Match reporter : Will Jeremiah

Line-up : Tache ; Laffineur, Schomberg, McPhie, Jeremiah ; Denholm, Jolliffe, Drochon, Wrigt ; McDermott, Fitzgibbon

Subs : Stevens

So the New Year began, optimism was high due to the intensive Christmas (Paul) training sessions we had all been on during the festive period and more significantly a strong team sheet that on paper would have given the 3rds a beating.

After leaving Fatties late due to the disappearance of a little yellow book Stephane led the way in his hairdressers car slicing through the traffic and giving us a tour of rural belgium. We arrived to see a doddery old man painting the lines and endless mounds of sand on the pitch where fireworks had seen the New Year in.

One changing room all together and Charlie (Evil Will) felt obliged to warn the opposition of Sergio's naked fiddling habits so as to preserve the reputation of the club. Good will flooded the place by releasing some chocolate hostages and Sergio didn't fail to amuse us with his shin pad exhibition... Absolute classic.

Then it was time for the team talk : "close them down", "don't rush in", "play it simple to our man", "get rid of it in your own half" was the theme and we were then ready to brave the elements and kick some ass. Pitch was hard and slippery on top, injuries were expected. The opposition refereed the game and so in everyone’s mind the RBBFC style of heavy challenges and sliding tackles would go unpunished.

We started brightly and both teams acclimatized to the conditions after 10 minutes of miskicking the ball and slipping. We had the better possession but couldn't unlock the defence with the final ball going astray. Then on the counterattack the ball went through our defence and Sergio was lobbed with a sublime chip. Completely against the run of play but we had to accept we were one nil down.

Play was in the main scrappy but we started to put in some decent play with the ball either going to feet or into the danger zone. Jolliffe and in particular Stephane were putting in some big challenges the majority of the time getting the ball and the centre of the pitch was turning into a mud bath.

We were rewarded with a goal via a good ball from Denholm to Fitz who shot from an acute angle gaining a deflection from the floundering defender.1-1! And we were keen to get restarted and build on this. Few clear cut chances came along but we were organised in defence and were well on top in midfield and upfront. It was only a matter of time before the net was bulging again.

Half time and Denholm came off and Paul came on at left back with Good Will moving to right midfield. We had the impetus and were moving the ball nicely on the wings and through the middle. Every ball into their half seemed to put them in trouble. They used the tactic of hoofing the ball upfield and this paid dividends when a innocuous looking ball rolled to Sergio. It must have changed shape, bobbled, been spinning or something as the inevitable air kick in slow motion followed. With the ground slippery Sergio couldn't regain his footing and their forward passed it in.

2-1 down but not out we were on the offensive again, completely dominant apart from the odd ball over our defence. To counteract that Tim moved to centre back and Bill went on the right. After good work from McDermott, Wright and Jolliffe, Fitz was clear and coolly went round the keeper to make it 2-2. He was now on for a hattrick!

We kept pressing and the opposition were under enormous pressure, again good balls from the wings and through the middle meant again it was only a matter of time.McDermott on the left played some good interchanges with Joliffe and it was his cross that was met by Fitz to header in, Will and Tim were literally queuing up behind him to finish it off.3-2 with the finish line in sight.

Still pressing but not forgetting our defensive duties, Jolliffe had a one on one and narrowly missed and Wright and McDermott went close.

With 10 minutes to go there was a clash and Stephane’s nose looked to be in trouble, in a daze and in pain Stephane briefly went off. Showing his resilience and no fear for his looks he came back on the pitch just to witness an handling error from Sergio that gifted the striker a shot on goal. Bill acrobatically saved off the line and in our mind the danger was over. Ball back in on 6 yard box and under pressure from a forward Sergio with the ball transformed into a slippery fish couldn't get a grip. They scored and 3-3 it remained.

Concern and mostly humour was directed at Stephane and the impact of his nose on his sex fiendishness and to Sergio who was understandably emotionally in turmoil. Beers and crisps after in all that could be described as broom cupboard, then it was off home.

Fitz took the scenic route back reliving the Battle of Waterloo and commenting on the incestious nature of the villages we passed and reflected like we do after a good night out where a fit bird even glances in our direction of what could have been!

MOM : John Fitzgibbon