Saturday 25th November Old Etonians II 3-2 Old Habs (Reidy, Vellosa) Still reeling from their 5-1 beating at the Crox a few weeks ago, the Old Etonian boys seemed nervous about the arrival of the Old Habs team in the return league fixture last Saturday. Similarly, OH team members felt the nerves on driving around Eton before the game, as it became apparent that their midday attire of track-suit bottoms and hooded tops was not greatly appreciated by the straw-hatted, suited and booted bad/probably very good boys of Eton School. Anyhow, these boys were at school on a Saturday and looked classy – something just didn't feel right, this wasn't the football atmosphere Old Habs were looking for. It showed. The first half an hour of the game saw a bombardment of the Habs goal by a seriously dodgy Etonian forward line. Chance after chance went begging until one particularly long-mulleted old boy broke the offside trap and ran on to break Shuey's claim for a clean-sheet bonus with a cool finish. Ironically, that was the spur the OH boys needed and chances followed. Russ lost a great cross by Keeno in the sun – and consequently NASA lost Russ's resulting effort from their radar but by this time OH were rampant. A minute later the increasingly quick manoeuvring Keen whipped a dangerous corner in and, as the boys looked for Reidy to make the onion bag bulge, he couldn't as he was fighting for his life after finding himself the victim of a WWE finishing move by Eton centre-back the 'Big Show' – penalty. Ironically, that was when the trouble began. Reidy had the ball, ready to take the kick, but couldn’t understand why the panto crowd was screaming at him "look behind you!" All too late, as he did just in time to see The Legion of Keen and Vellosa Doom clothes-line him – nothing made sense – the callous act, the penalty miss, Reidy's concussion. A stirring half-time team talk by Professor Charles Xavier of X-Men brought him and the rest of the OH boys around. Buoyed by motivational tales of mutants overcoming strife and discrimination, Old Habs started the second half with a bang. Flowing moves – literally flowing down-stream in the lake that consumed the middle of the pitch – led to breaks down the wing by the hard-working Russ and Keen. OH were on top. Despite this dominance, another dodgy offside decision led to 2-0 to Eton. Yet again, OH rallied. Another strong Vellosa run led to a second penalty. Having enlisted the help of numerous heavies to warn off Keen and Vellosa, Reidy made it 2-1. However, minutes later and against the run of play, a long ball that was claimed to be a shot by the Etonion perpetrator resulted in 3-1 and further questionable celebrations. Down but not beaten, the OH boys rallied in midfield and the pressure resumed on the Eton penalty area. That pressure paid off when a deep ball by (cannot remember who but Russ will undoubtedly make a claim – but we’ll say Raz!) found Vellosa's head. Another sign of the quality goals OH have been scoring. Although the very dubious 'Dubious Goals Panel' decided to give the goal to the poacher Reidy for his touch on the line……a gracious Reidy gave the award back to the midfield dynamo and is shortly expected to meet Nelson Mandela as a reward for his actions. More OH pressure and a further two unpunished crocodile attacks in the sodden centre circle came and went but no more goals. A bad result but one that will be put right against Salopians.