Omens were good for the 7s this week . For once we were playing in bright sunshine despite it being a push back at 4.30 and a strong westerly wind making it feel like minus 5 on the pitch.

The 7s currently propping up the table were in a clash with Maidstone. With as much grey hair in their side as ours I thought this must be a game that we could win. How wrong could I be.

Firstly there isn't much grey in our side . A second take will reveal that most of our players are in fact depilated. (Cooky asked for an erudite report) and in the absence of Graham Long here it is.

The highlight of the game was the group photo taken with smiles before the game started and in wind factor 10.

Once the game started it was the usual suspects of Graham Elliot who had the first chance to see the ball. Not with standing his dark glasses he failed to see it and swept wide as the ball went out of play.

Still whilst Maidstone scrapped a goal at the other end, we had the athletic form of Ben Gallagher and he made a great impression ejecting the ball to Graham who missed but picked up by Josh who smashed it in. 1- 1 and we were back in the game Not before another few missed opportunities and once again Ash were about to hand the game to the oppo when Josh smashed a short corner wide of the post for me (Mano) to glance it into goal.

The lead was short lived and despite many chances Maidstone scored 2 to make it 3-2. Special mention to Ben Sharma who took one off the line and to Lee who has taken Pete Carrick's role of slipping on a banana or being shot by a sniper and ending on the turf.

We don't have Lee next week. So Ash 7s will be looking for someone else to land on the turf.

Meanwhile no doubt D'Arcy Graham will be back to take care of a more formal report.