Another Sunday away from the fortress and another shocking pitch.

The white lines used to mark out the pitch were 3 inches deep, no white colour, just a 3 inch deep trench of mud. How many times must the grounds man have been over these lines to get such a deep groove? Hourly paid I'll bet.

For the full dress rehearsal before the cup we lined up 4-4-2. Ross in nets. Back four from right to left, Daz Worral, Steve Mac, Andy Mac and Neil Harropp. Usual centre piece of Dance Mat Danny, Me, George and Mercer. Upfront Scholes and Sean. On the pine sofa Daz Clarke, Danny, Ali and The Gaffer Stevie D.

Won the toss and chose to defend the nets with the pen spot of sludge. They kicked off, slightly off centre, as we were working around a hole full of water where the centre spot once was.

We controlled the game from the off. It took a few mistakes to get us we started but when we started we owned Ansdell and they really did not threaten. We created plenty, George putting through some classy balls, Sean working hard with Scholes linking up the play.

It felt like it was nil-nil for ages. Everything we hit either missed the target or hit the Keeper, he was a big unit to be fair.

To see this lardy Keeper spring from the bottom, to the top corner and make a save was unbelievable. Can pigs fly? Great save after great save was made by the Ansdell stopper, the only thing keeping them in this one sided game.

In the end his goal was breached by Sean Lonsdale, finishing off from a half cleared corner. 1-0 the Excelsior.

Half time 1-0 us. We came in for refreshments satisfied we were winning, unsatisfied with how we played. The team stayed the same for the second outing after some pearls of football wisdom from the Gaffer - "How much do you want it?" and "..it's really up to you guys on the field".

Attacking the sludge pen spot was something we weren't looking forward to but got on with next task all the same. Just as we were getting in to our stride the unthinkable happened; Ansdell equalized on the counter from a long ball scenario.

It didn't stay 1-1 for long. A free kick decision in our favour, just inside the Ansdell half, was pumped long to an unmarked Mercer. The control was a touch of class; the finish however, left a lot to be desired.

Either way it was in the back of the net and 2-1 to the mighty Excelsior. No sooner was it 2-1, it went 4-1. The first from Mercer, again finishing on the angle and the second was Andy Mac's 1st of the season.

A corner on it's was out from the Ansdell box was picked up and smashed in by the less than prolific Andy Mac. The celebrations hit fever pitch.

Somehow the Ansdell grabbed another to make the score 4-2, unfortunately the goal has not lived long in my memory. I am sure it was great.

One you could never forget was Lonsdale's second and our fifth. After some handbags with the Ansdell centre half Sean was wound up. The ball dropped to their full back, in his blind fury Sean pole axed the defender, dispossessing him of the ball and beginning an assault on goal.

As he approached the box you could see Sean get greener and greener, bigger and bigger with the rage, until this clothes ripped off his back. BANG, Sean Hulk hits the ball with all this built up frustration and anger and it flies off his toes in to the back of the net at around a million miles per hour.

Well worth two train journeys to get to the game in my eyes.

On come the cavalry. Daz Clarke for Dance Mat, Ali for Mercer and The Gaffer on for Daz Worral.

Stayed with 4-4-2. Scholes dropping in to left mid, Clarkey up front, Ali right mid and The Gaffer at right back.

Not much happened in the closing 10 minutes. Clarkey got his 1st and probably last of the season. Scholes hit the post and the ball fell kindly to Clarkey, account opened.

Ansdell fluked another, Steve got caught wrong sided by not the quickest of players. Steve gave chase - what's faster, the tortoise or the sloth?

With the same turning circle as the QE2 Steve didn't stand a chance, our back line was breached for the third and final time.

Final Score 6-3

Man of the Match – George Spittal. What a game, passing, tackling and heading spot on. After a performance of this sort I say 'Legalize it'!

Andy Mac was a close second with a solid all round performance and popping up with a lovely goal.

Nice one lads. Great win, I could never grow tired of saying that.

This next one is what we have all been looking forward to. I feel we are fully prepared for battle on Sunday and we have all we need to overcome Progress and place ourselves in the final.

This could be a very good season for us or it could be an average one. It really does come down to winning on Sunday. We certainly can do it, it's no FA cup, non league third round dream tie, it's Progress of 3a who got well beaten on Sunday 3-1.

We've come close against these twice, they play for ninety minutes and so do we. Nothing extra ordinary and certainly no better than us. Let's work hard in training Tues and Thursday and give them everything we have on the holy day - I can't ask for more.

Fiss