By Jon Warne

After the dizzying ecstasy of the fairytale win over Peter Pan last week, the onus was on BUFC 2 to come up with the goods again. Could the performance be replicated, or even improved upon? Well, the short answer is no- but it was a hard earned draw that adds another point to the coffers and shunts BUFC off the bottom of the league for the first time (in 2 seasons).

BUFC took to the field with a familiar look to the team, but with the rare sight of 4 substitutes. The first half was a frustrating affair, with BUFC taking the incentive from last week's win to impose themselves on an opposition that, quite clearly, wanted more time on the ball than they were allowed. Only the final ball let BUFC down, with Jens "the Germanator" Hofmann and Sergio combining well down the right wing and Tanel and Gonzalo "Gonzalinho" Santos down the left. Wave after wave of attractive build up was let down by a sloppy final pass or a screwed shot- but the Force was strong in the BUFC team. Then disaster struck. Uncharacteristically, Daniele "Champagne" Melis decided that, as Trinquant were on the back foot, he would try a back heel, and from a straightforward cross came the easiest of headed goals. It seemed as though, for all BUFC's endeavour, they would be lost in a sea of "Trinq-uillity".

In previous times this sort of setback would have caused heads to drop and goals to rain in- but this is a new, sterner BUFC 2 that clearly felt wronged by the sucker punch goal they had conceded. First to every ball, as usual, Simon and Ben marshalled the midfield. The Duke of Dumbarton issued the war cry- and BUFC ranks pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Then it came. There are good goals and there are great goals, and John Weston's was one of the best. On the corner of the box, he turned, flicked the ball over the defender and unleashed a volley at goal so hard that it seemed to bend the space/time continuum and beat a goal keeper who up until then had confidently blocked all BUFC had to offer. The shot was so hard that the ball went back in time and probably injured someone in 1973. 1-1 and game on.

Just as things were turning around BUFC's old friend Complacency reared its ugly head, and after several warnings the score was back in Trinquant's favour before half time. Allowed too much time outside, and then inside the box, their striker was felled like a tree by a rugby league combination tackle from Sergio and Richie. Protests are wasted on Belgian referees. The penalty was dispatched confidently past a great dive by Fitzgerald who, had he not cut his fingernails the evening before, would have tipped it round the post. The half time whistle blew, and there was work to be done.

Anyone who is used to driving down Rue Belliard on a Friday evening will be au fait with the concept of one way traffic, as indeed would any spectator lucky enough to have watched the second half of this match. A combination of excellent football and pure vitriolic determination not to go back to losing ways got BUFC out of trouble. The passion and determination were immense. Had Xerxes himself led his Persian troops across the fields of De Nekker that day, they would surely have turned tail and headed for the hills on seeing the raw fighting spirit exhibited by BUFC 2. The equaliser came via an unconventional source- a well won corner was flighted in beautifully and the Trinquant dam collapsed. Shoulder, thigh or somewhere less glamourous- Hofkens got something on it and at last BUFC's ardour was rewarded. The match ended in a 'Desmond'- 2-2.

Player breakdown:

Fitz - Great dive that so nearly saved an excellent penalty. Safe as houses. Inspiring team talk too.
Tanel - Defended well and overlapped to good effect down the flanks. Not since Dracula has anyone been so scared of crosses.
Sergio - Stylish defending; combined well with Jens. Should be 'right back' in the team when next available. 'The Butcher of Bermondsey' forms half of the 'Italian Battalion' with Daniele.
Richie Dewell - Refusal to acknowledge the penalty push earns him the nickname the 'Duel of Denial'. Encouraging Brummie banter as always.
Daniele - Recovered well from early mistake; combines Flemish belligerency with Italian flair.
Ben Mercier - 'Merci-eh' for another fantastic performance.
Simon - Fought as if he was defending the Hot Gates himself at the head of the 300 Tartans.
Gonzo - Showed he is no 'muppet' with pace and skill that tore Trinquant to shreds. Stick with us son.
Weston - Goal of the season…like the assassination of JFK people will remember where they were when it happened.
Wim - A combination of guileful, intelligent play and tasty Ajax tracksuit scared the opposition.
(Will) Great physical strength, kept putting himself about, and had stayed off the sauce by the look of it too- a rarity.
(Ruari) Patrolled the right flank and added much needed youthful exuberance in the same way Jamie did earlier this season.
(Vincent) Right place, right time goal added to a strong defensive display.
(Luke) Commiserations - criminally ignored by the manager, sparking rumours of a January exit. Newcastle United said to be monitoring the situation.