Well, we didn’t give away a penalty-flick this week. So that is an improvement. Apart from that...

The opening twenty minutes were pretty even, with both teams creating chances. Rob had a couple of shots for us, and Ali looked like he was in only to be called back by the whistle, whilst Lino had some saves to make between our posts. But the match changed when the first goal went the visitors’ way. Pretty ropey from a defensive standpoint as we managed to both miss a tackle and leave a man unmarked, which eventually culminated in a tap-in.

Our play became increasingly narrow as we sought an equaliser/got a bit panicked about being behind. But there were no further really clear cut openings for either side in the rest of the first half, meaning the teams turned around with the score 0-1.

The next goal was obviously crucial, and when it came for Louth in the opening sixty seconds of the second period, we were in serious trouble. It was annoyingly preventable as well, as the ball was on one of our sticks for a while and wasn’t cleared; instead possession was lost and the ball pushed past the advancing Lino.

We tried to find a way back into the game, but that meant throwing bodies forwards which Louth were exploiting well by keeping their forwards high and picking them out with cleanly struck passes. We were stretched, whilst they were compact as their midfield held deep as they was no need for them to chase goals. Despite the danger this appeared to create, it was actually a short corner that provided Louth’s third goal, when a cleanly struck shot found the corner despite one of our sticks getting a bit of it.

With ten minutes left, the result was now decided and it was just the margin that was to be confirmed. Louth were still the most likely, and it took a diving goalline clearance from Neil to keep it at three. He couldn’t repeat the trick two minutes from time when he found himself isolated on the goalline and facing Louth’s best stick player, who the ball had broken to after another save from Lino. The fizzing undercut was only ever ending in one place.

The most disappointing aspect of the match was the lack of energy the team displayed, and in such a big game. We were second to most loose balls and the tracking and marking was pretty awful. We have fallen to third as a consequence, as Boston won to go past us. Also, importantly, for the first time this season finishing in the top two is out of our hands, we will need other results to go our way. With four matches left, Louth lead the way by 4 points, Boston are 2nd, we are third and St. Ives are only a point further back in fourth. The main ray of hope is that both Boston and St. Ives have a match with Louth left on their schedules. So now it is a case of win our games (starting next Saturday at Ely) and crossing fingers.