After getting the first match of the season out of the way with a win, team morale was back to where it was at the end of last season. Even thou we lost crucial players like Shooter and our BEE contingent Winder who both have been demoted to the 2s this season. Our group of veterans, with the few youngsters to run around, were keen to get game #2 out of the way until the day of the game....
20 April 2013
Venue: Fairmont High School
Opponents: Durbanville
Time: 15h00
So game day arrives. Rusty informs us he is going to be late, Tallis sent a txt to the wrong number so he was also out, Darrin was down to play masters and Kev had coaching duties with the ladies 1s....4 players out. No one was happy to see that. Arrive at the field and while we are warming up we noticed that Youngster was not there. so 9 players and no keeper in 500 degree heat at 15h00. jaws were dropping and the guys were trying to fake injuries to get out of the game.
Good news, just before the start of the game Youngster comes running and kits up in 15seconds and is on the field before the start of the match. So we start with 10 men. Looking at the Durbanville *Allstar* team. Basically their first team from when i was playing at Durbanville many years ago when bright orange was still in fashion.lol. Barrett, Dunn, JB, G Swartz(not to be confused with his younger better brother), Toppers, Romburgh, Mini Cooper. We thought we were in big trouble.
Demon basically playing with his phone strapped to his head trying to convince Gazza to come down. Now let me just say a big thank you to Claire Perry-Munn, we know you were sick in bed and your husband was talking care of you. But we really needed him for that hour. So even after all the excuses that Gazza gave Demon and "he had a big lunch" ; "I am unfit" - Its fine bud...we have 10 players! Gazza hopped in the car and sped down to the astro.
During this time, we had secured our first short corner of the match. Again everyone is shouting to watch the drag flick - Didnt they watch a single game of ours last season? There is no dragflick. I am just an amazing 'fake' drag flicker. The pusher normally pulls out the ball to the stoppers right on purpose because the whole team doesnt want me to flick. Anyway we didnt drag, the ball was slipped to Blake with one oh his famous tap ins. Mutual 1 - 0 Durbanville.
I was just as amazed as everyone else that we went ahead with 10 men. We weren't defending as much as I thought we would be. We were holding our own still being a man down. Pete taking a quick free hit just outside the circle...and yes it was inside the 5 from the circle. The pass going back to Tosser who then smashed it towards the goal with Demon getting a good deflection on it and the ball sailed into the net. Mutual 2 - 0 Durbanville.
*Gazza Arrives* runs straight onto the field and im sure within his first 5 min of being on the field smashed another goal for us. Im sure Gazza was a slight green colour before he took the shot mumbling to himself "Hulk smash". Because that ball flew into the goals, giving the keeper no chance. Mutual 3 - 0 Durbanville.
Gazza only having been on the field for 5 minutes and we were only just adjusting to having a full team again, Caveman comes in from the wrong side and decides to take a stick to the chin. With blood gushing from the massive gash like a Tarantino movie, he was forced to leave the field to have it looked at and then later went of to hospital to have his 8 stitches in....Done worry Cave, chicks dig scars!
Literally out of no where Swartz pulls off a reverse stick shot that sails into the top left corner of the goal. I would tell you more about the build up....but i really have no idea. Being back down to 10men we opted to keep 3 strikers so defenders we half dead and so glad to hear the half time whistle go. In the words of SJ - that felt like we played for 2 hours. Mutual 3 - 1 Durbanville.
There was no half time talk, there was no talking at all. lots of heavy breathing and water being thrown over heads. It seemed the boys were running on empty. We stuck with our formation hoping for the best. But things seem to still go in our favour. Blake with probably his first strike from top D smashed in a 1-timer seeing us add to our lead. Mutual 4 - 1 Durbanville.
During this time Tosser very calmly at the back did his best to waste as much time as possible. Walking to fetch the ball when it went out, asking the ref how much time was left. The rest of the half was a bit of a blur thou, literally everytime we scored, then scored. and it was just a long back and forth battle until the final whistle. I am not sure how the run up to the goal happened, But Durbies got 2 goals back in very quick succession. As the one went in, we bartelyt had time to adjust and we conceded another. Durbies cutting out lead by quite a bit. Mutual 4 - 3 Durbanville.
Really on the back foot now. We really slowed the game down. Some 16s took over a minute from when the ball went out of play to when the 16 was taken. Mutual playing a little bit more defensive with tired legs say a well worked move get to Gazza 'Hulk" Munn who again shouting SMASH HULK SMASH - really gave it to the ball that the Durbies keeper moved out of the way. Later is was told that the sun was in his eyes.....but he say the ball well enough to get the fuck out of the way. Mutual 5 - 3 Durbanville.
hearing the ump say 10 minutes left gave us a will to live, we jumped back into 5 gear and carried on pushing them, realising that i would rather attack than chase around their strikers defending. Mick getting all excited and actually sprinted out of the back into their circle.....I have spoken to Doc and we are either going to put a harness on him attached to a bungee cord or one of those shocking collars that go off when he crosses the half way line.
What happened next seems like it was a once off wonder goal. Next practice we are going to try this 100 times to see if Pete could do this again. Receiving the ball just outside top while on the run and with out stopping and controlling the ball, pulled off a running drag flick burying the ball in the top left corner. Ump signalled 5minutes left. Mutual 6 - 3 Durbanville.
Completely slowing the game down and parking the bus, we seemed to hold them well enough in the dying minutes of the game. A ball was smashed thru and no one was able to stop it except Dunn, who managed to come out of no where and get a mean deflection on the ball and score in the dying minutes. Mutual 6 - 4 Durbanville.
I went onto Twitter and followed the guy for the amazing deflection alone. Was a good game, everyone was broken afterward. Showed great fighting spirit and heart to get thru the game with 10 men. Blake breaking some more recored, the only player to pull his hammy, calves, achilles and apparently his toes in one swift movement, ended up face down on the astro for a minute or two!
Final Score: 6-4
Yours in awesomeness
Tosser
Unfortunately no highlights this week. We are patiently awaiting Doc to sort out these Go-Pro cameras. But once that happens....BOOOM. its gona be awesome.
