[Izulde]

vs Handcross Village III (2nd)
We need to get off the snide and start winning league games consistently. Garcia is back in the lineup. England is permanently benched.

21 seconds - Russell takes the pass from O'Hara and plays it up to Britton. He's triple-teamed ineffectively, so he simply lays off to Wickens in the half-circle. Medium Ben dribbles in and scores. 1-0

8 - Russell steals the ball to start a counter and caps it off by longing it to Wickens. Our true star player slams it in from 20 yards out. So fuiyoh! 2-0

30 - Watts with the corner. Keeper drops the ball and falls to the ground. Hoyle is first to it and walks in his first Mavericks goal! 3-0

34 - Garcia to Russell in the half-circle. Defender misses the interception on the tapper to Wickens, and there's the hat-trick!!! 4-0

58 - I screwed up in halftime and accidentally told Russell I wasn't happy with his 7.8 performance. Here, he runs down a cleared corner and passes to Garcia. Midfield is on him so he outlets to an isolated Watts. Booming cross and here's Wickens with goal #4 on the day. We're now at a big enough lead that England is in for Hoyle; Sanchez for Long. 5-0

How dominating was this win? Every single full-time non-goalie had 8.1 or higher and Ben Wickens (9.8 PotM), Andrew Watts (9.1), and George Russell (9.0) all broke the 9 mark.

We leap up to 5th on the back of that one, though there's games in hand behind us.

vs Barcombe II (Malins Challenge Cup Second Round)
They're spoiling for revenge after we whipped them last time. Sanchez is starting for Russell due to the short turnaround.

7 - Nice strip by Long to start a counter capped by Carter sending it down into touchline space for Britton to pick up and cross to Ben "Wonderful" Wickens for the opening score. 1-0

33 - Gave them too many shot chances and failed to clear there. 1-1

At half, Russell and England come on - the latter for O'Hara who is tired and having a bad day.

83 - Carter has had a couple of good throw-ins this half and this one finds Watts for the pass to Russell. Double team closes in but the ball's already on its way to *just* onsides Britton for the late go-ahead score! 2-1

87 - Long intercepts, starting a counter that ends in Wickens blasting a horizontal ball all the way across for Britton to run down. Loft in to the box, and Russell is in prime position to punch in the insurance! 3-1

Sluggish start, but Jake Britton's 8.9 PotM outing and George Russell's 7.6 bench showing bailed us out and sends us to the quarterfinals.

vs Scaynes Hill (5th)
{b]2[/b] - A strip by Hoyle and the pass to Russell starts a counter with Russell getting the ball back and sending to Britton in the box. We appear to have finally smoothed down the rough edges. 1-0

58 - We're playing like ass despite the lead and sure enough, they knot it up. England for Hoyle; Sanchez for Wickens, who is having his worst game of the year. 1-1

68 - Russell sends it back to Hadley for the cross-pitch rocket to Britton by the box. Dribble, cross, and there's daisy-fresh Sanchez singing home the go-ahead! 2-1

PotM George Russell (8.7) and Jake Britton (8.3) carried us on a day when Ben Wickens just didn't have it for once.

We're now 4th and equally within striking distance of a promotion place and falling into the drop zone. It's that tight a board so far this year in the Mid Sussex Division Eight.

Given my history, though, you have to think a surge up is coming. We're playing really, really well the last few games.