the north of the UK that strives for independence, in many ways much like Rietmolen itself. Even the blue and white national colours look alike, so it is an obvious choice. Accordingly, the infamous Jean le Tieb match report for once, not in Scottish Gaelic which would be nigh on impossible to comprehend, but in the Queen’s English, that will do as well. The day is already well underway when Rietmolen 1 kicks off its match against the lads from Delden. All other Rietmolen squads have already completed their matches with varying results and players and relatives gather in the clubhouse to enjoy the festivities. Rietmolen 3 stole the show, appearing in full Scottish kilts, only to lose 3-0 to HSC’21. No kilts for Rietmolen 1, but instead new shorts have come in to top off the new shirts that are already worn for a couple of weeks now and, we must say, the combination certainly looks the part.
Today’s opponents Delden delivered an extraordinary performance last week, beating the VIOS bison 5 to 1 on home turf and capturing second place along the way. After the Covid-19 resumption, Delden only lost to Markelo, who top the tables the entire season, and drawn the Twickel derby against Red-Black. The rest of it was one big winning streak, including the victory over Rietmolen earlier this year under truly appalling weather conditions. It was raining cats and dogs, with a stormy wind right in the face. Almost as stormy as Delden’s offensive intentions, bravely resisted by the boys in blue right up to the dying seconds, when a last Delden attack resulted in a 1-0 blow.
The players enter the pitch under the rather annoying tunes of a bagpiper, but hey, it adds to the atmosphere, sort of. After referee Menkehorst blows that other whistle, Delden start aggressively with a lot of forward pressure, but fail to produce anything more than some shots from outside the box, most of which flying way high. Within the first ten minutes, Rietmolen also produce an opportunity when right winger Harm Vogt gets a chance at a shot close to target, but he mishits completely. Halfway the first half, Delden reward their offensive intentions with the opening goal. A quick breakout is finished off with an exquisite lob over goalkeeper Niels Bouwman by one of the Wold brothers, Sven in this case. Only a few minutes later, a nice cross pass is converted into a goal by Delden quarreller Jesse Beukert: 0-2. They all fly in a bit too easy at Rietmolen’s side. But the boys in blue do not give up, Scots never give up. And so it happens that suddenly a swift Rietmolen attack across the right wing results in a swing-in pass from wingback Frank Geerdink, which just misses striker Sander te Rietmole, but it is wing player Justin Bomers who is quick to respond and he delivers a nice assist back to Sander who only needs to give it a final tap: 1-2 and we are back in the game. The first half ends with a nasty incident. It is goal scorer Jesse Beukert, who has been looking for trouble for a while, who delivers a foot-first blow hitting Frank in the chest area. Rumour has it that it was some sort of payback for something that happened earlier. Frank goes down and is in agony. Strangely, ref Menkehorst only pulls out a yellow card. The entire Scotland thing must have made him believe to apply Scottish standards as well today. One must suffer decapitation or severed limbs before a referee might consider a red card. That sort of thing.
During half-time, Beukert is wisely left behind in the dressing room by Delden manager Rob Bakker as he would have gotten red sooner or later. Rietmolen manager André Oosten also takes action; Karsten ter Braak stays behind and is replaced by attacking midfielder Job Vogt. Job obviously brings new energy to the team, resulting in a fresher looking Rietmolen right from the whistle. In this phase, Rietmolen certainly have the upper hand, but are not able to convert this, as always, in goals. Right away there is an opportunity for Sander who fails to fire a shot. A Frank Geerdink trebuchet-like throw-in leaves Job to scratch the ball with the top of his head, steering it only inches wide. Minutes later, his brother Harm also shoots wide after an assist from Sander. A Delden header hits the top of the crossbar before Rietmolen captain Twan Tenhagen allows Niels te Lintelo to fire a shot from close range, but it is too weak. Four big chances within fifteen minutes but no goals. It has been the problem all year, together with conceding goals too easily. Such happens in the 61st minute, when a quick Delden outbreak results in 1-3 and a new two goal margin. Another nail in Rietmolen’s coffin, because after that, the home team’s urge is slowly fading away. The match seems played and nothing much is happening. Harm is harmed with a knee injury and is replaced by Wouter te Rietmole, and Joren Vrielink suffers from asthma under the hot conditions and is replaced by Mees Geerdink. The final phase of the match shows a weary Rietmolen, allowing Delden to put in some more goals. 89th minute, a big mistake in the blue defensive lines leaves Delden an easy counter opportunity: 1-4. And then in the nick of time, when everyone is longing for the clubhouse, another dreadful mistake makes way for Sven Wold once again to leave Rietmolen an even bigger loss: 1-5.
No, not the best of matches we have seen from the boys in blue. Certainly not on Super Sunday, or Manic Monday as you wish, when Rietmolen usually is able to crank it up a notch. Not today. The party in the clubhouse, in the meanwhile, does not seem to suffer at all from the flagship’s poor performance. The crowd goes absolutely bonkers. Piles of beer crates go through the roof, literally, and so do beer sales. Hopefully, alcohol levels are back down again next week, when Diepenheim is our opponent. Important match, be there!
Scottish greetings and see you then,
John Mac Tieb