Both teams entered this game unbeaten so it was always going to be close, but who would get the upper hand and finish the day sitting pretty at the top of the Southern League?

It was clear both teams were really up for this match and they came out of the blocks hard. Blues scored first but Spenceris attack took advantage of their chances in the first quarter and Spencer were up 3-2 at quarter time.

Blues had much more of the possession during the game and showed patience and control but found it hard to create many openings in the Spencer defence, who had another great game.

Spencer looked comfortable with their lead for the first half of the game but lost some composure in the 3rd quarter and couldn’t keep hold of the ball in attack. Blues had break after break against the Spencer defence but only scored once, matched by a Spencer goal at the other end which gave the away team a single goal lead going into the break. But with their possession dominance, Blues must have felt that had taken control of the game.

But while Blues struggled to make goal from their opportunities, Spencer struggled to stay on the field. Some harsh decisions and a lack of discipline cost Spencer 16 minutes in the penalty box. Although Blues only scored a couple of times during their man-up advantage, in a game this close, these goals made the difference.

This was particularly obvious in the final period. Blues started the quarter with possession and man-up after another Spencer penalty at the end of the 3rd and equalised quickly. They scored another two goals soon after by taking advantage of a tired Spencer midfield with a more unsettled breaks.

Spencer must have had 8 minutes of penalties in the final quarter alone. This made it harder for them to apply the pressure needed to chase the game once they lost the lead. Spencer did manage to pull the score to within one with only two minutes left which lead to an exciting finale but Blues just managed to hold on.

Although Spencer lost there was a feeling that they could have just as easily won the game. The cup fixture between the two teams at the end of November is going to be a great game.

Quarter Scores: 2-3 / 3-4 / 5-4 / 8-7