Drummond stunner, Gibb makes history and Stoddy finally wins as Non Bibs edge a classic

NON BIBS claimed a memorable victory in a match packed with milestones, outrageous finishes and one result so improbable it may require independent verification: Andrew “Stoddy” Stoddart has finally won a game.

The headlines, however, belonged first to Alex Drummond.

The NON BIBS man produced a superb hat-trick and deservedly walked away with Player of the Match honours, saving his best for last. With the ball out on the left and a challenge arriving at full force, Drummond somehow managed to unleash a left-footed strike from distance while being levelled by the tackle. By the time he had hit the ground, the net had already rippled.

It was the kind of finish that instantly becomes part of BFL folklore.

BIBS had plenty of quality of their own, with Blair Gibb once again doing what Blair Gibb does and adding another four goals to his Golden Boot tally.

One of them also created a little piece of history.

Gibb scored what is believed to be the first headed goal in BFL history, producing a gorgeous looping header over the helpless Drummond after taking full advantage of Lewis Fraser having a brief tactical nap at the back.

The finish may finally confirm that heading is, in fact, legal in the BFL.

That news may come as a surprise to Ernie Smith.

Operating through the middle for BIBS, Smith unveiled a new solution to his long-running allergy to heading the football: simply chest absolutely everything instead. High ball? Chest it. Cross? Chest it. It may not revolutionise the sport, but nobody can accuse him of lacking commitment to the bit.

Gary Forbes also continued to strengthen his case for another rise in the BFA Power Rankings.

Forbes scored the pick of the BIBS goals with a magnificent knuckleball that dipped viciously through the air and left goalkeeper Eoin Smith completely stranded. There was no realistic chance of stopping it, with the ball changing trajectory late before finding the net.

For a man already making noise around the upper tiers of the rankings, it was another fairly compelling piece of evidence for the committee.

Ross Lawrie also made a welcome return to the scoresheet after a lengthy absence from the game, while Calum Brown and James Knight both delivered solid evenings for BIBS and gave the side plenty of stability throughout the contest.

However, Lawrie also spent much of the match attempting to end Eoin Smith’s existence, repeatedly trying to take him out with increasingly ambitious challenges. When those efforts failed, he appeared to escalate matters by recruiting Calum Brown, who duly obliged by ramming Eoin Smith head-first into a wall in what can only be described as a highly coordinated attempt on Smith's life.

But NON BIBS continued to find answers.

Dylan Pirrie produced a markedly improved performance and may have done enough to stabilise his increasingly controversial position in the rankings. The numbers may not tell the full story, but his passing and influence in possession were much more assured, offering NON BIBS control during several important spells.

Perhaps the conditional downgrade has finally done its job.

Shane McCrosson also returned after a long absence and immediately resumed his pursuit of Blair Gibb in the Golden Boot race. A brace for NON BIBS marked the beginning of what could become one of the more interesting individual battles of the season.

Calum Murray added his second goal of the campaign with one of the cleanest finishes of the evening. Receiving the ball on the right side of the box, Murray drove a composed effort across the goalkeeper, watching it clip the inside of the bottom-left post before nestling into the net.

Jonathan Tiran put in another tireless performance on the wing for NON BIBS, repeatedly getting himself into promising positions and covering enormous ground. The final product, however, remains a subject of discussion. Calls are beginning to grow for Tiran to spend some quality time with the training cones and work on his first touch and end product, because the raw ingredients are clearly there even if the finished meal is not always arriving.

At the other end, Antonio Wong capped another imperious defensive showing with a decisive contribution. Wong exchanged a lovely one-two with Eoin Smith, allowing Smith to poke a beautifully controlled effort into the bottom-right corner for NON BIBS. The goal proved to be the winner. It was an excellent piece of football to settle a game that had already produced just about everything else.

Yet even Drummond’s hat-trick, Gibb’s historic header and Forbes’ knuckleball may eventually be overshadowed by the night’s most unbelievable development.

Andrew Stoddart won a football match.

After weeks of defeats, allegations of being cursed, questions over whether his mere presence negatively affected whichever team selected him and growing concern that victory might simply be incompatible with the Stoddart footballing experience, the impossible finally happened.

Stoddy won.

Somewhere, the tectonic plates shifted.

Markets opened nervously the following morning.

The very fabric of world football may never fully recover.

But there it is, permanently recorded in BFL history: Andrew Stoddart has been on the winning side.

Truly, anyone can make it in the beautiful game.