14 December 2024, Steve Cooke Stadium, Gravesend.

Punjab United broke their recent streak of poor form during their last home match of the year. On a cold, bright afternoon, they faced Holmesdale FC, who were positioned just one place below them in the Southern Counties League Premier Division. New signings Preston Kedwell and Will Johnson-Cole were both included in the starting eleven.

Malachi Hudson opened the scoring for Holmesdale in the 15th minute. I couldn’t shake the feeling of ‘here we go again,’ but Jack Barry quickly proved me wrong by equalizing for the home team just three minutes later.

Chris Edwards’ first-half penalty didn’t really challenge the Holmesdale goalkeeper, and the half ended in a 1-1 draw.

As the temperature noticeably dropped in the second half, Jack Hopkins warmed the hearts of the home supporters by scoring in the 52nd minute, giving Punjab the lead. However, Wale Odedoyin equalized once again, as the match continued to see back-and-forth action.

The 90 minutes ended at 2-2, and I wasn’t too disappointed with the draw, but Jack Barry brought smiles to the faces of the home fans with his second goal four minutes into extra time.

The final score was 3-2, allowing Punjab United to retain fifth place in the Premier Division.

Punjab United’s next game is away against Hollands & Blair on 21 December. The next match at the Steve Cook Stadium will be against Sutton Athletic on 18 January 2025.