Against all odds....in fact they'd stopped taking bets.....

On a day when were playing a top side away from home, i really could have done with a full squad of fit and capable players to choose from - but then i hadnt had one of those all season so why should i start now!

The egg chasing had once again dessimated the 'football' club with countless players preferring to go drinking in the 'Diff than to kick a proper shaped ball around and then watch the Rugby back at HQ. I will have to remember next year to cancel all fixtures in November!

Still, not for the first time we would attempt to pull a rabbit out of Alex's bobble hat and get a result in adverse cicrumstances. We headed to Tredegar Park with another debutant in tow.

The week would be a first for a number of reasons. Not only would it be the first start for the 3rd Team for Paul Bridges but would also see Jamie Bayley take up his new position as motivation coach and the 3rd team acquire their first genuine money paying fans, Tara and Dave.....what could possibly go wrong? If only we'd known.....

It all started in the warm up (or was that ended....) with Eddie straining a calf while trying to stretch. With only a single substitute, however, he decided bravely to continue albeit with less running in his legs than normal......which wouldnt mean much at all.

From the off it was clear that Rogerstone were fitter, better and wanted to win much more than we did. They passed the ball around quickly into feet and played some neat stuff up front. Jonnie Ledboots Morgan had already made the first of a string of saves that would lead to another Man of the Match performance within the first 10 minutes.

Things were not looking good. We were looking rusty, short of pace and most frustratingly there seemed no desire to win the ball back having given it away - which was a shame because we were doing that rather a lot. Every attack of ours seemed to come to nothing whilst Rogerstones seemed to create a goal threat.

Sure enough, not long after a goal was scored. BUT, bucking the trend of weeks gone by, it was us that scored against the run of play!! Daggers bursting into the box from a perfect pass from Miguel volleyed the ball masterfully past the Rogerstone keeper to make it 1-0. I have no idea at all how we were winning but our fans seemed happy!

At 1-0 things didnt really improve. Eddies injury seemed to be obstructing him making those bursting runs he's reknowned for and we were struggling to gain a foothold in the midfield although debutant Bridges was doing his bit to remedy that.

We knew, however, that it wasnt going to be long before Rogerstone got the goal that they richly desrved and we were pegged back to 1-1. This was about the point that Alex Pritchard started a game of handbags with Rogerstone defender Mogsy. Still with the knee in the back he received in the first game against Roggie in his mind, Alex seemed to get increasingly frustrated as niggle after niggle came his way.

His frustration boiled over just before half time when having once again been sythed to the ground he announced proudly "i don't care who you are or if i get sent off, i'm gonna f****ng have you". Mogsy smiled. We all feared for Pritches safety.

Still smarting at half time Pritch didnt take in much of the rousing team talk and didnt seem interested in letting it go and getting on with the important stuff. Nevermind, i'm sure he'd put it right in the second half.

At 2-1 down i really thought we'd had it. By this point, Eddies calf had seized, Daggers had a groin injury and Miguel had turned his ankle. I didnt want to make the mistake of previous weeks and changing things too early though. Lucky really because 5 minutes later Perks had a broken foot (although we didnt know that till the next day). With perks sidelined, we brought on Shane Harris, moved Bridges into the centre of defence and Robbie into the Centre of midfield. Robbie immediately hurt his back!

With half the team now injured and barely able to move we pressed on, encouraged by rousing support and a mexican wave from our two fans. Somehow, against all odds, we managed to cause chaos amongst the Rogerstone defence at a corner and without hesitation, debutant Paul Bridges netted his first 3rd Team Goal. At 2-2, somehow we were beginning to think there was a chance we could sneak it!!

Ledboots was keeping them frustrated at the one end and we were beginning to create a few chances at the other.....although i still have no real idea how!

Then, just when we thought we were getting on top, a hammer blow. 3-2 to Rogerstone. The Celtic players literally sunk to their knees knowing that it was unlikely we would come back from this. We just didnt have enough functioning players!

Then.....Late in the half and Daggers hobbled in from the right with the ball almost under control. Eddie took up a position at the edge of the six yard box and screamed for the ball. Daggers, having reached the touchline and spotted Eddie, decided to shoot. I think he may have been trying his physics defying effort from the week before. It didnt work. Chance gone. We thought that was it.

But in the dying seconds, Alex popped over a corner and Eddie rose like a fat salmon with only one fin to head the ball home. He enjoyed the celbrations almost as much as Celtic's fans did and it was 3-3.

On a cold winters afternoon at Tredegar Park, with half the team injured and against a much better team, the 3rds had pulled off the impossible. They'd got a result!!! I am proud.