Next stop, the derby

Two points from the next two games will be enough to get a Coledale team into the finals for the first time. While that is not exactly a staggering historical point, considering this is our first season proudly wearing the Maroon and White, the collection of players in the Maroons have played two barren seasons together before this and are eager to taste the experience.
No need to mention the first team that stands in our way of advancing to the playoffs, or just how passionate and committed to beating us those gentlemen will be next Saturday afternoon.
For now, however, the Maroons should enjoy the conquest over the competition's form side Russell Vale.
As with the first game against them, we battled to make any headway against a strong defence, but ours was equally firm.
Graeme P ghosted in at the far post early in the piece but was smashed over as he closed in on the ball.
TH10 tried to play in Dave C and then Dave McC but the ball was not falling kindly and the bounce was through the roof on a rock hard pitch which left many of us grazed and hobbling on Sunday morning.
Fergus had a long ranger which headed closer to Eddie's Pizza shop than the opposing goal, being tended by a stand in.
At the other end, Les angered the RV attackers with two close offside calls. On the second the number 10 sped away and shot past Pete and the far post.
Some heated words were fired between some of our players near the break but we hauled it together and went into the break at 0-0, same as the return match.
Our breakthrough came just minutes into the second half. Fergus played a long ball from the right and, for once, the tall long haired bloke wasn't there to deal with it. TH10 was able to sprint (well, it felt like sprinting) between the defenders, take a couple of touches and finish left foot past a wooden keeper.
RV got rattled and as usual at home, not many freekicks were awarded as maniacs on both side flung themselves in at their opponents. The volume, if not the intellectual standard, of debate was ramped up and we kicked the shite out of each other.
Dave Mc had a chance to make it 2-0 when put through clean on goal. Apparently his co striker's yell of "finish it" put him off and he stuck the ball on the roof of the Austinmer petrol station.
We didn't have to wait long to make amends however, but it came from someone who has waited a long time (almost 50 years) for a goal. In his third season now having never played before, big Phil has had a couple of close shaves with the opposing goal but his previous career highlight was a tap in goal in the grand final of a summer sevens triumph.
GD played a corner in from the left, the ball pinballed through a jumble of players at the near post. Phil had made his run, the ball sat up and his smashed it home with aplomb. The drinkers on the hill gave their loudest squeal of the season for a special goal.
RV came close with a header over from a corner and then got right back in it with 20 minutes to go. Amazing that both teams kicked eight types of crap out of each other, appealed 10 times for blatant handballs and garnered maybe three freekicks all day before a ball cannons from close range into Tom's hand and a penalty is awarded.
At 2-1 RV came roaring at us but again DD and KS plus there outside backs were magnificent. Paul E, playing despite a flu, was again monumental and Ian joined the fray with time running out to put in some big hits.
It was a fantastic result but more than that, a spiritied and hearty performance. We must do it all again next week.