With three weeks left until the end of the season, the Wanderers needed a win and other results to go their way if they were not to be destined to finish bottom of the league. Thom reports

Match day 10. Monday 21st March. KO 6.30
West Hampstead Wanderers 9 – 10 Abacus Athletic

A solid start saw the Wanderers take the lead after pressure high up the pitch led to a penalty, which was  stuck away by Thom. Abacus scored two in return before another penalty made it 2-2. The hard work at the start of the half  began to take its toll and some clinical finishing by the opposition meant that the Wanderers went into the break 5-2 down.

Heads didn’t drop though and the pressure was ramped right back up in the second half.

Some slick finishing and another penalty brought the score to 5-4 but the Wanderers’ carefree attacking play led to them being caught on the break and although they scored several, they were conceding as well. With a minute to go before the final whistle, Abacus was leading 9-8 when they gave away yet another penalty. Thom stepped up to stick it away and the Wanderers were on the verge of drawing the match. Amazingly, all the hard work was undone with seconds to go as Abacus’s Yemi released a belter from the halfway line, that even the lovechild of Jesus and Peter Schmeichel wouldn’t have been able to stop. Final score 10-9 to Abacus.

It was a good fun game with some great performances, and with no subs to bring on the shape and movement of the team was a lot more controlled, which bodes well for next season.

Goals: @ThomHoffman x6, @SamWong1 x1, @MatthewMargot x1, @Talalb01 x1

League standings:

At the end of this season, the league becomes 5-a-side and the Wanderers will split into two separate teams so more people get a chance to play.