A WIN AT LAST

We had reversed the fixture away at Mill Hill due to the quality of their pitches which at least meant after last week's trip to the Mariana Trench we at least had a good surface on which to ply our trade.

Geoff and I hoped we would not have our usual Sleepy start and we knew it wouldn't be Sn-eezy (sorry, I just had to - you understand) against a very good side Mill Hill side albeit one we have had our fair share of joy against over the past couple of seasons. For once, luck was with us firstly as the ref arrived just in time for the kick off which meant the boys didn't have to put up with me doing it, and then as the invisible force field we'd erected over our goal kept the ball out as the opposition pinged the ball off bar and post in a maelstrom of a goalmouth scramble. Any Dopey ideas that Mill Hill were going to be Bashful were disabused as they sent a free header from a corner whizzing past the post moments later.

But then, as if a Doc had given us a collective shot in the arm, things started to settle down. The defence, which had a slightly uncertain start, got to grips with their centre forward pretty much reducing him to a spectator role. Louis Benson was having his best game of the season and Archie and Sam patrolled their sectors like the proudest lions of the Serengeti. We went into half time 0-0 (unusual for us but it is nice to see a goose egg at this time of the year). We couldn't be Grumpy at the boys' efforts so far.

Well, the second half was a bit of a revelation. We moved George Greenway to left back where he proceeded to uncork a Chateau Lafite 1948 vintage of a half and totally shut down that side of the field. Stan did his usual lung-busting stint in the middle and Oscar was involved in some sort of WWE Wrestlemania involving himself, some opposition players, a couple of corner flags and a 1995 Citroen Picasso. We totally outplayed Mill Hill in this period. We were soaking up their attacks and Brad and Alex were taking up wide positions as we hit them on the break and pressed them into errors. After 5 minutes or so, Stan sent an up-and-under Jonny Wilkinson would have been proud of towards their goal and their keeper flailed at it in the wind and it dropped over his head. Sam followed up and knocked it onto the bar and Alex forced it in. 1-0!! We were unlucky not to add to that. Sam went up front for the last 10 or so and hit the post and had a volley wide. Josh remained calm and unflustered in our goal with in truth little to do except maintain his concentration and distribute the ball when needed in his customary calm style. Cimi was a constant menace to their defenders, chasing everything down and was a noticeably encouraging voice from the touchline when he wasn't on the field.

This was a massively deserved victory and the boys should be very Happy with their endeavours. I think all who witnessed it would agree that if we can maintain that level of consistency and commitment we are a different side. That is a lot to ask but that must be our goal. We have another tough match v London Colney this week but let's enjoy this one for now. The MOM award went to Oscar but could have gone to any of them - still stoked with adrenalin from the game, Oscar took the award and block tackled it into a hedge. The award is out for 4 weeks but we are sending it to Germany to seek specialist advice and it may be back earlier than that.