MEFF #29 – SCZCESNY HAWKES 3 - 2 KIERAN’S KOOL KLUB:
The first MEFF of 2012 (Year of the Sumo) was an incredibly slow affair with snail-speed box-to-box attacks and finishing that made Nicklas Bendtner look good (Neil, Phil and Patto all blazing shots over the fencing on more than one occasion!) After the first ever half of MEFF football without a goal (but a lot of misplaced passes, poor touches and nutmegs on Brett), the game opened up in the second and eventually the pace of Sczcesny Hawkes, who struggled with their final balls throughout the game, eventually paid off as Kieran’s Kool Klub were caught too far up the pitch and saw the space behind them exploited.
Both keepers (Rowan and Sicky) had very little to do in the first half, but later on they were called to make some fine stops, with Rowan denying Phil Parrot, Griffin, Crozier, Kieran and Patto on numerous occasions as he was quickly off his line, while Spence tried his very best to set up everyone with backheels, but their efforts were frequently blocked by Neil and Brett in defence. At the other end Ash, Phil Gandy and Griffiths all tried their luck from range with Sicky smothering the shots, but some generous defending late on allowed them to finally break through and see out the game.
Second Half:
1-0: Patto(Kieran played a quick, simple ball along the ground to Patto, who turned Brett with a nutmeg and slid the ball under the advancing Rowan)
1-1: Own Goal(an atrocious period of defending saw Patto’s wayward volleyed pass wrong-foot Phil, with Griffiths pouncing on the loose ball to see his cross deflected into the net off Sicky’s inner thigh)
1-2:Ash (persistent play from Ash saw his first shot blocked by Sicky, but none of the defenders got close to the loose ball, allowing Ash to simply strike home his second attempt!)
1-3:Brett (counter-attacking at pace, Griffiths released the ball to Brett on the right wing who struck a hard shot inside Sicky’s near post)
2-3:Kieran (an excellent solo goal saw Kieran dribble down the left wing, turning Aidan inside out before scooping a delightful finish over Rowan)
Men of the Match were “the unflustered and nutmegging Captain Scothern, [who] embarrassed [Aidan] with a classy megs-based goal and could’ve easily had more” and Brett, “for realising his limitations and, having realised this, then marshalling a solid defensive effort!”
