It's been a few weeks, three in fact, since we last played but the Pumas finally got to play their penultimate match of the season. Last week, we were intending to have our final home game but our opposition, Guildford Saints, couldn't assemble enough players and offered us the three points on a plate.

I know how they feel in the raising of a team department because with GCSEs on the horizon, bank holiday getaway breaks and rather more unfortunate breaks of other sorts (now healed but not yet ready to return), it proved to be a bit of a challenge for us to get a team out too. During the week we had managed 11 players using our reserve list but there was no keeper amongst them. Then we had 10 players and no keeper. Then Stef became available, so we were back to 11 again before ending up with 10 due to injury in a Saturday match. Blimey.

But I was confident that we could win this game with 10 because we're (just about still) sitting at the top of the table and our opposition today was Reigate, sitting at the bottom. It is a shame that our division is as polarised as it is because the Reigate team and their managers were probably the loveliest we've come across this season. They also possessed some good players – the keeper especially as he was thoroughly tested by the Pumas and made some incredible saves. He just needed a more switched-on defence and a bit more luck.

The game started with the Pumas taking kick off. I'd been asked beforehand if Jacob could take a long shot after receiving the ball from Patrik and I said "sure, I like my tactics, try it out". And so the shot was taken and it was perfectly on target. In fact, the keeper did well to save it, parrying the ball to safety as it dipped towards the bar! That was almost the quickest goal I've ever seen and you should have seen the look of relief on the opposition manager's face.

The initial ten minutes was reasonably well balanced, although there was more play in the Reigate half than the Pumas'. I'd asked the team not to start off complacent or expecting an easy win since that way can lead to defeat. Indeed, I've learnt that it's probably best to start off defensively, perhaps with 4 at the back and 2 DMs, to get the measure of what the opposition is doing attack-wise and then change things from there. This wasn't a bad idea as Reigate did indeed play three up front, although very, very wide with their wingers, pulling George (left back) and Ethan (right back) out with them. Centre-backs Captain Jack and Will W were supported by DMs Ryan and Max, with Jacob as CM and, to try something out, defender Mark and Patrik as CFs. Stef was in goal.

A few corners came and went and we were looking strong but no goal was forthcoming. The team did a lot of passing and kept possession well, straight out of Pep's book of game management. Indeed, they heeded my request to play team football rather than everyone try to be a hero. Isaac, biding his time one last week as an assistant coach before he can jump into a kit again, suggested we swap Mark and Ethan. As great as Mark was at being a hassle up front (and he had some nice moments beating defenders), perhaps Ethan could have more success? Harry and I agreed... but we'd give Mark a bit more time as he'd developed a habit of scoring bangers at training and were hoping he'd have some luck in a fixture.

The change turned out to be a good move. Mark took up the role of keeping a tricky no 19 at bay in defence whilst Ethan now became the nuisance, stepping more into the middle of the pitch than Mark was playing. The first goal came from Stef playing the ball to Jacob, who was deep in our own half, but with plenty of time on the ball, launched it far forward for Ethan to break through the middle of the defensive line and run onto. He drew the keeper out, dinked to the right as the keeper committed to challenge and slotted it home.

Two more goals were then scored but the referee didn't recognise either of them and waved play on! The first was from Captain Jack, who eagerly moved up the pitch when we won a corner. I called out to him to hold back rather than enter the 18 yard box as any headers or scrambled clearances could well fall to his feet. Sure enough, the ball did land at his feet, and he lobbed the ball over the defence. It hit the junction between left post and bar, shot downwards at an angle that crossed the line but bounced back out when it hit the floor. "No goal," said the ref. Not long after, Patrik gave one of his legendary blasts at goal, which definitely ruffled the top of the net but, due to some complicated kinematic physics, the ball somehow reversed course and popped back out again. The referee was not convinced even if Cambridge undergraduates would be.

But it wouldn't be long before Ethan came up trumps again, pivoting on the spot outside the six yard box from a knee-high pass, and launching the ball into the net.

Throughout the half, there was some excellent football. Jacob was on fine form, pinging the ball wide around the pitch to other players and catching out Reigate with their wide formation. It was great seeing George making purposeful strides as he powered down the wing. Ryan and Max proved to be a strong pairing, with one holding back as the other pressed forward. Ryan had a long shot of his own denied by the keeper. There were some great opportunities, mostly on target and, whilst saved, earning us corners as the keeper pushed them away from goal.

So, two up at half time and the team were feeling confident. I had to bring them back down again as if I was the Reigate manager, I'd be looking at how to change things up. Complacency can lead to goals conceded and we've been here before with matches. We were only two ahead after all and Reigate had created a couple of opportunities of their own, putting one ball dangerously across our goal to go out on the far side and another being a break down our left by the no 19. The team held the discipline.

The third goal was scored by Jacob. He was fouled outside the 18 yard box but offered the free kick to Ethan as he was on for a hat trick. He took it and it was on target but the keeper parried it away. It landed at Jacob's feet as he had run in for the rebound, and he tapped it in for an easy goal. Everybody tried to help Ethan get his hat trick. Ryan broke through and rather than claim the shot, he laid it off to Ethan who was jumped on by two defenders. Another set up saw Ethan's shot caught by the keeper.

Goal number four was one of Patrik's screamers, finding space on the edge of the 18 yard box and using the energy of a moving ball to volley it into the net. A cracking goal indeed and very firmly placed at the back of the net.

Ethans hat trick was then realised as Ryan was fouled in the 18 yard box. He'd played the ball through the keeper's legs as he ran out to cut down the angles but its moment was slowed as it grazed the keeper's calf and, in running round the keeper to follow through, a defender took him out. Ryan offered the penalty to Ethan who tucked it inside of the right hand post, earning his hat trick and taking us to 5-0.

At this point, we started to move the team around to give Reigate more of a chance. Ryan and Jack moved up top, Patrik and Jacob came into defence and Will W and Max pushed into midfield. And, even so, you may not have known that these weren't their usual positions. Jacob took control of the back four and it was lovely to see him play the ball out, involving, encouraging and praising players as the play moved up the pitch. There's praise for Patrik too as his skills as a forward translated well to defence, recycling the ball through Stef and playing one-twos of his own to move it to safety. Max thundered through the pitch, a tower of strength, and had a few opportunities of his own but, from one defender to another, it's a strange thing to be in with a scoring opportunity when you're not used to it.

But even our own self-sabotage couldn't stop the now ebullient Pumas from scoring two more goals.

Ryan scored the sixth goal in a daring moment, pressing the keeper mercilessly as a Reigate defender passed the ball back to him. The ensuing clearance thwacked Ryan firmly and the ball ricocheted into the net. Unreal.

Equally unreal was the last goal, coming from Will W, who normally loves his own half and hates the idea of heading for goal. But, finding the ball at his feet, that's exactly what he did, taking it on and beating this player and that player before firing the ball into the net.

It was quite a performance. Clearly Reigate weren't at the same level as the Pumas, and had some bad luck in the game, but it would only take some firmer pressing and tighter marking for them to achieve mid table. They could move the ball around and Stef did have to catch it a couple of times – certainly more so than our keepers had to other games. As I've said once before, as a coach, take some time to watch the opposition and not your own team and you'll get a good picture of what's going on.

And with that win, the Pumas are now guaranteed second place in the table as Mayford Athletic, next week's opposition, cannot overtake us. Ashford Town still have a game in hand and, to be frank, some easy opponents to beat. Whether we stay at the top depends on us beating Mayford next week (assuming we can raise a team) and Ashford being unable to fulfil a fixture. Still, I'd settle for second. In fact, given the season we've had, I'd be happy with any outcome really. What a smashing team the Pumas are! COYP!