? In a league where the top of the table never loses…
? In a place where the countryside is vast and the stakes are higher…
? One mid table team arrived with nothing to lose and absolutely everything to prove…

This was not just a game.
This was cinema.

Away at Braintree. Their home ground. Top of the league. Unbeaten all season. When we played them earlier in the year, they beat us 4–1 and sent us home bruised. This time, they assumed it would be a sequel.

They were wrong.

We came into this one mid table, quietly dangerous, the kind of team no one quite knows what to do with. The case of the missing centre mid is officially closed, because it turns out everyone can play there now, and very well too.

Before the hockey even got going, we had our main character.

Today’s conversation is with Emmeline.

She’s 13.
Yes, thirteen.
And she plays like she’s been here for years.

Pre match, she was calm. No fuss. No nerves. Just keen to get on, keen to play, keen to learn. When we spoke afterwards, she said she just really enjoys playing with us. She likes the feedback, she likes being challenged, and she wants to keep progressing. She’s not worried about getting hurt, because she knows she’s part of the team, and she plays like it.

And honestly, it shows.

The opening scenes were tense. Braintree struck first with a genuinely excellent goal, a volley that reminded everyone why they’re unbeaten. Home crowd pleased. Confidence high.

Then Darcy entered the script.

Not once.
Not by accident.
But twice.

Darcy scored the first two goals for us, calm and clinical, shifting the momentum completely. Suddenly the soundtrack changed. Suddenly the unbeaten side looked uneasy, and on their own turf too.

Behind it all, the defence went into full montage mode.

Ali in goal deserves a slow motion highlight reel. Outstanding one on ones. Brave decision making. Big saves at big moments. The kind of performance that quietly wins games while everyone else is shouting.

Aimee grafted relentlessly. Clear after clear. Bodies on the line. No drama, just work.

And Emmeline… Emmeline was everywhere.

Fearless tackles.
Perfect timing.
Multiple goal line saves.
Passes drilled hard and clean that changed the pace instantly.

She steps on and the game shifts. She is not just one to watch, she is a genuine game changer. And the best bit? She’s soaking it all up, listening, adapting, growing in real time. Exactly what this squad is about.

In midfield, Amelia was composed and dependable, always available when the game threatened to get frantic. Poppie and Lexi ran like characters who don’t stop until the credits roll, pressing and harrying everything in sight.

At one point, I even had a stint at right back. This was character development and nothing more.

Then came the final act.

Four minutes left.
Score level.
Unbeaten side wobbling.

And watching it all unfold from the sidelines, the Men’s 5s. Front row seats. Fully invested. Cheering, shouting, backing us to the end. Proper club moment. Proper recognition.

The mistake came. A 16 taken just poorly enough.

I stepped in and suddenly found myself in unfamiliar territory, the left side of the D. Took a breath. Looked for Jen. She wasn’t there. She was off.

So I improvised.

Found a pocket. Threaded the needle. One chance. Composed myself. Lifted it.

It was already in before one of their players even tried to get a touch.

Absolute scenes.

Double footed jumping. Loud. Unfiltered. Probably audible back in Southend. One of those moments you don’t forget because it feels unreal while it’s happening.

At that point, honesty matters. I am a middle aged woman. The excitement was too much. I subbed myself and got Emmeline straight back on. Anxiety managed. Responsible adult decisions made.

The final minutes were pure survival.

We parked the bus.
The umpire signalled two minutes.
I stared at the scoreboard like it was the final frame of a film.

Visitors 3.
Home 2.

Fade to black.

Final whistle.

Braintree’s first loss of the season.
At home.
In front of witnesses.

Double painful for them.
Utterly cinematic for us.

Every single player turned up. No one took their foot off the gas. We worked hard, trusted each other, and earned every second of that ending.

Man of the Match went to Emmeline, deservedly. Avid listeners will remember she was called one to watch last week. This week, she confirmed it.

? Unbeaten no more.
? The comeback of the season.
? The Game of Threes.

Spicy Spicy.
Episode 13.

Shireen