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| Back at the Xpert Arena so soon? |
"It's good to be back," Matchstick manager tony Brazil is all smiles as he surveys the Xpert Arena complex, "we won our play off match here recently so this is practically home from home for us.
"We're here because in the last round, our eighty-eighth minute equaliser against Grabbar sent us through on the away goal rule. A bit ignominious but, y'know, here we are in the fifth round of the cup.
"The last time we got this far was in season sixty one, when we reached the semi final," Brazil narrows his eyes, "will that lightning strike again? We face another third tier team in Vilafranquense so you never know."
After the match Brazil lets loose in the press conference, "we never allowed them a single goal scoring opportunity, and if all of our four bookings contributed to that outcome then good on the boys for getting stuck in. And how much love can I give our good old boy Jeff Windle?
"For a player retiring at the end of the season Jeff showed his heart still belongs to Lucifer. Going into the final embers of the match it is nil-nil and Vilafranquense are obviously holding out for penalties; then Jeffrey scores with his head and his boot. Wham bam two nil ma'am, and we're into the sixth round."
Much later, Brazil reviews the other cup round results and realises Matchstick Men are the second lowest seeded team left in the competition. He scratches his puzzled head, "is that good or bad? Do we get to face the second best or the second worst in the next round?"
There's little time for joy in the life of a football manager.
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