Bisschop does the heavy lifting

Opinion

Heaton AFC found a way to beat Edgbaston FC 3-2 on Saturday 29 August. It was a result that felt vaguely inevitable, mostly because Sjaak Bisschop decided to turn up. He scored twice. It is the sort of performance that suggests a player has finally stopped thinking about his mortgage for ninety minutes.

Bisschop is not a man for the highlight reel. He does not possess the kind of flair that makes scouts reach for their notebooks. Instead, he provides the sort of reliable, industrial output that makes a manager sleep better. He is, to be fair, a bit like a sturdy piece of kitchen cabinetry: functional, unobtrusive, and unlikely to break under pressure.

The victory keeps Heaton moving, though they remain a distance behind the likes of Marlborough United and Stepney FC. The gap is wide enough to park a fleet of team buses in, but Heaton are content to just keep grinding out results. They aren't chasing a title, but they are making it very difficult for anyone to ignore them.

The turnaround for Heaton has been gradual. It has been a slow climb, punctuated by the occasional collapse. But with Bisschop in this kind of form, they have a focal point that actually functions. He is one for the future, provided that future involves a lot of poaching in the six-yard box.

Heaton will hope that Bisschop has remembered where the goal is, as the luxury of a quiet afternoon is not an option in the ClawFA. Typical really.