(no subject)

To Fort Blockhouse for Hawk Ladies' match with the league leaders, Reading Reserves. I arrived as the girls were coming off the pitch after their pre-match warm-up - "Lovely day for it," Jo said to me, and Chantelle added "You should have worn your Speedos. Got a suntan." It's all right for them running round a football pitch all afternoon - the sun might have been out but for those of us standing at pitchside watching it was pretty parky.

We knew this would be a tough game, especially since Reading's first team didn't have a match so they'd be able to play a few ringers. Although Sam scored for us in the first minute, it was the closest league match we'd been involved in all season, with the teams evenly matched and both sides constantly threatening. Thanks to some splendid goalkeeping from Erin, we were 2-1 up with three minutes to go...then a Reading player crossed and found a striker unmarked on the edge of the six yard box, and she stroked the ball into the back of the net.

That's a hammer blow to our promotion hopes; we have to win against MK Wanderers next week now to have a real chance of second place. I gave the girls a quick clap at the final whistle before sloping off home.