MEFF #51 – THE FIGO ‘JUST FOR MEN’ XI 5 – 5 COLONEL GETAFE (COLONEL GETAFE WIN 6-5 ON PENALTIES):
Sicky’s Squad Scores (sponsored by Experian):Spence’s Team = 8.20, Sicky’s Team = 8.40. Sicky should win by 2 goals.
The second game of the MEFF European Cup Elimination Showdown served up a classic match as the Iberian Derby produced the usual thrills and spills. Spence’s greasy Portuguese team, The Figo ‘Just For Men’ XI, had a strong core with flair on the wings, but they were up against the tip-tap master Sicky, and his equally slick team Colonel Getafe. An incredibly close first half saw Steels produce some great reflex saves to deny Getafe on numerous occasions as Patto, Sicky and Phil all came close, whereas Just for Men ‘produced their own luck’ and put away two fortuitous goals to take the lead. Apart from those goals both teams defended stoutly and it looked like being a potentially low-scoring game...
As the second half began, Neil added a third for Figo and it looked like the game may be over, but a stirring comeback (helped by the finishing of Phil Gandy) saw Getafe dominate the ball for much of the second half and they eventually fought back to take the lead. With both teams shattered and the goals suddenly pouring in, Getafe suddenly starting squandering excellent chances while forgetting to defend, and Spence struck to equalise on two occasions (his second goal in the very last minute) as the game went to the first ever MEFF FAECES penalty shoot-out!
After 7 penalties for each team, the score stood at 4-4 (Gandy, Sicky and Daz missing for Getafe and Griff, Crozier and Steels missing for Figo). The shoot-out therefore went to sudden death between the two captains, and it was Sicky who held his nerve to put away two penalties and claim a Quarter Final spot as Spence saw his second powerful kick go straight at the unflinching Rowan’s out-stretched fists and plop over the bar!
1-0: Own Goal(Crozier was allowed far too much time on the edge of the area and his speculative long-range effort took a wild deflection off Sicky’s gut and completely wrong-footed Rowan before landing in the centre of the goal!)
2-0: Neil(Ash’s deflected clearance landed at the feet of Crozier who was suddenly clear on goal – his shot was well-saved by Rowan but Neil was on hand to slip the loose ball home from a tight angle)
Half Time
3-0: Neil(after good build-up play from Figo, a long range effort from Neil eluded Rowan and slipped through his arms and legs as he tried to catch the wet ball)
3-1: Phil G(Daz flicked Patto’s throw into the path of Sicky, who passed across the face of goal to Phil who slammed the ball in off the left upright)
3-2: Patto(a quick counter-attack saw Pete feed a weighted ball into the path of the unmarked Patto, who finished low into the bottom right corner)
3-3: Phil G(a great passing move by Getafe ended with Ash squaring the ball across goal, where Phil was on hand to rifle the ball home off the bar)
3-4: Sicky(Pete’s quick corner was half-volleyed into the far post through a crowd of players by Sicky)
4-4: Spence(Brett’s dinked cross from the right wing was well finished by Spence at the back post)
4-5: Daz(Having held off the attentions of Brett, Patto stabbed the ball through to Daz, who played a one-two with Phil before smashing the ball home from close range)
5-5: Spence(a last minute counter-attack saw Fletch slide in for a cross at the back post, and although his stabbed shot was well-saved by Rowan, the loose ball fell to Spence who passed it into the net through Ash and Patto)
Men of the Match were Steels for “Excellent shot stopping and unfortunate in the penalty shootout. Very close to saving 2 more of the penalties. Special mentions to Fletch and Spence for providing Figo's engine and finishing well at the end respectively!" and Pattofor “holding the ball up well and creating for others to get his team back into it”.
