Having played CB Hounslow twice this season at their home ground, each game we came away wondering how we had allowed them to escape. After drawing the first game 0-0, we lost the second game, a quarterfinal, 2-1, despite being in a winning position with 10 minutes to go. That loss was painful for all of us.

For Wednesday night's game, we knew what needed to be done. I was bouncing with excitement looking at my changing room and the squad I had available. I could feel the energy in the room, the attitude that we must win in the eyes and minds of each player. The boys warmed up to some motivational tunes and my aim was to keep the energy high, vibes positive and focus 100%.

In a thrilling match against our now rivals, we emerged victorious with a final score of 2-1. Goals from myself and Ryan Steadman-Hoyte making his home debut. What a player by the way. From the opening whistle, our team showed great determination and skill, dominating possession, and creating a few scoring opportunities.

Our first goal came around the 40th minute, with Ryan Steadman-Hoyte pouncing on a shot spilt by the keeper. Ryan did very well to anticipate this considering he ran about 50 yards to get into the position to make the tackle that got him his first goal. We went in at half time 1-0 up.

We started the second half very slow, it may have had something to do with all the Jaffa cakes the boys were stuffing into their faces. *Note to self, reduce the number of packs bought next game.

Despite some strong attacks from our opponents, our defence held strong and prevented any serious threats on goal. In the 60th minute, we scored again, another great run from Ryan down the right-hand side finding myself in the box, my first touch was good, had the space to turn and was able to put the ball into the bottom corner extending our lead to 2-0.

During the 80th minute, CB Hounslow scored. This was a freak goal, as Fash usually deals with crosses with no issues, but somehow, he managed to palm the ball into our own net rather than over the crossbar. We saw out the rest of the game and luckily the final whistle blew to the sound of cheers from our players, thrilled with the team performance.

Overall, it was a fantastic match that showcased our team's skill, teamwork, and determination. We look forward to carrying this momentum into our next game.

Otis Taylor, U23 Manager and player.