What a relief to be playing on a decent surface after playing on the grass and soil covered moon that is Blackpool Rd.

Even if the changing rooms have a certain human faeces smell, which at 10am is quite over powering, we were all glad to be back at the fortress.

At 2 minutes to kick off it was more like abandon ship as our opposition struggled to scrape together an eleventh man. The final Shipmate, Bruce, made his waddle over to pitch 5 like a lost lamb on a production line at an abattoir.

10 minutes late and The Ship has their full compliment.

We lined up 4-5-1. Ross in pegs. Same back four as last week, Daz Worral, Andy Mac, Steve Mac and Neil Harropp. Five man midfield of Merce, George, Me, Scholes and Dance Mat Danny. Upfront Sean Lonsdale. On the bench, Mills, Wozzer and Daz Clarke.

Won the toss and decided we were happy defending our usual posts. The Ship got us under way and slipped straight in to reverse. We had them pinned in their own box for a good 10 minutes and we were 2 up before we even started to try. Sean Lonsdale with a great turn and finish for 1-0 and Merce registering on the angle for second.

The Ship finally came to life when the conventional 4-4-2 was scrapped for the ever familiar training ground 5-0-5 formation. They did create a couple of half chances for themselves through set pieces. Their height and hunger for head butting things caused us a couple of back stick defending issues and in the end they got their goal.

We were all stunned that they had even got one past us, when they got their second I nearly slipped into a diabetic coma. Another mess made from a corner, the ball fell to Daz off Steve Mac's chest, with the simple task of clearing the ball to safety.

Unfortunately his legs went to jelly allowing the ship striker to pick his pocket and slot the ball past Ross for 2 each.

Half Time 2-2

Nobody was happy with the score line. We had just beasted The Ship for 45 and it was 2 all. Chances had gone begging, balls not played and balls played badly. A lack of formation discipline and a lack of effort in certain areas.

All we spoke about was should we go 4-4-2??

An injury to Steve Mac saw the first of the changes. Mills in goal and Ross coming out to fill in for Macca. Another sterling performance from Steve Mac.

Second half underway and we put the Ship under some pressure looking for the third goal. It didn't take long to come. Sean got his second with a rather tidy finish after some neat passing and determination.

More changes, formation and personnel. Daz Clarke for Daz Worrall and Wozzer on for George. A great game for George, hard working and unforgiving as always.

Dance Mat Danny finally joined us in the game, after 60 minutes doing very little he set Wozzer up for a tap in. He ripped Bruce apart down the left and delivered a great ball in to the mixer leaving Wozzer the simplest of tasks.

4-2 us.

Wozzer got his second and our fifth soon after. To our amazement The Ship got a third, and what a third it was. 30 yarder right in the top corner at pace. Great goal but not nearly enough to get back in to the game.

Wozzer was on the hatrick hunt once again and nominated himself to take a Mercer won penalty. He stepped up as confident at you like, it was already 6-3 in Wozzers head. Run up looked good and the keeper looked awful, there could be only one outcome.

Clearly there could have been two.

The connection with the ball was poor and it dribbled in to the keepers legs. Not prepared to settle for two and with the race for the top goal scorer accolade in full swing, Wozzer pushed hard to get his third to make up for the penalty miss and to catch runaway leader Seano.

It came from a header, believe it or not. More hard work from Dance Mat Danny and another pin point cross that found Wozzer unmarked, again, gave us the 6th and the win.

Final Score 6-3

Man Of the Match – Neil Harropp, didn't put a foot wrong the whole game. I know a certain person will be gutted that they didn't get it this week but you can't have a spat with the captain and expect MOM apart from that you would have won it easy.

Sometimes you just have to accept being told something you may not want to hear. I don't say things just because
I like the sound of my own voice.

Good to be winning again and a great night out arranged by Scholes. All in all a quality Sunday. Next week Ansdell, lets not under estimate them, we just get the job done, week after is the big one. Let's have a massive effort from everyone to be at training for the next couple of Tuesday's
before the semi.

Happy with the win but not the overall performance. There were moments of greatness but, I won't lie, there were moments of horror. I am hard to please I know, I just know we are capable of delivering a much higher standard and I won't be happy until I start to see it week in week out.

No mention of my injury, all I will say is Shylock certainly got his pound of flesh.

Another well done from me.

Fiss

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