After two wins out of two in the Autumn Fives, Week 3 saw Jiggle paired with a Livingwell side fresh from a very successful Summer campaign but surprisingly yet to pick up a point from their opening two Autumn fixtures. Jiggle knew they would need to raise their game to continue their impressive start to the season. How would they fare on the third Friday of the campaign?

Livingwell 1 FC Jiggle 1 (Stuart MacPherson 5)

On the back of a very promising first fortnight Jiggle embarked on their third match of the season against Livingwell, looking to win three successive matches at the start of a season for the first time.

Just the one absentee tonight with David Leake sitting it out with the after effects of flu. Keeper Phil Laker and midfielder Dave Carling had each shrugged off bugs of their own and lined up to start. Plans for a new defensive partnership were shelved as Andrew Chong�s late arrival meant a place for Nick Rapley alongside Stuart MacPherson in a hastily re-arranged back-line. Sam Cohen and Carling led the attack with Jon Hawtin, christened �bitch� by Roy in the warm-up and Chong as the subs.

The last meeting of the sides in New Year 2002 had seen an attacking end to end encounter. The scene was set for something similar with Jiggle looking to build on two good attacking displays against The Blues and Motley Crew and Livingwell with their sights firmly set on their first win.

The early signs were this was going to be the case. Inside the first minute Jiggle were almost in front as Dave Carling latched onto a flick from Sam Cohen and shot against the post, via a deft fingertip stop by the keeper.

Of the three games, this was by far Jiggle�s most confident start as they kept and moved the ball with some assuredness in the first five minutes. It was ironic then that this spell of play would culminate in going a goal down for the first time.

From Livingwell�s first attack of the game Phil Laker fumbled a routine shot behind for a corner. Much to his own annoyance afterwards, rather than holding the ball till his side were in position as would normally be the case, he returned the ball to the Livingwell corner taker straight away. With Jiggle still trying to mark up he squared the corner to his colleague to tuck unchallenged into the bottom corner.

It was a sloppy goal to concede and threatened to undo the good work of the first five minutes. For this to be averted a quick resposte was essential and it came in emphatic style. The ball was worked across to Stuart MacPherson on the right side and he let fly with an terrific low thunderbolt across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. The perfect reply.

The momentum was now with Jiggle but they were almost behind again within a minute as Livingwell worked space on the right to squeeze in a shot which bounced back off the post and was cleared away by Nick Rapley.

Back at the other end it was Jiggle�s turn to be cruelly denied as a great four-man move ended with Sam Cohen finding space behind the Livingwell defence and prodding past the advancing keeper for what looked like the lead. Roy however adjudged Sam to have been inside the box. It was a very marginal decision.

Jiggle also enjoyed the final good effort of the half as Dave Carling connected with a stinging, dipping drive from distance which the keeper did very well to tip over for the corner.

The second period continued in the same vein with Jiggle enjoying a good spell either side of the break. Carling was in again in the first minute of the second half but for the second time on the night saw the keeper divert his shot onto the post.

Soon after Nick fired just over and Phil missed a great chance to release Sam clean through with an off-target throw which forced the striker wide giving the defender the chance to recover.

If this was Jiggle�s best spell the opposition had theirs to come. Phil had to be alert to make a sharp parry before three guilt-edged opportunities in the final four minutes that really should have provided Livingwell the three points.

First it was Phil on hand as the Livingwell striker broke clear down the left, clawing a precision low drive out of the bottom left corner with his fingertips. There was nothing the keeper could do though a minute later as Jiggle, going all-out for the win left the same forward in a vast chasm of space. Almost with too much time to pick his spot he dragged horrendously wide of a gaping target.

Jiggle still had one more golden chance to come their way as a woeful clearance in the Livingwell defence went straight to the feet of Andy Chong. With the goal open Andy could only make half contact and the keeper recovered in time to gather the ball.

Still, time for a dramatic finish to a pulsating match. The same Livingwell front man who�d seen his first two chances go astray produced a burst of speed down the left touchline to catch the defence flat-footed, veered in at goal but again with the target at his mercy blasted high and wide.

With that chance went the final opportunity for either side to claim three points. A defeat would have been hard on either side and the draw was undoubtedly the fair result. A pulsating match and the only surprise was it only ended 1-1.

So, seven points out of nine represents a good start for Jiggle is a good platform to attack as the season gathers pace. Next week sees one of the most keenly anticipated games of the season when leaders and divisional favourites Caledonian Old Boys provide the opposition. It�s not one to miss, next Friday at 7.

Team: Phil Laker, Stuart MacPherson, Nick Rapley, Dave Carling, Sam Cohen. Subs. Andy Chong (Dave Carling), Jon Hawtin (Sam Cohen).