The Biller They Are the Harder They Fall

Report by B. Easton

Gingerly rising to their feet and walking off a painful 10-2 defeat, spirits were high going into the second fixture of this young Powerleague season. After an anxious wait for numbers with which to fill out their ranks, Best Friends assembled to begin in very much the same fashion as they had in their previous match-up; 2-0 down within 5 minutes.

This week however, the Friends would find within themselves deep reserves of resilience in the face of adversity. A sudden influx of movement in the opposition half and a clinical finish from Bill sparked the comeback. B. Easton, buoyed by his shiny new astros, assisted Schofield for the leveller with a powerful strike. 2-2 and suddenly for this plucky gang of misfits, anything seemed possible.

Express fired back with four in reply. A 6-2 scoreline thanks to Beer’s pin point precision in front of goal, despite the athletics of debutant goalkeeper Lacey who would be called upon to make more than a few stops between the sticks.

Leading the comeback charge for the Best once again came Bill, but in Friends’ attempt to crowbar their way back into contention in a game swiftly rifling out of reach before their very eyes, disaster struck. During a promising passage of play midway through the first half, Bill would bite the dust and in an ungainly and gruesome sight, rolled his ankle before hitting the deck.

As Bill lay prostrate under the glare of the floodlights, one man and four goals down with the well of resilience run dry, the outcome looked bleak. Best Friends would look next to their saviour in the most unlikely of places.

Thereupon the Powerleague referee adjudicating today’s fixture cast aside all laws of impartiality, throwing caution and two saintly fingers to the whistling wind, as he took to the net to see out the half as an honorary Best Friend.

When the second half came, it was out with one saviour and in with another, the Friends rattling through South London’s amateur footballing rolodex in sheer desperation. The referee departed from his goalkeeping perch as Lacey retook his place and BFU welcomed a Powerleague ringer to the fold. Moments after the whistle was blown he would score twice to become the all-time leading goalscorer of Best Friends United FC.

T. Easton dictated play in defence and Schofield would provide a standout performance in his debut outing. B. Easton later added what would ultimately prove a consolation fifth for the Friends who would once again come up short, sodden and stupefied under a veritable monsoon of goals, conceding a sum total of fourteen before the day was out.

After a spirited, but ultimately futile performance, Friends faced their second loss on the bounce. Bill’s loss to injury will surely prove a blow to BFU’s attacking output, who will hope to have the burgeoning striker back in their ranks as soon as possible.

So ended another chapter of thrills and spills for these fresh-faced Vauxhall upstarts. Putting what would prove a torrid evening behind them, the Best would look on to their next fixture with hope of finding their feet in Division 3.

See you there, Best Friends forever.