And so we push on, like the rolling mist sweeping down the valley.

Inexorable, separate elements

combining in unified purpose from which it cannot be denied.

Or we’re scratching around for form a bit but still getting it done and that, my friends, is the mark
of champions.

At the back we were doing well at stopping them, but not so well at launching us. Mike Gowland
was back in goal, where he is beginning to look at home. Ade Shitta was at left back, coping well
with the adjusting to a new position. Scott Meyern was occupying the right sided berth, back in
tandem with Pat King in the centre and Ligio Martinez, a sprite down the right. The other centre
back spot was taken by Adesh ‘Vidic’ Choraria, who threw himself into slide tackles with no
regard whatsoever for the treacherous surface, his own safety, or the rules of the game. Adesh
was harshly penalised for one foul, but other than that he was an example to us all, showing more
desire than any of us in the first half. Were it not for him, we could have been dire straights before
the half was out.

Another pair of men leading by example were the James’. Mellor and Perkins played with a verve
which belied their many years, swinging forward and back seemingly without pause, a Newton’s
cradle in the middle of the park. Kaka was playing on the left, a position he filled with aplomb and
no small amount of class. Up front, I was partnered by Jake, a whirling dervish of rage, industry,
backchat and skill.

As above, we just weren’t functioning in the first half. We showed flashes; I held up the ball and
played Ligio down the right, but he couldn’t put the cross on Jake’s head. A series of corners
caused little short of havoc in the opponent’s box, as their keeper couldn’t catch a cold resulting
in the ball bobbling dangerously around. Set-pieces aside, there wasn’t very much title-worthy
about our performance in the first half. We had a lot of the ball, but the urgency we possessed
earlier in the season was lacking. The desire remained, but the zip was gone.

We were holding the opposition comfortably at arm’s length, defending calmly and with
assurance. They had a flurry of corners to match the changeable weather, but these were
defended with ease, Mike plucked the ball out of the air like an eagle a sparrow and launched
counter-attacks of devastation so sweeping the like of which had not been seen in the south of
England since the Scandinavian slash and burn tactics of the 800s. Unfortunately, all of these
came to naught as we couldn’t quite put together the final pass; Scott’s ball was just too straight
for James, I held off a couple of men and laid off to Jimmy, but his shot was rushed and rising.
Jake was a constant thorn in the opposition and referee’s side, causing panic when in possession
and leaving their defenders traumatised with his thundering tackles. He was booked after one
such challenge, but worse things went unpunished. Kaka won the ball in midfield and advanced
with menace, but his short was too close to the centre of the goal and was smothered. I left my
man in a crumpled heap after a clash of heads from a cross but, cranial injuries aside, we couldn’t
do any lasting damage.

The cruel vicissitudes of fate sneered at us, and we were behind. An attack down their right was
thwarted by Ade who, mindful of SCB’s Barcelona-lite policy of short, sensible passes, played the
ball infield to Vidic who, faced by opponents, did the sensible thing and knocked a pass back to
Mike in goal. The striker chased down dutifully and Mike, no wanting to be hurried, attempted to
turn inside. However, a darted leg stole the ball from Mike’s foot and though he chased back with
all his (snail’s) pace, he couldn’t stop the ball crossing the line.

We were 1-0 down at half time and we needed strong words and a strong reaction. This was
exactly what we needed and exactly what we got. Ade was replaced by Ginger Rob and mere
seconds later we were level, not that he had anything to do with it. James Perkins, bombastic in
the second half, assisted Ligio in winning the ball out on the right and crossed, where Jake took
the ball down and lifted it over the keeper in the space of two steps to put us level.
We were firmly in the ascendancy and pushed for another. I was replaced by Andy Loizou, who
gave 35 minutes of physicality and strength up front as we pushed on, hoping for the winner.
Jake flashed a left foot shot wide, but wasn’t to be denied for long as James Perkins burst into the
box. The ball was worked to Jake, who found himself a yard of space and thwacked a shot past
the keeper to make it 2-1.

In the final 20 minutes SCB was under siege. The defence, superbly marshalled by Pat King, held
strong. As Scott and Ligio had stopped all chance of attack down their left hand side they had put
two fresh players down the right, and Kaka and Ginger Rob deserve special mention for keeping
them at bay so well.

SCB’s defence was like that of El Cid at Valencia and, despite Mike being called into action for
some more corners and a great save to tip the ball away after a long range shot veered
dangerously towards the bottom corner.

It wasn’t our most flowing performance but it was a win, with several results going our way at the
weekend. Bromleians have bottled the double header planned for next weekend, so it’s just the
home leg.