What a lovely afternoon this was for a game of football! The last weekend in October and we were standing at the side of a football pitch with only our t-shirts on! And as always, Buckley Wells was looking pristine - it always does - but there was the small matter of a massive football match to be navigated here. We were making our way over to take on Bury GSOB Reserves - who we hammered 7-0 at ours in August - but today's hosts hadn't lost since then and as soon as we made the significant trip from the changing-rooms to the pitch, they looked a completely different side to the one we faced in GameDay 3. This was going to be interesting...

Wayne and Brian had toyed all week with who was going to replaced the banned Keegie - knowing that there were several options - and as Gatesie was ruled out with injury as well, the choices got smaller. So with the lads warmed up and ready to go, it was time to announce the starting 11 and once again, it made some lads happy and others not so. Alex had taken a knock in the County Cup win seven days ago - but trained well in the week and declared himself fit for this one - and with Spencer back in the ranks, we had a full 16 with us. Mitch had rushed back from his sister's wedding so took his place between the posts and we elected to go with Robbie slotting in where Keegie would have been. That was the only change from the team that started against Castle FC so we had Liam, Chris, Yatesy, Spence and Rav to choose from when needed. The usual murmurings of whether Angry Ginge was soon allayed when his name appeared upon the team-sheet (!) and as kick-off approached, the coaches urged their lads to do exactly what they did last weekend. That was not only a good performance but also a great game to watch - so on a pitch like this today, let's go and enjoy ourselves. The hosts won the kick and as the whistle went, we all wondered what would happen today...

What we didn't expect was to be 0-1 behind within the first 54 seconds that's for sure! They hoisted it forward towards our right-back straight from the start and as we headed it into midfield, their guy got hold of it and played a too-easy 1-2 with his colleague and set off on a run that looked as though we just allowed him all the space he wanted to make his mind up. Not one challenge came in on him and he simply laid it to his right and there was their striker to drill it into the back of our net from about 12 yards out. Far too easy and now we had work to do...

We didn't wake up after that either though and with 4 minutes on the clock, the hosts should have doubled their lead. They worked the ball well down their right and as it came into the box, their guy was stood unmarked but thankfully he slammed his shot against the foot of the post and we managed to clear the danger. This wasn't looking good though and we needed to settle down and start getting into the game before it was too late. They had another glorious chance to score on 10 minutes but their striker fluffed his lines and drilled his shot the wrong side of Mitch's post - but if we're honest, this game should have been dead and buried already. Something had change - and change quickly...

The hosts were driving forward at will at this point however when we did get the ball down and out wide, it looked as though we could get some joy. And so it proved on 14 minutes when somewhat against the run of play, we equalised. A good ball down our right saw Ben cut inside his marker and as he dribbled it towards the box, the Breightmet bench were urging him to shoot. Shoot he did - but he didn't catch it as well as he wanted and it looked like their keeper would make a comfortable save - however he fumbled it at the last minute and there was the on-rushing Lewis to simply stroke the ball home from close range. 1-1, we were back in it - and would that now settle us down and allow us to play our football?

Three minutes later and we were in front! How funny it is when games change so quickly eh? We won a corner over on the right and rather than Alex take it as planned, this time Tom went across to take it. The boss was scratching his head as to why - but a few seconds later, it didn't matter. The ball was lofted towards the back-post and the flurry of players making their way to the front-post left Jack unmarked - and from about 7 yards out, he planted his header low and hard into the back of their net. We still weren't playing our football but we had the lead now and that had to let us relax a little. 2-1...

Despite trying his best - and he will never admit it - it was clear that our skipper was playing with his heart and with so many big games coming up, Wayne didn't want to risk anything so as he signalled to the referee to make a change, as expected Alex wasn't happy. There were passionate words spoken as Liam made his way onto the pitch and on went the game with us needing to get the ball down and make sure we didn't just hoof it long. That's not our style so we had to start playing our way. There were several occasions when we thought we had held the line well and caught them offside - but the referee didn't give it and we were lucky that their finishing wasn't bob-on - and as the game wore on, we were just failing to get things clicking...

And on 39 minutes the inevitable happened - and the hosts levelled the game. They played the ball long and in the defence of our defence, their striker did look about two yards offside. But we were guilty of stopping rather than calling as we ran back - and that allowed their man to take it around Mitch and as it came across, there was their striker to roll it into an empty net to make it 2-2. We were making this far too easy for them here...

There were definite calls for a penalty for the hosts - and potentially a clear red card - for our Robbie shortly after when he ran back with their striker and as he cut inside, Robbie took his legs from under him and as the referee came across, we all expected his hand to go in his pocket and his other one to point to the spot - but we were amazed when one stayed out and the other gave a free-kick inches outside of the box. A rash challenge and something else we need to cut out of our game. Thankfully the resultant free-kick was defended well but once again, we put ourselves in places we didn't need to...

We saw Ben make another good run down the right that looked as though their midfielder came across to just to take him out - and he floated the resulting free-kick just too high and wide to cause their keeper trouble - and if we're honest, Wayne and Brian were by far the happiest of side-lines to hear the referee blow his whistle to signal the break - as it was an opportunity to try and re-focus and remember the things that have made us such a good team in the first place...

Half-time: Bury GSOB Reserves 2-2 BREIGHTMET UNITED

As the lads came in, they already knew - and that's the frustrating thing. We had by-passed the midfield - but was that due to having nobody showing or simply not seeing it? We were taking far too many touches of the football when that's not what we do in training. And we were allowing ourselves to fall back into that trap of having a go at each other rather than rallying and trying to win the battle. The one positive as we sat here was the fact that we hadn't even started and we were still very much in this game when really we had no right to be. Now it was about digging in, sitting on what we had for the first 10 minutes or so and then getting to pressing them like we know we can. Ben had taken quite a knock to his throat in that earlier challenge - so it was a chance for Spencer to get some minutes in the tank and hopefully add to his tally. With the drinks drunk, they were back out there and we were hopeful that they were somewhere near their best...

The second half started pretty evenly but in most 50/50's, it was the hosts coming away with the ball and on 51 minutes, they took the lead. Once again it looked as though we just partied the waves for them and they seemed to stroll right through our heart before having enough freedom to pick their spot and slam the ball past Mitch from about 16 yards out. The home side celebrated - quite rightly - and we looked as though we could have done with a huge crank to wind us up like an old-style alarm clock. We just were not at the races and it was a puzzle to realise why...

One of the reasons could be the fact that when our backs are against the wall, we should be rolling our sleeves up and be prepared to work harder - rather than drop our shoulders and start looking for others to blame. This is one thing that will stop us achieving what we can this season and we all need to start being a bit more accountable for our failings - because although we smile and laugh when we win together, we need to remember that when things aren't going so well. All the lads know it and as the seconds ticked away here, it looked as though they were feeling somewhat sorry for themselves...

We did see a good moment when Lewis managed to jinx his way through the centre of their defence with some good feet - and all the Bury defender could do was bring him down - and from the free-kick, our Lew swung it in with pace only to see their keeper manage to get underneath it and tip it over for a corner. We then played Spencer through on the right and some silky skills saw him past his marker - only to hit a tame shot that their keeper managed to gather easily. Despite not playing to our full potential, we were still getting chances and that was one good thing to see..

And on 64 minutes, some silly defending from their back-line saw us - against the run of play - manage to sneak level in the game. As they though they could play it around at the back, they played a short-ball out and there was Lewis to latch onto it. He was clean through on goal and about 10 yards out - so as he hit his shot, the Breightmet bench were already jumping. But the ball didn't travel anywhere near as quickly as any of us would have liked - to the point where their keeper actually managed to get down and save it - but the ball squirmed under him and just about popped over the line. A goal and one we were really thankful of - but only just! A brace for Lewis and with the score now stood at 3 apiece, it was still pretty much anybody's...

We decided to make a couple of changes that saw Robbie and Charlie replaced by the old heads in Chris and John and as the game wore on, we just seemed as though we couldn't find the right gear. There seemed to be limited options for the man on the ball and although we were huffing and puffing, we weren't blowing no houses down. And on 75 minutes, disaster struck - when yet more poor defending cost us dearly. By now, the hosts had brought the YouTuber Angry Ginge on to play up front - and he seemed to act as a decoy and the ball was played in high towards their No.10. For some reason only known to the lads on the pitch, we sat back and watched as we allowed him the time to bring it down on his chest inside our box, turn to face Mitch and hammer his shot across goal and into the side of our net. A great goal in truth - but we should never have allowed him that chance. 4-3 and we had to go again if we wanted anything out of this...

There didn't seem to be the fight or the spirit to muster a way back into this today and as the game ticked towards it's end, it was a case of us lumping it forward and hoping for the best - rather than getting it down and playing the way we know we can and the way that we do every week on a Thursday night. Sure - the hosts today had done a job on us and had worked hard to make sure that that won their individual battles - but we were nowhere near the levels we know we can be. Some serious thinking from many individuals needs to happen after this one. Did I do my best? Could I have done better? Did I encourage my team-mates? When we can all answer 'Yes' to those three questions, then nobody will be so upset with a loss. We can't say that today though...

Rav came on in place of Nathan after we'd swapped Ste to the right to cope with the pace of their left-winger - and he took one to the nether-regions within seconds that seemed to proper take the wind out of his sails - but as the game edged towards it's finale, we seemed bereft of ideas. Strange considering the firepower in the ranks but we really just have to put this down to a really bad day at the office and move on. And when the whistle went for the end, the first thing Wayne and Brian wanted to do was shake hands and get out of here...

A big lesson learnt today. For all of us. The coaches may have to look at adapting things shape-wise if things aren't going to plan. The players may have to learn to roll their sleeves up and be more determined when things aren't going to plan. And collectively, we need to start being prepared to go that extra yard in order to give the team the best chance of winning. We know we can do it - we've done it plenty of time already this season - so now it's about getting back to basics, working hard and getting that smile back on our faces. The handshakes were done with pride and as we made our way back to the changing-rooms, the mood was a sombre one...

Onwards and upwards though. Things don't get any easier as we face the cross-country trip to Lymm FC next weekend and we know that their home form is one to be rivalled every single season. We will need to be ready for another battle on a pitch that is nowhere near the one we played on today - but Wayne and Brian know that they have the quality and the work-ethic in their ranks to get the job done. The lads need to realise it themselves now...

News also filtered through about the 3rd round draw of the LFA Amateur Cup as we got back to the Clubhouse - and we've been given another home-tie - this time against Ince Central from the Wigan Amateur League Premier Division - and the winners will progress to the last 16 of the County Cup. There's the incentive right there - and one that we will be ensuring our players are aware of on the run up to it. There's a couple of tricky league games before that though - so training will be used to re-group and hopefully put a smile back on the lads' faces - and we'll be over in Cheshire next Saturday looking to right the wrongs...

Thanks to the faithful Breightmet fans that came over and enjoyed the weather with us - even if the result wasn't as planned - and we're so thankful to see you there cheering on the lads week in, week out. Hopefully we'll see you in Lymm next week and hopefully we'll make the drive home a more enjoyable one...

One to forget then... And we go again...

#OnceUnitedNeverDivided