This was the perfect September morning. Like something out of a Chaucer tale, the sun is shining, a slight breeze brushes past the face from the direction of the Cemetery End, and the smell of cut grass hangs heavy in the air. It is just a little unfortunate that the remnants of the cut grass lay heavy on the pitch. After fighting to get the goals up (the post boxes in the ground in worse condition than a taxi drivers gusset after an August afternoon shift in an air conditioning-less cab), and trying to stop the local kids nicking the net pegs again, the game kicked off.

Let us get something straight here. The Bulls Head are a good Section D side. Solid at the back, one of the best centre forwards in the League and a couple of tireless and tricky midfielders make up a side which missed out on promotion by two points last season. A side which utterly humiliated their hosts last season in an 8-2 drubbing, and one which had beaten M&S FS FC (who beat the ISA 4-1 the previous Tuesday) 7-2 last week. The Frodsham side obviously tried to sidetrack their opponents minds when they unveiled their new away strip with the legend www.2kinky.net as the Club sponsor. Sunday evening hits on the site from the Chester area will undoubtedly go through the roof now! Without five goal hero from the previous week Andy Johnson who had a twisted ankle, and without midfield kingpin Kev Thomas, this looked a seriously tall order for the Blue and Whites. 

So when Neil Howell was put through by an excellent Scott Ditchfield (playing with broken ribs it was later revealed) ball to notch his second of the campaign, the mood in the camp was pretty reserved. This proved to be the case as keeper Green came second in a two horse race to the ball, and gave the Bulls a penalty. 1-1. It was 2-1 minutes later, and 3-1 quickly followed (both breakaway goals), as last seasons familiar sinking feeling kicked in. But this season's ISA are made of sterner stuff. A Scott Ditchfield curler from the left avoided everybody, including the goalkeeper for 3-2. Next up, a shot on the turn from Graham Reynolds was deflected in at the far post by Tommy Hollinger, 3-3 at half time.

Kicking towards the Mollington End, the ISA lads were awarded a penalty ten minutes into the second half. A Neil Howell turn invited a lunge from the Frodsham centre half, and the referee never hesitated. Up steps Hollinger again, 4-3. A change for the ISA as Mark Howell replaced Tom Hollinger upfront. Almost immediately the ISA broke again, with the substitutes ball wide to Rob Reay, who broke superbly into the box, but had his pull back hacked clear by the defence. It really was end to end stuff and the ISA, who were clearly hanging on to their slim lead, needed to score again. 

Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Ditchfield threaded a thirty yard ball into the path of Neil Howell, who danced (!) past the Bulls Head goalie for 5-3. A late penalty, given for a Steve Painter handball, brought the deficit back to one, but the home side had done enough. A good win with a weakened side, and one that will give manager Brazier food for thought with some selection headaches surely on the horizon.