Report

We are the champions, my friends...

  Needing a point to win the league, BJFF did just enough to cap a magnificent season to take home the silverware.

This was definitely not a game for faint hearts as Kirkham arrived determined not just to make up the numbers but to attempt to play the part of party poopers.

The first half was a dour affair as BJ found it hard to break down a solid Kirkham team whose strengths lie in their defensive abilities rather than their attacking flair. Given the way Kirkham approached the game it was rather bizarre to hear the Kirkham manager proclaiming that we were a team of ‘hoofers’ – the words kettle pot and black come readily to mind as there was only one team trying to play constructive football.

It is ironic then that a rare moment of Kirkham pressure brought about the opening goal of the evening as a Kirkham corner was cleared up-field over the Kirkham defence for the ‘Tea Bag’ to run on to and smash home to put BJ a goal to the good just before the break.

The second half started as the first ended with BJ doing the majority of the attacking with the crucial second goal seemingly imminent. However, as so often happens in these types of games, Kirkham scored an equalising goal which completely changed the complexion of the match. Kirkham managed a shot on target that Matty G failed to take cleanly, due to the close attentions of several opposition players, which fell kindly in the box for a Kirkham striker to finish easily.

The final 20 odd minutes of the match were to prove an extremely nervy affair as BJ failed to fashion any clear cut chances to win the game despite missing several presentable half chances.  Whilst Kirkham didn’t really look like scoring from open play, every time free kicks were won around the half way line the whole BJ following had their hearts in their mouths as the ball was ‘hoofed’ towards the BJ goal.   

Fortunately there was to be no unhappy ending to this season’s fairytale and when the referee brought the game to a close a collective sigh of relief could be heard from players and supporters alike as finally the green light had been given for the celebrations to begin.

The cries of ‘Corinne Mourinho’ filled the air as 16 bottles of water and two bottles of bubbly were duly deposited on all and sundry as the tension of reaching the finishing line was released in waves of spontaneous joy.

Men-of-the-Match today are the whole team who knew what they required to get the job done and went and made the situation a reality.  From the unflappable Matty G in goal to the solid defence in front of him of Shiv ‘Mr Perpetual Motion’ Rawat, George, DJ and Raz ‘Jumps like a Salmon’ Plant supported ably by the midfield of Matty K, Brad ‘The Skipper’ Molyneux, Luke, Sam and Shahid, the lone striker Tom ‘The Tea Bag’ Coffey and supported on the bench by Callum, Nick and Gianni.