Saturday 9th January, Happy Valley Pitch 5
It was a great day for football with the team arriving pretty much on time with a few exceptions but non-the less, the 11 who were there first were the 11 who luckily got to start. Line-up was as follows
GK: RAZ
DF: Andrew – Bear – Issacs – Ketz
MD: Koh – Dave – Cedric – Garrow
FD: Howard – Kenny
Sub: Shaka, Dave M,
Let me start by thanking Howard and the rest of the team for letting me do the team talk at the start.
The game started slow with the fellas taking time to get up to speed with the game which allowed BOC to have a lot more of the ball than they actually deserved, nothing really came of it until a defensive mix-up allowed a flick on from their throw-in to get slotted into the bottom corner. 0-1. Even with that being said, it took till nearly the end of the half for up to get the scores back on level terms,
This goal needs some special mention because of the way it looked from my angle, Ced collected a loose ball from a distance between the centre spot and the BOC penalty area and was given space to run towards goal, using the space he was given Cedric took on a couple of opposition players, coming out successful and placing the ball in the bottom corner, 1-1.
On the stroke of half time the fellas were rewarded with a free kick outside the box, from my angle the BOC keeper had never set up a wall before because he set up a wall that covered the middle of the goal and then proceeded to stand directly behind it. Cedric, the free kick taker decided not to place the ball in either corner which the keeper had left for him but instead to try and hit it right above the keeper to give him some practice, a well uted free kick and a mishap by the keeper allowed the fellas to take a 2-1 lead into the break.
After the break, the floodgates opened up, a standard but well needed team talk was discussed at halftime with all the players knowing what their jobs in the second half was, Garrow was replaced by DaveM who was placed up front with Kenny as Howard slotted into the left wing position, this proving a great tactical change. A simple goal kick reached the newly ed striker who twinkle-toed his way through a few BOC boys before a scuffle in the box, arriving just on que, the skipper comes but instead of placing the ball into the net, SMACKS THE LIVING DAYLIGHT OUT OF THE BALL 3-1 to the fellas.
Before the BOC could even realise what had happened, fella’s regained control of the game and a perfectly weighted through-ball landed up with our main man Kenny through on goal, which was too easy to slot away 4-1 to the fellas, BOC had no idea what hit them.
Very soon after Kenny was set on his ways again and the BOC keeper had given up by then allowing Kenny to double his tally to 2 for the game 5-1 to the fellas.
Midway through the half there was another switch where Shaka came on after 2 months out due to injury, glad to see you fit and well mate! Keep it going! And rejoining the game Garrow came on as well later on.
With time running out and 2 goodfellas on a hatrick I was kinda bored because all the play was happening on the other end of the pitch, it was only when Bear and Issacs actually thought that we should give Raz some practice, letting the BOC strikers through but I was up to the challenge so cheers for that!!
After a regular passage of play in midfield the ball was at Kenny’s feet, at the same time, Jeetu was on the sidelines walking his pet Bullbog which to our amazement started yelling ‘HATRICK HATRICK’ Kenny hearing this thought that we shouldn’t be so selfish therefore taking an absolutely pathetic attempt on goal but the ball landing perfectly for Cedric whose Volley again went straight above the keeper but still rendering him useless. 6-1 fellas and hatrick for Cedric.
Now the moment you’ve all been waiting to read, As the ball was getting played back to the centre spot, I was in the middle of a conversation with someone in my back 4, not sure which one. Anyway, I was standing in an area between the penalty spot and the edge of the box. The BOC player taking the kick off is sooo angry and want to kick the ball into the Happy Valley race track but just misdirects his kick towards my goal, I see the ball sailing over my head and begging for dear life ‘Please don’t go in, Please don’t go in!’ but the ball was weighted perfectly which absolutely made me look and feel as small as bulldog when he plays basketball with Lebron. That goal, regardless of the 7 others scored that day had to be mentioned in the legal league website so cheers for that. Anyway that was the last kick of the game ending it at 6-2.
Few things to note:
Back 4 still need to be more decisive with clearances and movement amongst themselves. There’s nothing wrong when under pressure into hoofing the ball away from danger.
Our first line of defence is always the strikers, its pointless if the defenders are being closed down by our strikers but still have their midfield to pass to because our midfield haven’t closed them down,
Whoever keeps for the fellas, be alert at all times because no matter how good of a game you think you’re having, it can all change in the blink of an eye.
Thanks for the game fellas and I look forward to rejoining the team on a permanent basis on my return in May, good luck for the season!
