Pionsat’s 2nd XI had won the third division championship at a canter last year. The defence was pretty shaky but the attack was phenomenal and they had swept everyone aside.
So when they ran out onto the pitch for their first match in the 2nd division with 3 or 4 people whom I didn’t recognise, a couple of players who had been in the 3rd XI last season and hadn’t inspired me too much and the star forward playing at centre-half, I had a sense of foreboding.
As for Pontaumur, they had finished 2nd in the second division last season and were unlucky not to win the championship. I’d seen them play Pionsat’s 1st XI in the cup last season and they had made it look easy. So that made my sense of foreboding even worse.
And sure enough, Pontaumur were 3-0 up before Pionsat even touched the ball. It was 6-0 at half-time and the final score – 8-1 – was something of a let-off for Pionsat.
Mind you it could have been worse. Pionsat’s ist XI were playing at Miremont just down the road. Miremont had just pipped Pontaumur for the 2nd Division championship last year and were promoted to the 1st Division. Pionsat scored with the 3rd kick of the game and at half-time they were 8-0 up.
Seeing as how close were the two matches we did suggest that the teams swap games for the second half – the 1st XI coming to Pontaumur and the 2nd XI going to Miremont. The game at Miremont finished with an incredible 12-1 scoreline in favour of Pionsat. And that is unbelievable. I wish I had gone there instead.
Yesterday there was the most incredible coincidence. The highest temperature in my little room was 21.9 degrees. In the attic it was … er … 21.9 degrees. The lowest temperature in my room was 18.6 degrees and in the attic it was … er … 18.6 degrees.
And this morning, in the verandah (which I’m using as the kitchen while I live temporarily in the kitchen) there was a dead mouse. Surely my cooking isn’t as bad as that?
