This top of the table, Division H, clash definitely lived up to expectations. Knowing that defeat was not an option, the Bees were determined to succeed.

From minute one, it was the Bees who were on the front foot. Settling straight into their pass and move style, it was Crowe who had the first opportunity of the game after just 2 minutes. A lovely move, which started at the back with some good interplay between stand in centre back Hardman, right back Hoyle and midfielder Wilkinson, sent Crowe racing down the right with his shot only finding the side netting.

In almost a carbon copy of the first chance, Crowe was played in again, this time by Barnes just 5 minutes later. Unfortunately, just like the first chance, the ball ended up in the side netting again, which will have frustrated Bance who was waiting in the middle for the cross.

But the stubborn defending didn’t last long, the Bees asserting their domination in the 13th minute. Robertson latching on to a through ball by Wilkinson, and as he made his way into the Thackley penalty area, struck a low hard shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.

On 16 minutes, some stout defending by Hoyle left both he and his opponent on the deck. The referee stopping the game, allowing for the pair to be tended to, before deciding to award a free kick to the home side much to the bemusement of the coaching staff. The Bees defended well with Richardson punching away the free kick.

Robertson thought he was in again on 25 minutes, when a thrown-out ball from Richardson at the back, landed at Barnes' feet in the centre circle before he lifted the ball over the right back for him to run on to. The home players appealed for offside and the referee duly obliged, much to coach Richardson's disgust as he threw the assistants flag angrily towards the floor. But the controversy was far from over...

The Bees won a throw in, midway inside their own half. The referee and her assistant on the far side both flagged for the Bees thrown in, but it was taken quickly by Thackley, who were allowed to play on. As they flooded forward in numbers, a last gasp touch from Hardman was enough to see the ball behind for a corner, which came to nothing.

Entering the final 2 minutes of the half, Thackley came forward again, before Sykes this time won the ball back. He tapped the ball back to Richardson, who had time and space to clear, but instead took a touch back towards his own goal. The home sides big, strong, centre forward easily muscled the goalkeeper off the ball to tap in from 2 yards out and equalise before the referee blew for half time.

A level game going in at half time, ‘more of the same needed’ was message from the dugout.

But, in a roll reversal of the first half, it was Thackley who started the better. A tweak in the formation saw the big centre forward, who’d scored the equaliser, drop into the defensive line, with the more small and agile man from the centre of midfield taking over up top. And it paid dividends from the off. A long ball forward from the back on 34 minutes, allowed the quick pace of the midfield man in behind, and with only the goalkeeper to beat, he slotted the ball past Richardson who was left helpless.

As Thackley started to get the upper hand in the game, the pitch became congested in midfield, with Crowe and Robertson being sucked into narrow positions and lone striker Bance forced to retreat. And on 40 minutes, Thackley struck again. A similar type of ball to their second goal, a lob over the top from defence, left the Bees ball watching and the home side extended their lead with ease.

The Bees seemingly unable to deal with the long ball, conceded again almost straight from the resulting kickoff, and then again in similar fashion just 3 minutes later. 5-1 Thackley and the game looked to be done to most, after just 45 minutes, with cries of ‘where’s the defence’ and ‘who’s marking him’ being heard from around the pitch.

Coach Sykes looked towards his bench for some inspiration, and on came Ali for the now struggling Robertson and McKenzie in place of Bance, as the Bees rallied. The game was calling for someone to step up and take charge in the absence of the suspended skipper, and up stepped Crowe.

From the kick-off, the ball was played out to the right back Hoyle, who played a long ball forward down the line for Crowe to chase. Crowe turned inside his man with ease and strode into the penalty area before placing a low strike across the goalkeeper and into the far corner. 5-2.

But Thackley weren’t going to sit back and let the visitors back into the game without a fight. As the red and white shirts flooded forward, a good foot in from Hardman gave the home side a corner. From the resulting corner, the ball fell nicely to a Thackley player who’s shot went low, hard and underneath the diving Richardson.

6-2 Thackley and 13 minutes left to play, but the Bees were not about to give in. Crowe again released down the right after beating his man, resulted in a cross to the box which was met by substitute Ali from close range.

Just two minutes later and Crowe was at it again, beating his man with ease and sending a delicious ball into the box. McKenzie couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and in stepped Ali, after a half clearance by the defender, to knock in his second of the game. 6-4 and the comeback was on!
As Thackley pressed forward to try and stem the flow of the tide, Sykes fell to the floor after taking what looked to be an arm in the chest. As was now a custom in the match, the referee waved play on for the home side who went on to win a thrown-in down by the corner flag. Sykes was replaced by Robertson and the thrown in came to nothing.

From the resulting goal kick, the Bees played out from the back. Robertson played the ball to Barnes, Barnes to Wilkinson and Wilkinson through a crowd of players to Crowe, who found himself bearing down on goal. With a sweep of the right boot, he struck the ball beautifully past the goalkeeper and the Bees were within just one of a comeback.

With 5 minutes left on the clock, the game had become tense to watch, could the Bees force their way back into it? Could Thackley hold on?

The answer came, quite predictably from, man of the match, Crowe. Out on the right-hand side, a quick one-two with Barnes after a throw in, he crossed the ball high into the penalty area. The defender jumped to clear, but ball fell onto his arm. After appeals from the away side were initially turned away, Ali sent the ball wide of the post before the referee then awarded the penalty. After a conversation between Wilkinson and Crowe, it was Crowe who stepped up to hammer home the equaliser.

The game was far from over, with both sides having efforts to win it. The final act of the game, once again, had the referee front and centre. Thackley had broken down the right with a shot going high and wide of the right-hand post. The referee quickly pointed for a goal kick, before several minutes later (and several Thackley coaches going to retrieve the ball from the bushes and placing it on the corner spot) she changed her mind and awarded the corner.

The Bees were able to clear the ball and hang on for a very, very, well-earned point.

After the game, Coach Sykes praised the Bees attitude saying “We never gave up, and that’s what this team is all about. We were the better footballing side and possibly deserved better.”

Next week the Bees return to Thackley for their first-round cup game, where coach Richardson will be hoping not to see the same official taking charge.