M1 have done all they can in their battle against relegation, defeating second-place Old Georgians in one of the best results in the team’s history. The result puts the 1s out of the relegation zone, but we must wait for the rearranged Tunbridge Wells/Canterbury fixture to be played to know if we will remain safe.

With Old Georgians being the class of the division this season (along with Oxted), no-one outside of the team would have anticipated the performance and result. However, M1 entered the game with a quiet confidence, based on recent form and knowing that OG had nothing left to play for, and that position was justified as we outperformed the opposition all game and fully deserved the win.

In the first quarter, we blunted the OG attacks with excellent defending across the back line, with Chris Smith and Mat Neeson resolute in the centre and making interception after interception, and Ithurralde and Herd putting in their best performances of the season up the flanks. Behind them, Whitham in goal dealt calmly with any threat, and in front, the combative Will Elgar and Tom Bean battled for supremacy against the pacey OG midfield. Chances were few and far between for either side, with the best falling to Folkestone when we won a penalty corner - but the injection (on the spongy OG pitch) was fluffed, and the opportunity squandered.

In Q2 the rolling substitutes Danny Tomlinson (in defence) and Matt Mainwaring (midfield) relieved tired legs and made important contributions, mopping up OG attacks and keeping standards high, even as we rode a brief sin bin for Ithurralde for a stick tackle. Further up the pitch, Aidan Smith took advantage of playing in a higher position than usual with a series of mazy runs, culminating in him winning a PC that was well converted by Neeson to make it 1-0 to Folkestone.

In recent weeks, the team has been experimenting with shorter, harder shifts up front, and we carried on that approach this week, resulting in rapid changes for the forward lines of Little, Hopkin and captain Clifford, and then Miller-Hastings, Bondzio and Mead. Both forward lines got through an immense amount of work, pressing the OG defence well and forcing multiple turnovers, while also moving the opposition around and finding space. The pressure had to tell, and eventually it did - another Aidan Smith incursion resulting in a ball being blasted across goal, off the stick of an unsighted Clifford, and in - 2-0. The team had a further chance to make it 3 before half-time as Mead tore apart the OGdefence and had only the keeper to beat, only for a remarkable save to keep the difference at 2.

At this point it appeared that some stern words were shared in the OG teamtalk, as the opposition entered the second half with renewed determination and resolve to avoid the upset. However, they reckoned without the impact of Tom Bean, who has been out with injury for most of the season but now appears back to his imperious best, as he basically took over the game at this point, being not only almost impossible to dispossess, but also apparently able to appear at will any time a gap in our defence needed to be filled. At the other end, our forwards continued to create chances, and we soon won another penalty corner that was again converted by Neeson, to give us a 3-0 lead going into the final quarter.

The ask from the bench was for calm… and it was mostly delivered, as we sensibly retained possession, defended well, and sent the ball away from goal. Indeed, Miller-Hastings nearly wrapped things up when he rounded the keeper and sent a shot on target to goal, only for a covering OG defender to clear off the line.

Then, brief panic stations. A long aerial into the D was deflected in by the OG attacker… but as he was standing next to Whitham, he was never in clear space and therefore it should be defender’s ball… surely? But instead the umpires disallowed the OG goal and instead gave a penalty corner, which was converted over Whitham’s shoulder, to pull OG back within 2 goals and set Folkestone nerves rattling. They were fully shaking 1 minute later when the usually calm and collected Chris Smith gathered the ball at sweeper and got the ball stuck under him, and decided to try and dribble out of trouble, only to get dispossessed, resulting in another PC. Fortunately, the defence was up to the task and the shot went wide.

Folkestone put some gloss on the result when a final break away found Clifford, who drew the defenders and slipped the ball to Mead, who finished high into the net to seal the result and cue celebrations from all involved.

It was an exceptional individual and team performance, and a fitting climax to a challenging yet enjoyable season in which the team has learned a lot and grown together. Sadly, it will be the last games (at least, for now) for our Australian imports - Aidan Smith and Mat Neeson - who since coming over in January have made a huge impact both on and off the pitch, and will be greatly missed by all of us. It was also the last expected game at this level for keeper Whitham, who will now likely transition into a role playing outfield lower down the club. He has performed a critical role for the team selflessly and well… if not always without complaint!

We now face an agonizing wait for the remaining game to be played, with a T Wells win or draw against bottom-placed Canterbury enough to retain our place in the division, while a Canterbury win would send us down on goal difference.