The Lions travelled to South Berkshire for a late push back of 3pm. There was much to anticipate South Berkshire top (had won all of their games to date) and the Lions pushing for promotion in 3rd and unbeaten, a test of the titans. Annoyingly the Berko bus was late to the game, having decided to go on a magical mystery tour of the Reading / Wokingham environs. None the less we were set for the challenge and the games started amongst the sunshine of a post rainy day. Our supporters, Jack Lawrence's posse (Mum and Sister) were on the side lines and took charge of the camera (and thanks to them for their work).

The game started with a flurry of back and forth attacks. Our defense marshalled as ever by the imperial Paul Krafft ably shut down the South Berks attacks. T Pot (Theo), Jamie (Berko bus driver), Jason (co captain), Tim French and Cooper (how did you get that tall) snuffed out the early oppo's efforts. The engine room of a midfield of Mo brrm brrm Morris, Tom (not quite as tall as Cooper) Edwards, Tom never stop running Vila and Josh (still hungover Hoad had control. So it was against the run of play that South Berks showed why they were top and drilled in a goal (0-1) from a short corner.

Still unbowed and untamed, the Lions roared into action, we launched a flurry of attacks with our front line - Ethan (co captain) Woods, Jack (I brought the fans) Lawrence, Jaydn cycle cross Cubit and Hugo (what am I doing upfront) Graham - probing for weaknesses in the oppo's defence. And then there was the magic, Jack in front of our fans that he had brought along showed why he is in the 2s, firing the ball into Jaydn and a half fall, spin around move (I am not sure how to describe it, although some have said they have seen similar moves on Strictly Come Dancing) connected with the ball and we were level. Exasperatingly the oppo came straight back at us and just before half time a slick move split the defence open and they were ahead again (1-2 at half time)

Undaunted, we began the 2nd half looking for an equalizer. However, it was not the Lions who scored next - annoyingly the opposition fired a shot at Tim in goal which irksomely found it way through his pads and there was an opposition player on hand to put it in the goal (1-3). Nauseatingly, we looked out of it but no. Cooper and Jason fired up the aerial bombardment and from one of these 'bombs' Ethan picked it up and ran in to the D to score a cracking goal (2-3). Game on! And 5 minutes later Jaydn fom a Hugo assist made it 3-3. Momentum was with us and we had 10 minutes to find the winner. But no, the last galling twist, Jason gave way a dubious short corner for use of the foot outside of the D that the home umpires upgraded to a short corner and vexingly as might be predicted they scored from the subsequent short corner. Infuriatingly, we had gone down 4-3 in the last 2 minutes.

Still a good try and under other circumstances we would have got a result. We eagerly await the return game in 2025.

Reporter: Jason Silver
Man of the Match: Jaydn Cubit
Twit of the Day: Jason Silver