The days before a big game you begin to the feel that unique mix of excitement and apprehension, your mind wonders and imagines the way things might turn out. We felt good in the build-up to this game, 5 wins on the trot and the best availability we've had so far this season.

Well that was till Mikey Wright put his hand in his pocket, opened his wallet and gazed at the empty gap where his Players Card should've been nestling and by uttering the phrase - "But I've got my driving license, wont that do"? joined a large group of gutted ABSSA players who had to just - sit it out.

Despite the blow, Dex had skipped and pliy-ed back in town from his latest dance recital so a crisis was averted and he resumed his partnership with Jonny 5.

Stevey led us through a good warm up, our blood was pumping and we were set for kick-off. We knew the stakes, J McGrath had laid it out for us. Win this game and you send a message: "the rest of the teams will look at the results tonight, and if they see you have beaten second place and stretched your lead yet again, they will start to believe that they can't catch us."

2-nil down at half-time - Duck sake (new Chinese beverage: Ed). They were a decent side, but it was thoroughly disappointing, our mistakes rather than their creativity gifted them the lead. We'd created an equal if not greater number of chances but had failed to finish any of them.

Still we kept going - we had nothing to lose. We dominated the second half, despite the withdrawal of Billiet who was winded and given dead-leg in one blow from one of the opposing defenders. Big-up to the bloke, not many people could do that to Billiet and not do themselves an injury in the process..

We hustled, bustled, dominated possession and missed more chances, then they poached one on the break and that was that. Sod it.

Team: Mercelis Amundsen / Bernardo / Mojena / McGeehanVadora / Lamarra / Lambrechts (Legere)McGrath / Kellerman / Billiet (Hodgson)

MOM: Amundsen

Reporter: Nils McGrath