The day was 6th of October, location Villa Football Club Waterford City. Teams were bitter rivals “Looking well” and “Your Mother Well”. End result “looking well” won 5-4. The difference in the end was the 2nd half Goal and the extra man.
On an eve that was bound to produce rivalry, blood, sweat and tears, that is the Tonti Cup, you can bet your money it did all the above. Both teams came and gave it their all but, in the end, there was only one victor and that was “looking well”. They lifted their 2nd trophy (technically the first since the 1st time it was only a mug) of the Tonti Cup. In the end it was a very marginal win by the winning team. The only 2nd half goal seemed to be the decider in the end, which, some may argue that it was only possible due to looking well having an extra man for the 2nd half.
Both teams arrived around 6.30 P.M at the villa grounds and into their shared dressing room where the lads shared a pre-match word exchange. While the cup was also revealed to the crowd.
Game kicked off at 7. With “Mother well” playing the first half with 11 while “looking well” played with 10, Due to the fact that the French signings commenced defeat to a hangover and were unable to make the trip. (it wouldn’t be like French if they didn’t surrender anyway). So, the extra man rule was introduced.
First 10mins of the 1st half saw all the brave unfit lads to give their all till some of them panted away to get a drink of water at the side lines. It reminded us that most of these lads were in fact below the average fitness. First half saw both teams score 4 goals each. While Nic Cargin, John from other side of the river, Dan the man and Ken’s friend (whose name was immediately forgotten by most people on the pitch including Ken) scored a goal each for “your Mother Well”. “Looking well” had also scored 4 goals but due to their ego being similar shapes and sizes it was kind of hard to pin point who actually scored the goals. But all in all it was a quiet an eventful half. While Shovy Zibran claimed that he was nose slapped by Tim in the first few mins of the game, it saw the 2 lads have a few small scraps of their own in the first half.
2nd half saw a lot of jelly legs floating around the place. People gasping for air and water apart from a few like Ken, Brendon and John. Everyone tried their hardest to keep it together as long as they could. 2nd half also saw some heroic screaming by “Your Mother Well’s” 2nd half keeper Dean which kept his team fighting towards an equaliser.
In the end, it was the only 2nd half goal scored by Mic Dunne was the difference. Mic might have gotten slagged for not being able to pass the ball before and during the game by the opposition, which, he might have proved time and time again was the case but when it came to scoring goals Mic had proved everyone wrong and manage to score the winning goal, helping “looking well” to retain the championship and the first cup. (we all know that mug wasn’t really a big deal).
Tonti Cup saw both teams bring their A- game at best due to the average fitness level being below average. Yet the competition was fierce and it was there for the takings for both sides. Tonti Cup might be about a lot of things but at it’s core Tonti Cup is about celebrating your past life, it’s about friendship, It’s about college life and about the “good aoul times” you have all shared together on and off the pitch. If there something to said to the public about it. It will be create your own Tonti Cup and may be when you’re on your death bed you can reminisce about the times you played that beautiful game with your old pals at least once year to celebrate each other more than anything in the world and also to slag Mic and how bad his passing is.
And as always
Keep one lighting.
