Sometimes it's hard to decide between Madri and Staropramen. One comes in a tankard but is over-gassed. The other has no gas at all.

Fortunately, there was no shortage of gas at Westlands School, where Folkestone Optimist M3 beat the baddies from Gore Court 5–4 in an thriller.

It's always a tough place to go, regardless of the level. There's something about the place. The smell, perhaps. It oozes disagreement. It oozes balls too. Gore Court.

Results against the Sittingbourne outfit have been patchy in recent seasons. A miserable 4–1 defeat, a remarkable 4–2 friendly comeback and a 4–1 home victory meant the Optimists held a slender 9–7 aggregate advantage over the previous 18 months. But make no mistake, Westlands School is a tough, tough place to get a result.

Pre-match preparations were casual. The team talk was going well, then got re-written when Glass swanned through the middle of it to take a turn. out. And in came the nerves.

The opening exchanges were evens. A bit of to, a bit of fro. We passed it to them, they passed it to us. Ten minutes were endured before Jack Timmins opened the scoring.

1–0. Folkestone.

Shortly afterwards, Jimmins struck again. Two goals in quick succession for a man whose previous encounters with Gore Court had established him as something of a local pantomime villain.

2–0. Surely the tide was turning? Surely we'd run away with it?

Negative, ghostrider.

Penalty corner. Aaron Glass. From outside the left post to the bottom-right backboard. Just warming up.

2–1.

The Optimists responded with some actual hockey. Sutton and Ireland made the defensive half their own, front marking, stepping up and out, Scotty resumed his customary role as the 8km-a-half hoover, and the two Stones and Shaw penetrated hard down the flanks. Rumsey and Joel worked tirelessly, while Lorcan, PK and Letley led, re-led and then led again on repeat.

Then, approximately 34.99 minutes on the clock, up stepped Tom Jones. Where had he been hiding?

Pressing high, TJ stole possession, shifted the ball onto his reverse and kerplunked it towards the far corner. A dipping thing of beauty beyond compare. Nonchalant. It's not unusual, to be loved by anyone.

3–1 at half-time. We needed it.

The second half began with Gore Court refusing to go quietly. The umpires became increasingly fidgety, awarding penalty corners with alarming regularity.

Another corner. Another Glass finish.

3–2.

Anxiety.

Fortunately, a ball down the right from Stone senior, found King with plenty still to do. Dribble, dribble, dribble some more. Down to the baseline, goalkeeper advancing, and a delicate little flick underneath the arm.

4–2.

The Optimists continued to press. Rumsey unleashed a lovely strike which appeared destined to sail wide and high, until Finn Letley intervened with a deft deflection into the onion bag.

5–2. Surely safe now?

Of course not.

Gore Court pulled another back, before yet another penalty corner brought more anxiety. Glass's effort was heading wide before striking a Folkestone defender on its way into touch. Penalty stroke, apparently.

Glass stepped up and converted his fourth of the afternoon.

5–4.

Ten long and tense minutes remaining.

What followed was less a game of hockey and more an exercise in survival instincts.

Ben Shaw received a green card for kicking the ball. Jack Timmins received a yellow for really kicking the ball. Scott Minister received no card whatsoever, despite multiple reports suggesting that he'd kicked one off the line in the dying seconds.

Westlands School's five values — Respect, Resilience, Aspiration, Diversity and Achievement. Just thought it was worth a mention.

With 39 minutes showing on the second-half clock, Gore Court were still coming. Somehow there was still time added on and on and on. The Optimists were hanging on by their toenails, 9 on the pitch, 2 in the bin.

The final whistle arrived, finally, bringing relief and three magnificent points.

Gore Court 4–5 Folkestone Optimist M3.

A memorable victory against a familiar foe. Timmins with two, Jones with a screamer of a dipper, King and Letley with the decisive touch. Glass with most for the hosts, but ultimately nothing to show for it.

Nine goals, three cards, two Stones, two Toms, three Bens and one very relieved Scott Minister.

The Optimists had conquered. Onwards and upwards.

Allez. Les. Blancs.