In a match with few clear chances it was the visiting team which caught the eye with their sheer determination and enthusiasm. They closed down quickly all over the park and continually refused to allow Brocton any time or space. At the back they were uncompromising, willing to simply clear their lines whenever there was the slightest hint of threat.

Whenever the ball ran loose it was a Heather St. John player inevitably that it ran to, but that was not luck, it was just that their movement was superior and they reacted more quickly than their opponents.

Andre Campbell’s pace down the right threatened to undo the visitor’s high defensive line as early as the fifth minute, when he put in Andy Harrison with an opportunity that he would often have taken. He was denied the moment of time needed to get the ball out of his feet for the shot though and the chance went. Harrison did beat the keeper on ten minutes, hitting the ball towards the back post, where Campbell met it full on the run, but could only turn it into the side netting.

On 12 minutes Jon Biddle collected the ball and thought that he had time to pick out a pass, but immediately he was surrounded and lost possession. Heather St. John made full use of their superiority of numbers and Dean Statham gave Mike Shelper no chance in Brocton’s goal.

Brocton had no shortage of free kicks, but their first threat from one came in the 28th minute when Gary Fife hit one with pace at the far post and Andy Harrison was a whisker away with his head from bringing Brocton level. Fife had the chance of the match himself on 32 minutes when he beat the off side and lobbed an advancing keeper, but missed the target.

With Campbell already replaced by James Dyke, Brocton gave a debut to Kirk Lowe at the heart of their defence, pushing Richard Reeves up into midfield in place of Jonathan Wylde. The move almost paid off immediately as Reeves won the ball in midfield and thundered a pass into Gary Fife in the visitor’s box. Fife brought it down, but was off balance for his shot and the defence was quickly in to clear.

Reeves then repeated the act, but found Andy Harrison this time with his bck to goal. Harrison did well under pressure to hold it and put in James Dyke whose shot across the keeper was well struck, but wide.

Heather St. John posed a threat from corners in particular throughout the game and then followed a series of corners which Brocton had trouble clearing. The fourth was headed out strongly from beneath the far post only for it to rebound from a team mate’s head. As it fell almost on the goal line, once again it was Heather St. John in the shape of Royce Turville, who reacted the quicker and swept it home.

Steve Bennett replaced Ben Harrison and seemed to give Brocton a little more time in possession in attacking areas. He was involved on the hour when the ball was laid into Gary Fife’s feet and his hard low shot squirmed under keeper James Gray’s body to give Brocton a lifeline. James Dyke had yet another volley following good work from Reeves, Lowe and Bennett, but again it went agonisingly wide and right at the death Andy Harrison lined up for a shot well within the area, but could not get it off, claiming a push . But the visitors had deserved their win if only for their hard work.