MEFF #65 – THE NALBANDIAN KICKERS 6 – 4 THE FELTCHERS:
Sicky’s Squad Scores (sponsored by Experian):Fletch’s Team = 8.22, Phil’s Team = 8.22. Draw.
As winter took over and the temperatures plunged into the negatives, the first MEFF of the post-FAECES era saw Phil Gandy’s Nalbandian Kickers continue their battle against Fletch’s Feltchers. Due to the reduced numbers the game was ridiculously open, and both sets of players had to cover a lot of ground, with accurate passing a rarely-seen necessity! An incredibly close first half saw both teams spurn numerous chances as Patto tipped shots from Sicky, Crozier and Phil wide at one end (and watched through his fingers as Pete’s speculative effort sailed miles over the fencing!), while Ash, Luke and Griffiths tried to combine at the other. Fletch, Griff and Patto all tried their luck from range, but at regular intervals both defences went slack and goals were guided home, leaving the score 2-2 at half time. Neil also missed an open goal from half way after dispossessing Patto (although he did use his left foot!)
The Nalbandian Kickers raced into a 5-2 lead inside the first 10 minutes of the second half as poor marking and some incredibly fortunate deflections allowed Griffin’s goal to be plundered. Fletch replaced Griffin in goal and swept well, with Crozier causing the only panic as his attempted chip over Fletch went centimetres wide. Pete made some impressive point-blank saves of his own as Griffiths, Luke and Ash failed to convert excellent chances, before Pete’s goal was finally breached as The Feltchers initiated a mini-fightback with Ash and Fletch leading the way, while Fletch missed an open goal from half way (with his right foot). As the Kickers began to desperately clear their lines and give the ball away too frequently, it looked like an equaliser might be possible, but in the end the Feltchers left it too late, and after their final foray was broken down, Neil made the most of counter-attack in the last minute to put the game to bed.
0-1: Fletch(A sweeping team move ended with Ash squaring to Fletch from the right, and his finish was crashed low beyond Pete)
1-1: Sicky(Patient play by the Kickers finally bore fruit when Crozier combined with Sicky, before the latter beat his man and fired low across Patto into the bottom left corner)
2-1: Phil G(Pete’s threaded pass through the centre was missed by Fletch and Phil popped up behind to guide his shot over Patto’s outstretched toes and in off the post)
2-2: Griffiths(A counter-attack by the Feltchers found Ash on the left, and he squared to the back post where Griffiths fired into the net)
Half Time
3-2: Own Goal(Despite having everyone back, the Feltchers somehow failed to close Sicky, and his speculative shot from the left smacked off Luke’s undercarriage and completely wrong-footed Griffin)
4-2: Sicky(Sicky ran onto a long ball, holding off the challenge of Griffiths, and his toe-poked finish dribbled beyond the already-diving Griffin inside the far post)
5-2: Neil(Sicky’s corner was hit first time by an unmarked Neil, and his shot cannoned off Griffin’s fists into the stanchion and then dribbled along the line before bouncing in off the far post!)
5-3: Ash(Patto and Luke combined down the right, before the latter’s pull-back to Patto was air-kicked but fell kindly to Ash, who walloped his shot beyond Pete)
5-4: Fletch(Griffin’s short corner to Patto was pulled back to Fletch, and he sent a cracking low drive into the bottom left corner from 10 yards)
6-4: Neil(Sicky’s clearance found Neil clear on goal, and although he checked his run (allowing Fletch to recover) he still finished well inside the near post with the last kick of the game)
Men of the Match were Patto, “for pulling off some good first half saves and keeping the Kickers down to 2”, and Neil, “for two composed finishes, good connecting play, and minimal backheels“.
