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Town tumbled out of the Skip Atwood Cup to lower league Haver Town despite an improved display from Alan Booker's men.  The 6-2 scoreline flattered the visitors who, although disappointing in the League, have already beaten Premier Division sides in this year’s competition.

Many observers will dispute that two controversial refereeing decisions affected the outcome, however, for this correspondent, it was Town's failure to get a grip with their opponents 3-5-2 formation, a lack of pace and poor finishing that ultimately proved their undoing.

The Pyramid’s pitch was similar to the Booker's squad; heavy.  Yet both teams attempted to play the right way on the poor surface.  Town went for width in midfield with both David Mills and Steve Wilson in the engine room dropping anchor for the day; a combined 33 stone doing more damage to Newham’s finest playing field than all the horses in Newmarket could manage.

The early exchanges were even.  Haver looked threatening with their extra man in midfield and most of their attacks involved their black winger, Gordon, who resembled Arsenal's Bacary Sagna.  But Town did well, with Booker and Ross Chamberlain covering the overworked Matt Leonard at right back.  By the end of the game Matt looked like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards, however, Assistant Manager David Ling pointed out that did turn up like that.

Meanwhile, Town's constant harrying of a nervous Haver defence afforded the returning Gordon Midford a couple of half chances that went awry, while Richie Shephard should have done better with glancing header inside the 6 yard box following Phil Cresswell's excellent inswinging corner.  Ironically, he couldn't get enough weight behind his header.

Haver took the lead on the fifteen minute mark.  Their quick, counter attacking style proved a constant menace.  Moving the ball from left to right the ball was eventually swept passed the helpless Hatton in goal.

Town responded quickly and within five minutes they were level.  Carl Chamberlain's good work down Town's right drew a foul, bang on the corner of the penalty box.  Shephard's pinpoint centre was met by the bullet header of Mills to restore parity.  The net, like the goalscorer's shirt, bulged.

Town then began to take the upper hand but would again rue their woeful finishing.  Both Midford and Shephard missed chances that exposed their lack of recent match action.  And rue they did as Haver scored twice in a minute to take a 3-1 lead.

Both goals, similar to the first, were on the break and both were finished in style; Matt Hatton reprising the role of Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.  Town tried to rally as the interval approached but were sucking on their oranges trailing by two goals.

While Booker's half-time team talk was passionate and inspiring, his Assistant Ling now knows how the rest of the nation feels, asking the team for a 'better delivery'.  Led by Booker's words, Town pulled a goal back within minutes of the restart.  Carl Chamberlain and Matt Leonard combined expertly down the right before Midford stabbed home from six yards.

Moments later, another foray forward from Carl Chamberlain forced another free kick, this time just outside the area but central.  Shephard stepped up but his insipid effort didn't beat the wall.

With 25 minutes to go Shephard was replaced by Billy Parish in a like-for-like swap.  When I say like-for-like I mean that they both like McDonalds.  And Wimpy!  Shephard felt that his substitution had more to do with his expansive waist line than any lack of quality or effort in his play.  Ling was quick to agree.

And then came the contentious moments of the game.  Firstly, the referee blew for a debatable offside against Town when they were clean through on goal despite the Haver linesman keeping his flag firmly down.  The knife was then twisted as Haver scored from yet another breakaway, however, a handball just before the sublime lobbed finish should have been spotted.  Rumours that Haver Town are to be renamed the Haver Globetrotters cannot be ruled out.

Captain Danny Greenhall led the protests in Roy Keane style - surely the only ever comparison between the two - but his impassioned pleas left the official, like David Mills throughout the game, unmoved.  In fairness to Danny, they kissed and made up afterwards.

Ross Thompson came on for the ineffective Mills in a surprise substitution with 15 to go.  The only surprise though was why it took so long.  Before the game, David Mills had proudly confirmed that he had lost 10 pounds on his Weight Watchers diet since the New Year but those that saw his performance on Saturday can only assume that he must have lost a leg like his namesake Heather.  To be perfectly honest, and as our picture shows, he looked and played like a man twice his age.
 
As Town threw bodies forward - 4-4-2 became 3-5-2 and then 2-4-4 - Haver added two more to put some unneeded gloss on their victory despite the best efforts of Hatton in goal.

Town went down but almost with a fight as frustration began to boil over.  Only the remarkable self restraint displayed by Booker prevented a full scale riot, although being taunted about your game show prowess (or lack of) should not unduly worry a grown man.

As seems to be case with all the sides this season, there were many positives to take from Town's performance.  But like Manchester United and Liverpool before them this season, defeat to lower league opposition embarrasses.   With just over a week to Valentine's Day, Haver certainly took the romance out of Canning Town's hearts.

Man-of-the-match:  Carl Chamberlain - stood out on a pitch that he shouldn't have been able to play on.