Heaton AFC 2–2 Marlborough United: a mutual truce

Opinion

Heaton AFC and Marlborough United played out a 2-2 draw on Tuesday 4 August. It was a clash between the second and third placed teams. To the casual observer, it looked like a tactical battle. In reality, it was just two teams forgetting how to win.

Marlborough United currently sit on 20 points. They have a two point lead over Heaton. A win today would have seen them close the gap on Jesmond AFC. Instead, they settled for a stalemate that felt remarkably like a choreographed dance. There was plenty of effort and very little to show for it by the final whistle.

Heaton AFC are often described as a side for the future (a polite way of saying they rarely finish the job). They managed to hold their ground, but doing so in a way that leaves both sets of fans feeling slightly tired is a specific kind of achievement.

It is the kind of result that suggests a lack of killer instinct. Or perhaps just a mutual agreement to not exert too much energy. Neither side looked capable of truly breaking the other, which is a comforting thought if you are the one with the slightly better defensive record.

There is very little time to reset. The next matchday arrives tomorrow. Marlborough United can spend the night wondering where the win went, while Heaton AFC can continue to be a project. It is typical, really. They shared the points and a collective sense of anticlimax.