The scoreline might suggest a comfortable win, but in truth this was a much more even contest than 4–1 makes it look.

Gary P broke the deadlock with a poacher’s finish, sliding in to tap home after the ball bounced loose in the box. The second was more chaotic than clinical: Neil’s cross swung dangerously into the area, Bri launched into an acrobatic superman punch that only half-cleared the danger, and Mike bravely crashed in at the back post to force the ball over the line. The whites kept pushing and made life difficult, and it took another scrappy moment to give yellows breathing room. Bri’s attempted trap didn’t quite stick, but it turned into the perfect assist for Jamie, who made sure of the finish from close range.

The visitors kept pressing, and with chances at both ends the game stayed in the balance until Mike produced the moment of the match. From a near-impossible angle, he somehow slotted the ball into the far corner to seal the result and cap off a gritty performance.

Quote of the night came before kick-off, Rueben remarking that they’d never played on the same side before, only for Jonny to reply that at least this meant he wouldn’t kick him!
That prediction didn’t age well—Jonny ended up fouling me, claiming his laces got caught in the process. Meanwhile, Jamie’s boots came under scrutiny, described as “dodgy” almost as often as his shooting. Luckily, one of them worked well enough to give him a goal.

Motm goes to Bri for actually coming the pub this week!