Getting older changes a person. You make noises you didn’t used to make; you can hurt your back if you sneeze too hard, and you start to forget things. Small things, like putting your GoPro in your kit bag on match day.

The squad arrived in Peterborough with spirits, confidence, and optimism high. We can win this. We should win this. We just have to play our hockey.

The pre-match warm up involved bibs and cones. We were serious; we were ready. With the sun shining brightly into our eyes, we took the pushback.

Unfortunately, we weren’t as ready as we thought and Peterborough were readier. While Adam subbed himself off to find his shinpads, Peterborough took the ball and broke forward towards the goal.

Baseline runner. You’ve got this. Get on the post. Crap, attackers in the D, where did they come from? Will he shoot or pass? Shoot or pass? Probably pass, he’s got options and he won’t shoot from that angle if he doesn’t have to. Oh, he shot. Try and get a foot in the way…

Arriving at the age of 45 apparently means forgetting how to move your feet, where the goal is, and how to do the one thing you’re on the pitch for. The less said, the better. Mistakes were made. We’re 1-0 down, 40 seconds into a match we should be winning.

While I recovered from the rude awakening, the rest of the team kept their heads and it wasn’t long before the equalizer came. I’m not entirely sure how it came. It’s getting hard to see from one end of the pitch to the other these days, but I’m told it was Jack. I’m sure it was clinical. We were level; that’s what mattered!

Without much delay, Andy slotted home our second goal and we were very much beginning to look like the well-oiled machine we trained to be.

A well-won short corner gave the opportunity for goal number three. Having scored the third goal, the umpires conferred and decided that it was too early in the match for us to be two goals ahead and opted for a P’boro 16-yard hit instead.

Shortly after this, and possibly related, the umpires also decided that George should have a two-minute sit-down on the side-line.

After George’s rest, and back at full strength, two more goals were scored, both from short corners (Menzies and George), and we headed into the half-time break at 4-1 up.

Second half, same as the first, minus the first 30 seconds. Apart from a 5-minute spell where Peterborough won two short corners, our midfield and defence kept them securely in their own half and our forwards well supplied, and shots at goal came at pace.  

With the sun in their keeper’s eyes, Joe, Jack, George, Johnny, and Alex all found the goal before the final whistle.

Full time, 9 - 1. 9 - one. 9 - ONE.

Great game, with sixty-nine and a half minutes of sublime hockey, but ugh, that one. And on my birthday, too.