Real Madrid, Barcelona; Celtic, Rangers; United, City; England, Germany; Blackpool, Preston North End; all huge matches, but none more so than the encounter on 5th November. This was the mighty Garnett A against surprise package Garnett B. Game on!

The game itself was not a sparkling affair. Both sides looked nervy early on, especially the A's, who were surely the team under the most pressure, as it was widely believed they would run out easy winners. This reporter has followed the B's all season however, and any thoughts that it would be a one sided affair were dispelled as Moore set about worrying the usually solid central defensive partnership on more than one occasion. You sensed that it was going to be a battle, and it certainly was.

The B's were unlucky not to go ahead when a free kick was awarded 20 yards out. Anderson dummied, and Heslop curled a delightful shot over the wall, which struck the bar, inches away from a shock lead. At the other end, Simms was containing Van Sayooven effectively, and Thorpe was winning battles with the very mobile Dawson, who was all over the park. Only a couple of times did they combine in the first half, with Dawson crossing and Van Sayooven heading just wide at the near post on one such occasion. Alexander was a threat on the right wing, and Mercer was his typical hard tackling self in midfield.

Then, the tempo was upped, and the B's found themselves in front after 20 minutes. A rare defensive mistake allowed MOORE to race through, touch the ball past the onrushing keeper, and slide in to poke the ball home under heavy pressure. 1-0 B's.

The A's got their act together, and started applying pressure. The back 4 stood firm though, and B's keeper Harty was a commanding presence in the box. A robust 50-50 challenge between Alexander and Anderson left the right back unable to carry on, and so Wallace moved to right back, with Penn coming on in central midfield. The B's were certainly the better team in the first half, and were unlucky to be pegged back to 1-1 after 35 minutes. An A's corner was swung into the near post, and the unfortunate BRYDON could only steer the ball into his own net.

It seemed the teams would go in at the break honours even, but for the tenacity of MOORE. A long ball was played over the top on 42 minutes, and the ginger striker out-muscled Ingham, despite being roughly half the size of the towering centre back, before rounding keeper Poole once more and slotting the ball home, despite Smyth sliding in desperately on the line. 2-1 B's at half time.
Thorpe's half time team talk was upbeat, but at the same time cautious, as he warned of the A's superior fitness and stamina. The message was keep doing what you're doing, and if in doubt, clear the ball up field for the strikers to chase.

The A's came out all guns blazing in the second half, with Burke-Murphy on for Dawson, who hadn't been as effective as usual. Alexander was moved upfront, as he was the A's most dangerous player in the 1st half. It was to prove an astute decision.

Then came a passage of play that started to frustrate the A's. They had chances, but fine tackles by Simms, Thorpe and Monaghan at crucial moments meant that the score line stayed unchanged. Bell came on for the excellent Brydon, who has been a shining example of a team player since joining Garnett. Although he is quite often taken off due to there being many midfield players, he has never once complained, and is starting to cement his place in the side on a more regular basis. Hindle, another player who is not getting as many full games as he perhaps should, came on for Murray.
The pressure was starting to tell though, and after 75 minutes, the A's drew level. Excellent work down the left and an inviting deep cross by Mullan unlocked the B's stable defence, allowing Burke-Murphy to nod the ball back across to ALEXANDER. He let the ball bounce, and then hammered an unstoppable shot past Harty, who to his credit managed to get a hand to a ball which most keepers wouldn't have got anywhere near. 2-2, and for the tiring B's it looked like a case of hanging on for dear life for a point.

Alas, it was not be. Barely 20 seconds after the restart, it was 3-2 to the A's. Man of the Match Perry worked the ball back to the otherwise excellent Simms, who got in a tangle and was charged down by 2 A's attackers. MERCER emerged with the ball, and despite the heroic efforts of Harty and Thorpe to block, which left the central defender in agony on the floor with Harty's boot firmly imprinted on his thigh, the ball squirmed home.

The relief of the A's exploded with the rest of the team mobbing their Man of the Match Mercer. And that was the way it ended, as the tired limbs of the B's could not summon up another goal. Indeed, it should have been 4-2, as Van Sayooven slotted the ball home after a superb through-ball, but he was rather fortuitously adjudged offside by the referee.

So 3-2 it finished, and a limping Thorpe had this to say: "I thought the way we battled today was first class, it was a shame the way we eventually succumbed to a defeat. The way the game went, I think we deserved a draw." He was also quick to point out that the sportsmanship of his players at the final whistle was phenomenal, congratulating the A's on their win. "That shows the strength of the B's team spirit!" An ashen-faced Thorpe was then helped to the dressing room by "the missus", who, unlike many of his previous girlfriends, understood the gravity of the situation she was facing, and did not come out with anything such as, "Oh well, it's only a game…"

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Team: K.Harty, A.Anderson, R.Monaghan, S.Simms, R.Thorpe, T.Perry © (MoM), P.Murray (A.Hindle), R.Wallace, N.Heslop, S.Moore 2, T.Brydon (A.Bell)
Sub:T.Penn