Match Preview

Lets start with our own review of the Decade, for me I joined with Don in his last season as manager, back then as a team we were lucky if we could win a game the opposition had cried off, struggling for 15 players on a weekend but it was the start of a great journey, the season after Mick took over, bringing in old acquaintances and team mates and we started to make moves, within 2 seasons we were challenging for the league, an unbeaten season only to be denied the title by teams refusing to play us although we were unbeaten ourselves. The following year we were at the top and it came to a final game at Acklam where we were crowned Tees Valley social champions for the 1st time - we were on the move. With the league win also brought promotion to the merit league. It was a difficult time, the increase in quality and some heavy losses also saw a loss of players often going to away matches with 11/12 players even that though epitomised the club motto OUR SPIRIT IS OUR STRENGTH - as teams made the move to the candy league the decision came to move tees valley to 1 league where we took the chance to grow again - It wasn't long before we were challenging, 2017 runners up and then the momentous 2018 season league champions in an unbeaten season, 1 of my proudest moments with 3TM , the following season was dissapointing with 13 games cried off against us we had no chance. It was at the end of that season we took the decision to determine who we are. We had moved up before and it nearly destroyed us, but there was a belief we could be so much more which brings us to this season. The 1st game and some questioned the decision, an 84-0 hammering against our closest neighbours Stockton, was history going to repeat? In short no, we took that beating and turned it around, the 1st 70-7 win against Boro set the platform but since then unbeaten, culminating in the return fixture against Stockton, we gave all we had and turned it round, now nobody could question our credentials. To be at Christmas and top of the candy league is something nobody could have expected, especially with only 1 loss. What to We attribute this to? For me it is the core of that squad who has been with us througout - Scott Thompson, Batesy, Alex Blenkinsopp, Carl Robinson, Ben Elgie,Lee Simpson, Phil Surtees and most of all, someone who has been a leader on the pitch throughout, Anth Kelsey, add to that the leadership and structure brought by Tombie we can now challenge any team infront of us.
So to this weekend, Bishop Auckland on the AGP, yes we have beaten them away with a weakened squad but we take nothing for granted - if we are serious about what we want to do we need to be ruthless. We need to show what we can do and we haven't done that since the Boro game, this is our chance to set out our stall for 2020, league and county cup, I want them both, its over to you to turn it on, when Saturday arrives, its our home, our game, our chance. Where will you be?
#OSIOS 3,3,3TM