Springtime for hard-hitters

By James Addinall

After a long winter of discontent, springtime arrived early for BUFC III on a sunny February afternoon in Evere. The thirds' second win of the season was sweet revenge on a multinational Irish team that had pulled off an ill-deserved win in the corresponding tie at Nekker. It was also a redemptive occasion for British, whose spirit has not faltered through a tough run of fixtures. Though relegation remains more than a distinct possibility, dignity has been restored.

Tactical genius Addinall achieved the 4-2 scoreline by abandoning 4-4-2 in favour of a 4-5-1 formation with nouveau-dad Costello, Gomes and Gawley bossing the midfield and old-timers Murray and Eldridge (a silent comedy double-act that ran faster in the roaring 20s) on the flanks. Adopted grandson, Tommy Taylor, made a welcome return to the team at right-back following a spell in juvie.

After 10 minutes the wisdom of having the extra defensive cover was clear to all, as Irish took the lead from a free kick when a flighted cross somehow found a unmarked green-and-white shirt at the far post with a clean head on goal. British desperately appealed for a foul, but the referee - a little tall by this league's low standards - saw it differently through his odd-shaped spectacles.

British were soon back on level pegging, though, when burly (definition Merriam-Webster: [adjective] husky, or full of husks) centre-back Rob Anger leapt like a sea lion - I mean, salmon - to meet Murray's corner. And in no time, British took the lead in no small part thanks again to the peg-legged Murray, who had clearly been watching his best moments on ciné film. His ploy was to tear down the right wing like a man whose arse is hilariously on fire, and this he did on several promising moves in the first half - once decisively, when his fierce low cross was spilled by the Irish keeper at the feet of lone striker Addinall, who sliced the ball into the corner of the net like a man wanting to win the miss-of-the-season award. They all count though, and British went into the break with a slender one-goal advantage and a reason to be hopeful.

Such hope was shattered almost from the restart. Irish tossed a long one into box, inviting a clumsy tackle as the attackers spurted onto the loose ball. When a British leg obliged, the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. Parity restored, the impetus seemed to be with the Irish. It called for cool heads in the British team: yellow cards for Costello for dissent (fatherhood has yet to mellow him) and ASBO Taylor for a late-as-his-homework challenge on the Irish left-back. It called for possession football: the quick release to Addinall seemingly the only option. It called for heroes...

And British found them. As Irish pushed players forward in search of the victory, gaps appeared in their defence and thus the chance of a counterattack. On one occasion, Gomes slotted through to man-of-the-match Murray, who played a cheeky game of 'me-to-you' with his marker before calmly picking his spot. British were beginning to sense that the day would be theirs, even though Harris was by far the busier of the two keepers, being called upon to save his side with several fine stops.

But Eldridge finally secured the win for British at the end of another swift break. When put in on goal by Murray, the non-left footed, left-sided man, with a buggered right foot, atoned for his earlier miscue, but toe-ending it into the bottom corner. Such was the elation felt by the" please-not-me-again" spot-the-ball winner that he chose to celebrate by balling the spot from where he scored - quite literally, the dirty sod.

Team: Harris, Lindsay, Anger, Taylor, Lloyd, Gomes [Gonzales], Gawley, Costello, Murray, Eldridge, Addinall

Suporters: McGrath, Airwolf

Goal-scores: Anger, Addinall, Murray, Eldridge

Man-of-the-match: Murray & Harris