Wallingford M1 2 – 3 Yateley M1

Fast forward one week and we were gearing up to go again – against a strong Wallingford side.

Back stronger, after picking ourselves up off the canvas, this was a Yateley team determined not to let last week define the season. The intensity was there from the very first stride of the warm up, buoyed by the presence of a thrusting bearded chap, we set the tempo for the entire first half.

Wallingford offered very little to start with and Yateley had them up against the ropes and didn’t pull any punches. In a role reversal from last week, the visitors punished the host's poor passing, picking the ball up and dribbling it into the back of the net. Within five minutes the visitors had doubled their lead, with a tactically deflected own goal from a short corner.

Yateley were riding high and in complete control, as they fizzed the ball around in the dappled sunlight that set the scene for wave after wave of attack. Wallingford couldn’t weather the storm and five minutes before half time Yateley had a third. Have no recollection of the goal but it was probably good.

Half time couldn’t come quickly enough for the hosts and if not for a good goal line clearance and few scramble zone saves from the Wallingford GK it could easily have been 0-5 at the break.

The second half saw a completely different Wallingford, shifting to Pep’s favoured 2-4-4 inverted wing back formation. Throwing caution to the wind they went for it. Finally they broke Yateley’s line of defence, benefiting from a few short corners they seized their opportunity and slotted two in quick succession.

The game had just got interesting. At this point it would have been very easy for Yateley to retreat, defend deep and try and ride it out. However, as they say, attack is the best form of defence. If someone can remind our forwards of that for next week that would be appreciated.

Nether the less, we showed a steely and scrappy resilience, taking the game to within 10 minutes of the end 2-3 up. At which point, Wallingford went all Team GB Sydney Olympics 2000 on us and pulled the goalkeeper off.

The less that is said about the five open goals we missed the better, it would certainly have made for a more comfortable final 7minutes. But we made it to the finish line first this time and rightly so. A game of two halves that fittingly rounded of a week of two very different matchdays for the M1s.

Consistency is key as they say – so it only seems fitting that we are away AGAIN next week. At least we have had the Half Term break to save us from the M40 for a little while longer.