Leci, Buckley (Schmidt), McVeigh, Street, Pinz, Townsend, Binns (Shaw), Naidu (Bennett), Saad, Loney (Childs), Sejdic.

While gratefully accepting the 3 points, the Hotspurs will be the first to admit that a 4-1 score line was not a fair reflection of the match as a whole.

The two sides probably created as many chances in front of goal as each other, but for once, the Hotspurs took a healthier proportion of theirs.

On an overcast afternoon, on a bone dry pitch, a double sending-off on 22 minutes ensured that there was plenty of space and open areas around the park.

I won’t comment on the two red cards, as the referee made his decision after due consultation with his assistant – expedited by a deal of prompting – and although discretion could have been applied in the spirit of the game, the ‘handbags at two paces’ series of events warranted ‘marching orders’, according to the strict letter of the law. Provocation should never be allowed; retaliation, however understandable in the circumstances….never ever.

Hotspurs took the lead on 15 minutes after some hesitant Latini defending that enabled Jamie to pounce and provide the perfect ball for Esad at the far post, but that seemed to galvanise Latini into action, and they struck back almost immediately, through a well controlled shot, after the Hotspurs failed to clear their lines.

Much of the remainder of the first period saw a pleasing ebb and Flo (excuse the pun – it’s in honour of our Man of the Match, Florian, who, playing in an unaccustomed role, tormented the Latini strikers….from left back! It was a Euro performance ((would have been Deutsche Mark; was definitely Sterling)) as our German wonderkid bamboozled the players in front of him, rarely lost possession, and put in a great stint) but Spurs took the lead 3 minutes from half-time.

A dubious free-kick was awarded, and there was clearly only one thought on David’s mind (prompted by the gaffer’s exhortations to ‘work the keeper’, that the captain claimed not to hear) as he delivered the perfect in-swinger that would have been unplayable had it taken the slightest deflection, but in the end went straight into the lobster pot – or, bearing in mind it was Binnsy, the ‘monkfish trap’.

It was a big fillip for the Hotspurs to go into the break a goal up after an even first 45 minutes, and it was a medium sized Philip that made the difference between the two teams in the second period.

Childs came on for Loney (who’d worked tirelessly and successfully in ‘softening up’ the Latini defence, only for Phil to grab all the glory as Latini reverted to a 3 man back-line – the injustice of it all….) and linked up well with Esad and the midfield, benefitting, by virtue of his fresh legs and youthful exuberance from the acres of space on the pitch as 20 men began to wilt in the heat.

Arguably the turning point of the match was when Latini missed a penalty, and, moments later, hit the bar (or post…I can’t say, I was looking in the opposite direction at the time) before the Hotspurs broke, and Phil made it 3-1 with a sublime finish (set up by Esad, who as actually sweating at full-time….a first?).

I won’t comment on the penalty decision, other than to say that it was wrong, wrong, wrong. Chris made the tackle, got the ball, and diverted it away from danger. The referee’s explanation that he had “gone over the top of the ball” makes (and indeed ‘made’) no sense whatsoever – unless we ascribe to some weird school of physics that allows inanimate objects to move in 90 degree angles, at some pace, completely of their own volition.

Justice was done, however, and after Phil had given us the lead, Latini heads appeared to drop a touch, enabling the Hotspurs to make it 4 on the counter-attack with another Esad assist.

Our Singaporean stunned us all – not so much with his ability to retain possession in the area, with turn after turn after dummy after step-over after turn after turn after shimmy – but by the fact that he ultimately passed the ball to Phil on the goal line who ‘thighed’ it in. Phil said he was just trying to make sure that his penis wasn’t credited with the goal. But then, it did hit the very top of his thigh, so not much chance of that.

Latini created, and missed several chances in the second half, and as I mentioned earlier, although Hotspurs deserved the points, a 4-1 score line was somewhat flattering.

While Flo gets the plaudits as our MOTM, special mention must go to Binnsy, who, after the red cards had an enormous area to patrol, and at his age…He was excellent, as was ‘Tumescent Townsend’, who always seems to be up for it and who ran his socks off. Or should that be ‘rocks’? Either way, if Jamie could shoot (rather than ‘convert’) chances, he’d bag a hatful of chances, and if I take the analogies any further, this match report will not be printed. Word up for Anis too (another sequel) who put in an excellent shift.

Esad and Ally worked well together and appear to be in the midst of developing an understanding up front…as soon as Ally becomes fully conversant in Serbo-Croat, and a sub-committee is established at the European Parliament to look into the findings of the original report, subsequent to organising a fact-finding mission ahead of a plenary meeting. 

Aran, and his second half replacement Dan S, were excellent at right back, and Chris and Berry pretty much snuffed out the Latini attack through the middle.

Importantly, we had real quality on the bench for this game, and Phil (two goals… nothing more to say), Dan B, and Jimmy provided just what we needed, when we needed it.

It wasn’t the prettiest Hotspurs performance of the season, but it was clearly one of the most effective. We’ve now beaten the teams in 2nd and 3rd in the table in straight games (although one was a cup match) and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season, with hopes high, and hoops cocked.