Manq had all players reporting to the Manor for 8am, some 5 minutes before they actually opened, this was to get everyone up for the game, and to provide a chance for people to generally take the **** out of each other.
The new kit was shown to those players still able to see clearly from the night before, and seemed to go down well, which was just enough time for the pre match deliberation to take place to decide on the line up and who would play where.
Luckily the game was being played on Pitch 1, which is situated beautifully close to the snap shed, but rather unfortunately I had a rather unfortunate encounter with a pear drop that broke a tooth last week, so couldn't take part in the stuff your face with a bacon butty competition.
The line up was as follows:
Lormor, Ashley, Quiche, Kirk, Mellors, Manq, Jay, Danny, Gav Edwards, Gav Short, Gallagher.
Subs were: Scott, Bread, Leigh, Daz.
The 1st part of the action was to see both teams change ends, in what was an ever increasing crowd on the sidelines, most of which were in support of the Bridge. Bez and family had made a special journey to cheer the boys on.
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The home side made their early intentions known, as they launched a long throw into the area, something that could have caused problems, but the 1st long throw caused little problems for the visiting defence.
The ball did find its way into the Bridge net early on though, but luckily the ball had already crossed the dead ball line, and the headed goal was rightly ruled out.
Mellors, who had been told to behave during the game, got a good block in on a goal bound shot, with the rebound shot being chipped over.
The Bridge's first action on the home goal was a free kick on the left hand side, taken by Jay, a mad scramble followed and the ball finding itself rebounding of the bar and to safety. (video here)
Obviously encouraged by this, it was the Bridge that took the lead on 14 minutes, when Jay picked the ball up near the edge of the home area, and a quick side step and shot from the edge of the area, went straight through the keepers legs, ooops, and a 1-0 lead for the mighty Bridge.
However the lead didn't last long, as just 5 minutes later, the home side were level. A free kick from their own half, found itself onto the left hand side, and as the three man defence tried to clear, Quiche popped up with a lovely finish to level the scores up.
The game was now evenly poised, the game was see sawing from end to end, which was ironic as just at that time, Michelle had taken baby bez to the park.
Manq tried one of his long throws, the type that tends to slip out of hands and go further than it should, which Danny flicked on well, Gav Short was unlucky to see his resulting header from the flick on, cleared well of the line. Gav Edwards tried to get in on the follow up, but his shot was going wide, with Gallagher trying to direct it towards goal, but to no avail.
By now, the Bridge were getting down the wings of the home team, and from one such move, Gav Short made a cross into Gallagher that saw a header go wide.
The Bridge were now pressing, and the lead was soon restored when a ball over the top found Gav Short on the edge of the area, and his superb lob over the advancing keeper bounced into the net, despite the best efforts of two defenders.
During the celebrations, a home defender was booked, perhaps he celebrated too much, before realizing he was playing for the home team. In all fairness we didn't have a clue why he'd been booked, so made that bit up.
The home side tried to hit back straight away, and Kirk was on hand to clear off the line, follow a scramble from a free kick.
On a breakaway down the left the Bridge could have all but finished the half in style, as Gallagher's cross was well taken down by Gav short, and despite Manq being in acres of space, Gav opted to shoot, and his effort rebounded of the far post.
As it was, an excellent 1st half performance saw the Bridge head in 2-1 at the break.
Manq's half time team talk demanded much of the same for the 2nd period.
Jay's free kick was the 1st action of the half, but just as he looked to have shot, and the keeper turning the ball round, the flag was raised for two offsides in the 6 yard area.
Quiche was booked for a late foul, as the referee used the advantage rule, before calling the captain back for a talking to and a yellow card.
The Bridge all but made the game safe on 56 minutes, when Gallagher was fouled on the left hand side of the area. And with everyone expecting Jay to cross the ball, he promptly foxed the keeper by curling the ball into the roof of the net, a fine finish.
Lormor was out well to smother any chance of a quick comeback soon after the goal, whilst both Ashley and Kirk got in excellent blocks to stop goal bound efforts.
Kirk supplied a superb cross, shame it was across his own area, that Lormor did well to recover, the ball rebounding of the backside of the attacker and out for goal kick.
Daz replaced the tired looking Manq soon after.
The game was all but over when Gav Edwards took the mickey out of the right hand side of the home defence, and as the home defence made a hash of clearing, he hit home into the bottom corner for a 4-1 lead.
Scott came on for Quiche, and was immediately trying to open his Bridge account with a long range effort that went over.
Tony came on for Gallagher.
Scott played a nice ball into the area, that saw Gav Short's header well saved.
Danny Lee tried to increase the scoring with another long range effort, that was also saved.
Sexy football down the right hand side nearly led to a superb goal, but instead led to an excellent save from the home keeper, Scott played to Danny, then to Jay who stepped into the area before seeing his rising effort tipped brilliantly over.
Gav Short nearly added to the scoring with an effort that went just over from the resulting corner.
Then from nowhere, the home side suddenly had a slim lifeline, a bouncing ball over the defence saw the number 10 finally evade the clutches of Mellors, and head over the advancing Lormor into the net for 4-2.
Gav Short tried to restore the advantage, but saw his effort just go wide.
He more than made up for it though, with a fine ball to Tony, albeit via a defender, that saw Tony complete the scoring with a fine finish under the advancing keeper.
Jay kept the booking ratio up with a late tackle as the game ended.
A quite superb performance away from home, and every player was superb, more of the same for the last 2 important games now.
Also a mention to R&B who kindly passed on a box full of Budweiser afterwards in the changing rooms, one suspects that was for them in they had won, but all the same an excellent gesture.