On Thursday evening our boys’ football team ventured to Goring for the opening match of the league season. As defending champions, we were keen to get the new season off to a good start.

As the home side, Goring took the initiative and started well, but we stood firm to see off their early attacks. However, our resilience did not last long, with a Goring winger cutting in from the right hand side and firing his side 1-0 up.

Slowly, we began to come into the game more, and equalised with our first chance of the game. Louie B won the ball in midfield and threaded it through to Levi, who ran onto it and poked it home. Despite this, another setback was just around the corner.

A Goring attack down the right sucked us in, leaving space on the left for their opposite winger to drive into the box and poke home. Moments after levelling up the scores, we had it all to do again.

We didn’t give in and piled forward – Louie B hitting the post and Felix firing just wide, whilst their keeper made a number of good saves to deny more of our players. Driven on by frustration, we would eventually find our second equaliser.

We cleared a Goring corner and Levi refused to give up on a long ball, hassling the opposition defender into a mistake before racing through and making it 2-2 just before half time.

We began the second half in total contrast to how we had started the first – getting on the ball, dominating the midfield and forcing the hosts back at every opportunity. Levi and Jonah were denied by a magnificent double save from the Goring keeper, and with that our best chance of taking the lead had gone. Keen to make the most of this lifeline, Goring burst forward, and a low cross was deflected into our net to put us behind for the third time. We would not respond.

As we through boys forward to try and grab the equaliser, Goring took advantage and raced up the other end. Despite a great save from Teddy, the ball fell nicely for the opposing striker to ram home the fourth and ultimately decisive goal of the game to round off the scoring.

Some harsh lessons learnt, but plenty to take forward of the boys. There is a long way to go yet, and hopefully there is more to come.

As usual, a big thanks to those who helped with transport and who came to support us.

The team was: Louie B, Levi B, Felix C, Teddy E, Donnie F, Jack F, Jonah W, Romeo H, Charlie C, Ben N and Louie D.