All the way to the final!

It isn't often you get invited to a men's semi but Kevin has a way with words which makes you feel you have to be there. It had been a major surprise qualifying for the quarter finals of the Wimborne Cup Competition, a competition which we've much derided in the past as the least intelligible cup set up in the Western hemisphere but now see as the pinnacle of organisation and a fair cup in being set up to allow teams such as ours a head start through a handicap system.

Therefore it was already 1 - 0 to Sparkshop when they kicked off in the rain last week. The start was difficult with an early goal conceded, in part because Pete and Matt were late leaving the others with just 5 players against the top side from the league phase of the cup. Incredibly a backs to the wall display saw Richard pull of some great saves and a simply stunning one to leave the tie in the balance.

Using his years of experience, the big fella at the back cunningly used his backside to pop a ball upfield and Kev was onto it in a flash. He outwitted the defender feinting to one side before unleashing a venomous shot which flew into the corner of the goal giving Sparkshop a lead they held on to in a gritty defensive display.

That meant the semi final last night and a return for myself after two months of Christmas, work and family commitments. I arrived in the knowledge that a subs appearance would be fine after so long without running but surprisingly that proved not to be the case. It was the bare 7 of us as new Matt was experiencing some difficulties leaving the toilet vicinity, the result of pre-match nerves?

Again the opposition was tough, a top league team but there was a 2 goal start for us which meant we had something to cling on to from the start. In truth we had limited possession at times but there was a sturdy determination to the play from early on with no qualms about simply launching the ball out whenever danger loomed. They played well but Richard was seldom tested save from distance and the closing down was effectively done as Pete and Matt tigerishly pursued even the lost causes in midfield. Add the deep lying Kev to the mix with his readiness to drop back and stiffen up the centre (ooer!) and it meant Doug and Dom had solid support about them throughout.

It was the creative boot of Dougie that we scored midway through the half. A towering ball was powered down the slope bouncing close to keeper and defender with an interested Salmon in reasonably close pursuit. I can honestly say the collision looked inevitable although I had expected the ball to deviate in some way. It was not to be though and it ran on past the prone defender and keeper presenting me with the time to trap the ball and check for someone clattering me from behind as well as the thought, I'm going to look a proper idiot missing this, before looking up and sidefooting home into the empty net.

We turned round 3 - 0 up effectively and continued to hit them on the break. The clearances were often hasty but never less than effective. Richard was getting some great throw outs with Kev and I winning our share against a strangely less than dominant defence. Pete was throwing himself everywhere to win the ball and Matt seemed to have his extendable leg on call at all times to nick the ball clear time and time again. Kev was adding to their impatience with the masterful tactic of booting the ball over the fence at every opportunity. Time wasting of the highest quality.

Incredibly we went further ahead from a corner. Kev crossed hard and low with a little deflection from the defender putting it slightly behind me. I got a foot to the ball and Pete suddenly found himself a couple of yards from goal with the ball at his feet. He took a touch and then calmly and expertly lifted it over the desperate keeper. The game looked almost over.

However, a further twist came with a penalty very harshly given against Matt C as he made contact with a leg in the penalty area. He was pulling out of the challenge, no one appealed, but Gary gave it anyway. For the first time in the game Richard was left exposed. He dived to his right but saw the poorly struck kick stutter slightly to his left and in. For a moment it looked like game on but it was killed off soon afterwards.

Pete won the ball in midfield and picked out the pass well to leave me one on one with the keeper. Turning back many, many years I took the ball out to my left using my one move, and left the goalie sprawling. He was desperate to make contact with the ball or me but defying the years I managed to outpace his advancing frame. It was then a case of whether I had enough energy to kick the ball hard enough to reach the goal, whether I had the composure to hit the target and whether I could kick it hard enough to evade the defender who was rushing back. Incredibly my left leg stood up for perhaps one final time to allow me slot home. The game was dead and buried now and we could relax.

The final is in two weeks time and should be a fitting climax to the Sparkshop journey which has taken us to the very edge of triumph. Competition for places will be stiff but not as stiff as my aching limbs this morning. Tickets are available for the final and it is hoped there will be a cup final song once someone's got drunk enough to compose it.