Paget's Pleasure Dome!

Short Heath made the short trip to Brookvale and the AVFC Dome on Tuesday evening with the knowledge that two wins from their two games would take them to the top of the table. However, in their way stood lower-half-side, Rosary and more pertinently, old adversaries, Paget, who themselves were looking for upward mobility. And it was Paget who would come away from Witton Lane with beaming smiles as they took the full six points back to Pype Hayes.

Short Heath and Rosary though would begin proceedings with both sides missing key players – Heath more so than the Rosarians with four regular first-teamers absent. The first half saw Heath make most of the running but Rosary were resilient and worked hard to keep the champions at bay. Heath upped the ante in the second half though and pushed Rosary back with the latter’s goalkeeper forced into three terrific saves to keep his side level. Rosary were struggling to get beyond the half-way line and the pressure finally told three minutes from time when a low drive found its way into the net off the underside of the sprawling Rosary ‘keeper. That goal was enough to secure the points and was just reward for Heath’s dominance and perseverance.

Next up was the big one – Short Heath v Paget – always eagerly anticipated and rarely failing to deliver; tonight was no different as the they served up another belter. The first half saw Paget prompting and probing and though Heath’s calm and composed defending ensured a score-less opening stanza, the game was played at a frantic pace. The ensuing half saw both sides go hammer and tongue at each other and as the clock ticked down it looked like both would have to settle for a point each. But, as in oft times before, drama would never be too far away and with just 25 seconds left on the clock, Paget nicked the points courtesy of a header from a corner that was cruelly deflected off the unfortunate Heathen’s ‘keeper’s arm. Joy and despair served up in equal measure.

An effervescent Paget then took on a rested Rosary in what had to be a shortened game due to time restrictions and for a the opening few minutes, Rosary stood firm. However, it wasn’t long before Paget went ahead. A cross into Rosary’s penalty area was smartly converted on the volley – Rosary’s marking left a lot to be desired though. An energized Paget soon went 2-0 up as again Rosary’s defending came under scrutiny. The game was wrapped up a couple of minutes from time as a Paget attacker stroked beyond Rosary’s goalie. To Rosary’s credit, they did manage a goal almost straight away when their striker poached from a yard out after the P’s ‘keeper spilled a long-distance effort.

So after a thrilling and at times tense evening’s La Liga action, Paget were the big winners and now find themselves second in the table, a point adrift of leaders Lyndon Green – Paget, though, have two games in hand. And Short Heath have likewise on the leaders and sit just one point behind the P’s in third place.