Hippy Chicks manager Tony Brazil rushes out of the players tunnel as the home fans roar and shouts, "what's happened, what's happened?" When told Linkoping Calcio has scored in the first minute Brazil slumps, "I should have stayed in the bar downstairs. One-nil down to the league leaders, we're not coming back from that."

Despite or because of his pessimism, the first half turns lively as both teams give their all. Near half-time, Hippy Chicks level the score via a freekick routine that lifts the spirits.

In the second half, Brazil made some tactical changes on the pitch, pushing captain Gunnhild Raaberg up into attack as a whirling dervish and freekick magnet. This worked, as a freekick won by Raaberg was hit directly into the net and then, after a corner, Raaberg crashed the ball into the net along with herself and several defenders.

"A three-one win away at the league leaders. Remarkable," relishes Tony Brazil now in good humor, "sending us second in the table as today's opponents drop to third place. In some cruel joke, we now face the new league leaders in the season doubleheader. Then Linkoping again at our place.

"It's a make or breaks time of the season; we were gritty today when it counted and hopefully that will continue as we rub our opponents up the wrong way. The place to start is back in the Linkoping bar downstairs where they have some unbelievable spirits and ways of serving them."

The Hippy Chicks manager is gone, and the players join him in what turns out to be an all-nighter, and in the constant winter night of Linkoping that is a long time indeed. Will the Chicks be back in time for their cup match, will they even remember they have a cup match? Watch this space.