The first clear-cut opportunity fell to ESB after the Jokers had given the ball away cheaply; breaking down the Jokers’ left the ball was played across the face of the six yard box where a striker met it unchallenged, but could only guide his shot into the side-netting. After this wake-up call the Jokers asserted their dominance. Every time they forced a corner, they looked likely to score, with one effort being scrambled off the line. The keeper produced good saves from Wilby to keep the scores level, although he managed to produce equally fine saves to balls that were clearly going wide (obviously not having seen Perez-Tejedor shoot before), adding to ESB’s corner-related problems. Mandolini capped a fine run from right-back with a rasping drive that blazed just over the angle, but was close enough to earn the rare honour of Seaton-Smith conceding that the effort was a fine one and Mandolini had therefore escaped a rollicking, the defender having ignored his pleas for a square ball. ESB were struggling to create anything meaningful in return, with the Jokers’ midfield exerting near total dominance in the centre.

With so many chances going begging, and fine moves being capped off by shots straight at the keeper, it was a relief when Gamson opened the scoring in spectacular fashion just before half-time. Picking up the ball from Read in an innocuous-looking position between defence and midfield, Gamson had time for a couple of touches before, realizing that there was still no-one around him, he hit a curling shot from distance beyond the despairing keeper and into the corner of the net.

The second-half followed the pattern of the first, Jokers enjoying plenty of play and at times pushing the tempo, although they never really had to get beyond second gear. Perez-Tejedor shot straight at the keeper when well-placed and the keeper continued to play well, making one particularly fine stop to his right. The Jokers had the ball in the net again from a corner, but it was ruled out for a foul on the keeper, who by now was the central figure in ESB’s team. At this point, ESB missed their one real chance to get back into the game, when the forward hit a cross-shot that Linter saved low to his right, Mandolini dealing with the rebound. Indeed, from memory, that was the only shot on target that Shantytown could summon up in the entire match. The result was put beyond serious doubt when Wilby doubled the Jokers’ advantage. Mandolini’s deflected shot fell into his path and a left-foot strike sent the Jokers two-up.

The third was added when an ESB defender missed a header. As the ball bounced towards the edge of the area, substitute Stevens got a toe to it before being taken out by the onrushing keeper for a sure-fire penalty (the Jokers’ third in as many matches). The keeper injured his shoulder in the process and was forced from the field, a sad end to a fine performance. It was left to Hyde, whose shooting from distance had left something to be desired during the rest of the match, to see if he could do any better from twelve yards. He could, as a well-hit penalty beat the substitute keeper who could only get a touch to it. ESB briefly rallied form the restart (in part because the otherwise excellent referee had told everybody that there were only 30 secs left at the penalty and then proceeded to play three more minutes). During this period they managed to force their first corner of the match. But that was certainly too little too late and, with no match next weekend, the Jokers are left to stare in wonder at an unbeaten league streak that now stands at 13 matches.