Benalmadena 20th December

Match report by Rory

Welcome to the last game of the season. Both teams were keen to end the year in style and so set their stalls out accordingly. The reds started out with their customary 4-4-3 formation, with Johan providing an imposing presence in midfield, linking up smoothly with Terry which brought back memories of the Mellberg / Cowans axis at the mighty Villa. The blue tabards meanwhile started off with their favoured back five with Pete providing energy and penetration down the right flank. The blues had Geoff playing as a false number 9 and Graham as a false 10, leading to some confusion about who was playing where.

In keeping with the festive spirit there were Santa hats a plenty on show. However, Breck was forced to remove his hat early into the game when his flapping bobble left him needing a concussion assessment. Fortunately, he was able to continue after a wipe down with the magic sponge.

The initial exchanges were somewhat tentative given what was at stake. Gradually Darren started to break through the blue lines and fired off a number of shots, which definitely would have got him picked for a game with Galway in the Gaelic Football League. Fortunately for the blues, they were blessed with goal keeping riches which in the first period saw Stephen pull off a couple of stunning saves to keep them in the game. The blues were struggling to penetrate the reds defence, with Frank ably managing the back four and picking a few good passes to set attacks in motion.

Keef did another amazing job of refereeing and playing (if you can call it that). The increasingly whistle happy ref was starting to frustrate some of the play, although he was right to clamp down on some of the more enthusiastic running.

Graham and Geoff were gradually forging a strong partnership upfront and starting to cause some problems for the reds’ defence. Against the run of play, Dave ghosted into space on the left and managed to thread a ball through to the predatory Geoff who with fleet of foot, dispatched the ball into the corner of the net. The reds were stunned.

With Kevo playing as an overlapping centre half (a la Sheff Utd 2019/20 season) the reds were unsure who to pick up. A sharp ball into Graham split the reds defence, and despite Frank’s best efforts to take out ball and man, Graham managed to lay it off for Rory to side-foot into the top corner…..sublime!

But the reds weren’t going to roll over and Darren managed to send another 15 shots high into the fencing above the goal. Darren’s efforts (Opta: Most shots without hitting the target) continued to galvanise the reds into action, and Steve became an increasingly dominant presence down the reds’ left flank, taking advantage of the space behind Pete’s surging runs. With the reds channelling a lot of their better moves through Terry in central midfield it would be only a matter of time before they broke through the blues’ back line. Simon was creating havoc in the blues defence with some deft touches with his silky left foot. And sure enough, following some intricate play through the middle the reds found Mick in the centre conjuring up the spirit of Dennis Law and placing it into the corner of the goal. Game on, or was it?

With Kevo dropping into goal, Stephen moved into the heart of the defence in preparation for an onslaught from the reds. Stuart had repelled most of the reds attacks with a fine performance at centre half. Steve was having another impressive game at the left side of blues’ defence (Opta: most interceptions) and the blues looked confident in holding out. However, Keef started to take up more forward positions and unfurled a range of intelligent probing passes into the heart of the blues’ defence. Surely it would only be a matter of time before they cracked. They hadn’t banked on what must have been one of the best goalkeeping displays seen on the hallowed  Polideportivo turf. While the reds continued to pepper the blues’ goal with shots, Kevo rose to the challenge and pulled off a string of excellent saves which kept the blues’ noses in front. Get that man and ice-bath and a physio!

Following an increasingly rare break from the blues, Johan did a full-on Alisson Becker and inexplicably conceded a penalty out of nothing. There was only one person to deal with intense pressure and that was Geoff, who strode manfully forward to kill off the game. But there was another twist as Geoff slotted past the upright. Fortunately, Geoff redeemed himself soon after with a classy lay-off to Rory who drilled the ball into the bottom corner (cue full Ronaldo celebration).

As the reds started to tire, the blues sensed blood and an opportunity to break forward. Dave who had linked well with Peter all game picked out Geoff in the middle who calmly slotted the ball home  from the edge of the box. The spirited reds didn’t let their heads drop and continued to pin the blues back in their search for a consolation. Sure enough their endeavours paid off when Terry was left in too much space on the edge of the box. He calmly picked his spot and side-footed it past the impressive Kevo. A fitting end to what had been a great game.

Final Score: Red Tabards 2-4 Blue Tabards