GEOFF...JARV...2-GUN...FURNO...STU...PEEWEE(1)...POD(1)...HARPS...ELLIOT...JIM B... ROSS...DAVE E

Today was a special occasion for the OFC, after 4 and a bit years, highs and lows, moments of genius and moments of madness we were playing our 100th competitive game. How fitting that it should be against league leaders Pirbright.

This Saturday we weren't able to field what might be considered a first choice 11 players as we were missing the likes of Mike and Jack from midfield but given the resources available to Phil we were able to put out a very strong starting 11 and there was the option to have up to 4 subs if required. Although we have played well in a number of games, there have been 1 or 2 very forgettable performances which may well have cost us our chance to win the league, but we are well aware that in order to get promoted again we have to treat each game as a must win. This would be no exception

This week's opposition was a team we know little about apart from the fact they are unbeaten, top of the league and don't concede many goals. We would have to be on the top of our game to get anything out of this one.

This week the team was; Geoff in goal. Ross, Furno, 2-Gun and Jarv at the back. Elliot, PeeWee, Harps and Dave Ewan in midfield. Stew and Djimi up top. Rob, Pod and Sam on the bench.

We started the game with the slight advantage of the slope and the sun in the opposing keepers face. Unfortunately despite the vast amounts of money paid to the people who run the ground, the wings were like a jungle and there were no apparent boundaries to the field of play.

The match started and early on we looked somewhat intimidated by a physically bigger opposition. We were also guilty of showing too much respect to the opponents and subsequently our challenges were a little half hearted and our passes lacked the necessary conviction.

Having established a foothold in the game it was OFC who had the first chance of the game and it was Peewee who hit a speculative and looping shot from distance, the keeper was stranded on the edge of the 6 yard box and was powerless to stop Peewee's shot going in the back of the net. 1-0 to OFC and the perfect start from our perspective.

This week the club has finally set about getting a replacement “donkey” T-Shirt to be worn at training each week by the person who makes the biggest mistake or has the most forgettable 90 minutes on the pitch. This t-shirt will be kept in a nice moisture retaining plastic bag and will not see the washing machine in its wearable lifetime.

It was Furno who made the first claim on the T-shirt after 10 minutes. A loose ball fell to the ultra reliable centre back who had time and space to clear or pass. After doing some type of river dance with the ball he lost it to the alert striker and a last ditch interception from 2-Gun saved the day.

A number of players in the team were obviously still nursing their hangovers when Pirbright equalized. Basically, we failed to be alert enough from a throw in and were caught out by the quick throw, Geoff rushed off the line but the damage was done and we conceded a soft equalizer. 1-1.

Worryingly, 1-1 very quickly became 2-1 mere moments later. A foul close to our own penalty area was conceded and from 25 yards, a free kick was expertly dispatched leaving Geoff with no chance, as the ball sailed into the corner of the net. 1-2 to Pirbright.

We courted total collapse minutes later. Having seen the Furno with one arm firmly in the donkey t-shirt, Geoff decided to have his own stab at getting the shirt after misjudging a bouncing through ball, the ball sailed over his head and only his reactions and speed prevented the score becoming 3-1.

Our own errors served the same sort of function as an adrenaline shot does to someone on a heroin overdose and suddenly we came into our own. Having looked like rabbits trapped in a cars headlight and awaiting impending death we bucked our ideas up and turned it on all over the pitch.

Elliot started playing the sort of football he has been threatening to for a while now and looked a class act out on the left as he showed off with some superb touches, close skills and precision passing. He also combined well with Jarv to good effect. Out on the right, Dave Ewan, who probably by his own admission couldn't last 15 minutes in a training session 4 weeks ago, looked like man who had hadn't missed a training session all season as he was up and down the pitch and involved in everything down the right. Dave was superbly assisted down the right by 2-Gun who had obviously had his wheatabix or something more dubious on his cornflakes for breakfast. 2-Gun was like a man possessed winning everything and overlapping Dave at any given opportunity.

At the back we looked superb, Furno and Ross never looked troubled either by players coming through with the ball or by anything in the air. Ross, it has to be said has looked outstanding ever since donning the OFC shirt and has provided superb leadership to the OFC back four. The composure and confidence shown by the back line provided the base for our attacks.

Having seen Geoff and Furno's attempts to win the donkey t-shirt, a Pirbright defender obviously fancied nicking the t-shirt and taking it back to Guildford, when a long clearance resulted in a back header that had to be superbly tipped away by the keeper to keep the score at 1-2.

As a contest it was very evenly matched. Both sides were clearly capable of playing good passing football, both teams were determined in the challenges and both teams defended well. Subsequently in the last 30 minutes of the first half there were very few chances on goal.

Pirbright's main threat came from their long throws near the box which caused a bit of carnage in our penalty area and the closest we came was from some excellent build up play between Jarv and Elliot that culminated in a superb cross which Stew met on the half volley and just cleared the crossbar.

Although chances up front were thin on the ground Stew and Djimi did exactly what was required of them by Phil and made sure that no Pirbright player had time and space to settle on the ball. The only place where we were perhaps lacking in the first half was in centre midfield. PeeWee was nursing an injury and was a yard slower than usual and Harps, although determined and winning a lot of the ball is at his best when the ball is at his feet. The speed of the oppositions passing frantic nature of the midfield area meant Harps had little time on the ball.

We went in at half time a goal down.

Obviously to win the game, we had to win the second half and although the performance in the first half was adequate there was definitely room for improvement and we felt there was definitely the opportunity to take all 3 points. The areas to focus on were pushing out as a unit when in possession and ruffing up the opposition a little more.

We opened the second half well; a trait over many of the previous 99 competitive OFC matches has been to start a second half sluggishly and to be fire fighting by the 50 th minute of the game. This time however we started in the same gear that we finished the first half in and that would provide us with the opportunity to perhaps find an extra gear.

When the centre of our midfield plays well, OFC as a team play well and PeeWee and Harps grabbed the bull by the horns and we began to enjoy more possession than the opposition. Peewee was like a terrier and subsequently Harps found time and space on the ball and barely put a foot wrong in possession.

Oatlands looked strong in possession and our passes were quick, crisp, simple and more often than not finding another OFC player. But the Pirbright back line was as strong as any we have this played this year and reduced us to virtually no clear cut opportunities. Again down the other end our back four shut Pirbright out and both teams would have seen corners or the lethal Pirbright long throw as the best opportunity to score.

We did have the ball in the net 15 minutes into the second half after some superb passing opened up the Pirbright back line, but the linesman called it for offside.

An injury forced Elliot off the pitch halfway through the second half which was a shame as his display had been his best in an OFC shirt so far. He was replaced by big Steve Sweeting down the left hand side.

Sam was forced to referee the game and was happy to let the game flow, often bringing play to a halt only when there was no advantage to be gained. Both teams had a bit of a whinge but ultimately he called the game straight down the middle and it made the game a more enjoyable spectacle from the side. Sam was forced to take action with 20 minutes left when 2-Gun cynically hacked down Pirbrights excellent no.2 as they attempted break quickly. It was perhaps the only really bad tackle in a very clean (although aggressively fought) contest. Also on the same note, it was refreshing to have the opposition provide such a fair linesman. He was at times quite theatrical with the flag, but those who took the mickey from our sidelines would run a million miles if asked to do the flag for us.

We drew level with Pirbright with 15 minutes left; Pod got the ball down the left hand side and hit a cross cum shot type effort. For the second time in the match, the otherwise excellent Pirbright keeper was lobbed by an OFC shot much to the delight of the 30 odd supporters on the side. Pod also became the 12 th different scorer this season.

We were desperate to kick on and get the winning goal as it would have dragged us up and pegged Pirbright back and we nearly got it via Dave Ewan. A diagonal ball from the left dropped into space behind the Pirbright left back and Dave latched on to it. Dave took a decent first touch and struck a great shot from the edge of the box. The keeper made a good save and pushed the ball went out for a corner.

As the clock wound down we appeared to focus our efforts on what we had, rather than going for the win and both teams appeared to be happy to settle for a draw. With 30 seconds left on the clock we made an inexplicable mistake at the back. Chris Harper had the opportunity to easily clear a long ball from the Pirbright back line. The ball was called by Furno and Harps rightly ducked under the ball. The ball was allowed to bounce and in a rare Furno moment of panic the ball arrived at the feet of a Pirbright player who hit a shot that was never going anywhere other than in the back of the net and wild celebrations from Pirbright indicated that the game was lost. 2-3.

At the end of the day a draw would have unquestionably been a fair reflection on the game. We were 2-1 down at half time but dominated possession in the second half. It was only our own mistake that cost us dear and I doubt that will happen again. Overall we played quite well and even with some of the season's top performers missing from midfield we showed we have the resources to compete with teams that are top of the league. The only area we might have improved on was up front, as we didn't really have the guile to break down a strong opposition back line.

We were told by those on the sideline that Pirbright were not playing very well on Saturday, but we have the chance to play them again, so we'll see how things pan out then. In the meantime all the best of luck to them, they were a very sporting team.

For us, we will win games playing worse football than today, yes the result is disappointing but we did exactly the same to the Uni a couple of weeks ago. Again the squad selection shows there is strength in depth at the club. Mike, Goulash, Jack, Jordy and Dom will almost certainly be available for selection again in the coming weeks and Al Sanz looks like he could be available soon. This means that there will almost certainly be times when people don't even make the bench. It is therefore vital that you can't get to training on a Thursday and let Phil/Beater/Jim know if you can't make it.

Next week we play Mytchett Rangers away. We have beaten them this season 5-0, but if we think that this will be easy pickings and that we are entitled to 3 points, we will almost certainly lose. After losing 5-0 they will almost certainly be out to show us that it was a bad day for them.

A massive thanks to all those that again came down to support, sorry we couldn't win this time, but meet at the Flint next Saturday at midday and hopefully by 4pm we'll all have something to cheer about.

Finally a massive thanks to Steve Gilliver (Beater) who runs the club, without Steve's wholehearted commitment and at many times amazing patience, I doubt the club could have achieved half the games it has today. Let's make sure we repay his commitment and continue taking this club forward.