It was strange playing our first league game and then having a break - but as the boys began to meet for this one today, they were full of confidence. And why wouldn't they be? They have worked hard to grind out a 1-0 win against Lymm a fortnight ago - our first victory over the team from Cheshire - and going into this one, they hadn't tasted defeat since the penultimate game of the last campaign. Chaddertonians AFC Reserves were the visitors to Moss Park for this one and as their squad and supporters began to arrive, there was quite a buzz emulating from the Breightmet ground...

Today would see the gaffer sitting out the last of his two-game ban - so once again it was down to Brian to call the shots for this one. As he warmed them up, the starting 11 was already on the team-sheet and despite that result last time out and not wanting to make changes, he was forced into two - with Ste Palin and Chris both away on their jollies - but that's the difference this time around as we had strength in depth across all areas of the park now so no matter who came in, they would be able to do a job. The crowds are getting better and better each home game and as people began to gather - reading their match-day programme and supping on their drinks - there really was a proper football-ground feel to the place today. Keep coming people - and keep telling your friends - as we really want to make Moss Park the football hub of the community every Saturday afternoon...

Back to today and when the team came out of the changing-room to commence proceedings, it was clear that we were going with the 4-3-3 shape again - and those two changes saw Nathan Bancroft slot in at right-back and Callum Keegan took his No.4 shirt at the heart of our defence - but apart from that, it was the team that started against Lymm 14 days ago. The bench was unreal though - with the likes of Logan, Spencer, Kyron, Marcus and Cam Morgado to choose from when we wanted to change things - and as the lads rallied each other before the first-whistle went, it looked as though they were up for this...

The visitors were not here to simply make up the numbers though and having played these twice last campaign, they did appear to have several new faces in their ranks this time. They had suffered a narrow 0-2 defeat at Whitworth Valley in their opener so we knew we'd have to right at this - and three minutes after the whistle had gone to start proceedings, we were already 1-0 up! We had worked the ball out to Nathan Bancroft on our right and as he drove forward, he slid a good pass inside to the skipper and showing pace that we've not seen before, he surged to the byeline - evading at least two defenders - before somehow feeding the ball across at an impossible angle that saw that man Yatesy nip in ahead of his marker to slam the ball into the roof of their net from about 6 yards out. A great move and and we were in front already. 1-0...

The early stages saw us pinging the ball about from left to right and back again and in truth, the visitors couldn't get near us. With 9 minutes gone we played the ball well in the middle of the park to see Liam let fly with a shot that took a deflection off their centre-half and fall right at Yatesy's feet - but this time he couldn't adjust them quick enough and he could only fire his effort high over the bar. That didn't matter though because on 12 minutes, we did double our lead. More good pressing saw us win a throw-in on our right and as Ben bent back to hurl it in, the ball bounced about before Alex managed to divert it into the path of Yatesy and this time he made no mistake - powering his drive into the back of the net giving their keeper no chance of stopping it. We were on fire and less than a quarter of an hour in we were 2-0 to the good...

But we were then guilty of switching off and that's not something we've seen since the boys got back together at the start of July. We began hitting the ball long and making it more of a 50/50 game - forgetting our quick-triangles that had been so successful so far - and on 21 minutes, the team in blue clawed their way back into the game. A silly free-kick given away about 30 yards from gaol was swung in and as we didn't go with our runners, their man had all the space of our box to pick his spot and slam his header past Mitch. 2-1 and for some reason,we had given them a lifeline from nothing...

That goal made it more of a game now and as the Chaddy players began to get the ball down and start playing, they were forcing us onto the back-foot more often now. To their credit though, we were defending really well and Lewis has really taken to his new role at left-back - showing his game intelligence at the right times and setting us off on many great moves - and today was no different as he and Nathan Bancroft were giving us strength and pace on the outsides. And just past the half-hour mark, we thought we'd got our two-goal lead back when Lewis made a darting run down the left before squeezing a good ball into the feet of Yatesy. Linking up well with Ben, we saw the ball there for the taking - and our Ben waltzed past three challenges before opening up his body and curling in a delightful effort that looked sure for the bottom-corner of their net - only to slam against the base of the post and away from danger. So close and some great football played there...

But we were left to rue that miss because with the last action of the first-half, the visitors levelled the game. Once again, we were masters of our own downfall though as yet more rash decision-making saw us give away another free-kick close to the edge of our box. We need to learn to cut these out - especially this close to our box - and as this one can flying in, as we attempted to get to it before them, Nathan Durrans could only divert his header hard and fast past Mitch and into the back of our net. From nowhere really the scores were tied and as the away players wheeled off gloating, even they couldn't believe this game was still all-square. Work to do for Brian then...

Half-time: BREIGHTMET UNITED 2-2 Chaddertonians AFC Reserves

Brian was calm and collected as he got the lads in - and he reminded them of the simple fact that when they played football in those opening 13 minutes or so, we were far and above better than these. But when we dropped our levels and began playing like the opponents, it makes the games much more difficult - so just go out there and do what we do best. Fewer touches of the ball. Quicker passing. Quicker moving. And more efforts on goal. That's what was required now. One change was made which saw Kyron come on to make his competitive debut in the white and black shirt and it was Charlie that was coming off for him - and as the lads trotted back out there, they knew what was required now...

The second-half started brightly with both teams playing some nice football but real chances were at a minimum as both teams knew the importance of the next goal. We were huffing and puffing and whenever the ball was fed out to Ben and Ky on wings, we were looking to get in behind them - but for some reason things just weren't clicking. That was until the 66th minute when some heavy pressure down our right saw us win another corner. Alex had sent in a couple of dodgy ones so far and we hadn't been our usual danger from set-pieces so far this afternoon - but this one went straight in! Curling it as the boss wants - right under the crossbar - the confusion of the runners across the fae of goal put their No.1 off and the corner from our skipper had fired all the way into the opposite side of their net. 3-2 and that point, we'd have taken anything! As expected, the captain celebrated wildly but more importantly, we were back in front and had something to look after now...

Brian decided to make some changes to freshen things up now - with Logan and Marcus coming on to replace the excellent Bena and Marko and five minutes later, it was 4-2. Another good dead-ball was swung towards the back-post and as he did so well all last season, Keegie got himself on the end of it despite the presence of two defenders and their keeper. He connected with the ball and saw it hit the bar agonisingly - but as it dropped, there was our Ky running in and he made no mistake of rifling the ball into the empty net from the edge of the six-yard box. 4-2 and maybe that was the goal that could allow us to relax a little...

Yatesy then came off to a rapturous round of applause as he had done some grafting up there today - and on came that man Spencer for his first taste of league-action for almost 10 months - and as we all knew would happen, within four minutes he got his name of the scoresheet. We had gone with a 4-4-2 shape now and with the youth and pace of Ky and Spence up top and the silky wingers we had on field, we were really running them ragged now - and a good move saw Liam spray a glorious pass in front of Mr Derbyshire and he did the rest - dribbling it around two takcles before seeing the keeper come out, feigning to shoot so the keeper dived - and then simply tapping it home into the empty space. A class finish and that's exactly what our Spence can do! His team-mates rushed to congratulate him and with the score now at 5-2, that surely was the breathing space we needed...

The last change of the game saw another league debutant - as Cam Morgado came on in place of Nathan Bancroft who had a sterling game out there today - and as the minutes ticked away, supporters thought that they'd seen the last of goals. How wrong were they though eh? Because on 86 minutes, we grabbed our sixth of the game and it was another well-worked team move that saw it come. The ball was fed out wide on our right and even though their full-back had a good five yards on our Logan, our whipper-snapper got there before him, outskilling him and making him dizzy in the process before firing a peach of a cross across the face of goal. The ball found it's way to Spencer and he waited until the precise right moment before laying it into the run that Ky had made - and Mr Longworth did the rest by slamming the ball past their keeper from about 10 yards out. A great goal! And now it was 6-2, that was the points in the bag...

Can you imagine the personal pride on Brian's face when we grabbed our seventh as well? He had made five substitutions today - and as the game ticked into it's 92nd minute, another one of them got on the scoresheet! By now the away team just wanted to get showered and have a pint - but we hadnt finished yet and another great passing move that saw us get the ball up and across the field in about four passes - saw the ball fed into the mixer and with the coolness of a cucumber, there was Marcus Grundy to step aside of their defender and plant his shot low and hard into the bottom of their net from about 12 yards out. A tidy finish and as the lads rushed to join him, Marcus' face showed that he knew it was a good goal. 7-2 and that was that..

The referee blew the whistle for the last time and despite the fiery challenges and great banter, the handshakes were done with respect as both teams wished each other all the best for the season. This had been a game that we had won in the first 15 minutes - then allowed them to make a match of it - before the inspired changes swung it our way again. Good synopsis of the game? We think so...

Ben Schofield was in the discussion for MoM today - but it went to Nathan Bancroft for his determination to be first to the ball and not giving their winger an inch all game - and the D*** of the Day went to Nathan Durrans for not only scoring a fabulous own-goal - but giving the free-kick away that led to his great header past Mitch! Superb! He took it like man though and the changing-rooms were spotless when he finished...

A massive thank-you to those of you that braved that early Autumn downpour out there today and supported us to another three points and we wish all of the Chaddertonians' players, officials and supporters a safe journey home. Thanks too to those that stayed and had a drink with us after - top marks chaps!

On we go then. We can only keeping doing what we're doing - winning - and if we keep that up, then there's only one place that will end. But it's all about that next game - and that means AFC Wigan next Saturday - so hopefully we'll be reporting on that winning run continuing and our points tally being at nine out of nine come this time next weekend...

Those pints definitely taste better with a win...

#OnceUnitedNeverDivided