It's been a different and difficult challenge for both the first eleven and reserve teams, the month was the first after a third lockdown, a second covid affected season was suddenly thrown into top gear with several double header contests, worth 6 points each, two games a week is plenty for premier league clubs, cramming them into a saturday afternoon, manned by players who had barely kicked a ball for five months was always going to be a tricky ask.

The 1st XI started the month against the team, who were then, leading the league, Old Ignatian. A close first game was narrowly lost 2-1, highlight here we had performed quite well and thought we had deserved a draw, so to get nothing was a disappointment but the team responded positively, worked hard and fought back from being a goal down to win match two, report here. To get parity over the two games was a result but the injury toll was going to present problems for the coming weeks.

Next up was Albanian, another team near the top of the table, injury, work and social commitments meant changes had to be made to the team but we overcame that to win the first game 2-1 and should really have sealed a second victory but their goalkeeper and the woodwork (twice) foiled us before going a man down and conceding a late equaliser to square the second game 2-2. Highlights of both games can be found here.

Week three was no respite either, a third consecutive week of double headers was stretching squad resources to maximum capacity and yet again team changes were enforced rather than planned for, this time the opposition, Old Minchendenians, had the home ground advantage. The local insight had ramifications when the weather, a blustery crosswind and conditions under foot, bumpy, undulating dry ground, conspired to make an already tough challenge against a physical side all the more demanding. First came a dissapointing loss from a winning position, which was followed by a lucky escape, as Parms took the lead, lost it and scored a late equaliser to rescue a point.

The last game of the month was a welcome change in pace, rather than a double header this was the more traditional game, 45 minutes per half, no less pressure though as we faced Hale End, alongside us in the league.

Another six pointer albeit by a different measure, they had gotten the better of us earlier in the season and certainly weren't going to be easy at all, a glorious first half was followed by a less than glorious second. With tired legs proving problematic in the final few minutes as we conceded another late goal to lose the three points available on the day.

The tale of the month had been a baptism of fire, out of 21 points played for we had been able to secure only 8, a closer look at how that happened shows that we had led in several of the games only to lose out to a solitary, often late goal. This would normally be a cause for concern and indeed has had the players, coaches and what few spectators are allowed scratching their heads, when we've had the ball and played to our best we have looked very good indeed, there has been much to be positive about even if results don't necessarily show that as clearly as they might.

May is going to bring this particularly and peculiarly difficult season to a close, hopefully it'll be a little warmer and we can put back into place our recruitment and development plans for the close season and beyond.