This top of the table clash had it all, atmosphere, goals, a penalty, a sending off and a punch up. Not for the faint hearted this one. It lived up to its billing as the game of the weekend. Almost a full house at Damson lane witnessed Alum Rock take a first half lead completely against the run of play. A silly free kick was given away when Ben Hardwick (one of the Neville brothers) tripped up the attacking Rock forward after 30minutes. Even worse was the soft free kick squirmed its way through the wall, a line of players and finally Jason who made his first appearance in goal.

If not for Alum rocks goalkeeper The AFC would have been 3 up before the 15 minute mark, strikes from, Jingles, Kitey and Paul were all well saved, and when the keeper was beaten the cross bar saved them again. Nicky Black quoted “ Same old Rowood, we don’t finish our chances and in-turn finish the game off before it starts” 15 minutes in to the second half disaster struck again for Rowood as a cross from the by-line found its way looping over Jason’s head in to the far corner, 2-0.

Alum Rock had up to this point 2 strikes on goal to Rowood’s 9. Kitey replied with a 30yard run past 6 players to make the man of the match pull off another fingertip save over the bar. Nicky made his final 2 substitutions after Gary Hailing had come on for the injured Ben Hardwick at Half time. Ben Bedford and Mark Aldous, both were making their first appearances this season. What a change it became, Jingles was sliced down and Ben Bedford stepped up to hammer home a 25 yarder, game back on, then 4 minutes later it was Aldous who leveled the score with a miss-directed header.

The crowd could sense the winner but didn’t expect it to come at the other end! In the dying seconds, with the ball safely in Jason’s hands, words were exchanged and from nowhere Jason dropped the nut on his opponent. Red card and a penalty, 3-2 as the travelling support who had written off a point now had all 3. Jason left the ground with no comment and still refuses to speak to the club or the press, but his agent has said that it looks very unlikely that he will be playing football again! Shame.