CHERRIES…2 v BLACKS …2 Report By H
Yet another excellent turnout at the Polideportivo on a warm and sunny late January morning resulted in two games having to be played.
The slower game or should I say the more correct format of walking football was played under Dutch rules using the smaller hockey goal nets.
In what turned out to be an enthralling evenly matched game in which both keepers carrying slight injuries namely Martyn for the Cherries and Breck for the Blacks were outstanding, both making many fine saves.
As a consequence the first 25 minutes remained goalless until Fish from a tight angle on the right hit a fine shot to put the Blacks in front. A few minutes later, Welsh Steve put the Blacks two up with a somewhat fluky toe prod shot from close range. Then Breck somewhat uncharacteristically playing rush goalie ventured too far up the pitch, new boy Lawrence on debut intercepted a loose ball and hit a lovely through pass to Mike, The Alligator, who somewhat surprisingly for him, allowed the ball to run untouched into the empty net, much to everyone’s amusement and Breck’s embarrassment.
This goal encouraged the Cherries to go for the equaliser and following a flowing passing movement between H and Laurie allowed the latter to square the ball across the goal area for the ‘Alligator’ last weeks hat-trick hero to score a simple goal.
The last ten minutes of the match was somewhat frantic with both teams going toe to toe for the winner before Keef decided to call an end to the match, a draw being a fair result. Glyn another recent newcomer impressed for the Cherries as the game progressed with some excellent passing under Keef’s tutelage.
The players from both teams retired to the bar balcony area and in the warm winter sunshine were treated to a wonderful buffet of scotch eggs, pork pies, sausage rolls and quiches washed down with drinks.
Reds 5 Blacks 3 Report by Rory
Welcome to another morning of top-quality tikka-takka football at the polideportivo. There were enough football enthusiasts to run two well matched games, with Steve Loasby taking the whistle for Game A. The reds welcomed back Olaf (the sausage in the wardrobe)¸ who was able to unveil some classic wing-play wizardry. We were also delighted to welcome new boy Mark who went on to show some confident touches on his big match debut. The blues had a strong spine to their team, with Grimsby Keith in goal, Kevo coaxing the team out from the back and Rory and Johan linking up well in midfield. Eoghan played as false number nine with KDN lurking dangerously in an advanced position on the right.
For the blacks, Dazza started off in goal with Steve deploying his languid style, stroking the ball about elegantly and breaking up the reds’ attacking flow in the final third. Dave was a solid presence at full-back with big Dave providing an imposing presence in midfield, disrupting play and feeding the ever- energetic George who took up some dangerous positions in front of the reds’ goal. Dave the Owl was given a free role and was difficult to pin down as his constant probing sliced through the reds’ defence at will.
While play was initially bogged down in some tight midfield inter-changes, it was the blacks who made the first assaults on the reds’ goal resulting in Keith pulling out some world-class saves, as his goal with peppered with shots. Steve, who was given too much space on the edge of the box fired in a brilliant shot which Keith clawed away from the bottom corner. An even better save was produced when George was brilliantly put through by a long ball out of defence. George effortlessly opened up his body and chipped in what seemed what seemed like a certain goal. The ball had GOAL! written all over it. But somehow Keith arched his back and athletically tipped the ball over the bar. The blacks deserved to be 3 goals up at this point.
Johan was having a blinder in midfield for the reds and created some incisive breaks through the blacks’ lines.
Olaf always provided a good outlet on the right and KDN created space out of nothing in the final third. First blood was drawn when Johan was involved in a neat interchange on the right flank and from an acute angle drilled in a low shot to the far corner. The reds were ahead against the run of play. Like the infamous number 68 bus a brace of goals for the reds quickly followed. The pick of these saw Eoghan being released in the inside right position and in his magic (and colourful) boots, deftly stroking the ball past the stranded Dazza. 3-0 to the reds, which was harsh on the blacks who had played some neat football up to that point.
However, the blacks were soon to reap some reward as the game progressed. Big Dave increasingly took control of midfield with his strong “running” and extraordinarily long legs seemingly intercepting every through ball and cutting off the supply to the reds’ forwards. (Editor: did anyone check what was in his water bottle?). Steve the Owl and Steve the Milk started to dominate the play with some good forward moves. Eventually, big Dave’s strong forward runs paid dividends when he found space on the right of the box and brilliantly drilled the ball into the far corner of the goal. Surely they couldn’t come back from this deficit. With Keith now out of goal he ably demonstrated his outfield prowess and started to help drive the reds forward. However, the blacks continued to dominate this passage of play and Dave moving forward from full-back fired in a thunderbolt which took a cruel deflection off Keith’s head over the despairing Kevo and into the net. With Dazza out of goal for the blacks, this gave them a strong “running” outlet down the left flank. Unfortunately his shooting boots hadn’t been restored, and he was unable to bring his usual threat to the opposition goal.
The blacks kept their noses in front following some sharp passing interplay between Johan, Olaf and Mark, laying the ball on a plate to Rory to fire through a forest of legs past the unsighted Dazza. With big Dave being sustained by whatever was in his drinks bottle, they continued their fine play which led to the inevitable riposte and a great strike from big Dave following some nice passing from Dave and great forward hold up play by George. Reds 4-3 blacks. With Steve Loasby allowing the game to flow from end to end, it was anyone’s game.
Steve the Owl’s trickery was increasingly putting the reds’ defence under pressure, but Kevo’s assured presence at sweeper kept the reds in the game. The blacks suffered a blow when Dave suffered another hamstring knack and had to hobble carefully off the pitch. This left the blacks threadbare at the back and Eoghan (and his colourful boots) took full advantage by latching on to a defence splitting ball and laying on a plate for Rory to make it reds 5-3 blacks. A result which was a tad harsh on the blacks who had kept going to the end and deserved more. Well played lads, and a big shout out to Steve Loasby for some great refereeing.
