In the midst of a yellow weather warning, the m4s arrived at the gate optimistically not referring to their game as a ‘relegation battle.’ Victory was vital as we faced off against second bottom Wanderers.
Having tied the goals down in the face of 60mph gusts, Southgate blew the opposition away in the first ten minutes. Winning a short in the early stages, and knowing the game was being recorded for posterity, all eyes turned to Club Chairman Whatley whose number 2 routine is ubiquitous with the team as a whole. This time his powerful shot deflected off the keeper’s pad and into the top left corner. His signature alan-shearer-esque celebration pointed to a Southgate lead for the first time in many games.
Another short followed soon after, and Tadgh effortlessly swept his dragflick into the side netting. This was the 4s at their most clinical. Wanderers pulled one back via a short, but after ten more dominant minutes Whatley was alive again in the D and slotted home to leave the half time score at 3-1.
The oppo came back from the interval more energetic and more skillful than at any point in the first half, and put the whole team under pressure early on. Yet Southgate found a way through, and Doug’s finish from the top of the D rounded off an excellent attacking move. Wanderers pulled another back, but with some excellent on the ball work from up-and-coming star Tom Davies ending with a clinical finish into the far corner, Southgate looked to have put the game to bed.
Yet Southgate’s defence had other ideas. It was to be a rare pig in blanket of brilliance amidst a gravy ocean of mediocrity. The performance went from silky-smooth to squeaky-bum. Having proclaimed before the game that he would ‘raise his game’ with his older and wiser brother in midfield, and after Southgate’s 5th goal that ‘we should aim for 7 lads,’ Skipper Scott’s periodical red-black colour blindness kicked in. Combined with his grip which looked as if it was prised from an ancient Egyptian mummy, and which hadn’t been replaced thanks to some inopportune forgetfulness from myself (earning me DoD), it was a bad omen for Southgate’s performance in the latter stages of the game. Heroic defence and poorly disciplined attack followed from the 4s, but we hung on to secure a hair(line)-raising 5-4 victory, taking us to the heady heights of 8th in the table.