On a beautiful late September day, the intrepid travellers of the ‘MEN’S SECOND TEAM’, to coin Ryan’s pre-match, all-caps war-cry, made their way to Abingdon for the next chapter in the newly-minted blood-feud that began on a non-descript Wednesday in 2025. Battle would be joined on the Smurf Turf of Tinsley Park, the outcome hotly contested by two hitherto undefeated teams.

Sadly, the MK warm up would fall foul of the ever burgeoning list of HS2 related delays. Nonetheless, the team emerged ready for action at 12.00, although play began at 12.05.

The team welcomed debutants Matty Hills, Henry Tasker, and George Dalton to the side, bolstered by Brandon Begg, replacing James Evans in the anchor role.

The game appeared to start well the MK applying early pressure. Brandon seemed to have won a short corner, but with no whistle the game played on, with MK only rescued by Luke Cook’s best Dean Henderson impression to deny a goal at the other end. Sadly, the 2s could not clear the resulting danger and conceded an early, scrappy goal.

The 2s were reeling and Abingdon’s direct approach needed repeated interventions from Ryan Gawley, Sam Kelk and the rest of the defence, aided comically by an Abingdon player on one occasion, to keep the score at 0-1.

Perseverance paid off as the 2s fought back into the match with some neat interplay by Ethan Hutchinson and driving runs from the midfield trio. As 35 minutes approached a valuable short corner was won. With Reece Armstrong off the field after a half of tireless running, a short corner was hastily planned by player coach Nick Lygo-Baker, which resulted in Oli Wyatt defying the logic of the space-time continuum with a deceptive drag flick to tie the game.

The second half began with both sides trading attacking opportunities. Cal Clarke fired a pass into the D for Chris Reid, who could only find the keeper’s armpit with the deflection. What followed can only be described as stranger than anything penned by David Lynch. A tenacious Hills fouled an opponent somewhere between halfway and the 25, advantage was played, then retracted and a short corner decision arrived much to the confusion of all participants. Reid dared to enquire and was swiftly dispatched for two minutes, forced to re-tell the story, here, in dispatches.

In spite of the disadvantage, the 2s held firm, and continued to threaten, particularly once restored to full strength. Clarke continued to pepper the goal and feet of the postmen from well-worked short corners, but it was Abingdon who took a late lead. One final short corner was won with Reid making amends for his earlier non-verbal transgression. Sadly, Coach Lygo-Baker could not repeat his 2021 Banbury heroics and MK slid to an unfortunate defeat.

A hard fought and competitive game was rounded off with a trip to the Loose Cannon Brewery, where no further shots were to be fired. The battle for promotion continues.