MEFF #54: CROZIER’S COSSACKS 5 - 0 (UN)PURE GENIUS:
Sicky’s Squad Scores (sponsored by Experian):Kieran’s Team = 8.27, Crozier’s Team = 8.35. Crozier should win by 2 goals.
A battling display from a win-hungry Russian side was too much for the puny Irish leprechauns as Crozier’s Cossacks swept aside Kieran’s (Un)Pure Genius who had clearly drunk too much Guinness. After a fairly even start, the Cossacks started to nose ahead as they snapped into tackles and hit on the break on numerous occasions before finishing their din-dins with aplomb. Fletch and Jack particularly impressed in the centre with battling performances, while Crozier, Phil G, Spence and Daz provided plenty of support in attack and defended strongly. A quiet (Un)Pure Genius lacked ideas and movement, and could only muster a handful of chances as Patto and Ash managed to discharge several long range strikes (which Rowan parried wide) while Aidan hit the bar after a great cross from Ash.
As the second half began, Patto swapped refereeing duties with Brett ‘15th Man’ Tooby, but the fresh legs still couldn’t help (Un)Pure Genius push for their first goal as the Cossacks simply sat back on their ample lead and hit on the break. An incredibly inspired/fluky goal from Spence’s forehead seemed to extinguish any fight that the Geniuses had left as Luke, Griffiths and Ash found themselves outnumbered in attack, and the result seemed bound for Moscow despite a late header from Aidan going narrowly over the bar, while Ash and Goalkeeper Pete both tried their luck from range, with several mazy runs from Kieran also troubling the Russian defence.
1-0: Jack(After a storming run down the left wing, Jack blasted a shot inside Pete’s near post from a ridiculous angle)
2-0: Fletch(On the counter-attack, Jack played a weighted ball through to Fletch who outpaced Patto before beating Pete to the ball and nudging it into the net)
3-0: Daz(Fletch crossed from the right where Daz was on hand to smash the ball into the net)
Half Time
4-0: Spence(Daz’s long clearance found Spence unmarked on the by-line, and despite his call of ‘Fletch!’, his glancing header across goal looped up and over Pete before nestling inside the far post)
5-0: Phil G(A long throw from the right wing ricocheted off both Kieran and Pete before presenting the predatory Phil G with a simple finish)
Men of the Match were Aidan, as he “kept working causing the defence problems”, and Jack, for “superb efforts at both ends of the pitch”.
