El Canadon 2nd June

Todays Match report from El Canadon

A veritable goal-feast today at a hot-as-hell El Canador with two hotter-than-hell strikers standing out in particular.

Twelve goals were shared between two attacking teams but don’t anyone think that the goalies were slacking today!

Both the Cat in goals for the Blues and Kevin for the Pinks were individually brilliant , donning the gloves with fine save after fine save to their names. In fact if it hadn’t been for their heroics, we could have had a rugby score by the finish.

The plan was for a 7-a-side game on the bigger El Canadon pitch but with a couple of late call-offs, it was decided to switch to the smaller pitch for a 6-a-side contest.

The teams lined up like this:-

Blues

Cat G/K
Joe
Tomas
Cec
Steve McH
Alan R

Pinks

Kevin G/K
John
Ian
Jim
Adrian
Darren

After the initial sparring, with the main incident being a claim for a Pinks penalty for encroachment against John which wasn’t given, it was the Pinks who made like Josh Taylor and connected with some sucker punches to race into a quickfire three goal lead.

Firstly, Jim fed John for a collected finish then Ian squared for Jim to drive home and next John took an Ian pass, skinned his marker and fired in his second, all in the space of a few minutes.

Ian and John were combining well in midfield creating further chances for their team, as the Pinks dominated so it was a surprise when the Blues, who’d looked punch-drunk at the time, found a way back into the game when Tomas rattled in his own and his team’s first goal of the game.

However, John restored the Pinks’ three goal lead with another “See you later” turn on his marker and another clinical finish to make the score 4-1 for the Pinks.

Both keepers were being tested frequently and neither was found wanting but it was the Blues who kept in the game with another assured finish from Tomas, capitalising on a defensive slip, to shoot home.

It was a ding-dong contest now and Kevin kept his side in the game with a fantastic one-handed save from a Tomas rocket, which was hit so hard, it caused Kevin to injure his thumb from the impact.

In a game of fine goals, the next one definitely took the prize-belt, when Darren waltzed forward and unleashed a howitzer from almost halfway, which crashed in off the post with The Cat only a spectator but the tenacious Blues weren’t out on their feet yet as Joe fed Tomas for another crisp finish to reduce the leeway again, 5-3 to the Pinks.

The Pinks countered yet again with another good goal from John, his fourth and his team’s sixth, but this only spurred the Blues into retaliation and it was that man Tomas who stepped up to deliver a 1-2 punch with two excellent strikes to reduce the Pinks’ advantage to 6-5.

Now it was the Pinks who were on the ropes and it seemed as if Tomas had completed an amazing double hat-trick to draw his side level but he was called back for taking four touches, decision which he and his team-mates sportingly accepted.

Into the last round now with both teams practically punched-out but there was just time for Adrian to deliver the knockout blow when he ran onto Ian’s pass and hit a great drive low into the net despite the Cat’s valiant effort to keep it out.

And that was that, a final score of 7-5 to the Pinks in an enthralling contest.
The game had been played in excellent spirit throughout and both teams are to be complimented on their effort and skill under the blazing sun today in what was a real heavyweight contest of the highest quality.