On paper, this had “comfortable morning” written all over it.
Lowly K-Sports had conceded 24 goals in their last five games. The Optimists had scored 23. Maths, momentum and hubris all pointed in the same direction.

And to be fair… we did win comfortably.
Just not quite as comfortably as we’d convinced ourselves in the week before.

Early in the week, skipper PK had visions of a full-strength squad of 15 or 16 of Folkestone’s finest. By Tuesday, reality intervened.
* Young superstars Will Ball and Arthur Ireland were lost to a school fixture, rescheduled so their teacher could play his own league game. Make it make sense.
* Harry “Rowe Salah” stayed with the 2s so Nick Hopkin could attend the Six Nations at Twickenham. Again: make it make sense. (Harry did score a worldly for the 2s though...!)

With options dwindling, PK was forced to make the call. Enter Norval Scott — 1st XI coach, full-time hockey badger. A man who doesn’t tackle… he harvests.

Naturally, it was inevitable he’d score. We all knew it. He knew it. He will remind us of it forever.

Pre-Match Enthusiasm vs Weather

The WhatsApp group was eerily quiet on Saturday morning. Nervous energy? Quiet confidence? Or just a squad enjoying a lie-in? We arrived early, keen, and promptly ran back inside due to torrential rain, retreating to the bar like sensible adults. Once the rain relented, warm-up commenced properly, following some inspirational words from Coach George, broadly summarised as:

> “Play good hockey. And be more switched-on-ness.”

First Half Wake-Up Call

K-Sports struck first, countering sharply in the opening minutes to take a surprise 1–0 lead. A much-needed slap across the face for the boys in blue.

Folkestone responded with pressure, territory, and eventually a leveller. Jack Timmins made it 1–1 after around ten minutes, restoring order.

Soon after, Young Fin Letley produced a lovely finish to make it 2–1, and things began to feel more like the script we’d written in our heads.

Just before the break, Jack “Shagger” Hagger — a man not renowned for finding the goal hole — found himself unmarked on the left of the D. One slap, plenty of aplomb, 3–1 at half-time.

The second half began well enough. A PK thunderbolt from a penalty corner made it 4–1.

The second half was scrappy, end-to-end stuff. Loose passes. Rushed decisions. Couldn’t trap a ball. PK, Sam Ireland and Ali Sutton all had shockers. The brightest spark was Mikey Hopkin, who rattled the crossbar with what he insists was a deliberate pass off the bar to the onrushing Tom Stone. We await the VAR replay.

And then… Norval. Norval. Norval. Norval.

Every touch near the D was met with rising anticipation. You could hear the murmurs through the soundproof glass of the Three Hills bar upstairs.

“We want Norval… we want Norval… Norval…”

Eventually, amid some messy play and mild defensive panic, Norval did what Norval does. Hanging in the D, reverse stick, swept under the keeper. Inevitable.

5–1. Rapturous applause. Mild embarrassment.

Bigger picture. It wasn’t pretty, but it was convincing.

The Optimists now sit as de facto second in the table after Canterbury dropped points away at Gore Court. A clear top three has emerged: Canterbury, Holcombe, Folkestone.

Six games to go.
Six wins needed.

How hard can it be?

If we play like we did today — very hard indeed.

A Valentine’s Day break follows before the freshly loved-up Optimists roll into Bexley for Burnt Ash away on 21st February.

Ole. Ole. Ole.