Seven days may have passed but the third team were still reeling from the shock resignation of Andy Walter and retirement of Dave Paterson when they met at Carshalton for the long journey north to Southgate Olympic. However, Tony Edwards had been officially sworn in as manager during the week and all the players had been forced to swear allegiance to Tony, or the “Little General”, as we have decided to call him (nothing to do with his height!).

The pitch at Southgate was very mucky and impossible to play pretty football on, and to make matters worse a strong wind was blowing straight down the ground.  Paul Neil was running late but said he would be there in ten minutes at quarter to two.  Fortunately Tony didn’t gamble and started with eleven leaving Paul as sub, as he turned up with five minutes to go to half time!  Edwards won the toss and we started playing into the wind, and after less than a minute Edwards had put Clare through one on one.  Sadly his toe poked shot clipped the post and went wide but Carshalton continued to press creating several half chances. It was completely against the run of play when Southgate’s left winger cut in and hit a cross that was effectively blown in by a gust of wind. Half time came and we were a goal down but we all knew that we were still favourites to win the game.

Paul Neil came on and immediately made an impact blazing a shot over from 5 yards out, and the Carshalton midfield was winning everything in the middle of the park. With Dan Lawler cruising around at sweeper behind Ritchie and Bennett Southgate hardly had an attack on goal and it was only a matter of time before we equalised. A corner from Clare was met powerfully by Bennett and we were level. Five minutes later and Clare volleyed home from the penalty spot to take the lead. Another Clare corner was met by Paul Neil’s head to make it 3 v 1 and yet another Clare corner (are you seeing a pattern!) was stabbed in by Edwards. It was a strong performance by everyone on the pitch particularly by Johnny Harris who had appeared in a photo in the Daily Star earlier in the week being roughed up outside a trendy London nightclub.  He played through the pain…..and the shame. We are unbeaten in 2007 and have scored 14 goals for and conceded just the 2. It took an hour and a half to get back from Southgate but Tony Edwards couldn’t stop grinning.