This week we were up against Longton St Germain. They'd beaten us 1 - 5 in the first half of the season, so we were hardly going into this game in a over-confident fashion. We looked fairly strong, Phil in nets (Goose was laid low), Jake and Joe at the back, Crofty, Matt and Al in midfield and Andy up front, but would it be enough?

It was a good, open, attacking game to start with, then after 5 minutes Andy commits a clumsy foul on one of the Longton St Germain players. He ends up on the ground, the guy's not happy. Two minutes later, the same guy commits an even clumsier foul on Andy, Andy's left on the ground, so the ref sends them both off for 5 minutes! So taking revenge on a player = 5 minute suspension, allowing yourself to be fouled in these circumstances = 5 minute suspension. Presumably this is some sort of new retrospective punishment system that has been devised and rolled out in Penwortham. We're at the cutting edge of new refereeing techniques all right.

It was end to end stuff, defences closing players down and snuffing out chances, goalkeepers dealing competently with shots. Then halfway through the first half, Longton SG had a hard low shot, Phil got his hand to it and kept it out, but it fell very invitingly to one of their players and he dispatched the ball into the back of the net, 0 - 1. We weren't too dispirited, Crofty got a goal and Andy popped in a pair before half time, 3 - 1.

Second half started, more of the same, attacks at both ends. Longton SG get one back, 3 - 2. Things are getting a little more edgy now. Chances at both ends, then Longton SG launch a long ball from the back, its proceeding towards our goal and being chased down by Joe and one of their players whilst Phil is coming off his line to deal with it, all 3 players are going to arrive at the ball at the same time, they meet, there's a couple of contacts with the ball, first sending it one way and then the other, but i the end it trundles into Phil's net, 3 -3. Just over 5 minutes to go.

Two minutes later, Longton SG on a breakaway, Joe chasing back, the attacker's bearing down on goal, Joe clips him, the attacker goes down, Joe is sent off the pitch, but we survive the resulting free kick. If we were on a cliff edge beforehand, we're now over the edge and hanging on by one hand. We manage to deny any further good opportunities and even succeed in getting a corner with about a minute to go. Attack and defence get set, we knock the ball in, defensive block gives us another corner, 20 seconds have gone by. Attack and defence get set again, the ball's knocked in, another defensive block gives us a third corner, another 20 seconds have gone by. Attack and defence get set, Al takes it again but notices a gap - and knocks the ball into the back of the net direct from the corner, 4 - 3.

Just time for Longton SG to take a kick off but that's no sooner happened before the ref blows for full time. Wow.

Sand City Strollers   4 - 3   Longton Saint Germain