With Coundon pitches still waterlogged Affinity switched the game to Whitley Common. A very young side took the pitch with three current Blue Coat pupils joining four ex-pupils and a teacher in the Affinity team.
The team talk emphasised the need to be disciplined as well as starting quickly but Saints would put paid to that with a goal clipped past Aaron almost from the touch line within the first 5 minutes. The following 10 minutes saw Affinity getting some shape to their play without troubling Saints greatly.
A second goal for Saints came from Affinity's failure to clear from a corner after a break in play resulting from an injury to Steve's are/shoulder. Two goals so early in the game meant Affinity face an uphill challenge to get anything out of the game. But Affinity worked their way into the game with Jobo and Ian pressurising from the front forcing Saints to make mistakes at the back.
The Affinity defence looked tighter with Sava, Gilly, Steve and Sean clearing their lines well. Aaron kept Affinity in the game with a fine save pushing a long range effort over the bar.
With Affinity playing downhill against the wind in the second half the next goal was going to be really important. As in the first half Saints made the first telling contribution in the second with a striker beating Steve and Sava to a ball over the top and slipping the ball passed Aaron as he advanced to narrow the angles.
Affinity pushed forward with James, Luke W, Gary and Charlie linking well. With twenty minutes to go Affinity got a lifeline from a controversial free kick inside the penalty box with the referee judging a deliberate pass back. James blasted the free kick past the oncoming keeper with the rest of the Saints players fairly static on their goal line.
Predictably the game opened up from this point with gaps appearing in all areas of pitch. Saints finally put the game to rest with a fourth goal resulting from a goal mouth scramble. 4-1 somewhat flattered Saints on the day with Affinity's battling performance reaping no reward.
Man of the match is awarded to Sean for a battling performance from left back.
