It was a close run thing, but we made it.

Kick-off, that was, not the result. Scott and Chris had got on the wrong train with the kit and were
very late indeed, pushing the 2pm kick off back to 3pm, without even the time for a warm up.
Although they had taken some wrong turns on the way to the pitch, once across the lines they
didn’t put a foot wrong all game. Chris headed away anything that moved, and Scott held down
the right flank

Ben Gunn was his usual dominant self in goal. A colossus between the sticks, he saved
everything that came at him and used his massive boot time and time again to cause panic in
their rearguard

James Perkins filled in at centre back, and was allowed time and space to do whatever he
wanted, giving us the lion’s share of possession. Gav Redknap lined up at left back, but was
never threatened defensively and used the ball well, even bombing forward for an assist.

Ligio Martinez was out on the right wing, getting his boots white with the touchline paint, and
causing merry havoc with Scott. The opposition didn’t press much, but some of the work down
the right was as graceful as Nadia Comaneci in 1976. Every time we had the ball we looked
threatening, and whenever we didn’t have the ball we looked in control.

Centre midfield was BBD and Mike Gowland. Their support to the attack was invaluable; getting
forward at every possible occasion and back sometimes too. Mike wanted the ball at every
opportunity, constantly in support and calling for every pass. BBD was a giant in midfield, holding
possession and dominating the opposition.

Rob Cumber had a shaky first couple of minutes with some missed touches (probably due to the
lack of warm up and appropriate stretching) but soon after established himself on the left, linking
up well with Gav and getting forward in search of goals.

Dan Higham up front was again a ceaseless blur of activity, harrying, pressing and hounding the
opposition into mistakes and panicked clearances, which were merrily mopped up by the
defence.

Although we hadn’t had a warm up we got straight into the game and onto the front foot. It wasn’t
long before Dan had been set free down the right (by Ligio?) and charged into the box. Mike was
screaming for the cutback and I was sprinting to the back post, but all for naught as Dan, spotting
the keeper out of position, guided the ball calmly inside the near post. Mike’s reproach caught in
his throat as he saw the net billow.

Minutes later, just as with an amoeba, one became two. Good work from the defence worked the
ball out to Rob Cumber, and he played a bouncing ball through to me. I held off my marker, who
only managed to kick the ball into my chest, and I bore down on the keeper and slotted coolly
past him to double our advantage.

The pace of the game slowed at that point, as the opposition began to find their feet. We were still
comfortably holding them at arm’s length, passing the ball between the back five and playing
good possession football when a cruel bounce took the ball away from Ben’s foot, and their
striker held him off to stroke the ball home into the open goal. Paul Robinson still hasn’t mentally
recovered from a similar misfortune, but Ben was immediately back to the fore, gathering up
shots from range and coming out to claim crosses at will.

SCB were set back by this goal, but we soon began to regain our poise and dominance and the
chances began again. After the ball was fizzed into my feet by Scott I turned my marker and shot
wide. Mike upbraided me for spurning the chance to pass to him so when I repeated the trick
minutes later I attempted to play him in. Alas, the ball was a mite too heavy and Mike a touch too
slow, and the chance was gone. Dan created another opening, but nothing came of it.

Then, we won a corner. Rob Cumber drifted the ball in, and it was only cleared as far as Gav. He
looked up and chipped the ball back into the danger area. I leapt with all my might but the ball
was too high for me. Fortunately, Ben is massive and it was a perfect height for him. His powerful
header went into the bottom corner and we were 3-1 up.

At half time the watchword was consistency. Keep up the tempo, keep up the workrate and we’d
win this one. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out of the traps very fast and the game began, like the
career of an X Factor finalist, to meander into insignificance. I took a shot just wide from a tight
angle, Rob nearly got on the end of a through ball, but there was nothing of substance going
forward. The defence was still as solid as Adamantium, but the sword of Damocles still hung over
our heads; one more goal and they would be right back in it. We still had more possession than
they did, and were happy to play on the counter-attack. The ball was stolen off my toe a couple of
times, but then I escaped my marker and charged forwards. Dan, Rob and Mike were to my left
with a defender in front of me. I played the ball to Rob Cumber, who, rather than unleash a drive,
tried to turn inside his man, looking to Mike’s support, and the change was gone.

Ligio was scythed down shamefully by one of their players, who was promptly substituted to avoid
retribution, but Ligio had to be withdrawn for Gary Cumber. James shuffled his pack, and Mike
moved out to the right, Dan back into midfield and Gary joined me up front, where he caused
more trouble than a mistress with love-child in tow at the reading of a will. The change in
personnel and formation had an immediate effect. SCB charged down the pitch and won a
corner. Dan’s cross looked to be about to be claimed by the keeper, but a combination of Ben
and me challenging him prompted him to drop the ball. Who should pounce on the chance like a
cat on a mouse but Mike, who promptly hacked the ball into the goal? Again, chances followed
chance and we further stretched our lead when another corner was flapped out by the now
traumatised keeper. The ball dropped to Ben on the penalty spot, and he shimmied past one man
and sent a frighteningly hard low drove goalwards. It was blocked, but my eyes widened as I saw
the ball drop towards me and crashed it just inside the post.

Dan’s move into midfield did nothing to dampen his attacking endeavour, and he provided the
final ball after a spicy move down the right, with James to Ben to Scott to Mike to me with no
more than two touches each. Onto Rumplestiltskinian this final ball, Gary Cumber snuck in and
slotted away the chance. At 6-1 the game was all but done. They attacked and we were content
to let them, launching counter-attacks of pace and purpose. No goals followed for SCB, but we
looked far more threatening. One attack broke down as I tried to first-time a ball back to Dan but
sadly my physical skill didn’t match my mental vision and I ended up playing them in. They broke
and a superb cross evaded everyone but their striker and the score moved to 6-2.

And that is how it finished. The result wasn’t in doubt for long and in the end it was our work-rate
and possession football that did it. It was a good, solid, professional performance and a welcome
boost to the goal difference. We have cup games for the next two weeks and then it’s back to the
league, pushing onwards, ever onwards, towards glory.