Venue : Lytham Cricket Club

This week we paid a visit to second in the league Fairhaven. After our 3 point deduction we were somewhat adrift from our opponents and nothing but a win would be good enough to keep us close to the pack.

We started off with the same 4-5-1 formation as last week. The only personnel changes were Greeny coming in at centre half, Nico at right back and Dezzy in the side again on the right wing. After our morning quiz off, thanks to Steve, and a good warm up, thanks to Nico, the name Kanu was still buzzing around my head.

For the first half we opted to play with the wind, knowing that today's force 10 gales may just work to our advantage and get us in the game early doors.

Fairhaven, to their credit, seemed to be good value for their 2nd place league position and came at us with a desire to punish. They held the ball well, passed it well and broke faster than a lookie lookie Rolex. We had a few moments but didn't seem to threaten which left Per no other option than to launch operation wind up the striker. It worked a treat. An unpopular linesman decision left the Per's target foaming at the mouth, after a couple of empty threats to slot Per we ran up the other end and Ben Hopes bagged the opener. A great finish from 20 yards beating the keeper at his near post.

As the ball was being re-spotted Per's target was still suffering with a touch of the old roid rage and gave the Ref a coating. The Ref didn't seem to believe that his name was “Fuck you” and sent him off for an early bath. Excelsior 1 Fairhaven 0, Per 1 Angry Striker 0.

With the Fairhaven side weakened to the power of 10 and being one nil up, confidence was at an all time high. We started battling, winning headers and tried to play some football. Fairhaven's chances were few and far between regardless of how much of the ball they were seeing. Gaz was having another solid game against a tricky little winger, Per was commanding the skies as always, Greeny and Nico both well organised and looking to get the ball to feet. Our back four were impenetrable therefore we could only win.

Our second came from the big man on the left. Wozzer, back to his best, took the ball on the left. He went past the full back at pace and got in to the box, as Wozzer shaped to round the Fairhaven stopper he took a tumble on what looked like the keepers out stretched arm. All that was missing was someone shouting TIMBER. Wozzer scored the resulting penalty to put us 2 nothing up.

Half time and we didn't allow ourselves to slip in to the dream of we've already won. We knew they had team of good players that could quite easily get back in to game, 10 men or not. More of the same was ordered and that's pretty much what we delivered.

Fairhaven came at us straight from the restart. We weathered each storm as it came and passed and even managed to add a another to our goal kitty. A corner was whipped in to the Fairhaven box, after some scrambling around it was half cleared. A grateful Hunty took full advantage and smashed the ball back through the melee and in to the back of the net. 3-0 to the Excelsior.

After almost 70 minutes of solid defending we took our finger off the pulse for a moment and Fairhaven got one back. The nippy winger made a pest of himself in the box and managed to fire in a goal right under our noses. 3-1 but still cruising.

Fairhaven liked the taste of Excelsior blood and came at us with intent. Anything they had was rushed back in to play, they were in some kind of frenzy to keep coming at us. This tempo and attitude brought about something that I've not seen since primary school. The days when matters of who was hardest were settled with a right good kicking scrap. No punching, no brawling and no real damage just some right good kicking.

The ball rolled out for a Fairhaven throw, Macca a mere spectator, went to get the ball for the on coming throw in taker (their skipper) to take. To Macca's surprise the skipper tackled him off the ball to get it back in play asap, Macca's reply? A left footer round the calf. The skipper took it like a man, took the throw and then winced in the corner. A very classic moment that I will take to my grave.

As the final minutes of the game were being played out we started to create a few chances. Truby was getting in to the game and was causing them defensive problems creating chances for himself and others. Sean's all day running affair was paying dividends as he began to look pivotal in goal number four. Number four did come and all I remember was the ball appearing from between George's legs, I` played it to Wozzer and watched him make it look easy.

Final score 4-1 to us.

Man of the match - Ben Hopes. A tough week to call. Everyone worked hard especially Seano. It was more a team performance than any one person standing out. I just give it Ben not just because he's had a trim but more because in my opinion he dug us out of the shit, again!! His goal was class, totally against the run of play and was definitely a deciding factor in their red card and eventually our victory.

Rating

Rossco - 7 - A good solid game. Saved what he had to and kicked well. Quiet game thanks to a sound defence.
Nico - 7 - Another top performance. Didn't put a foot wrong and as reliable as a German motor.
Greeny - 7 - Played well after a week off. Kept it tidy and organised.
Perky - 8 - First name on the team sheet for me. Got the man sent off and won all his battles.
Gaz - 8 - Top draw, again. Played well against a really winger. Won everything that came his way.
Dezzy - 7 - Shit, shit, shit. You're going to winge whatever I put so it doesn't matter.
Truby - 9 - He is just what we've been missing. Didn't give the ball away, loved the battle and always attacked with purpose.
Hopes - 9 - Great game again. Another vital goal just when we needed it, you can't put a price on that.
Wozzer - 8 - Nearly a 9 but I don't do .5's. A game to be proud of. 2 good goals and could have had more. Created chances for himself and others.
Sean - 8 - Did brilliant. We know its hard and sometimes thankless up there on your own but his hard work, running and challenging did not go unmissed by my keen eye. Kept the pressure on the centre halves all game.

Ratings and comments below please

Fiss