CAPTAIN, top-scorer and now goalkeeper – is there nothing Chipstead's Dan Moody can't do?
With 13 goals to his name already this season, Moody gave up the chance to extend that against local rivals Whyteleafe on New Year's Day when he donned the goalkeeper's gloves for the second half.
Midfielder Moody was the Chips' third goalkeeper of a busy afternoon at High Road. With Milan Stojsavljevic unavailable, Aaron Bufton had started between the sticks but a collision with Leafe's Greg Andrews resulted in a lengthy delay and eventually at 2-1 down, the keeper conceded defeat to his rapidly swelling injury.
With no substitute shot stopper, striker Will Turl went between the sticks but lost confidence after Roscoe Dsane made it 3-1 and Moody took the gloves for the second half.
And what a second 45 it proved to be for Chipstead.
The Chips turned the game on its head to be leading 4-3 with minutes to go, only for Moody's personal clean sheet to disappear thanks to an 89th-minute equaliser. But despite the slightly chaotic afternoon, Moody was pleased with how he performed in his new role.
"I enjoyed that," he said after the game. "Will came in the changing room at half-time, I'm going to dig him out, and he asked me if I wanted to go in goal because he didn't fancy it anymore.
"I'd done it before, once, about two years ago. Our keeper got sent off when I was at Guildford but that was the last game of the season, so I didn't matter as much.
"When Will went in goal, I wanted to go in then but Jesse [assistant manager Jesse Smith] put Will in. I'm not the best goalie but I felt pretty confident and I think I did OK, apart from the goal. I thought I might keep a clean sheet but then I didn't close my legs and they scored. He was offside, but, yeah, it went through my legs. But apparently I was better than Aaron at taking the goal-kicks!"
This weekend Chipstead host Tooting & Mitcham United at High Road and Moody admits they haven't given up hope of reaching the Ryman League Division One South play-offs.
"At the start of the season our aim was the play-offs and I don't think we are far off – maybe eight or ten points," he said. "But in the last four or five games we have played nearly all the top five so it hasn't been the easiest run.
"We aren't going to win the league but the play-offs is still a target."
