And so – after an enforced weather-break of just under two months – the Reds finally got to play a game of football again.
It was, therefore, a little unsurprising that it was the Patriots who started the brighter and took the lead after capitalising on some communication issues in the back line.
However, their lead was wiped out almost immediately through Danny Thompson flicking-in after an acrobatic Dan Bennett volley had been parried by the goalie.
The Reds then took lead when Ben House played an inch-perfect through ball to George Patten who finished low to the keepers left.
The boys had now settled down and were playing some nice one-touch football – out from the back and along the ground – which must have taken some doing, given the quagmire conditions ! This philosophy, though, was to be their (first-half) downfall when another throw-out was miscontrolled, allowing their left winger the simplest of finishes and - from having been outplayed for large parts of the game - it was Bourne who finished the half the stronger – a couple of long range efforts whistling narrowly over the bar. H/T 2-2.
The game was (until half-time) quite finely balanced but from the moment the whistle blew the boys then played – given the conditions - some of their best football of the season and simply blew the Patriots away with a display of commitment, desire, energy and togetherness – with no little passing football!
It was, again, Danny that provided the spark, slotting coolly past the advancing ‘keeper (having been denied minutes before when the ball got stuck in the mud in a carbon copy breakaway). A “self-created” penalty by Ben was missed before Danny completed his hat-trick with a far post tap in. This goal (to make it 4-2) gave the Reds the two-goal cushion that they wanted, to take any remaining anxiety out of the game.
Pressing further and further up the pitch as the half wore on, the Shots were rewarded for their increasing dominance with 4 further goals.
A Toby Elstow corner was met by a brilliant diving header from Ben to make it 5 ; an impressive burst of pace and expertly taken chip-lob from George for the goal of the game made it 6 before Ben with his 2nd and George with his 3rd rounded things off.
“There were some big performances out there today,” Russ Woolley told Stray Shots afterwards. “I thought George Marchant & Archie Fawcett were outstanding at the back, Callum Scott and Ben were immense in midfield and both strikers scored hat-tricks – I can’t really ask for any more than that, can I!?
"It was a toss-up between George, Ben and Danny as to who got Man Of The Match……but I decided to give it to Danny as he scored his goals at such vital times.”
Semi-final next week lads – more of the same please !!