It’s ironic. Patience is an important quality in life, but whenever its need is invoked, it becomes an expedient requirement. I mean…no one says, ‘I need to be patient…in about a month’s time.’

 

It’s been written about in several great texts; it’s the cornerstone of many great faiths; and as Nietzsche once wrote; “the greatest poets did not disdain to make the inability to wait the theme of their poetry." Everyone has climbed on the bandwagon at some point.

 

Including Hotspurs on Saturday afternoon at Dempsey Field against Pulau Ubin. You see; there is a connection…eventually.

 

A frustrating first half saw Hotspurs create and squander several opportunities in front of goal, while remaining pretty solid at the back. A 3-5-2 formation was deployed on this occasion; to try to combat what we knew would be a hard-working and determined Ubin midfield.

 

It worked, but we still went in to the break at 0-0, despite Ally L creating our best chance of the half down the right – a perfect cross for Esad, who rose like a salmon (tinned) and was denied by the upright.

 

Tinctures of frustration and impatience went into the ‘cups of tea’ in the ‘dressing room’ at ‘half-time’, as Spurs left the field thinking they were probably the better side, but having nothing to show for it. 

 

Fortunately, one or two players were actually paying attention to the ‘team talk’, and realised that patience and perseverance were the order of the day. Most felt, as they were encouraged to do, that it was ‘only a matter of time’, and set about the task in the second half with the mantra reverberating around the spaces (vast and empty) between their ears.

 

It took Hotspurs 16 minutes into the second period to break the deadlock, and it was a wonderfully crafted goal – Abbas setting Dalis free on the right; Dalis providing a perfect low delivery for Mike to guide home from 8 yards.

 

The relief was palpable; not only for Hotspurs finally finding the back of the net, but also because Mike didn’t miss an absolute sitter.

 

Was this the signal for the floodgates to open? Sort of.

 

4 minutes later, Dalis made it 2-0, having a good wriggle around in the box (never to be underestimated) before curling one past the keeper (also never to be underestimated), and 5 minutes after that, Esad scored the kind of goal that only he can score.

 

With no defenders to beat, he brought it back into the penalty box just so that he could tease a couple of them, kept possession, played a 1-2 with someone (possibly an Ubin defender), and eventually (after approximately a quarter of an hour) rifled home.

 

It was the ‘goal of the game’, until Abbas scored the goal of the game 11 minutes from time – using a short corner to get to the edge of the box (that can be overestimated) before curling it inside the far post. Magic.

 

Pulau Ubin, to their credit, never stopped working, and got some reward for their endeavours before the final whistle. A stunning 30 yard free-kick, that appeared to be jet-fuelled, swerved malevolently in the air, and went in off the underside of the crossbar, giving the Hotspurs ‘keeper’ no chance whatsoever….. sorry, got so lost in the absurdity of this sentence/paragraph that I don’t really know where to go with it.

 

Good free-kick. Should have been saved. No more than Ubin deserved for a spirited performance.

 

Ultimately, a solid win for Hotspurs and a ‘perfect’ start to a season characterised, so far, by myriad imperfections.

 

Many many thanks to Ubin for a game played in the best possible spirit – not a single nasty challenge in 90 minutes of football (ok, maybe one on David, but we’ll let doubt have the benefit this time); not a yellow card in sight; just so. We realise that Ubin have plenty of first team players still to come back, and we know you’ll give us a run for our money in the reverse fixture.

 

A quick word for the referee: faultless (except maybe for the challenge on David). A slower word for the referee’s assistants: sincere apologies and please send us the bill for the chiropractor. I don’t know how many times you had to raise your flags for offside, but it can’t have been healthy.