Consistency

Following yesterday's near-perfect brace of games I was determined to ensure my performance continued into today's game in the Notts Combination for Headstocks away at Pure, a fixture I had started the season against in a pre-season game that ended 5-0 to Headstocks.

This time we travelled to the other side of Nottingham for the tie as Pure hadn't been able to organise a referee themselves, so Headstocks had asked me to take the game. It probably looked a little dubious the referee turning up with the away team but they were expecting me! I just hope the game went well enough for me to still be ok for a lift back again!

As it was, Pure started on fire, creating a couple of chances early on and taking a deserved lead inside the first 10 minutes. Headstocks weren't at the races and were being well beaten in every position and were lucky to go into the half time break only 1-0 down. They could also claim to be unfortunate too as what appeared to be a perfectly good goal from a free kick was flagged for offside and I wasn't in a position to overrule it. The ball was played into a crowded box but on the kick the defence had ran forward to force the offside trap, there were 2 Headstocks players clearly off but the player on the end of it had made a run and I was unsure whether he was onside and had no choice but to go with the linesman who was adament he was off. Tasty finish though as it flew into the top corner on the volley.

Headstocks certainly heard their managers' opinion during the interval as he tore into his usually high standard side. They came out much better for the second half and a period of sustained pressure saw Headstocks level and soon after it was 2-1. They went 3-1 before Pure pulled one back and threatend for a moment to spoil the party. But the away side got a fortuatous brace near the end as the ageing keeper made hard work of two efforts from distance and Pure may feel very hard done to having lost 5-2.

I had very little to do in the game other than wade through the thick muddy sludge as a result of the weekend downpour, and I was congratulated again at the end of the game by both sides. I was really pleased that 3 games in a row had ended in such a positive manner and it gives me strong belief that I can progress to the end of the season in such great form but I don't wanna get carried away after 3 good games.