It was with nervous apprehension that I returned to the touchline on Saturday afternoon. ... because, as anyone has spent any time with this team knows, you never quite know what to expect. One moment you're laughing, then you're crying, soon shaking and screaming and before long you're in a padded cell, strapped to a chair with a needle being stuck in to your backside to calm you down.

Just ask the managerial partnership of Sarah Carbonaro and Liz Bentley. They were only in charge for one week and returned home physical wrecks. The team crashed to a shocking 8-1 defeat and, when the little hair they had left finally turned grey, the dynamic duo said "never again".

So a long season was already looking on the cards when 'The Iceman' David Shapland stepped up to the plate for week two. His inspired and calm words didn't just mean Henry behaved himself for the first time in four seasons ... but goals from Jack and Josh meant we came away with a 3-1 win.

... and so on Saturday my personal doctor gave me the go ahead to return to managerial duties. I dug out the blackboard and my sheepskin coat and headed off to pastures new ... and what green pastures they were. Arborfield Garrison's pitch was like a bowling green, perfect for our team to destroy it.

My expert advice to the team before the kick-off was not to set off too quick ... "pace yourselves, because it's a big pitch." Money just can't buy experienced words like that.

Sure enough the team listened ... unfortunately they listened too well for a change, as they didn't move for the first ten minutes of the game, while Maidenhead Scorpions had attack after attack and corner after corner. Cameron was the only one getting a sweat on in the mid-day heat as he kicked out a record number of goal kicks.

But the team tactic worked, after conceding goal number one, quickly followed by corner number 37 ... Maidenhead began running out of steam ... and we began running. In fact we began running i to their half where Jack and Josh combined to almost equalise.

Knowing I'd done a deal with him to move up in to midfield in the second half, Sheeva was a colossus in defence and cleared everything that came his way while Kristian held back his natural game of running everywhere the ball is, to also solid up the defence.

So 1-0 down at half-time and the team were up for it. Sheeva moved up in to midfield in the second-half, this lasted about a minute before he became centre forward. Luckily Jack and Josh were covering all the spaces and once again this formidable pair hooked up to score a well-worked goal.

As Motty would say: "Jack to Josh, Josh down the line, pulls the ball across to Sheeva, Oh he's missed it .. But wait, here's Jack, Left foot. YESSSSSSSSSSSSS! GOAAAAAAAAAAL"

The Hurst crowd were in heaven. The Maidenhead fans couldn't believe it ... where had the Romans come from? Suddenly we were on top. Could we snatch a point, could we win, could George's blister hold out for another five minutes?

Suddenly Kristian got a bump on his head, George's blister popped and we were on an all out attack. A Maidenhead clearance went all the way through to our area ... where Henry, who'd had a quiet time and enjoying life as a goalkeeper without his dad in charge of the team, was rooted to his line and before we could say "oh no!" we were 2-1 down.

With only a couple of minutes left everyone was exhausted. Not least the crowd cheering on both sides and the poor managers. What a match. This is what it's all about.

The final whistle sounded just as my darling wife arrived. Not yet able to watch a ball kicked by our team, after her week in charge, she simply picked me up, threw me over her shoulder and dragged me back to rehab for another week's rest.

So 'The Iceman' Shapland returns on Saturday. Spirits are high as the Under 10 Blacks are Back and Spencers Wood better watch out.

ADIOS