There’s no way round it, the tension and excitement are building. When players and supporters of this ETU side get together, it’s not long before the conversation turns to the Division title and what’s needed to win it! Why not? It’s been 3 long seasons since our team have been safely locked into a top 2 slot and we have never been parked in 1st position! Our boys have got there on the back of a really impressive 12 league game winning streak since the tight loss to UPR ‘D’ in mid-November. Over a 3 ½ month period, 840 minutes of football, through the toughest weather, most challenging conditions against teams often inspired in return games, it was never easy, but the Rocks sometimes excellent, sometimes toughed and durable, but always won! The ‘Streak’ would however count for nothing, as all who spoke about it knew; ETU needed to keep winning to win the Div 4 title. Today was not the day to be April Fools, the lads needed to see off Aim High to be able to have the right to compete with UPR in for the title.

Normal service was resumed with the return of a full ETU squad for selection for the 10.30am kick off, with Waz surprising all, after declaring himself available after his wrist injury of a few weeks prior. ETU playing in Amber/Black, lined up, with Connor P in goal, Brad, Dan, Adam & Matt across the back line. Sam P, Sam B, Tom, Skip Callum and Jack S in the 5 across the middle, with Jack.G being asked to return up front. On the bench were Yalambr, Surjan, Chaz, Connor R and Waz.

The game kicked off, under bright blues skies with high broken cloud; the temperatures had dropped from Saturday and were cool as best. The pitch was looking at its best after a cut, but the lack of rain had finally told as the ground was hard. Our opponents started the game the better, as within minutes, a low flat cross got under Connor P! Brad covered and cleared the ball off the line for a corner. Aim High had a couple of corners, which were eventually dealt with by the Rocks. The visitors were not the same side of the 1st game played in the November. Although still playing different varieties of the Orange and Black Aim High kit, this was more than the battling unit of that 1st fixture, with either new players or players who were having more stand out games on this second occasion. Without registration cards that was hard to call. ETU did get out of their half and forced a corner. The ball stayed at the Away end, Sam P was able to hold a ball up on the edge of the box, his lay off finding Tom, who shot beat the keeper for a lead against the early run of play, 1-0 ETU.

Aim High carried on playing some good football, through a strong team spine, Skipper Centre Half, tall midfield general and two lively forwards, No’s 8 & 10. They went on to force 2 clear cut chances, both well saved by the busier Connor P. On 25 mins good work in the Visitors centre set one of the No.8’s free and under a lot of ETU defensive attention played the ball across the box, to the free No.10, who dispatched the chance with confidence for 1-1, a deserved equaliser. The following 15 mins were full of good football from a confident Aim High and an ETU team who were going through the gears. Although the visitors had territorial pressure the Rocks were beginning to fashion chances again. Callum hit the bar and Jack.G blasted over as ETU ended the half on top.

Although nervous, the Home supporters have got used to the fact that ETU are a 70 mins team and certainly during the streak, many games were won as the opposition couldn’t live with the ETU power and strength in the 2nd 35 mins. It helps to have real strength on the bench, in this case Chaz, Yalambr & Surjan were brought on for the 2 Sam’s and Brad.

The Visitors started the half brightly, playing an attractive and enterprising brand of football. The Rocks rolled their sleeves up and tried to ensure that they didn’t get behind the back four and if any passes did they were collected by the patrolling Connor P. ETU began to return the game to the edge of the Oranges box. The pressure told as Callum broke into the area and forced one in for 2-1, ETU. The game was in the balance, Aim High tried to push back, Yalambr and Surjan were adding to the pace and power of ETU and the visitors were forced onto the back foot. Tom scored his second and the ETU’s third, with a powerful header to a bouncing ball, mid-way through the half, 3-1.

The Rocks pushed on looking for the goal to seal the deal. Two good right wing moves were nearly converted at the far post by Jack.S, before Yalambr powered one in to finish off the Away team resistance, heads went down the game was won, 4-1 ETU. However the Rocks were not finished, Connor R on for Jack S, got on the end of a nicely flighted corner, 5-1 on the day and 100 goals in the league, an excellent milestone. Yalambr having started the half a little slowly was now flying and after an excellent move involving the midfield unit he buried the chance for 6-1. Sam P finishing the game up top in place of Jack.G topped an excellent team half, when he collected a ball with his back to goal, his quality spin finish flying inside the post for 7-1, ETU. Full time was duly called.

It had been a good game, the visiting Aim High providing excellent opposition for 45 mins. Like many teams before this season, their undoing being the final 20 mins as ETU conditioning and squad depth seeing them home. The defence had been made to work hard and accordingly, the always solid Adam was awarded MoM, it could have gone many of the defensive unit on show today.

So now we move into a break from competition with the Easter Weekend. ETU Management plan to train as usual throughout the break, but the Easter Weekend break will refresh everybody at the end of a very long season, which started early September at the Trinity tournament. As stated earlier the winning streak of now 13 is already consigned to history as it merely gives the team the chance to put right the only dropped points of season 11/12, the draw at Stanford and firstly the defeat by UPR ‘D’. So the Winning Streak (13 league wins) meets the Bogey Run (1 win, 1 draw in 8 meetings), with the winner having first dibs at winning the Division, it couldn’t be better poised.

Have A Happy Easter.

C’Mon U Rocks.