With The Shambles keen to get this season's campaign up and running after last seasons triumphant run it came as some surprise to find them not in the dizzy heights of Division 1 but still rooted in Division 2 ??  Reasons are still not clear, some say we didn't want to go up, some say we would struggle and drop straight back down, some say vertigo would aftect us being sooo high, perhaps we will never get to the bottom of it!

With this in mind  the first game would be against their last antagonists from the previous season. Would fireworks repeat?

Shambles had to adjust to some last minute changes , out went Blink and in came old boy Carl at the eleventh hour who just happened to be there to watch.

With a show of hands as to who would be captain, quick count being none! , the game started with neither team having an advantage both having shots saved by excellent keeping.

Westside were the first to draw blood taking advantage in a lapse in the Shambles defence, 1 : 0

Shambles were unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty with Westside's defence seemingly wandering into their own goal area but unseen by the ref!

Shambles rallied and Will , keen to make his mark after a 4 year absence soon pounced on a loose ball making it all square 1 : 1

HRH continued to push forward and was unlucky not to score himself after connecting with a great pass from Carl only to see his effort bounce back off the bar!

The game started to get a little more physical with both teams pushing hard to try and gain the upper hand. Shambles shape was a little lacking at times allowing Westside to be on top at half time 2:1.

The second half carried on as scrappy as the first had finished with the challenges getting a little more physical as the clock ticked onwards. Westside once again scored to make it 3:1 and now some of their players thought of themselves as Lumberjacks as one tried to fell Carl with a wild swing of the boot and nowhere near the ball! With the game threatening to run away from the Shambles perhaps a slice of luck would be in order and as if on cue the Ref awarded us a penalty for Westside's illicit substitutions.

Jethro calmly slotted the ball home to bring the score back to 3:2 but sadly the final whistle blew leaving the Shambles being beaten and on the recieving end of Westside's Fireworks, Deja vu??

A dissapointing start to the season but a performance to build upon

Flash