Could this year's match v Brussels LTC be as memorable as last year's classic in the mud? Yes, but for different reasons and with a different outcome

Vets2 came to the 6th game of the season having won all 5 outings so far - without conceding a single goal. But we had clear memories of last year's match on the same grass pitch in La Hulpe, where we finally lost 3-2 after an epic recovery. In short, there was no complacency ahead of this match.

The selection saw the first official performance of Harun in goal - and Ady's first game of the season. Nice to have Alex, Nick, Johann and Hughie lending their support from the side.

With the sun shining and the grass pitch rather soft underfoot, we started full of energy and took the lead after just 2 minutes. They tried to play a couple of passes to each other at the back and Brian Lewis pounced. He won the ball and slipped in Nigel, who buried the ball neatly in the corner. 1-0. Nigel's first for the club in a league game!

Five minutes later, we saw a virtual repeat of the dawdling in their defence. Wee Brian again won the ball back and put Nigel through. This time the keeper got down well to save his shot and the ball popped up in the air for the onrushing Fernando to head the ball into the empty net. 2-0. Our Galician all-rounder doesn't miss those.

It was at this stage that the referee decided he was not getting enough attention and started dishing out yellow cards. Nigel got one for shooting after he'd been given offside. Harun got one for telling the centre forward not to kick him [or was it because his shirt was the same colour as the ref's?], Brian Lewis got one for a slide tackle. And then it was Nando's turn - the most ridiculous one of all - for saying "non", when the ref says he offside, when he's 5 metres onside with at least 4 LTC defenders between him and the goal.

Despite the ref's efforts, there was still a game of football going on. Gustave and Carl were dominating the midfield, and feeding Leo and Nando wide, or trying to put in Nigel & Brian further forward. Kevin, Roger, Benoit and Munish were comfortable at the back, playing the ball out of defence calmly and safely, building from the back.

As always happens though, LTC got one chance with a well struck first time shot from the penalty spot, which was going in until Harun got across athletically and was able to push it on to the bar.

We got to half time in some ways more worried about the ref than the opposition.

To be fair to LTC, they upped their game in the second half - pushing more players forward. We more or less held our own, but every attempt we had to move into their half seemed to be greeted with an offside whistle. Milan, Brian Morris and Adnane came on - to give us more energy, but we were unable to achieve the same dominance of the first half. The ref even managed to book Munish for something he said, 5 minutes after he was substituted. Perhaps the most ludicrous moment was when the ref refused to award us a throw on despite the LTC defender telling him it was for us - and so the same defender deliberately did the worst foul throw the world has ever seen, but the ref didn't spot it !!!

With 20 minutes to go, the inevitable happened. They played the ball on the edge of our box and it broke nicely for their midfielder. He mishit his left foot shot and the ball rolled slowly into the corner - with Harun stuck in the mud in precisely the place that he was wanting to put it. 2-1. First goal Vets2 have let in all season - and what a fluke!

It says something of the character of the team that Vets2 immediately seemed to push forward and base most of the rest of the game in their half - with Leo seeing more and more of the ball on the right. Ady also came on at this stage, playing up front.

The closest we came to scoring was a shot from Carl from outside the box which curled up on to the post, with the keeper scrambling across. They also had a couple of free kicks into the box from out wide - which we coped with comfortably. Harun saved one shot with his foot, and everything else he held cleanly.

Then with 5 minutes to go, Benoit insisted on taking a throw on - to avoid yet another foul throw decision by the ref. His long throw put Gustave away and after a couple of lovely body swerves by the Cameroon magician, he was heading towards goal. Just as we all thought Gustave would shoot from the edge of the box, he squared it to the unmarked Ady. He took one touch to control and then hammered it past the keeper into the bottom corner. 3-1. And the biggest cheer of the day. Game over!

The remaining minutes passed without great incident - with Vets2 keeping possession. To their credit, LTC put in a much better performance than their league position would suggest. But vets2 were clearly the better team and deserved the 3 points.

Man of the Match voting saw tributes to our midfield schemes Gustave and Carl and "the cat" Harun, but this week's winner was the man who secured the 3 points with the 3rd goal - Ady.

Speaking after the same, the Vets2 coach said: "We were never going to go all season without conceding a goal, so it's maybe good that we've finally let one in. Yet again we needed the full 15-man squad to get the 3 points today. I'm really proud of the lads".

Team: Harun Eryoruk;

Munish Awesti (Brian Morris), Roger Waite, Benoit Priest, Kevin Lodge;

Carl Ledbury, Gustave Nakong;

Leo Sardaro, Brian Lewis (Adnane Ahmidan), Fernando Criado (Milan Sverepa);

Nigel Davies (Ady Talib).