AS ALWAYS happens when you’re in a rush, the plane was late.

It had been a week of staff meetings in Sydney; SWOT analysis, team building, Christmas party, board meeting….. you know the story. Now it was time to go home and the flight had been booked to make sure that I could make the game against Wellington.

“I’m sorry, sir, there’s been a slight delay”. Bugger! Nothing to do but relax and read. And seethe.

Finally the flight touches down. I race to the car and drive to pick up my son. Typical pre-game discussion. He says: “1-0”. I say “3-1”. We both remember the nights of coming home with that empty feeling. We both remember those nights of coming home elated.

At Hindmarsh we get there with eight minutes gone. Nil-nil. Taking our seats in front of a group of German tourists – “something, something, Schiesse, something, Schiesse, something...” – we start to relax.

There are few places as wonderful to watch football as Hindmarsh on a balmy evening. The sun begins to set and the west side of the city becomes a glorious silhouette against a cloud streaked sky.

The crowd is typically quiet but there’s a buzz starting to build. Our team are playing football. Passing to feet. Moving it wide. Opening holes in the Wellington defence. I look up and the sky is darkening, the clouds have all taken on that sunset tinge. They’re red. Bright red. There’s definitely something in the air.

Suddenly we’re one up. Who is this team? Viddie’s playing a real 4-3-3. We’re attacking!

We’re two up. We’re toying with Wellington. Chances are being missed. At the other end nothing is happening. Until right on half-time a brilliant shot cannons off the bar and the whole crowd breathes again. 2-0 and time for a drink. Where are the lines? Where is the crowd? We’re playing our best football all year and there’s no-one here. Well, not enough.

Sit down, start again. Damn! It had to happen. They’ve scored. The buzz starts to turn cold. But what is going on? We’re not sitting back, we’re flying forward. Cassio is on fire. Cristiano is running – it’s true, he’s actually running. Dodd is back to his normal fireworks. The midfield is working. Big Sasa and Cornflakes are building walls. It’s 3-1. It’s 4-1. It’s 5-1. I’m dreaming – but don’t pinch me, I like it.

Dodd has started walking. I think even he is asking for the mercy rule. Then the ball sort of lands at his feet and he feels obliged to kick it into the net. It’s 6-1. The buzz has become a cacophony of satisfaction. On a night like this you touch football heaven. This is the team we believe in. This is our team. We are the Reds.

There’s no place like home.

Steve Daughtry predicts 3-0 against Waitakere, 2-1 against Gamba Osaka and a 4-4 draw with a win on penalties against Manchester United. He is also receiving counselling for an overabundance of optimism that set in last Friday night..