Six-goal Thriller at KES vs Old Halesonians

Sportingly, the home side had agreed to a 9 V 9 clash as Old Hales lacked players but boasted a more experienced team.

It showed, temporarily, as the hosts went into half-time 0-2 down against the run of play. The visitors capitalised on an advantage to double their lead shortly before the break after Bourns had excelled in their build-up play but just lacked a killer touch in front of goal themselves.

Buoyed by a rousing team talk by skipper Elodie Wakerley to play to the whistle and get on‎ the posts in attack, Bourns took up the cudgels again but quickly found themselves three down to a sucker-punch strike from close range after an Old Hales' counter.

Down but far from out, the midfield harried the opposition in possession and soon began to find each others' sticks with their passing and bring Bourns back into the game.

A tactical switch had seen Sarah Powell move from left back into the midfield and a ball across the D from the right hand side found the back stick and Tasha arrived - as if on captain's orders - to apply the finish.

Kat then put the cat among the Old Hales' pigeons as minutes later she coasted into the D and pinged a low shot into the left hand corner. Her weight going backwards, the opposition keeper half-stopped the ball under her foot but could not do enough to stop it crossing the line for Bourns' second.

The Old Hales' goal was now under siege as the home side pressed for the equaliser they were surely due.

It briefly seemed like it might not come as the crowd - Tessa's mum, Kat's mum, me and one of the Old Hales' dad's - became more and more rowdy and partisan as Bourns' play improved.

The pressure finally told when the team all worked to keep a ball alive in the D, raining shots on the Old Hales' goal and recycling the ball after defenders blocked, before it fell to Liz who slotted home to complete the comeback.

Fist-pumping, cheers of delight - the crowd went wild.

But the drama was not yet done, as a final break from Old Hales threatened to undo Bourns' good work. Cath Hood charged out to narrow the shooting angle before Clare Bond, covering behind, tackled and cleared to Bourns' fans' relief.

A draw, and a fair result, it finished with some electric efforts from everyone involved from the home team.