When faced with adversity it takes a special kind of courage to triumph. A courage out of the ordinary; a courage to put team before individual, a courage to fight to the end. A courage Mill Hill didn’t have on Saturday.

The game’s turning point proved to be an injury to Nick Warr, who was struck fiercely in the face and forced to retire when Mill Hill had their fingers firmly round the throat of the game and were tightening their grip. Already missing Craig ‘Disney on Ice’ McIntyre, the loss of their second midfield enforcer left Mill Hill spineless. Like Russell Brand’s departure from the BBC, the loss of Warr deprived the team of an offensive loudmouth but also took away their cutting edge.

From 4-2 up with 15 minutes to go, the home side, hampered by harsh yellow cards for axeman Dan Stockhill and Captain Pete, allowed Amersham to nick an unexpected point.

Without resorting to excuses, it suffices to say Amersham’s first two goals were shrouded in controversy. In fact that doesn’t really suffice, they were a travesty of justice of the kind usually reserved for the trial of sporting superstars in American courts. Nevertheless Mill Hill refused to be bowed, taking control of the game and snatching a goal through Warr’s powerful short corner conversion. They restored parity just before half time when a half hearted clearance was intercepted and fed to Ed Spencer.

The ease with which Spen has walked back into the side says little for the tough trainig regime the rest of the team have put themselves though for the past two years. And like the CIA snipers in the films who retire for a quiet life with their family only to find their past returns to haunt them, Spen showed that the hitman’s instincts never fade. His powerful shot squeezed just inside the near post.

Mill Hill continued their ascendancy with two more unanswered goals. Mike Solomons, who had lain in wait like a buried world war II bomb proved he was still deadly by exploding into action to convert a short corner. When Ryan Sclanders rounded the keeper to finish from a tight angle the game seemed over.

But the injury to Warr and the two sendings off gave the game a new complexion and, looking back, Mill Hill can thank a couple of near miraculous saves from keeper Marc Scutt for keeping them from an embarrassing defeat.