The Mens 3's took on league leaders Spencer on Saturday knowing that survival in the Higgins London League 1st division depended on achieving something from the game. So the roller-coaster ride that has been the 3's season this year took a sharp upturn taking all, including the opposition by surprise.

EG have turned in some unusual performances this year, with perhaps their finest efforts before Saturday coming at the corresponding game in Battersea Park which the men from Sussex were unlucky to lose.

It was a measure of the importance of the game that the strongest squad seen for some time took to the field against a side who had lost only once so far this season.

EG started the game brightly, with Forbes and Cowie peppering the opposition defenders with aerial bombs and Gwynne and Wimshurst testing the vastly experienced Spencer team with some deft touches and cunning interplay. The game was ripe for a goal, and it got one. Utterly against the run of play, the visitors picked up the ball in mid-field, and sent their right wing into the D, a Beckhamesque side-footed cross found their centre forward on the flick spot and he duly thumped the ball onto the post. With most of the home defence marvelling at this extraordinary turn of events the same striker collected the ball unchallenged and made no second mistake.

EG were clearly a little shell shocked and the next 15 minutes of play were a scrappy affair with neither side taking advantage of some glorious opportunities. It wasn't until Gwynne seized upon a bouncing cross and smashed it home on the volley that parity was restored. Some stirring words from all at half time saw the men in white emerge with a new vigour and purpose. With Foster and Cowie exerting their authority in midfield and Horne and Shelton impressing with their composure it was only a matter of time before the home team wrested the points from the flagging visitors.

It was left to Shelton with a rasping reverse stick shot straight through the Spencer keepers legs to

secure the much needed victory for the 3's. A handsome win and thoroughly deserved, with Tulse Hill losing, the 3's find themselves in the strange position of just escaping the danger of relegation but also still being in contention for 4th place. It has been a funny kind of a season though.