The Dinks met their promotion challengers Old Citizens needing a win to put themselves in pole position for the Championship title. Good availability has been a running theme in the dinks this season, together with a bucket load of experience which Phil Holt, Dom Hutt, George Simons and the two Rogers’ bring, meant that the Dinks fielded a strong side. The Dinks started poorly and very nearly conceded within two minutes as Sam Vaughan, who was to make many more crucial saves, tipped the ball onto the bar before stopping the ball between his legs on its way down. This early scare pressed the team into action and the OMs began to find their swagger. Richard Remington had the opposition left back on toast throughout the first half and used this to great effect to get a shot off after a quick counter attack, the opposition goalkeeper fumbling straight to the feet of top scorer Craig Wood who made no mistake and buried the chance in the roof of the net.
By now it was Old Citizens who looked rattled and the OMs broke quickly again through a fine passing move featuring Benji Elston, Chris Elsdon and eventually Wood who received the ball wide right and cut in on his left foot to curl a blinding finish just inside the far post from an angle from which he had no right to score. At 2-0, the OMs were now in control and looking organised at the back with Tom Fuller having a particularly impressive game. Wood was almost to complete a hat-trick with a 35-yard pile driver that cannoned into the crossbar- this despite it supposedly being his weaker foot! As the half wore on Old Citizens started to gain the upper hand, but, crucially were not testing Vaughan with their habit of shooting from range. At the break the OMs were looking good and Elston was having a very strong game taming the oppositions two central midfielders, putting in several crunching tackles to make his mark on the game. This allowed the creative players around him to concentrate on the attacking side of the game.
The halftime break did the OMs no favours as they started the second half poorly and were only holding on due to the heroics of Vaughan as he produced several one on one saves and one incredible double save to prevent Citizens getting onto the scoresheet. The Malvernians were not finding their signature passing game and as such invited pressure and on the hour Citizens broke once more down the centre of the pitch and although the striker looked to offside when receiving the through ball, Vaughan was forced to produce yet another crucial save. Unfortunately, as the ball was saved it cannoned into George Vaughan’s shin and rolled into the net as Christian Rogers just failed in his valiant attempt to chase the ball and hook it clear. A fine piece of symmetry given that in the previous fixture against Old Citizens the skipper’s twin brother had also beaten his own keeper! At this stage the OMs looked to be clinging on and thoughts turned to the first fixture where the OMs conceded a three goal advantage to end up drawing 3-3. The Malvernians did manage one more fine chance as Wood produced a superb cross which Nick Harrison met only to see his shot cannon off the crossbar- little reward for the fine cross and late run into the box. This time though there was to be no repeat of the first meeting as the defence stood firm and MOM Sam Vaughan continued to make some fine saves to keep the opposition out.
The win means the Dinks are all but promoted and will need to ensure they maintain their superb goal difference (+46 after 11 games) by hammering the remaining three teams (who sit towards the bottom of the table) to clinch the title for the first time since 1987/88. Up next is the JLC fixture versus Old Haberdashers of Division 2 and an opportunity for another cup upset and in this form maybe a chance at going all the way and winning the JLC which was also last won in the golden Dinks season of 1987/88.
