After more than a month on the road, the LOBS returned to Cobham eager for the clash with Brentwood. In the third meeting of the sides in the still young season - a mystery known only to the esteemed fixture co-ordinators - Lancing was looking forward to another two points and bagging a fistful of goals. At the end of ninety minutes however, the score sheet remained sadly blank and the most effective person on the pitch might well be argued to have been the ref.

Stepping out on a sunny afternoon, whilst the LOBS had been away, clearly others had been at play. The pitch was sticky and cut up from the start, denying the opportunity to get the ball on the deck and play our natural passing game. So, the opening 10 minutes saw plenty of mis-directed balls and, despite the up-tempo performance, little of real quality.

Lining up in the usual 3, 5, 2 formation, the lads were taking the game to the Brentwood boys with the usual verve reserved for Essex sides and it looked like the LOBS play would start to gel. At the back, Kempo, Ed and Scum were keeping the well-jewelleried Brentwoods subdued and the majority of the play was in the centre of the park. With Spinky showing some early style on the left and Paul Surtees shifting nicely through the gears on some dashes down the right, the LOBS were looking the stronger.

Few real chances were created though and the game was in need of an injection of commitment or quality. The move came duly on the half-hour with perhaps the slickest passage of play the LOBS have produced all season. With true counter attacking style, Scum and Ed turned a Brentwood attack into a launchpad for a LOBS aggressive and, with Ben C and Paul exchanging passes on the right, the ball was suddenly up in the Brentwood's box and Bullet connected with a beautiful volley that arrowed towards the top corner only to skip just over the bar. The chance lifted the LOBS and suddenly there was a greater purpose and snap in the tackles as well as in the movement going forward.

Brentwood gave the LOBS a scare just before the half after Ben C had been penalised for an alleged obstruction on Muppet, a battle which was to resume later and result in Brentwoods' comedy winger being booked. Not altogether up with the ref, all stopped as the Brentwoods taker curled the ball into Bob's top left corner. Cheers were short lived though as ex FA Cup final ref Ray Lewis brought the Brentwoods back to earth with an explanation of the rules and definition of 'indirect'.

In the second half, Ed was stealing into dangerous positions with stunning regularity. With both head and thunderous right boot, he was besieging the Brentwood net with a passion usually saved for his besieging of the bar but still the LOBS opener would not come. Long range shots also rained down from Scum, Keysie and Spinky and A.N. Other threatened in the box but the breakthrough would remain elusive. Gibo, perhaps more than all, could argue that the ball would just not fall for the LOBS after several near opportunities were snuffed out by a combination of bad luck and too many bodies in the way.

At the other end, Bob was keeping his goal intact with ample protection from the LOBS rearguard and scares were few and far between. Despite the solid performance from every lad on the pitch, the LOBS were just not able to penetrate the final Brentwoods defence. After 90 minutes of cut and thrust football and, it must be said, periods of sustained LOBS pressure, the scoresheet remained blank. Another point left Lancing with 8 from 8 - solid mid table but not quite the high-flying position which seemed achievable back in October.

Probably the happiest player at the end of the day was Scum who not only turned in a chat-free match (despite an interesting exchange with Keysie at the final whistle) but also managed to bag Ray Lewis's signature for the Albion new stadium petition. Let's hope that Brighton and Hove City Council call the planning decision as well as Ray Lewis called every aspect of the afternoon's match.