Uplands Rangers U14s 7 : 0 Thaxted Rangers Yellows U14s

Today's outing saw the welcome return of Ben to the squad for the first time this season, following his finger injury. And it's harder to imagine a tougher comeback for a central defender than this scrappy, often bad-tempered game.

Neither side played what you might call classic passing football; the home team were direct, physical and fast, and the Yellows were on the back foot from the start.

And whilst four out of the seven goals conceded could perhaps be put down to individual unforced errors and lack of concentration, this was a game in which, even with an almost complete squad to draw on (minus Toby, still injured), the Yellows never really looked like troubling the scorer.

More importantly, our lack of midfield aggression, and consequent failure to form a cohesive defensive barrier to protect the back four, allowed Uplands the freedom to score seemingly at will.

Four nil down at half time, it was a question of when, not if, we would concede again. The hosts duly obliged with another three in the second period.

After last week's 6-0 victory, this match was a stark reminder that, every now and then, 'parking the bus' can be just what the doctor ordered!