Centre Park, Robertson Road, Mangere. Not one of my favourite places.

No changing sheds, the clubroom has gone (no Kava...bugger) and I've never experienced a victory there in my 5 years with the club.

Tony Davidson agrees to referee... our last meeting nearly had Kofi Annan involved.

0-5 mins....They leap out of the traps...nice football with pace..we're on the back foot.

5-10 mins.... Fabs contradicts his pre match urgings to "not fanny about at the back"...by playing a fabulous back pass into no mans land....eagerly gobbled up by their striker who rounds Andre and with an open goal at his mercy..... HITS THE CROSSBAR.....ha ha...big let off though.

10-15mins....A fine move down the left by OM, opens a one on one opportunity for the Wing Back who finishes acutely past a helpless Andre. 1-0 down and they deserve it.

15-20mins....Composure...win some balls, stretch them wide...we come back into it.

20-25 mins....more of the same

25-30 mins...We're in the ascendancy, John Waller plays a nice ball down the line, I manage to hook it into the box.......Fabs nods in....a la Alan Shearer (England v Germany Euro 2000)

30-35 mins....End to end with half chances for both sides

35-40 mins.....Pause for breath

40-45 mins....Dave Benard put clear.....under heavy pressure, fires straight at keeper.

Half Time.....In boxing terms they are ahead on points.....but this ain't boxing....yet.

OM request "their guy" refs 2nd half.....Tony Davidson has refereed impeccably.

45-50 min...A couple of decisions are waved on....oh dear, this could end in tears.

50-55mins.....Richie Sharples does superbly to get onto a speculative ball....he hassles  the defence and keeper, his persistance pays off as he prods the ball home. OM squeal like stuffed pigs that it was handball....their ref gives it.

2-1 up....call in the United Nations.

55-60 mins....The ref gives a handball (against Richie I think) on the edge of the box....their classy sweeper strolls up and smashes a beauty past Andre....2-2....now the fun and games begins.

60-65 mins.....George clips their fullback (Mini Ainsley Harriett) George acknowledges that he fouled the fella....hand raised.....gets a "Glasgee Kiss" for his troubles......surely a red card....ho ho....don't be silly.

65-70 mins...Andre makes an incredible triple save and Mark Harvey clears off the line for the second week in a row.....Ali v Foreman stuff

75-80 mins.....More Andre miracles..fabulous one on one blocks ...(Circa Sir Peter Shilton, England v Cameroon Italia'90 QF)...2 more OM players test the rule book by raising their hands and throttling our defenders ......we really should be playing 8 men now. 

80-85 mins.....Fabs and Liam limp off....they have given everything.....OM keep pressing....can we hang on?

85-90 mins.....Ridiculous challenges flying everywhere....it's a miracle no one ends up at Middlemore....the full time whistle blows and we have TRULY EARNED a point.

A massive round of applause to the following team members for courage under fire:

Andre Van Lieshout, John Keen, Mark Harvey, Liam Moorhouse, Daryl Wilson, Gavin McKenzie, Roy Cooke, Russell Whiter, Steve Fabrello, John Waller, Peter Clarke, George Milloy, Richie Shaples, Dave Bernard, Phil the Glider....

Still unbeaten.....but....the first time we have conceded 2 goals in a league game.....if it wasn't for Andre, it could have been 5.

Fencibles next week..........put your gum shields away fella'!

Video of George getting nutted* ** ***

*Video shown may not be of actual event.

**Stunt double may be of different stature to victim.

***The guy who did it had the same haircut though!

Regular readers may remember this from the original World Cup 2006 post.