Team: Reynolds, Leigh, Hyde, Brown (sub Tremant), Knott, Gallagher H., Wilson (sub Williams), Gallagher D., Gaukroger, Ffinch, Mazurkiewicz

Scorers; Gaukroger, Ffinch

Man of the match: Gaukroger

Although a refereeing mistake decided this game there were no real complaints in the post-match discussions. As shown by their position in the table – they are second - Goalois are a very good side who displayed excellent movement, passing and control. They are also young in the context of veterans’ football. Vets2 knew in advance that a supreme effort would be required, but recent performances have provided cause for optimism. Only two of the last eight games have been lost and in only one of those was the team outplayed. A solid defence and a settled midfield have made them difficult to beat, but the loss of established forwards Weaver, Maybrey and Currie threatened to weaken their attacking potential.

But, cometh the hour, cometh the man – or men, in this case. Ffinch’s pace and goal-scoring ability are well known, but the metamorphosis of Mazurkiewicz, the team’s resident intellectual, was remarkable. Lacking the usual skills of ball control, passing and the ability to run without falling over, he nonetheless always displayed effort and determination. In this game, he fought for everything on the ground and in the air, laid the ball off unselfishly and generally played an excellent role as target man for a team under pressure – a terrific performance.

The first half was dominated by Goalois although the contest was never truly one-sided. A fluky goal put them ahead – a spinning ball was misjudged, a hopeful flick rebounded from a post onto Hyde who bundled the ball into the net. This was cruel luck for the defender who has been turning in fine performances recently. Vets2 nowadays has the means to fight back after a reverse and after some sensible midfield play and good interpassing between the forwards, Ffinch turned his man and drove in a cross which was headed firmly into the net by Gaukroger. Although there were chances for Gallagher H. and Ffinch, and an equivalent number of better chances for the opposition, the score held until half time.

The second half was more or less even. The loss of the team’s midfield anchor, Wilson, was handled comfortably, but a brilliant cross from a very unpromising position led to a headed goal by a Goalois forward who had pulled away from his marker. Vets2 rallied yet again. Good pressure on the ball by colleagues allowed Gallagher D. to slip a pass through to Ffinch who hit an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the goal. A draw was now the most likely result.

Amazingly, a victory, unimaginable before the game, was almost grasped. Yet another surge forward by Gallagher H. saw him stride onto an angled pass by Brown to tap the ball into the empty net. It was disallowed for offside, a travesty of justice – well, according to the ‘scorer’ anyway. Certainly, the referee was in no position to make the call with any conviction.

Sadly, things got worse. With a few minutes remaining, a Goalois forward scored an absolutely wonderful goal from outside the area, curling the ball into the top corner. There was not really enough time left for Vets2 to mount another comeback. Indeed some of the team were running on empty by this stage. So, a spirited performance ended in honourable defeat. There is no disgrace in losing to a fine Goalois side who have dropped only six points from a possible sixty – and three of those were against the only team above them in the league.

A special mention must be made of Gaukroger, the man of the match. As well as scoring the goal he also headed clear from his own goal-line, ran and tackled like a man half his age – and weight – and played the simple but effective football which the team so clearly lacked before his return to the fold. The improvement in the team’s performance is no coincidence.