The Green Army hit the road again, heading down the A1 for one of our shorter trips to Haverhill. A dedicated group of fans made the journey, with one notable absence as they were away in Turkey, and others skipping FCP to cheer on a certain red team in a charity match.

Arriving early, we had just enough time to try the cheesy chips that had been on Raf's mind since the fixtures were released. A solid 8/10—just a bit more melted cheese, and they’d be perfect!

First Half: A Tough Start

Haverhill started strong, piling on the pressure from the first whistle. FCP struggled to get into the game, unable to maintain possession or mount any serious attack. Our first scare came from a defensive error, with FCP fortunate not to concede early on—a sign of what was to come in the first 45 minutes.

Haverhill’s dominance paid off with an early goal. Ruben was muscled off the ball, and a Haverhill player capitalised with a lob from 35 yards out, leaving Sarunas with no chance. Given how the match started, it felt inevitable.

FCP’s first real chance came in the 16th minute when Adam whipped in a dangerous cross, only for it to be cleared for a corner. But Haverhill continued to dominate, winning every 50/50 battle. We couldn’t get a foothold in the game, let alone the ball.

Midway through the half, FCP should have had a penalty. A long ball over the top found Ayman through on goal, but a clear handball by the Haverhill defender was missed by the ref!

The home side then doubled their lead after another mistake at the back. Trying to play back to our keeper, FCP were caught out, and Haverhill pounced to make it 2-0. Our defense was all over the place, struggling to find any sort of rhythm.

Despite a chance to pull one back—Devonte laid it off to Vito, who narrowly missed—the first half was one to forget. Haverhill could have easily been 4-0 up, but for a close offside call and a header that went just wide.

As the half came to a close, a final effort from Haverhill skimmed the crossbar, leaving everyone surprised it was only 2-0.

Half Time

A dismal first half, with FCP looking lost and lacking desire. Hopefully, the gaffer’s halftime talk can light a fire under the boys—otherwise, the Green Army might head home early to catch Man City win in the charity match.

Refreshments: 5/10
Cappuccino? Not here. We settled for an instant coffee with a splash of milk. Not exactly what we were hoping for.

Second Half
The gaffer made two changes at the break: Derrick came on for Devonte, and Dom replaced Micky. The impact was immediate.

GOAL!
Dom slipped the ball through to Ayman, who calmly slotted it away. 2-1, and suddenly it was game on!

A scuffle off the ball led to yellows for Zahid and a Haverhill player. Tensions were rising, and FCP had a penalty shout when Derrick was brought down in the box. The ref waved it away, and Haverhill nearly capitalised, firing just wide.

FCP continued to press, with Mo hitting the post with an outside-of-the-foot shot. The Green Army was finally seeing the FCP we know—energetic, first to the ball, and playing with intent. Whatever the gaffer said at halftime was working. Dom and Derrick were transforming the game with their energy.

Then, controversy struck. A penalty was awarded to Haverhill for a dubious handball by Mo while he was on the floor. But Sarunas came to the rescue, diving full stretch to his right to keep FCP in the game!

GOAL!
Captain Zahid let fly from 30 yards out, and the ball smashed into the back of the net. 2-2! The comeback was on, and the Green Army was buzzing.

FCP nearly took the lead when Derrick set up Dom, who shot wide from a great position. Derrick then found the net himself, but the flag was up for offside. Moments later, Sarunas made a crucial save to keep the scores level.

Dom received a yellow card shortly after—an unnecessary one, as we had just won a corner. The gaffer made another change, bringing on Big David for Ayman, eager to return after injury.

FCP looked the more likely to score, pushing relentlessly for a winner. But with just minutes left, disaster struck. Haverhill broke down the right, , we failed to clear, allowing them to snatch the winner. To add insult to injury, Niall went down, a rock at the back this season.

Full Time
Haverhill 3-2 FCP.

This one will sting for a while. After a first half where it seemed we had no hope, the team showed incredible spirit to fight back. When we remembered how to play football, we did so with purpose and skill. But moments of madness and defensive lapses cost us dearly.

Goals
Ayman
Zahid

Green Army MOTM
Derrick

Home Fans: 8/10
Great banter, but they went quiet once we pulled it back to 2-2.

The day wasn’t all disappointment—at least one fan got to see Man Utd lose another match. Long may that continue.