Six months of effort, thirteen wins and two draws from our previous nineteen games, brought the M3s to this match knowing that three points would guarantee promotion and a spot in Division 4NW for only the second time in our history.

The importance of the game showed in a somewhat nervy start, the ball being cleared off our line after the Saints had rounded Matt S-G in the opening couple of minutes. However we began to play after that and quickly had a similar chance of our own cleared from the line after the visitors’ keeper had been eliminated.

Then, ten minutes in, skipper Jan caught the left side of the visitors’ defence dozing as he took a sideline hit quickly, having the space to move it five yards and cross completely unchallenged. His centre found vice-captain Ed, who deflected in. That settled us down and we distinctly shaded the rest of the first half in terms of territory and chances. There was still some anxiety in our play however, which manifested itself in us going too directly, moves that were easily mopped up by the strong sticks in the middle of the Ives defence.

Good things happened when we remembered to use the width and spare men, such as winning a short corner towards the end of the half. This short generated another, which in turn became a penalty stroke as we once again got the ball beyond the keeper, the shot at his unguarded net being goalbound until it hit the upper arm of a defender on the line. The selection of the flick taker was controversial, Simon talking his way ahead of regular taker Dave. Si found the target, which was good for both him and the skipper for being so easily swayable, but he did rather scuff it home; Dave definitely gets the next one!

As the flick was the last action of the opening half, we turned around two ahead. Comfortable, right? It didn’t prove so. The next fifteen minutes was our worst of the match, as Ives got completely on top. Poor defensive structure and marking saw us trapped in our own half and at times struggling to clear even the twenty-three! This pressure inevitably led to goals, both scruffy affairs finished with tap-ins from very close range, one from open play, the other from a short. All very odd, as we hadn't found ourselves on the back foot to that extent in any other league game this season. Psychological? Probably, because as soon as we no longer had something to cling on to our play markedly improved, the game returning to its earlier balance of us holding a slight edge.

The winner came from a short corner with around ten minutes left. Dave’s straight strikes hadn’t been working so he went for another option this time, putting the ball wide of the right post where Matt S had sprinted in to be on hand to deflect home his first league goal for the club. What a time to get it! And with that, and some occasionally ill-advised time wasting attempts to take the ball into the corners, all of which simply resulted in turnovers and dangerous counter-attacks, we were home.

Then it was over to the L1s, who also secured their promotion in the next game on at Long Road. They clearly don’t understand the meaning of ‘drama’ though, as they did so by winning thirteen-nil. Get ahead, throw the lead away and then scramble over the line; that is how you keep the masses entertained, girls!

Next target: making sure we go up as champions. Positive results from our last two games will do it. Let’s go get them!

Oh, and talking of going to get things, barring an unlikely promotion for the M2s (still mathematically possible but needing some peculiar results for it to happen), Coops’s shower, we are coming for you…