3 May 2009
Opposition: Porirua Club
Venue: Kura Park, Porirua
Team line up
Bolts (Keeper)
Sam, lurch, Dempster and Josh (defence)
Me, wilson, dribble, aj (mids)
Mark, polly (strikers)
Injured, but present
Casper
Injured and no where to be seen
Lamo
Absent.
Jono
Lee (Lamo's replacement who then went out drinking and couldn't back it up with football the following day and so flouting his and lamo's responsibility to the team)
Sorry for the delay in getting this out, work got in the way.
As what had been forecast as a wet and miserable morning drew upon us it was a cold but clear morning.
The "team" met for pre game brunch, as had been talked about pre season as a weekly go to, and the team had been emailed that week re.
Mark and I ate like champions.
As we arrived at the park we were greeted by a pretty big pitch that apart from its micro undulation was in very good nick. As the team arrived and phones were checked we were not greeted by any word from lamo as to his whereabouts. Whilst he had said he was injured he been boasting about being "passionate" the previous week on the sideline with Casper. Alas perhaps that was a one off Casper.
With two minutes till kick off wilson agreed (perhaps even suggested) we put our kit back in the bag and wear their shambles of a green kit. He'll claim it was because the other team only had 10 shirts and with rolling subs it would slow the game down as they changed shirts coming on and off but the fact of the matter was because of his call all 3 of his school kids had to take their shirts off. Hmmm suspect.
Luckily for me judging from the smell of it the guy whose shirt I got had just finished a couple of pre game smokes. Awesome!!
Due to players unavailability we had 3 new players taking the field for us and two of us taking up new positions.
As the whistle blew the marauders, currently playing under the name justice league kicked off in the Porirua club's kit. All things going to plan one day we can play as the marauders in our new kit.
We kicked off and began as strongly as we have. I'll refer throughout to the notes taken by Casper.
Two minutes into the game dribble shot at was effectively an open goal as the keeper had already managed to injure himself. From memory the shot went along the ground past the right post.
After a quick keeper swap with one of the angriest and most demented people I've ever met becoming keeper it was game on. The ball was controlled well with multiple put throughs being given to mark, polly and myself. It was great to see the ball being given early so there was time and space to use it. At times the formidable marauders front line strike force resembled an anderson sandwich with polly in the middle.
In the 8th minute polly was reunited with his mate from the other team, surprise sex. A free kick came our way which dribble got a bit too much on and pumped over the goal line for a goal kick.
The ball moved freely with well timed and placed passes. There was a relaxed but hungry feel to our play that has not been seen for some time.
Next came a though ball, possibly from sam to me. I took it up the field putting it through to polly. Polly hit the line and then cut back to mark who slotted home to take us 1-0 up.
Casper then notes at the 23rd minute "matt vs #14, handbags on halfway". Special times.
The next run of note came from dribble bursting down the left flank placing a very well weighted cross to me. In an attempt to take the speed off and keep it down I got my head onto it only to see it hit the crossbar. Damn it. (the first of a few to join team crossbar this week).
Then came a put through to me into the box with their lurch between the goal and I. Lurch got a foot onto the ball and in doing so took my feet out. In what capser has called a dubious call a direct penalty was called. After the mental keeper had said all he could to the ref about why it wasn't a penalty up stepped wilson. With the call of lightly does it, don't smash the crap out of it wilson powered the ball into the cross bar (second team cross bar member). The ball dropped back for mark who whilst in position seemingly hadn't given any thought to setting up to shoot as his touch was awful on this occasion.
The remainder of the first half went by with hunger seemingly subsiding and no points of note having been recorded by our scribe.
Second half.
Five minutes in and a solid run straight at their keeper sore a through ball to mark, well it looked like it was to mark, until Aj came silently from now where and got a foot on it. There were claims that the two of them that they knew each other was there and that AJ had called for it. Well from 15m away I didn't hear jack.
Seven minutes later polly was again given a kick and so giving us another free kick. Having learnt from dribbles earlier over spanked kick wilson, now with the wind behind him, put one out wide untouched.
60 minutes in came the first foul throw of the game by one of Wilson's subs, sam. Tough break wilson.
7 minutes later "polly blows chance, too much time, pushes shot high and left".
70th minute their ever angry hand bagger number 14 gets the first card of the game. Sadly only a yellow.
Then came the only fault in the otherwise impenetrable defensive line. Their first half defensive lurch ran up the left flank in an offside position and got the through pass. The call of offside was shouted. Sadly this call was accompanied by the stop and look that has previously given our opponents a goal.
Again on this occasion it cost us a goal.
1-1.
One minute later and another one of them got a yellow card.
Next came a good marauders cross that was fumbled by the keeper. Mark was ready to pounce but had obviously been taking striking advice from Casper as he hit it straight at the keeper. Mark has added something to the team summary in our folder but there are no places for excuses here.
The final ten minutes sore a flurry of chances to us:
85th: Matt gets his massive noggin onto a cross that launches just wide of the goal;
86th: Wilson's shot misses and "unfortunately" for their 1st half mug in goal his hand was ever so slighly crushed by wiilson landing/standing/jumping on/prancing on his hand with his boot. Apparently "he broke my f$%king hand".
87th; sam hits a fantastic strike from about 30 yards out, only to be rejected by the cross bar (third member of team cross bar today);
90th: a now almost set play for dribble from the corner. A curling in corner, which their player on the front post ran out to greet it only for it to curl in behind him. The keeper did bloody well to get a hand to it but it was onwards and upwards for the marauders. 2-1.
The final play of note was a cross from mark to what appeared to be a running fridge freezer unit. The ball just had to much curl on it and beat matty to the line but not enough to go in the goal. Perhaps you could have a chat with dribble as he's now fluked that move two games in a row.
A solid win given we had 3 new players and 2 players in new positions. Contimuing our grip on top of the table, now with one other team.
The brace 6 then ventured back to the Porirua Club for a drink. Expecting to walk in on the scene of once were warriors and have Jake knock Casper and polly out with one look we blindly followed polly's sexual liaison back to their club rooms. What we walked into was likely the result of years worth of dole money being paid over the bar, tab and pokies. Was one of the best club rooms I've ever been to.
In an effort to give back to the community Mark, Matt and I took a collective $50 from the pokies.
Points of note:
1. a very solid showing by the back four but for their one moose;
2. if we could copy and paste the free flowing game we played in the first 30 minutes we would destroy the other team every week;
3. mark and adam you need to find a happy medium between your two styles of play. Mark you do have to call for the ball and can't expect the silent through ball every time, adam whilst text book football is a good way to play some of our most successful moments up front have come from warriors like free flowing movements with uncalled for through balls that our strikers have lapt up;
4. the midfield don't need to hold the ball until they are 30 feet out, refer to first 30 minutes of play;
5. proposition that pre game cross bar challenge be scrapt in place of shooting practice;
6. the multiple second strikes we had that were all so so far off target, polly and mark of note but not only offenders;
7. the great hustle and fight for the ball shown by sam, josh and at times dempster.
8. making the effort, well 6 of us anyway, to go back for a post game beer with the other team;
9. we may have found a new striker pairing, maybe you could be head statician lamo once Casper is over his injury!!
Fines:
Lamo for not attending, having not excused yourself from being the back up statician
Lamo for your replacement pulling out late in the piece
Me: hitting the cross bar with my head
Wilson: ditto but off a dp. (only one fine as your level of disappointment in yourself must be immense)
Dribble: not attending post match (having not already been fined):
Angry, for your work email blocking last week's team banter, deposit can be made to 12-3135-0088453-00 and once cleared I'll buy the lads a drink on your behalf.
dave
WSFL Points/Results "Old League"
P
W
D
L
F
A
+/-
Pts
Arakura
3
3
0
0
15
3
12
9
Justice League
3
3
0
0
12
5
7
9
Sunday Blazers
3
2
1
0
10
3
7
7
Porirua Club
3
2
0
1
8
6
2
6
Tuskan Raiders
3
1
1
1
8
4
4
4
Trentham United
3
0
0
3
6
13
-7
0
Shamrocks
3
0
0
3
2
11
-9
0
Wallaceville United
3
0
0
3
3
16
-13
0
The Marauders Football Club
Wellington
New Zealand
