Woking v Horsham

When I awoke this morning, all of me ached. I'd had to share a bed with a flame-haired vixen, which later turned out to be Stephen Wilman - though this is in no way linked to the last statement. I was dreadfully hungover. My face still hurt from where I'd managed to hit myself in the middle of yesterday's game, and at some point as I lay in my alcohol-induced coma, one of my cats had attacked my nose and I'd bled everywhere.

But none of this mattered. The glory of victory was still pumping through my broken body. Take that, Horsham.

It all started with the positive news that captain Tom McLean was probably still too injured to play, but after last week, he refused to give the armband back to club hero and legend Andrew Barton and has since claimed all the glory. What a knobber.

Max Deeley was back to add more facial hair and senseless shouting to the defense, and it was he who made some important early saves to keep the sides level.

Tom LEggé - known for for his stint as lead singer of The Crash Test Dummies - returned for the first time after a lengthy hamstring injury. It was genuinely great to see him back in the first XI, and he hadn't lost any of his verve for a strong tackle.

Woking began to dominate, however. Kai Rohde began making dazzling runs down the left flank, and Mani Kochar did a sterling job of linking defence and attack.

Sure enough, Woking took the lead after everyone's favourite South African-Italian, Garth Pollock, ghosted past several Horsham defenders. Whilst his shot was well saved, known local superhero Mat Cockerham was there to put the follow up in.

Shortly afterwards, much to the Goldsworth Park Ultra's delight, the lead was doubled.

A move straight of the training pitch by Welsh international Ben "You" Searle gave Andrew Pike the chance to score from the too of the D. Any one who has seen Pikey play in the past will be horrified to hear that he had the audacity to try and score from further away than 3yards. But score he did.

Despite sterling work from aforementioned Wonderboy Barton and his trusted centre-back companion Robbie Faulkner, and further saves from Deeley, Horsham found a way back into the game just before half time from a short corner.

For just the second time this season, Woking lead at half time. Determined and hungry for success, the boys in blue set out for war.

Mat Cockerham began painting his artistry on the game, using the pitch as his canvas. In defence, he was steely, unrelenting and impervious. In offence he was quick, agile and skilful. A tremendous display of his immense repertoire of hockeying ability.

However, the momentum turned when Horsham were quick to break and created an overlap down the left. Despite Deeley making a good save initially, the Sussex side made no mistake with the rebound.

It would have been easy for Woking to drop their heads. A two goal lead had disappeared; but in a sign that a corner has been turned, Kochar's side showed real mental fortitude and with 8minutes to go, Woking won it with a goal forged by family spirit.

Dr Michael Emes won the ball in the Horsham half and raced down the right wing to square a ball to insufferable brother-in-law Pike.

Woking held out for the remainder, with Deeley making a crucial last minute save.

The form book had been torn apart, and renewed hope had been found.

Man of the Match and known My Chemical Romance fan, Cockerham, said "it's a win our performances of late have deserved. We've never let our heads drop, and to a man we were immense today."