Vale continued to be under siege, and a Brookes striker slalomed past a couple of challenges, before his shot was blocked by Woodbridge - who was adjudged to have blocked with his hand. Stockley Park showed little bottle as per, and the (disgrace of) a decision wasn’t overturned, despite Vale protests. Up stepped the Brookes midfielder, but his powerful effort came back off the bar and was cleared to safety. ‘Fucking karma’ shouted the pumped up Beck, and it wasn’t the last time we’d hear that phrase this half.

 

The onslaught from Brookes was relentless, with a cocktail of last ditch defending, suspect finishing and good goalkeeping (particularly from a Brookes free kick) keeping Vale in front. However, the goal which had been coming arrived just before half-time.

 

Another Brookes corner was cleared, and their winger took a speculative long range effort under pressure - but it slipped through the grasp of Beck, and into the Vale net (1-1). ‘Fucking karma’ came the cry from Brookes. With five minutes to go until half-time, the ref must’ve been asked three or four times from Vale players how long was left, as the pressure from Brookes continued to be relentless. However, Vale got to the break level.

 

HT: 1-1 (Rowlands stating he’d take a draw, weak mentality)

 

After the backs to the wall job of the first half, the second saw the County on the front foot. Young had moved out to the left, and was getting in behind the Brookes backline time and again. Coach Rowlands was then on the end of some abuse from the Brookes substitutes, as he flagged a dubious offside. 

 

The tide had turned (Rowlands claiming on his poor call), and another free kick from Beer caused problems (this time from wide left), and a towering header across the box from Strang should have ended with Peattie putting the ball away but he was denied by a combination of keeper/post but Young was able to get his head to the loose ball and cushion it into the net. Brookes tried to claim it wasn’t over the line, but the notification on his watch confirmed it was a goal (1-2). 

 

Moments later, Young was clearly onside when played through, for which the Brookes linesman then flagged. The ref had nothing to say on the matter, as he did for everything throughout the game but coach-turned-dodgylinesman Rowlands was told it was his fault by a Brookes player as retribution for his earlier ‘tight’ call. 

 

Jeffrey, Dolby and Humphrey’s influence in the middle of the park was growing, spraying the ball wide when possible and stretching Brookes. Dolby stopped a counter attack with a fantastic sliding tackle in the quagmire on halfway, as Vale started to believe a victory was in the offing. 

 

However, there was some brief pressure to withstand for Vale at 2-1, which culminated in some good saves from Beck and clearances from Odidjia in the channel to maintain the Vale lead. His 1-0 boxing record was evident for all to see, with the right hand jab being used time and again where needed to clear the ball.

 

Vale looked very dangerous on the counter as space opened up towards the end of the game, and a fantastic ball from Peattie set Clements free down the left - who delivered a perfect ball to the back post from the bye-line for Peattie to slam home (1-3). Oh how good it feels to know victory is in the bag.

 

A toddler started dribbling the ball after it was smacked out of play with another wayward effort from Brookes, and following a remark from Woodbridge that ‘you should sign him up’ to a Brookes player, he responded with ‘better than fucking half of you’. 3-1 pal, and 3 points heading back to Clapham.

​

Clements was engaging in some shithousery himself, heading the ball when it was in both the keeper’s hands to prevent a counter. A yellow card was duly shown, as the first £10 fine of 2020 came in. A stupid little Brookes player quipped ‘that’s a headbutt’, to which Clements responded ‘well I’ve been doing that all day then’. Silly little club.

 

With a couple of minutes to go, another Vale counter saw the Brookes defence part like the proverbial red sea - and Peattie volleyed home over the advancing keeper (somewhat of a trademark now?) to add some gloss on the result (1-4). Sophie Ellis (Jeffrey) Bextor and the rest of the team congratulated him on a lovely goal, as he went some way to atoning for his lateness. Note: still a long way to go to repent.