FC Irlande - Matchday 20

Besace 0 - 6 FC Irlande

After a disappointing run of games we got our title challenge firmly back on track with an emphatic win that, combined with results elsewhere, gives us real hope going into this Saturday's game against second-placed La Lorraine.

It was a great day for footy. Grey, drizzly, still. The ground was soft and in good condition, ideal for slick passing. And that's exactly what we did. We got on the front foot straight away and played some good stuff. Mark and Charles were controlling things in midfield, and Peter was having a good run out on the right in his first game back for over a month.

The goal came when Charles played me in on goal. His pass was a bit overhit, but I managed to keep it in and feed Alvaro on the left. The Spaniard whipped in a world-class cross with his left foot, one for which the unmarked Sigve didn't have to move. He powered his header past the keeper. 1-0.

The Norwegian turned provider soon after with another breakaway goal. I ran through on goal, rounded the keeper and just about squeezed it over the line from a tight angle. 2-0.

Not long after that I got a sudden, awful pain in my stomach. It was like a stitch, but worse. I was very close to calling it a day. It says something about our quality and their lack of it that we managed to score a third with essentially ten men. David combined with Alvaro and went on a jinking run down the left. He whipped the ball across the goal and Sigve tapped into an empty net. 3-0.

The fourth came when our elder Scotsman - and statesman - Mark fed me with a great slide-rule pass. Once again I rounded the keeper and slotted home. 4-0.

Yann replaced Peter at halftime and we continued to dominate. Space was abundant and we gratefully exploited it. Sigve was the provider for me yet again as I ran through on goal and this time dinked the ball past the hapless goalie. 5-0.

The pillaging Norwegian got the hat trick his performance deserved with the finest goal of the afternoon. From one of their rare corners we worked the ball up the park with a series of slick passes. Charles found Sigve on the edge of the box. He found half a yard of space and powered a left foot shot into the far corner. 6-0.

It could have been ten. Sigve had two blatant penalty appeals turned down, and he and I missed two glorious chances, mine coming after a great long-range effort from David. It would be easy to assume that, given that this team are in mid-table, they must have had some players missing. Maybe they did, but we were awesome.

FC Irlande: Chris Jones, Fred, Christian, Alec, Alvaro, Mark (Adrian), Charles, Peter (Yann), David, Sigve, Ross

Goals: Ross (3), Sigve (3)

Man of the match: Ross - I benefited from top class service.

The red card that wasn't: Sigve being kicked in the face by one of their defenders with the ball miles away.