So, after a 6 months (and 2 bonus weeks for ABSSA to sort themselves out) wait, football is back!!

Vets 1 have been tasked with the job of bouncing straight back from the disappointment of relegation and win promotion back to the 1st division at the first attempt. A first taste of what this will take would be an opener against a tough Tourinnois side at a scorching Rosieres.

Captain Legere has spent the summer bringing in reinforcements for the promotion push and we could welcome Costica 'Costa' Dumbrava and Rafael 'Rafa' Cremades y Clapes to the club, while Giunti and Henriquez have come through the club’s youth system and been promoted to the Vets 1 squad.

The team was set up in a familiar 4-3-3 formation and Legere made it clear in no uncertain terms that this would not be an easy game. Work hard for each other, win your individual battles and earn the right to win the game were the instructions given in the changing room by Legere.

As the team went through the paces during the warm-up it was clear to see that the groundsman at Rosieres has been in confinement, and judging by the state of the pitch he probably still is… This, combined with the near 30 degrees, made for difficult conditions as Vets 1 got the game underway.

Both teams initially struggled with the conditions and the game started off slowly, with a fair amount of misplaced passes and very little to worry either defence. Vets 1, however, soon began to settle into their game and the impressive array of firepower and pace of Pellegry, Rafa, Moreuil and Henriquez began to stretch the Tourinnois backline and create openings. As a result, Rice flashed a shot wide from just inside the area and Henriquez opted to square the ball when he probably should have taken the shot himself in what were to the be the best opportunities for Vets 1 during the first half.

At the other end of the pitch, Sejersen was rarely troubled in goal while the experienced backline of Cabaret, Legere, Christensen and Jeremiah kept the Tourinnois attackers on a short leash. In front of them, Rice and Giunti were patrolling the line and making sure that there were no gaps in the middle of the park.

It was 0 – 0 at halftime but with Vets 1 comfortably on top it would surely only be a question of when, and not if, the first goal would come.

With a Tourinnois team already on the back foot, Vets 1 quickly began turning up the heat in the second half and a charging run by Rice ended with him being brought down inside the area and the referee duly pointed to the spot. Rice dusted himself down and confidently dispatched the penalty into the bottom left corner of the goal. 1 – 0 for Vets 1!

Tourinnois started pushing men forward in search of an equaliser, without posing any real threat, and that was leaving space in behind for the Vets 1 forward line and full backs to run into. A good move on the left ended up with Cabaret finding himself in space, his shot was parried away by the Tourinnois keeper, but only into the path of Moreuil for a tap-in to make it 2 – 0!

That put the game out of sight for Tourinnois. Tsopo Nziemi and Dumbrava were brought on as fresh legs in midfield and right back respectively to make sure that the game was seen out without conceding and they did so in style.

There was time for a third as Henriquez was played through on the left and he squared to Moreuil for his second tap-on of the game. 3 – 0 to Vets 1 and a well-deserved win!

It was a tough game that showed what it will take to get out of this division but it was a thoroughly professional performance, a great start to the season and the perfect way for Sejersen to celebrate his 100th clean sheet for the RBBFC (3 away from a club record).

Henriquez deservedly won a closely contested MoM vote and Chairman Davies provided a kitty for beers to finish off a very good first afternoon of the 20/21 season at Fortress Rosieres for Vets 1.