Perhaps the most notable thing about this game was that it was actually played. And not just because of the series of storms that have struck Britain this winter, flooding large areas and generally spreading devastation, with the 9th in little over seven weeks felling trees as it passed through on the preceding evening. No, the threat was more than Ali’s initial call for availability had produced a teamsheet of four names and seven question marks.

It took some serious arm-twisting to get a team together, pointing out that we owed it to our clubmates in the 4ths and 5ths who both had games it would be a real pity to automatically forfeit (games that it turned out would both be won), and equally importantly some members of the 4ths and 5ths squads stepping in to help out when the emotional blackmail stalled at 7 from the 3rds squad. 7 that could have been 8 if the 2nds had managed to return our usual ‘keeper in one piece when they recently borrowed him (Oren!). So massive thanks to Rob W, Simon J, Tom R and Joe (there is only one Joe) for agreeing to give up essentially all the daylight hours of Saturday to make sure we played. And also a mention for the efforts of Ali and Johnny B in getting a team together, not just this week but for the whole season.

The side we took up to Lincs with wasn’t half bad though, all told. Arguably light on forward players, containing as it did 5 defenders and 5 midfielders, but with the average age brought down by the additions, and not because any of them were 14 or similar. There was some skill, some pace, some experience, a nice balance. Indeed, I wouldn’t mind seeing how this XI would do in 5NW. But 4NW is a different kettle of fish, especially against the teams at the top of the table, such as Horncastle, who have been in 3rd spot since November and must still harbour hopes of promotion. They had also beaten us 8-1 in Cambridge earlier in the season, so there was a little nervousness pre-game about how hard the match would be.

These nerves were not helped by the opening thirty seconds. We took push-back, and moved the ball around in our own half for a few passes. Then some pressure was applied near halfway, and the ball was turned over. Two simple passes later and the ball was heading into the path of  a runner cutting in behind our flat-footed defence. Rob rushed from his line to try and deal with it, but was cut out of the game by a control taken at pace, leaving the forward with an empty net. Horncastle had been in possession for five seconds max and not just already scored, but had walked the ball in! It felt like this could be a loooong afternoon.

We were still in a bit of shock when Horncastle made it two, an attack down our left drawing defenders like moths to a flame. The Horncastle centre-forward showed smart movement to pull the other way to the back post, where he was found for another tap-in. However, our resolve stiffened after this, and we began to at least make life difficult for the home forwards, albeit without ever stemming the tide of first half chances. We were also playing into the gale in the opening period, which was still howling away at 30+mph despite the peak intensity of the previous nights storm having long since passed. This didn’t help our attempts to get the ball clear, as it sucked the energy from anyone attempting to make a forward run to give options when in possession.

Horncastle’s pressure resulted in one further goal before the break, a pinpoint reverse stick finish from the top of the circle. It also produced the games champagne moment as a cross from our left took a deflection and looped up towards the goal. It was definitely net bound, but Rob, between the sticks for us, had some kind of play on it as it arced towards his helmet. However, I don’t think anyone was expecting his solution, apart from maybe the man himself. It was literal use of the head, i.e. a twist of the neck muscles and a flicked header over his own crossbar, rather in the manner of a football centre-back dealing with a dangerous cross. Good job he was wearing a helmet, although the remembrance that he was doing so was probably a factor in deciding on this type of clearance.

It was with that mixture of hard work in defence and out-of-the-box thinking that we turned around trailing by just three goals. The half-time talk was positive, along the lines of we are competing well with a talented side and may do even better in the second half when not battling the wind as well as the opposition.  Only as we lined up, grateful for the gale at our backs, and looked upfield did it dawn (on me at least) that it was literally up and down. I hadn’t noticed the distinct end-to-end slope of Horncastle’s pitch previously! But now it was obvious that we might be playing downwind, but we were also playing up hill...

Fortunately the wind had much more of an effect on the game than the slope, as it slowed the Horncastle midfield and backline from advancing to anything like the same extent they had managed in the first half. The game was transformed from one where we had been pretty much penned into our own half to one that was pretty even in terms of territory and possession, with both teams attacking and counter-attacking. We had our chances, making a number of circle penetrations, but without causing the home defence undue alarm. At the other end attacks on our goal were rather more sporadic than they had been.

The game was into the last ten minutes before any clear cut chances to advance the score occurred. The first two fell to Horncastle as they hit the post with a goalmouth scramble, and then extended their lead to four with a long corner that was neatly, but far too easily, converted. With a handful of minutes left, we had our best chance or a consolation as a good attack saw a rebound from Ali’s shot drop to Jacob, lying in wait near the post. He had a split second opportunity to thread the needle with a sweep, but didn’t get hold of the ball and it dribbled wide.

The final whistle blew with the score at 4-0, but unfortunately it did so when Horncastle were setting up a short corner. The short went to the player our defence expected, but he flicked his shot well enough to beat Rob and a defensive stick on the line to extend the final gap to 5-0. 5-0 being the same scoreline that we would have received if we hadn’t made the trip for the game! So this goal was really very irritating.

However, despite the end of our recent unbeaten away run (I don’t think anyone truly expected it to continue), this was a more encouraging display than many this season. Horncastle deserved their win for sure, but we were not overrun as we had been when the sides first met and as has happened when faced with over similarly difficult matches this season, i.e. last week for one. There were more reasons to be positive than negative about this game, including that this was the last such trip we need to make this season. We have four games left in Division 4NW, against teams either in mid-table or fighting relegation, and if we can play like this against them then we have hope of ending the season on a positive note.