Spicy Spicy

We begin with the key detail.

There were no teas.

Basildon offered multiple changing rooms but not a single biscuit. Bold hospitality strategy. Hunger builds resilience, apparently.

We had a couple of late dropouts, so Chloe was roped in from the fifth team. And that was that.

Basildon are exactly what we remember. Strong. Experienced. Very settled as a unit. They read the game early and close space fast. Not flashy. Just effective.

At half time we were 3–0 down.

The frustrating part? We had opportunities. We built pressure. We just could not convert. Meanwhile, they were clinical.

It is important to say that all of their goals came from rebounds. Which means Ali’s first saves were excellent. Outstanding one on ones. Strong initial blocks. Brave positioning. The rebounds just happened to fall kindly for them. On another day, those bounce differently.

There was also one of those moments that felt like it belonged in a different genre entirely. A break in play. A bully awarded. A slight pause. A gathering in the middle. At which point I may or may not have asked, “Is this when they’re exchanging hotel room numbers?”

Purely observational, of course.

Just a little flicker of rivalry energy. Nothing major. Just enough to remind everyone that hockey is occasionally theatre.

Second half gave us something to smile about.

55th minute. Sub switch. Ros, defender by trade, covering left forward. Free at the post. Ball across. Goal.

And a goal is a goal.

The men’s threes witnessed it. The cheer was immediate. Ros has now had two emergency stints at left forward and quietly keeps delivering. Calm. Composed. Clinical.

Brilliant.

Special mention to Emmeline, back as our impact player. She steps on and changes games. Strong in the tackle. Brave in the challenge. Confident in her distribution. A real difference maker. Her laces drive me mad, but I will continue to tie and check them every game. That is now part of the team ritual.

Player of the Match quite rightly went to Lexi. Tireless. Direct. Always driving. Always asking questions. Never switched off.

Today’s conversation with Becky was calm and grounded. Deep in wedding planning mode. Venue sorted. DJ sorted. Officiant sorted. Structural priorities secured. Much like her defending. Reliable. Composed. Solid.

It wasn’t fireworks. It wasn’t chaos. It was simply one of those games where they took their chances and we did not.

We reset.

We refuel.

And next time, perhaps, we get the teas.

This has been
Spicy Spicy
Episode 15
The podcast nobody asked for.

— Shireen