A Tale of Two Debuts

Who can forget the complete humbling the Poppies suffered at St Ives on Boxing Day last year?  A performance so abject that the 6-0 defeat actually flattered US.  Jim's honeymoon period coming to a crashing end. Rhys Sharpe having the worst single game I've ever seen a player give in a Poppies shirt, and I've seen Nathan Koo-Boothe play while not entirely fit, and hadn't received his wages.  This was the day when the possibility of back-to-back relegations suddenly didn't look the least bit remote.

Among the many watching-through-fingers moments of that hideous afternoon in Cambridgshire the completely anonymous, walking speed debut of Bruno Andrade went under the radar.  I seem to recall seeing him flitting around on the fringes of the game without contributing much (not alone by any stretch of the imagination) and assumed we were literally just playing anyone who answered the manager's call.  By season's end, when Lavery had bullied our lazy collection of Leese signings, sprinkled with a few successful loanees into a half-decent team that dragged itself out of the relegation scrap, Bruno had turned in a few decent appearances and vital goals.

Such was the upturn in form and performances that Bruno featured as one of the very few players we wouldn't have minded seeing returning for this season.  I seem to recall the entire list was, Marzano, possibly Bruno and Dan Jarvis (who obviously wouldn't be back as he's just become "Player of the Season.")  To most people's surprise Bruno popped up pre-season as one of Maidstone's "glamour signings".  We shrugged our shoulders and awaited the results of Lavery's labours.

Fast forward a few months and we're back at St Ives, and blow me down, Bruno is lining up to make his second debut for us at the scene of his inglorious first debut.  The club and team, though, is barely recognisable from the scared shambles they were just a few short months earlier.  Yesterday, backed by 10 quality teammates Bruno took the chance to twist, turn and shine for the Poppies and capped it off with a fine goal.  Despite missing several good players to injury the Poppies are looking the real deal.  Had we not played within ourselves during the second half yesterday we might well have entirely erased last season's humbling at St Ives's hands.  At the moment we are looking so sharp, we could probably even afford to carry a few Andy Leese signings and still win games.  Yes, we are looking THAT good.

Poppies celebrate yet another goal against St Ives.
It will NEVER be a chore typing that!