Greyhound 0 - 2 Oaks Athletic (All leagues cup round 1)

Given that we had beaten Greyhound in the league the previous week this may not sound like a shock result, however from within the Oaks ranks most would admit this wasn’t a game we expected to win – and nor was it one we would be losing any sleep over. This is the cup competition which is contested by all teams across the five divisions of the Thurrock Sunday League. There are a handful of teams who you would say have a realistic chance of winning this cup, and The Oaks are definitely not on that list. We also knew that the winners of this match would be playing Premier side Legends in the next round, so an abrupt end to the victorious team’s cup run was in store. Not only did the reward not merit the effort required to win the game, but player unavailability had made avoiding a heavy defeat, let alone winning, seem unlikely. I won’t divulge the identity of the Oaks player who epitomised this opinion and stated that “I bet they’re going to feel really smug when they smash us!” Whose feeling smug now Deano (oops!)

The player situation was so desperate that Gollum was asked to come out of retirement, and with Jamie not appearing the lanky one was promoted immediately to partner Nathan upfront. I understand you might be wondering what terrible thing must have happened to Sharpy for him to miss a game, but family comes first, and a trip to Portsmouth was required for our top scorer. As it happened Milesy had twelve players to choose from, and went with the following starting eleven.

ppppppppppppppTyrone (GK)

pDeano (RB) Milly (CB) Rob (CB) Eye-Ball (LB)

pBill (RM) Jimmy (CM) Stu (CM) (c) Aaron (LM)

pppppppppNathan (CF) Gollum (CF)

Subs: Scott

Apparently football is supposed to be a game of two halves. Thanks to Mother Nature, and in particular the gale force wind blow from one end of the pitch to the other, this was a game of just one half – and it was the half the Oaks were defending in the first half.

Despite the low expectations, pulling on the Oaks shirt seems to install a sense of pride in all who wear it, and we definitely weren’t going to go down without a fight. I think Milesy summed it up when he likened the first half to the Battle of the Alamo, with our penalty area being under siege from the first to the forty fifth minute. We hardly had a sniff of the ball, and when we did regain possession we struggled to keep it for more than one or two passes. However, thanks to some dogged tackling, and a couple of good saves from Ty (including a one-on-one when Eye-Ball had put the striker clean through) the score was held at nil-nil until half time.

I should really correct one inaccuracy at this point, as Ty was the one Oaks player who had plenty of touches of the ball, mostly as he collected the ball from the basketball court behind the goal thanks to Greyhound’s inept finishing.

The mood in the Oaks camp at half time was surprisingly upbeat. It was apparent that the weather was going to have a major bearing on the outcome of this game, and the common consensus was that Greyhound had thrown us a lifeline by not gaining any sort of numerical advantage having had the elements on their side for the first 45 minutes. As well as the twelfth man who would be wearing Oaks colours in the second half, the thing that was going to really give the Oaks the edge was the fantastic team spirit and togetherness that was evident between all twelve players who played a part in this game. The first half had been littered with errors, but not once did any player moan or berate one of his team mates, and the only words exchange were ones of encouragement.

With the weather deteriorating by the minute our chances were looking better and better, and when Scott (who had replaced Aaron at half-time) ran down the left and put in a superb low cross that was met by a diving Nathan at the front post, we all thought our vice captain had headed us into the lead. However, the linesman had other ideas and flagged Nathan off-side. Now, I’m usually pretty pragmatic about these decisions, and will argue that the linesman has made what he feels is an honest call. However, in this case I’d then have to argue that Henry honestly thought you were allowed to use your hands to keep the ball in play. There is no way this goal should have been disallowed, and not only were the Oaks denied the lead, but Nathan was cruelly denied the goal his finish deserved. To make matters worse the dodgy hip that had been troubling him throughout the game was now aggravated further in the process.

The response to being cheated out of the lead was once again superb; we just picked ourselves up and got straight back at them. The reward finally came when the Greyhound keeper failed to deal with a cross when the ball was played back into the danger zone following a corner, and with the help of Gollum and the crossbar, Deano was on hand to poke the ball home for his second goal of the season: 0-1.

At this point it is advisable to forget everything that is written in the first paragraph of this report. This was now a game the Oaks were more determined than ever to win, and the tables had definitely been turned on those pesky Mexicans. The combination of the weather and some brutal tackling was gradually battering Greyhound into submission, and when they did get any where near our goal their advance was either brought to an abrupt end by the Oaks defence unit, or Ty was on hand to snuff out the danger.

The game clinching moment came with about 15 minutes to go; Bill played a delightful ball over the defence to put Nathan clear on the right, and he let the ball bounce before unleashing a venomous volley which was nestling in the top corner before the keeper could get off the ground. Remember this one when we are talking about goal of the season at the end of the year: 0-2.

It was only right that the weather had the last laugh, with horizontal rain growing heavier and heavier, and finally being replaced by horizontal hale stones. Fortunately the referee blew his whistle, and following some quick hand shakes we were able to run, with a smile on our faces, to the safety of the changing rooms.

Perhaps the lack of pressure we felt to get a result from this game helped, but this was one of the most enjoyable games I have been involved in. Whether it was watching Gollum shrink to a pigmy trying to head the ball or Aaron and Stu sliding into each others shorts, this game epitomised what Sunday football is all about: getting battered and drench by the weather and living a deluded dream of footballing excellence. Bring on the Legends!

I’d usually pick out a few-stand out performances at this point, but only mentioning one or two contributions would do a disservice to the other nine or ten players who also deserve praise. We shouldn’t forget Milesy’s contribution in making the inspired decision to move Stu to the holding role – truly Capello-esque. It’s also worth highlighting that this game puts to bed any doubts about the Oaks strength in depth. Those who stepped up to the plate in the absence of others did a truly superb job, and will definitely cause Milesy some head-aches if available for selection next week.

Eye-Ball

Next Match – Sun 29th November Cup Game v Linford Wanders @ Corringham Rec (Away).

Goal scoring chart (with one lot of appearances to be added)

Oaks Athletic 3 - 2 Greyhound (League game 5)

I’d like to start by issuing a warning to all Oaks Athletic match report readers, of a previously undiscovered danger that could be lurking in a fruit bowl near you: the “Angry Banana”. This intoxicating yellow piece of fruit is indistinguishable in every way from an everyday banana, but when consumed it turns a usually placid and well mannered left back into a vicious, goal-keeper kicking animal. Fortunately the referee spotted the side effects (foaming at the mouth, diluted pupils etc.) and realised that the unfortunate victim was not acting under his own will, and spared Evil Eric from any further yellow coloured punishment. Next week I’m bringing an orange.

Anyway, now the public health warning has been issued I feel I can move onto the far more gratifying matter of The Oaks fourth victory out of five games in the league. You don’t have to have too good a memory to remember that our one defeat in the league came against the same Greyhound side we were facing today. You should also remember that we made a few excuses for that defeat – mainly around player availability. Well, we definitely weren’t going to be able to make such excuses today, with Milesy basically having a full squad to choose from, with the exception of Scott (work) and Parker (imminently erupting third nipple). With Jamie available again, and Al having impressed at centre midfield in the previous week, Milesy chose to start with Jordan on the left. The full line-up was as follows:

ppppppppppppppTyrone (GK)

pDeano (RB) Milly (CB) Rob (CB) Eye-Ball (LB)

pNathan (RM) Al (CM) Stu (CM) (c) Jordan (LM)

pppppppppJamie (CF) Sharpy (CF)

Subs: Bill, Aaron, Jimmy

The pre-match talk from the skipper was a positive one, and re-iterated the fact that this was our chance to stake our claim as one of the main challengers for the league, and that – at the fourth attempt – we should finally do what we should have done already and beat this team.

The uneducated onlooker may have thought that Stu would be ill-advised to ever attempt a career as a motivational speaker when The Oaks went behind within the first two minutes. Having kicked off we were immediately under pressure, and Deano was unfortunate to be penalised for a perfectly good challenge on the edge of the 18 yard box. The resulting free kick was not dealt with, and an easy tap in gave Greyhound the lead: 0 - 1.

Conceding such an early goal against one of the better teams in the league would have had previous Oaks teams preparing for a painful morning. However, the current crop play with much more self belief, and soon set about getting back on level terms.

The equaliser came when Evil Eric intercepted a pass up the line, and swung the ball first time with his left foot into the penalty area. Sharpy reacted quickest to head the bouncing ball past the advancing keeper. He did exceptionally well to get over the ball and keep it under the crossbar, and deserved to claim his sixth goal of the season: 1 – 1.

This goal was a real boost for the Oaks, and with Sharpy and Jamie spearheading the attack we started creating a number of chances. It seemed that Jamie especially was involved in every good Oaks attack, and used his superb control and ability to hold up the ball to bring others into the game, and create a couple of good chances for himself which flew just wide of the mark. He was also undeservedly denied a goal when Jordan, having drifting in-field, played a delightful through ball which Jamie subsequently buried in the bottom corner. Only two people were adamant that he was off-side, and unfortunately they were the linesman and referee, so the goal didn’t stand.

The Oaks have been conceding a few too many sloppy goals from set pieces of late, and the latest to add to the catalogue was inexcusable. A failure to react to Ty’s well voiced instructions left two Greyhound players unmarked at the back post from a corner, who were basically allowed to challenge each other for the honour of heading the ball goal-wards. Despite Jordan’s best efforts on the line he was unable to keep the ball out, and Greyhound had retaken the lead: 1 – 2.

Given the chances we had been creating there was no need for heads to drop, and when Jamie followed up some good work on the right with an inviting low cross into the six yard box, those unfamiliar with Sharpy’s game would have bet their life savings on seeing the unmarked talisman levelling the scores again. Those of us who know only too well that the 6 yard box is to Sharpy what Kryptonite is to Superman, and have stared in disbelief as our most prolific goal scorer has put the ball over, under and either side of the goal when all these achievements seemed impossible, only held our breath and prayed. Initially these prayers seemed to have been unanswered as we watched the ball hit Sharpy’s knee and shin before finally making contact with the business end of the typical footballer’s anatomy, and trickle harmlessly towards the goal. Fortunately the goalkeeper was one of those poor unfamiliar soles, and had obviously set himself to hopefully get something in the way of a rasping shot. He was definitely not prepared for making a simple save, and as a result was only able to help the ball into the bottom corner: 2 – 2.

Having been behind twice we were very happy to be drawing at half time, and given the nature of the two goals conceded the confidence in The Oaks ranks was clear to see. Milesy made one change at half time with Bill replacing Jordan on the left.

Both teams were really pushing for the vital third goal in the second half, and every challenge was well contested and there were some really hard tackles flying in. Rob, as always, was leading by example in this department. There is definitely no such thing as a 50:50 where Rob is concerned, and the sight of Greyhound players flying through the air (with the ball having been fairly won) on numerous occasions made me glad – as always – that I’m on his team! He definitely inspired the rest of the side, and the commitment of the outfield players combined with Ty’s dominance of his 18 yard box meant that we restricted Greyhound to a few speculative long range efforts in the opening twenty minutes.

During this time we also had to cope with the significant blow of losing Al with an injured toe, which meant Aaron had to come on and replace him in the middle of the park (at least we think that is where he had been asked to play)!

Our efforts were duly rewarded when Jamie linked up with Sharpy on the left, who then crossed the ball into the middle where it was met by Nathan who volleyed left footed into the bottom corner: 3 – 2.

The next 20 minutes felt like an eternity, and it was quite clear that to stop Greyhound we had to stop their star player who was determined to run through us at any opportunity. To be fair we really struggled to get the ball off him, but we were disciplined in defence and managed to keep him at bay (although Aaron was a little less subtle in his approach to stopping him). We also had to defend with 10 men for some of this time while Jamie recovered from a knock on his dodgy ankle.

Greyhound were now throwing everything at us, and when they threw an extra man upfront he could have scored with his first touch, but Rob was there once again to make yet another superbly timed challenge from 12 yards. That was to be their last chance, and the Oaks were able to run down the clock and end the match as deserved 3 – 2 winners.

This was the sort of gutsy and determined display that you expect when The Oaks play the best sides. The real test will be when we play Linford and Anchor in the upcoming weeks as we definitely won’t be the underdogs in these games, but if we don’t show have same attitude we showed today we will drop points, and today’s efforts would have been wasted. Well done lads, and let’s keeping climbing that ladder.

Evil Eric

Next Match – Sun 22nd November Cup Game v Greyhound @ Blackshots (Away so no nets to put up).

League Update

With Rec Rovers losing to Lakeside, and Belhus and Pegasus playing out a nil-nil draw, this win lifts us to third in the table:

Goal Scoring Chart (appearances from one game still to be added)

Oaks Athletic 1 - 0 Linford Wanderers (League game 4)

With the analysis of last week’s heavy defeat complete, nobody was under any illusions of what we needed to do to ensure we returned to winning ways against a team who we had beaten on three occasions last season. The football aspects (passing, dribbling etc.) would improve with a run of matches, but we needed to increase the intensity, work-rate and togetherness that are synonymous with The Oaks at their best. You could say mission accomplished, and although not everything we tried came off when we had the ball, the way we played without it – hustling Linford and limiting them to a few half chances – was the main contributing factor that gave us a well earned and hard fought victory.

With Jordan unavailable due to work commitments Milesy again had to give the team a bit of a shake up, and with the luxury of fourteen players to choose from he went with the following starting eleven:

ppppppppppppppTyrone (GK)

pJimmy (RB) Milly (CB) Rob (CB) Deano (LB)

pEye-Ball (RM) Al (CM) Stu (CM) (c) Bill (LM)

pppppppppNathan (CF) Sharpy (CF)

Subs: Parker, Scott, Aaron

It would be interesting to see how Nathan and Sharpy played together upfront, with the former obviously being rewarded for his three goals the previous week which had put him level with Sharpy in the goal-scoring charts.

A respectably observed minute’s silence preceded the match to remember those who had fought and died for our country, and soon afterwards the game got under way.

It always seems to take us a little while to get into our stride, and today was no exception, with Linford starting the brighter of the two sides. However, although we struggled to find our rhythm Linford didn’t pose much of a threat in the final third and Ty’s goal remained fairly untroubled.

Most people would agree that the best refs are the ones you don’t notice, and it was soon obvious that today’s official was definitely not one to be put into this category. So often the team who handles the ref best is the one that comes out on top, and the early signs weren’t good for The Oaks as Deano understandably showed his frustration after being wrongly accused of hand-ball and then also being denied an obvious free kick. I don’t know for sure, but I think Deano holds the record for the Oaks player who has sent himself off the most and he was a whisker away from adding to that record (it’s a good job those shirts are a bit tight). However, he soon composed himself and went on to play a leading role in a strong defence display.

Although most of the play was in The Oaks half in the first 45 you could still argue that we should have been in the lead at the break with Sharpy and Nathan both coming close, but failing to find the killer finish with only the keeper to beat. It’s hard to say who would have been happier with the nil-nil half time score-line. Ordinarily you would definitely say Linford given the drubbings we had given them last season, but then they didn’t know they were facing an Oaks side who whose confidence had taken a bit of a battering the previous week.

The instructions for the second half were pretty straight forward; keep concentrating, fight for every ball, and get the ball in the onion bag! Milesy made one substitution (and a number of positional changes) at half time, with Scott replacing Jimmy and slotting in at left-midfield, Eye-Ball going back to left back to relieve the altitude sickness, Deano shifting to right-back and Bill following him over to play right-mid.

I’ve often wondered what Milesy puts in the water bottles, but whatever it is it definitely worked as the Oaks were soon on top in the second half in every respect. In defence Rob and Milly were immense; they didn’t give the Linford strikers a sniff, and funnily enough the only challenging save Ty had to make was from Milly who misunderstood the strange concoction of sounds emanating from Ty’s mouth and ended up almost heading the ball past him.

Ty did request that I justify his self appointed position as “the best footballer in the world”, but I’m afraid the fine defence display denied him the opportunity to shine today. Deciding to kick the ball out for an attacking Linford throw when it would have been Oaks ball didn’t help either (although he could argue a Linford throw is possibly less dangerous than letting Eye-ball take it). When he did need to claim a cross or gather a shot he did so with ease, and deserved his first clean sheet of the season.

In midfield Stu and Al were dominating their opposite numbers and must be commended for their work-rate and commitment both in attack and defence. On the wings Scott’s introduction made a definite impact. I think we are all in agreement that he’s a very good young footballer, and will be a valuable asset if we continue to see him over the rest of the season. On the other wing Bill – on his second pair of boots for the game – work tirelessly and is definitely benefiting from the regular appearances.

Upfront the Oaks answer to Jedward (Sathan or Narpy maybe…) were showing a telepathic understanding that is usually only gained from time spent together in the womb, and despite his own run in with the ref vice skipper Nathan once again led by example from the front and was a constant menace.

There is always something to talk about where Sharpy is concerned. Thankfully a lot of the time we’re talking about his goals, but after last week’s shenanigans there was a point when we didn’t think he’d be pulling the Oaks shirt on again. However, it takes a big man to admit he is wrong, and the apology he gave to the whole team before kick-off was much appreciated (although he knows he still has one apology to make). It also seemed to lift a big weight off his shoulders, as a dry and happy Sharpy had one of his best games in the Oaks colours. Yes, his finishing has been better but his movement, determination and overall attitude (not to mention he avoid the ref for the full 90 minutes) meant there will be a couple of Linford defenders having Sharpy coloured nightmares tonight.
As already mentioned, Sharpy’s finishing wasn’t quite at its best but this didn’t stop him giving the Oaks the lead when the keeper could only help a scuffed shot into the net. 1-0 to The Oaks.

This spurred on the Oaks to get that all important second goal, and Al was a whisker away from scoring the best team goal that I can remember for the Oaks. The ball was passed through the midfield, and then up to Sharpy, who then played a delightful first time ball behind the defence to Al, who had made a superb run into the box. With only the keeper to beat Al fired inches wide of the left hand post.

With a number of other chances coming to nothing (including Eye-Ball almost inadvertently lobbing the keeping from an attempted cross) there was a fear that Linford might snatch an underserved point, and the last ten minutes was definitely “squeaky bum” time. However, the Oaks dug deep - with even Aaron (who had replace Bill) winning a header for the cause – and got the three points they deserved.

1-0 is a great score-line when the 90 minutes are up, but it’s probably the worst score-line for the subs as, injuries permitting, it is always a risk to change things. Parker was the unfortunate one to miss out this time, but at least he avoided the flag!

We know the next match against Greyhound is going to be a tougher encounter, but if we take the momentum from this game into next week’s match we can definitely get something from a game we really need to if we want to make a real challenge for the league title this year.

Eye-Ball

Next Match – Sun 15th November v Greyhound @ Blackshots (Home so 09:45 meet).

Goal scoring chart (with appearances from one previous game to be added)

AFC Blackshots 6 - 3 Oaks Athletic (League Cup Rd 1)

It was only a few weeks ago that I was saying how fortunate it was for me to have to rarely report on a heavy defeat for the Oaks. And yet here I am having to explain how we managed to ship 6 goals in this League cup encounter. However, I plan to spend as much time dwelling on this defeat as it took for the score line to go from 2-1 at half time to 5-1 (which you’ve probably guessed wasn’t very long!)

Milesy understandably decided to start with the same 11 who had won so emphatically in the last match. Unfortunately a last minute change was required as Deano was still feeling the affects of the flu, and so Eye-Ball came in at right-back:

ppppppppppppppTyrone (GK)

pEye-Ball (RB) Milly (CB) Rob (CB) Aaron (LB)


Nathan (RM) Jordan (CM) Stu (CM) (c) Bill (LM)

pppppppppppAl (CF) Sharpy (CF)

Subs: Jamie, Parker, Jimmy, Deano

It’s not always necessary to give a weather report, but today the elements were to play a major role. Heavy rain that had been falling all morning, and continued throughout the game made the pitch very wet, and caused to the ball move and skid very quickly across the ground; add to this a strong wind (which the Oaks were kicking against in the first half) and you can imagine that these were challenging conditions in which to play football. As we were soon to discover, the conditions definitely favoured the younger, quicker AFC Blackshots.

It became apparent almost immediately that AFC’s plan was to put balls behind the back four for their speedy forwards to run on to, and if not for their failure to beat the off-side trap and some good keeping from Ty, they would have taken the lead. Despite looking dangerous in attack, their defence and goal keeper had a shaky start, and when an innocuous high ball from Al into the box was insufficiently dealt with, Nathan was on hand to slot home with a cool finish from 12 yards. 1-0 to the Oaks.

Re-starts were to prove a problem for The Oaks throughout the match, and as soon as they had taken the lead it was lost. AFC played the ball forward from the centre circle, and a ball through to their striker left the Oaks back four inexcusably standing waiting for Parker to raise the flag. Honest John didn’t however, and the striker had time to compose himself, have a cup of tea, watch the latest Harry Potter Movie, read the book, decide the book was better, and write a letter to the Harry Potter Fan Club telling them as much. Having done all this, he rounded Ty and put the ball into the back of the net. 1-1.

To lose the lead so soon after taking it was obviously unsettling, and AFC made the most of the momentum the goal had given them to take the lead when the AFC striker finished neatly past a diving Ty, who managed to get a hand to it but couldn’t stop the wet, slippery ball going into the net. 2-1 AFC.
The only other incidents to mention from the first half were Eye-Ball finally managing to put in a tackle in the area on his least favourite pitch at Blackshots without conceding a penalty, and a couple of great saves from Ty; one with his legs when the striker was clean through and a superb double save.

Despite going in 2-1 down at half time The Oaks were still well in the game. They had created plenty of chances, and would be kicking with the wind in the second half. The orders for the second half were given, and two changes were made with Deano replacing Aaron and Jamie replacing Bill. Jamie took his customary position upfront, whilst Al dropped into midfield and Eye-Ball moved to left back to make room for Deano at right back.

I said I wouldn’t dwell on the first 10 minutes of the second half. So here is what happened in as few words as I can manage: Oaks kick off, lose possession, AFC score. Oaks kick off, lose possession, AFC score. Oaks kick off, AFC don’t score straight away, but then Rob unluckily heads the ball past Ty when trying to block a shot. 5-1 AFC.

This was a really sloppy period for The Oaks, and to give away 3 soft goals in such a short space of time was obviously a shock. This shouldn’t take anything away from AFC who were clinical, and showed a quality in possession and finishing which highlights why they gained promotion in their first season in the Sunday League, and are currently sitting top of League 2B.

The one positive from conceding four goals so quickly was that we still had most of the second half to get back in the game. Although it would have been easy to give up at this point, credit must be given to the eleven Oaks players who finished the game strongly and managed to claw the score back to 5-3 before unsurprisingly conceding a sixth late on.

It may seem odd that we played our best football at 5-1 down, but I suppose we had nothing left to lose, and seeing as we had all got up on a Sunday morning to get drenched and caked in mud we might as well enjoy it! The Oaks second goal typified the freedom with which they were now playing. It started with Jordan holding the ball up on the left touch line and then passing in field to Stu, who found Al on the half way line. Al then split open the AFC defence with a through ball to Nathan who had timed his run behind the back four perfectly and again finished with aplomb with a side foot across the keeper into the bottom left hand corner. 5-2.

This lifted the Oaks and for the next 20 minutes they dominated possession and started creating genuine chances thanks to some superb link up play. When Nathan completed his hat-trick with a shot which was helped in via a deflection I for one believed extra time was a real possibility. 5-3.

It would have been hard to tell if AFC were sweating at this point due to the monsoon conditions, but you could be pretty sure that they would have been if their keeper hadn’t pulled of a stunning reaction save to deny Parker from 3 yards following more good build up play between Jordan and Jamie on the left. To be fair to Parker the only thing he did wrong was to start celebrating the goal before it was safely in the back of the net.
If that chance had gone in, the last 10 minutes the game would have been very interesting. As it was, despite Rob and Jamie also coming close we weren’t able to get any closer to AFC, and the game ended with AFC finally finishing us off with a sixth goal on the break. 6-3.

Although we were obviously disappointed to lose, and may have thought we could have played better, Milesy made an important point at the end of the game. This is Sunday League Football, and you’re never going to win them all. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it though, and at the end of the day that has to be the reason we give up our own time to get up on a Sunday morning come rain, wind or shine to get kicked about and pay for the privilege. Those who were playing for The Oaks in 2006/07 will remember that we only managed to win 3 games in the whole season, but I still remember looking forward to every game to have the opportunity to play a game of football with a bunch of guys who I liked and respected, and who respected me. The only thing that has changed since then is we’ve actually got a bit better at the football bit, and as long as the other parts don’t change I’ll definitely keep turning up.

Eye-Ball

P.S. Please spare a thought for Rob who is going to have to put up with some stick from his son for a while, who I believe was playing upfront for AFC and scored 3 goals.

Next Match – Sun 8th November v Linford Wanderers @ Blackshots (Home so 09:45 meet).

Goal scoring chart (with appearances against Lakeside to be added)

Oaks Athletic 6 - 2 Lakeside (League Game 3)

I'm afraid this report is lacking detail as I was sunning myself in Tenerife (although I don't have much of a tan to show for it).

I've been told that despite going into half time 2-0 the Oaks rallied in the second half, and scored 6 goals in 20 or so minutes. The scorers were Nathan, Bill, Al, Jamie, Sharpy and Jordan.

Eye-Ball