Hersham returned to the promotion places in Division One of the West London Vets’ League thanks to a 4-2 victory against Old Tenisonians on 30 March. Hersham got out of the blocks quickly, scoring all four of their goals in an open first half; Micky Page (2), Russ Fogden and an own goal were on target.

“You’d think I’ve had enough trauma for one season” mused Herhsam’s stand-in gaffer, Steve Livey, to Sky Sports News after the game “and then I go and put my hand up to run the Hersham show when Steve Reilly is away. Forget my ticker, it’s my brain that needs looking at!” The Sky Sports News reporter nodded sagely.

With 15 minutes of the game gone it looked like Livey was going to have a quiet afternoon. Hersham were two up and, quite frankly, in cruise control mode. Livey should have realised then that that couldn’t last. Indeed, things didn’t exactly go to plan before then – starting as early as the team talk; “I want us to play in a diamond formation today, fellas” explained Livey. He then calmly outlined what that meant only for Mani Barriero and Geoff Stothert to enter in to conversation as to whether a diamond was the same as a skew-whiff square. The debate ended with no agreement between the two parties. Livey, still trying to talk football rather than algebra, should have known right then that all was not going to be plain sailing.

Stothert, oblivious to where he was supposed to be playing, then promptly caused havoc in what was in effect the number 10 role. The ball fizzed about nicely and it was no real surprise when the hosts took the lead. A sharp move down the right led to a pinpoint cross that Russ Fogden nodded nicely in at the far corner. Micky Page quickly doubled the lead and Hersham were flying.

Things, however, then got a bit bumpy. Poor old Sabri was poleaxed by a tackle that wouldn’t have looked out of place at the world karate championships. Tens also began to offer rather more going forward. Indeed, a nice finish to a decent move saw then quickly half the deficit.

Despite over-playing a bit, Hersham nonetheless remained broadly in control. Micky Page hit the crossbar when it would have been easier to score before then making up for that by notching his second of the game. 3-1 soon became 4-1 when the visiting keeper flapped at a cross and the ball ended up in the back of the net via the back of one of his own defenders. Hersham weren’t exactly playing like Brazil from 1970, but they were firmly in the driving seat.

The second half, meanwhile, was an odd affair. The more chances Hersham created the less likely it looked that they’d take any of them. Page hit the bar (again), Chris Purdue spawned a couple of great opportunities, Dan Hough shanked a left foot drive wide from six yards, Russ Fogden spurned a guilt-edged chance from even closer and and and and … it just went on and on.

Eventually, of course, Tens did get down the other end and whilst a three goal advantage is generally enough to feel comfortable, there was always a nagging doubt that something might go wrong. Tens were clearly better at going forward than they were at defending, and it wasn’t a massive surprise when they pulled a goal back; a neat hit from a direct free kick 20 yards out doing the job.

Danny Wilson and Martin Lawton nonetheless stood firm at the heart of Hersham’s defence, whilst Mani Barreiro covered plenty of territory in front of them. Between them they ensured that the alarm bells never really rang; at the other end, meanwhile, the chances kept coming and the chances kept being missed.

Be that as it may, Hersham came through and the 4-2 triumph pushes them in to third ahead of Old Tiffs on goal difference. Intriguingly, it is to Old Tiffs that Hersham travel next Saturday. Could be a corker of a game as the promotion race hots up.