BFC rocked up to Redsland with no real fear of losing and it’s fair to say that they left without that belief ever being tested. It was slightly more complicated than it needed to be however and didn’t quite end with the buoyant vibes of the previous two games as a result.
It was a testy opening 5-10 minutes with Saitama possibly having the better of the play. From there BFC started to settle with some great team-play, passing and cross-field balls; we were starting to knock at the door.
The opening goal represented that team effort with quick combinations leading to Marco providing the ball to Caspar at the edge of the box from where he curved into the top-left with a tidy finish.
BFC gained confidence and if anything had a touch of complacency about their play which led to an equaliser. An unchallenged Saitama midfielder took the ball 20 yards or so from the half-way line and got it over to their right-side from where a cross came in to their upfront who was basically alone to easily nod it in point-blank.
From here the rain started to fall and the effect on the plastic surface led the teams to look a bit like Bambi on the ice. If passes weren’t direct to feet they tended to be bolting past the player that was flat on the floor having slipped trying to get there.
It was a messy period and what popped out? Marco. A player of his quality obviously can make the difference bopping in 2 goals to take it to 3-1, the second of which was an audacious long-ranger that crossed the face of goal and whipped itself as tight as you like into the side netting.
The half was closed with an outstretched leg from Shunsuke that upended their striker in the box. Their other striker smashed the pen down the middle like a bullet. 3-2.

The second half was odd. BFC were always in control but without having a real sense of comfort. It was never particularly fluid but then again there were no threats or even ideas from the opposition.
Marco dinked in another across the face of goal to take it to 4-2 and confusion from their defenders saw one of them kick the ball in their own net direct from a Shunsuke corner. The job was done.
They did have time to convert a cross with an overhead kick which, credit where it’s due, was pretty impressive. The competition was already gone though. BFC walked off with a three game winning streak for the first time in literally years.
It wasn’t the best, there were mistakes but the conditions were tough and we still put 5 away! Perhaps the reflection is a sign that we’ve raised the bar and want more from ourselves which is positive.
The game put us into second place having played a couple more than the teams around. It still feels good however to see us slowly climbing to a kind of position where the Club should expect to be. There is certainly a sense of progress in the club: This was the first time BFC have won three games in a row since February 2020.