Often when two teams of a similar standard are put against each other, all that separates the two is a bit of luck. Unfortunately for me I had none.

A captain’s cup game this week. Once Neil, Jamie and I had arrived into the changing room, James made the draw to decide who would be picking.

Jamie gets drawn first. So he’ll have choice if I’m drawn next….unlucky!

I’m drawn next….unlucky!

Well at least we have 15 players tonight, so I’ll have some advantage either way. Wrong, Paul S isn’t going to make it, so it’s even sides….unlucky!

We pick the teams. I’ve got Cush on my team, currently on a 8 game losing streak….unlucky!

But at least I’ve got Andy E, who bagged four goals and two assists last week. (Finally a bit of luck? No, I’ve picked him on the wrong week, see below)….unlucky!

Kick off. 

The game started and was pretty evenly contested for the first half. James put the Yellows ahead at around the 15 minute mark, winning the ball back and smashing a shot which went through Jamie’s legs and into the net.

Andy had a chance to put us two up. Missed. Over the fence onto the pitch behind. Had to wait 2 minutes to get the ball back.

I was rarely troubled whilst I was in goal for the first half, The yellows were doing a good job of keeping the ball, in part thanks to Tom who had pre-baby brain and looked completely lost in midfield. But the game changed when Jamie came out of goal at the halfway point. The tempo of the whites play stepped up a gear and it was Jamie who pressed and dispossessed Cush at right-back and then drilled the ball passed me into the bottom right corner.

I came out of goal at this point, moreso because I was freezing and Neil kept shouting at me to get back in my goal for doing warm up sprints back and forth across the box. I swapped with Laurie and filled in at left back, but our next goal came down the right, with Neil placing an absolute beauty of a cross to James at the far post, who rose into the air under pressure and headed back across the goal into the net. Superb goal!

Inspired by the quality of the play he had just witnessed, Andy fancied another attempt at a mid range shot. Missed again. Over the fence onto the pitch behind. Had to wait 2 minutes to get the ball back.

Our luckless night was about to continue…The whites took a shot which was heading just wide of Laurie’s right post, Laurie moved across to intercept but it took a huge deflection off Andy’s massive head and plopped into the opposite side of the goal. Laurie completely wrong footed and unable to do anything about it. 2-2.

We go again. We took the lead again for the third time. James once more, with another to round off an impressive hat-trick. 3-2.

That should have been that, sit tight and see it out, but unbelievably we got caught short at the back, a through ball from Ed seen the Whites two on one, with Jamie and Tom stampeding toward me there was little I could do and Jamie slotted in his second to make it 3-3.

Here we go again!

Andy had one last opportunity to score. A chance to put us ahead once more and make up for his unfortunate own goal, two previous misses and massive head. He Missed. Over the fence onto the pitch behind. Had to wait 2 minutes to get the ball back.

I started to believe this game was destined for penalties, but unsurprisingly I was wrong again. A hit and hope shot from Jay out wide, arrowed it’s way across the goal and found Nick running into the box, took a deflection off his shin and in. 

Final score 4-3.

Thanks to my team for your efforts, I’m sure you’re as stunned as I am after losing that game.

MOM - James, didn’t deserve to be on the losing side, a top effort and made things happen up front on his own.

Best of luck in the cup Jamie, well played!