With this being the fifth game in a row the strain was starting to show

on our players, especially on the young academy players, so it was up to

the old guard too show them how it was done.

The biggest miss to the squad was the multi talented Dave, not only our

outstanding keeper but also top goal scorer for the last three seasons. But

Rob and then Paul stepped up to the plate to fill his shoes and did a

outstanding job of it.

Hedge End has seen many things over the years but Ali's hair style was a

thing of beauty, it just proves that spending all that time looking at

The game started at a good pace, both sides lined up in the church

league standard 4-4-2. Meon Valley were just half a pace ahead of Hedge

End for the opening half and after 15min they broke the deadlock with a

nicely worked goal down the right with their striker finishing with a

good shot across the out stretched Rob. Their seconded followed soon

after with a mix up from a throw in, they squared the ball across the

onrushing keeper for their left winger to tap into a open net. It was no

more than they deserved. There left winger was finding all sorts of

space and one of the strikers was dropping of into the hole between

midfield and defence. Hedge End started to find a bit of rhyme,

our first change came with a ball fired across the box with our

strikers half a yard behind. Next Ali made a great break down the

right, he put in a great cross , Doug leap well and headed it straight

down the keepers throat. The half ended 2-0 and hedge end knew they had

to play better.

The second half started much as the first with Meon Valley half a step

ahead and them having good success down the left. The defence was

playing well with James, Bernard and Paul winning their share of the

ball, but it was coming back at them to quickly. Hedge End started to get

a foot on the ball and creating a few things. We were starting to enjoy

some success of our own down the flanks. But then a penalty was given

against Paul after stepping in for Rob at half time. After saving well

once and parrying the ball out, he chased after the lose ball only

for there striker to cut across him. There was nothing he could do about

the well struck penalty. 3-0 down and as usual Hedge End found their

stride, passing the ball better and finding space. Doug tried his luck

with another header, the cross came in from the right, he buried it

straight into the ground with all the power of a sailor boy, but as

football goes it bounced over the diving keeper and into the goal. With

beliefs instilled Hedge End were off and chasing the game, Steve then

won a penalty for us when their central defender went straight through him on

the left side of the box. Matt slotted home the penalty to make it 12 for

the season.

Hedge End could sense a come back, and from the kick off they let Meon

run straight through them to score. There was a lot of looking at each

other, mainly from working so hard to get back into the game and then to

give away for such a cheap goal. But Rob was not to be put off, and

playing in his third position of the game he had worked his way on to

the right wing. He broke down the right from a great through ball from

Ali, as the keeper rushed out he slid in and chipped in over the keeper

from outside the 18yard box, by far the best goal of the game and the

best goal I have every seen him score. And it showed on his face as he

turned to run back to the team.

4-3 and we were in with a shout but it never quite fell for us and Meon

scored a late goal to wrap it up.

It was a good come back but we were away half a yard behind. But the