The first half belonged to the home side, who operated with a level of efficiency that felt almost smug. Justino Calderón-Quiroga opened the scoring in the 14th minute, finishing a move carved open by Lansana Berhe-Tewelde. It was a clinical piece of work that settled the nerves and gave Wessex the belief that they were actually better than Aigburth. In fairness, Calderón-Quiroga is a top-three finisher in the league, though his output relies heavily on the service.

By the 24th minute, it was 2–0. Andrea D'Agostino-Pinelli converted an assist from Ingmar Achterberg, effectively ending the contest for anyone who had actually bothered to turn up. It was the kind of lead that allows a crowd to stop worrying and start wondering if the local chippy is still open. Wessex went into the break comfortably in control, having comfortably outclassed their visitors in every individual duel.

Then came the second half, where Aigburth decided that conceding two goals in ten minutes was simply an unacceptable way to spend a Saturday. They spent an hour tinkering with their pressing shifts, slowly grinding Wessex down through sheer persistence. The breakthrough arrived in the 82nd minute when Bernhard Abendroth scored, a goal that fundamentally shifted the momentum and reminded the home support that football is, unfortunately, ninety minutes long.

“Andrea D'Agostino-Pinelli converted an assist from Ingmar Achterberg, effectively ending the contest for anyone who had actually bothered to turn up.”

The collapse was completed in the 90th minute. Marius Beaumarchais found the equaliser, ensuring that the previous eighty minutes of dominance were rendered entirely moot. It was a classic case of a side forgetting how to keep the ball when the clock starts ticking. A breakdown in composure, really.

As for the individual rankings, Beaumarchais takes the man of the match for the late drama, followed by Berhe-Tewelde for the early work, with D'Agostino-Pinelli sliding down to third. The numbers tell us the points were shared. They don't tell us how much the Wessex fans will dwell on this in the car park.

Next week, we try to avoid doing the same thing.