The proposition of playing the Division leaders always raises the bar amongst players and this match was no different, an exceptionally long pitch created it’s own problems not least in terms of fitness.

Benfleet started as expected with fast runs on the Forest goal but own defence, all though shaken, stood firm. Gradually Forest began to put in with some quality clearances for James and Alex to use the wings and get behind Benfleet. As the balance of play shifted a burst through the middle by Tom gave Harry the opportunity to lob the keeper and give the leaders a fright by conceding a rare home goal

Benfleet took the re start and hit back at a slow off the blocks Forest. Within seconds the equaliser was conceded.

This time it was our turn to hit back with continual runs through the middle and linking play from Mathew to Jamie and visa verse, through to Tom and Harry. Both wings were scenes of great runs by Alex and James eventually leading to Harry’s second. A pass through the middle again, Harry took up the right hand side of the eighteen-yard box and drilled an exquisite shot to the roof of the goal from at least sixteen yards out.

This time Benfleet took a little longer to recover and Forest took hold of the game again, but whilst on attack the pace of there strikers had the defence stretched at times of breaking play, we let the equaliser through, and in the second half let another two in against the run of play. At 2 – 3 a draw would have been the right result, but a final moment of speed by Benfleet’s strikers sealed the day, but after a fantastic performance from every player, Forest left the pitch more than satisfied that it could have been very different.