And so, after a 2 week break and a couple of midweek/weekend friendlies, our final cup match is to be played on a gloomy saturday against the Vintage Eagles.
We had analysed the percentages and if we do not lose this game, we had a great chance of going through based on permutations and all the team talk before the game centred on that and we started with a 5-4-1 formation to try to hit them on the break instead.
The team arrived early trying to get some warm up but as there was a game going on, that scuppered our plan to have a proper stretch before KO and perhaps that affected us early on. Our resident "Vice" captain Bee was also on hand to lend some pictorial and video support.
First Half
We kicked off and it was clear we were not up to the task and quickness of the match, a couple of defensive lapses in which balls could have been cleared but were either cleared backwards, upwards or touched back softly to the opponents instead of going down the opponents half. An early break from harold down the left and he squared the ball to Colin who tapped the ball onwards only to be saved on the line by the keeper. An early goal would have settled our nerves.
One such lapse of concentration early on resulted in the ball going out wide to their winger in the box who duly smashed it hard and low across our goal and into the net. 1-0 Vintage Eagles.
Another long ball into our area and a miscomm between Roger and Sherman and their forward nipped in to poke the ball away and into an unguarded net. 2-0 Vintage. At this point, we looked to be crashing out.
We continued to press and have shown that we are resilent in the cup many times and if we were to progress we needed to show more of the same. A corner kick was scrambled around and their defense failed to clear the ball and it fell to harold who duly volleyed it into the top of the net. 2-1 and our spirits were lifted.
A couple of tough challenges from the opponents who were having a hard time dealing with us now and 2 quick yellow cards for them in quick succession. One for a late challenge on Loy with his standing foot swiped after the ball had gone and another when harold broke free down the left and racing towards goal only to be bundled to the ground by their chasing right back. Things were looking up for us.
We managed to win the ball in midfield and a raking long cross into the opponents box and Yew Boon rose to direct a looping header across and over their keeper into the net! 2-2!
Almost immediately, we let our guard down again and a defensive lapse gave their player a chance to smash one from just outside the box past our diving keeper into the net and we were down 3-2 again.
Second Half
We kicked off the 2nd half with a 4-4-2 formation throwing caution to the win as losing this meant we were out. Our pressure was telling as we won corner after corner. On one such corner, loy sent a inch perfect cross into the near post and Colin nodded it into the net! 3-3 and we were alive again!
It was clearly a case on who wanted the game more now and we had our fair share of chances and hit the bar while the opponents also hit one from a free kick of their own. In almost the last min of the game, colin slipped his marker, turned and shot against the bar and it bounced on the line. It shaped up to be poked in by Jerome who swung his leg and missed the ball totally. A strong challenge came in and they managed to clear the ball and our chance to win the game went abegging.
NB: Note of experience for all future such incidents that happen to all other players - when the ball is one yard out on the line, there is no need to swing your leg to try to smash it in. it is on the line, any easy touch from any part of your body and it will go in. Focus on getting the touch to poke it in with your balls, knee, body, head, toe....trying to smash it in from one yard out? Not necessary and potentially missing the shot.
End of game report
We definitely had the better chances and should have gone on to secure it. However, a draw leaves us undefeated and still in a great permutation of results to be through to the next round as runners up in the group barring some extremely unforseen circumstances. Colin's undefeated cup managerial campaign continues. If we unfortunately get knocked, we go out with our heads held high having not been beaten by anyone and potentially the only one's drawing with the champions.
This week's MOM was a tough decision in which Richard shades it for playing above himself in a unfamilar role and he excelled in keeping their left winger absolute quiet. Congrats Richard for being our week's MOM.
Till next time.
