[Izulde]

@ Willingdon Athletic III (5th)
G: Fraser Meldrum
D: Harry Seal/James Sage/Kashif Siddiqui
WBL: Flynn Tarman
M: Alfie Cain/Stephan Hamilton-Forbes/Lewis Hook/Peggy Lokando
S: Alex Theobald/Nico Thongvivat

45 - Ping-ponging possession before Crain cracks a crater all the way down for Thongvivat to race and dribble in. Seconds before halftime, our teenage hero gives us the lead! 1-0

55 - Soraf for Hook, and Tarman gets a break for the first time in a long time, sitting for Robinson as we switch to a flat 4-4-2.

It's the kind of game where Nico Thongvivant's 8.3 (PotM), Stephan Hamilton-Forbes' 7.4, and Alfie Cain's 7.0 are the highlights.

@ Roffey III (10th)
G: Fraser Meldrum
D: Harry Seal/Edd Richardson/Kashif Siddiqui
WBL: Flynn Tarman
M: Alfie Cain/Lewis Soraf/Lewis Hook/Peggy Lokando
S: Alex Theobald/Edwin Ahenkorah

Playing on short rest here, as a couple of postponed games and all our Cup play has us squeezing in these close together. It makes up our last game in hand, and it's a victory I really, really want to get.

4 - Theobald lays it forward on the wing for Tarman, whose cross ends up an actual shot. In the rain, the keeper's hands fumble the ball, and Ahenkorah is first to the punch for the short score. 1-0

Sloppy, sloppy game in the mud. At half, Lokando moves in to replace Hook, who played badly in the first half. Joao at MR, and Folan replaces ineffective Theobald, too.

64 - Joao is forced out with injury, necessitating Robinson as an awkward, emergency MR.

76 - I've been thinking all game it's surprising there's been no PKs awarded yet this season in our games. Sure enough, here it comes... and it's on them! Lokando steps up, the Congolese midfielder faking out the keeper. We can rest easy now. 2-0

Our entire backline, including Fraser Meldrum in the net, had 7.0 or better in this one, highlighted by PotM Harry Seal's 7.7, a 7.6 by Flynn Talman, and 7.5 by Kashif Siddiqui. In fact, while no true super-duper dudes, the whole starting lineup that played all game had 7.0 or higher, with Edwin Ahenkorah representing up front on his 7.5.

Biggest reason I'm excited about this win? We're officially 2nd on goal differential. The bad news: We lose Orlando Joao for a month with an ankle injury. But at least we have Malachi Robinson as a serviceable cover.