Southend & Benfleet L1 3v4 Blackheath & Elthamians L1

Picture this. It’s October. The sky is not awake. In fact it’s bleak and wet. So bleak and wet that a trip to Sarfend-on-Sea didn’t feature highly on any of our priority lists. Apart from the lull of a chippy tea...

Warmed up, ready to rock and rumble, the umpires checked their watches and blew the starting whistle.

What to say about the first 5 minutes...bloody awful sums it up quite nicely really. Blackheath had, quite possibly, the worst start to a game in history. Maybe too casual in their approach, who knows, but S&B dominated. Some super duper totally amazing silky skills (and two fouls from Blackheath) led to two short corners. Both converted. This was all within 3.5 minutes. You couldn’t make this up. The forwards shrugged at the defence. The defence shrugged at the forwards. Coach J didn’t know who to shrug. And then we reset for the push back.

Sick of losing and being on the back foot, the Blackheath ladies kicked into fifth gear, changing their tune and set off in search of a goal or four. Some delightful triangles, transfers round the back, strength in tackles and two well deserved short corners, Blackheath earned a level pegging. 2-2. Big praise to the goal scorers Emma L for the well placed deflection and Hannie B for the drag flick. Epic skills.

Heaving a sigh of relief and mopping their brows - largely from the torrential rain, but also from the relief of equalising - Blackheath entered into a half time talk.

After some encouraging words from Coach J and El Captaino and arguably (and most importantly) some much needed, sugar coma inducing tangfastics and retro fruit pastels, Blackheath squelched back onto the pitch determined to take the win.

But for a few minutes it didn’t look like a win would be secured. Blackheath watched in awe as #40 ran round not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 players before passing the ball into the D for the hanging high forward to deflect the ball into the goal. 3-2. The question Blackheath were all asking, was this to be?

But Sian Evans had other plans and made her debut into the 1st team this season one to remember. Receiving the ball on the left, driving down the wing and into the D before taking a clean strike on goal. But deflecting straight off the keepers pads straight into Hannie B’s path, the ball found its rightful place. Back of the net. Boom 3-3. A clear answer to the Heath’s burning question, yes it could.

Neck and neck. For the third time, it was all to play for. But this time Blackheath wasn’t easing the pressure and held an attacking press. Out to the wing, down to the baseline and into the D. The goal was coming and they knew it. S&B took a 16. The ball was passed across their D. But Charlie B anticipated the pass, picked up the ball on reverse, turned strong and BAM, shot on goal. Unsure whether the ball was on target, Sue got stuck in there too and aided it’s direction. Hearing the smack against the back board, Blackheath erupted in cheer. 4-3. Can you believe it? What a result.

But two minutes were still left on the clock. Silky skills #40 and some cleverly earned short corners put the pressure back onto Blackheath’s defence. But luck wasn’t on their side. The final whistle blew and the win was secured. Three points. Yes. What a day, what a performance.

Soaked and HANGRY, Blackheath enjoyed some of the most epic teas to date. Well cooked saucisson and fries. Some chose tommy K, others plumped for the spicier HB and a couple even went malt vinegar. Celebrations - each to their own. But could this BE a better day?

DOD - Kate - no half time fish snacks post Alaskan travels and erm, well just because.

MOM - the mighty Hannie B. It was a tight vote for the second week running. But after some stellar play and securing the position as leading goal scorer for the 1s, Hannie B took the crown.