After a night of heavy rain the pitch at Keynsham looked closer to Sea World than Somerdale.  The puddle on the penalty spot was so large that when Red Star forward Tom Sewell tumbled in the RNLI were put on standby to stage a rescue.  A vicious cross-wind meant the game was a scrappy affair but Red Star managed to carve out a handful of decent chances, and just before the break Pat Brown latched onto a through ball and powered his way through the Somme to give Red Star a deserved lead at half time (Assist: Large puddle). But football is a game of two halves and Retreads quickly piled on the pressure after the break, hitting back with two quick goals both of which made good use of the additional elements of earth, wind and water.  Red Star lost a bit of their focus and shape and Retreads took hold of midfield, scoring another two to effectively put the game out of reach.  A consolation second goal for Red Star from Martin Bolton was deserved but it was too little too late.  It was a game played in an excellent spirit despite the treacherous conditions, and a thought should be spared for whoever’s washing the kit.  We look forward to the return fixture in May.  Talks are ongoing to sign the puddle on loan.