Preparations for the away game with St Peters were thrown into chaos as someone (who will remain nameless) read the mail incorrectly and thought we were to meet at 9:10am not 8:50am. Fortunately we were able to phone Kristjan and hurry the whole thing along. Disaster averted.
RED team arrived to find Meggetland looking splendid in the September sun. The pitch looked a little tight but plenty of nice grass and with games already raging all around it looked like a great place for a match. The St Peters squad looked huge, probably about 45 players, or maybe a few less but they seemed to have more than enough for a 7-a-side game.
RED team started with Danny in goals - wearing the brand new Sciennes goalie strip (woo-hoo!), Ollie at the back, Jack sitting in front of Ollie, Hector, Ali The Goalie and Kjartan in midfield with Struan lurking around as the striker. Eyvindur and Alex started on the bench.
Kick-off and the RED team were straight up the field. Kjartan fed the ball to Struan, who danced round a couple of defenders and smashed the ball into the net. Nice start. 1-0 RED.
A minute later the ball is back in the St Peters box, a nice turn from Struan sets up Ali who had his shot well saved by the goalie. "This could get interesting..." we thought. 30 seconds later Struan collects on the edge of the area, shoots, great save from the goalie but Kjartan follows up to tap the ball into the net. Super cool finish. 2-0 RED.
This is a whirlwind start but suddenly St Peters cross the halfway line but Danny is out to the edge of the area to pick the ball up. Phew. A quick break upfield sees Ali fire in another shot that is saved. The RED team retreat, the goalie feeds the ball to the defender but he makes the mistake of trying to dribble out. Struan tackles him then calmly rolls the ball past the goalie to make it three! 3-0 RED.
By now the RED team are itching to be involved. Subs roll on and off. Jack has a great break from deep in midfield, exchanges passes with Ali The Goalie (playing in midfield despite the nickname) and fires in a great shot that is saved once again by the excellent St Peters goalie.
Next is was Eyvindur and Alex who combined to then set up Kjartan with a great shot from the edge of the box that crashes in off the post! 4-0 RED.
Danny is out of goals now and Ali The Goalie is in goals. Danny spreads the ball out wide, Struan and Eyvindur play a 1-2, Struan crosses and Hector smashes the ball home. That is the second time this Struan-Hector combination has scored in last couple of weeks! 5-0 RED.
By now the bumper St Peters squad has come into play and the RED team were finding it harder to find their way through midfield against 9 players. Jack found a way though and his excellent shot from the edge of the box gave the keeper no chance. 6-0 RED.
More reinforcements arrive but Alex was coming into his own now in the packed midfield. His ability to ride tackles and keep the ball was proving to be very useful. A quick pass out wide to Kjartan set him off down the wing, the cross was excellent and Jack smashed the ball home. 7-0 RED.
Time for more changes to the formation. Hector, much to his surprise volunteered to go in goals. That new top was proving to be quite a hit! Pity the ref blew for half time before the gloves were properly on!
Half time 7-0 RED.
Wow, some performance from the whole RED squad. Everyone playing their part and taking their chances in front of goal. time for a few more experiments. The second half started with Hector in goals, Jack at the back on his hown, Kjartan as the sitting midfield player, Struan on the right, Ali in the middle, Danny on the left and Ollie as the striker. Yes, the same Ollie that fainted a couple of weeks ago when he found himself in the opposition box with the ball at his feet!
St Peters had a few players on the pitch now and smooth passing was beginning to get tricky. A nice break from Struan down the right resulted in a great cross into the box which Ollie (yes the same Ollie etc., etc.) dispatched with ease. Ollie scored. 8-0 RED.
Struan in goals now. Then Ollie. Was Kjartan in too? Can't recall. Great midfield play from Eyvindur released Danny, who returned the ball to Eyvindur who finished well from close range. 9-0 RED.
Alex in goals now. By now St Peters had their entire squad on the pitch - around 45 players I'd guess - and it was tricky to see the RED team. A final last minute effort from St Peters saw the RED defence troubled for the first time. A fully fledged, genuine, all in stramash developed in the box with flashes of Sciennes yellow goalie top being seen flying around. The ball is cleared. The ball if hoofed back. The goalie blocks. The ball is force forward again. Struan clears it off the line. Shot. Ali blocks it. Shot. Alex flings himself at it. Shot again. Struan clears again. Finally with Alex flying across and knocking Ali into tomorrow in an attempt to keep the ball out the St Peters 45 fly off in celebration as the ball is forced home. 9-1 RED.
The ref, who previously thought he had seen it all, shook his head as he blew for full time. 9-1 RED. What a performance. Both teams deserve credit for the way they kept going and well done to St Peters for grabbing that goal at the end and having one of the best celebrations seen since those Icelandic fishing celebrations!
RED squad : Danny, Ollie, Jack, Hector, Ali, Kjartan, Eyvindur, Struan and Alex.
Monday 27 September 2010
Monday 20 September 2010
MATCH REPORT : BLUE away to Oxgangs, 18th September 2010
Blues impressive early season form continued with a convincing away win to Oxgangs. Our reporter Richard takes up the story...
Blue Team lined with a couple of changes from previous week with Joe and Roddy away and Freddie making his debut. Game kicked off amid chilly conditions despite the sunshine. Blues quickly picked up from where they left off at double hedges with a nerve calming early goal. Murdo played a great ball into space which Hamish latched onto on the right wing. Hamish fired in a lovely cross which the Oxgangs goalie fumbled under pressure and Alex pounced on the loose ball to put blues into the lead. 0-1 BLUE
Blues carried the game to Oxgangs and had a number of other chances. Jude shooting wide, Hamish just missed with a header. The second goal was worth waiting for with the ball breaking to Alex on the left hand edge of the area. His shot found the postage stamp giving the goalie no chance. 0-2 BLUE.
Oxgangs responded but couldn't find anyway past the defence and with Robert and Sam coping with their infrequent forays into the blue half. After one such attack a great counter led to the third blue goal. Alex played the ball to Jude who then passed to Hamish and then continued his run. Hamish returned the ball to Jude who finished coolly. 0-3 BLUE.
At this point in a serious blow mid-field dynamo Murdo had to leave the action due to injury with Freddie replacing him. With only eight players on the day Blues couldn't afford any more casualties.
Next goal was from Hamish after being found from a clever pass by Robert. 0-4 BLUE.
Oxgangs scored just before half time to give them a little encouragement. 1-4 BLUE.
Hamish still had time to bag his second after a throw in from Alex to see the blues going in 1-5 up at half-time.
Half-time team talk was more of the same please. Coll, who had mainly been a spectator in goal, swapped with Freddie.
Second half kicked off and Oxgangs had obviously had the hair dryer treatment as they looked much more purposeful. Freddie was almost immediatley called upon to make a save. Despite their better start Oxgangs went further behind. A good ball from Coll released Hamish. Hamish was bearing in on goal and looked certain to score when his legs were taken from him pretty cynically. Jude stepped up and banged home the pen. 1-6 BLUE.
Oxgangs continued to make a go of it though and started to apply a bit of pressure. For a period blues looked a little shaky. Oxgangs looked certain to score but hit the post and then another shot went narrowlly over the bar. Eventually the pressure told and a ball over the top caught Blues napping. Oxgang forward finished well giving Freddie no chance. 2-6 BLUE
Blues responded immediately and Alex and Hamish combined allowing Hamish to complete his hat-trick. 2-7 BLUE
At this point Blues thought the game was all over and collectively started contemplating what they might like for lunch. Their tea was almost out though as Oxgangs suddenly made a stirring come back and scored two quick goals in succession. 4-7 BLUE
Then to the Blue coaches horror a controversial penalty was awarded against them. It it goes to 7-5 blues could be in for a very rocky last five minutes. However, Oxgangs answer to Chris Waddle (circa 1990) stepped up and puts the ball into the 'stratosphere' (one for the Ed!).
The Blues regain their composure and close out the final few minutes. Freddie make one terrific save from a powerful drive . Final name on the scoresheet is Jude who is put through and rounds the keeper to make the final score 4-8 BLUE.
Another good display with some really excellent passing moves and movement. A slight loss in concentration in the second half but other than that a really good performance from everyone. Tricky test against St Peters coming up but I think we can do well. Well done the boys!
Blue Team lined with a couple of changes from previous week with Joe and Roddy away and Freddie making his debut. Game kicked off amid chilly conditions despite the sunshine. Blues quickly picked up from where they left off at double hedges with a nerve calming early goal. Murdo played a great ball into space which Hamish latched onto on the right wing. Hamish fired in a lovely cross which the Oxgangs goalie fumbled under pressure and Alex pounced on the loose ball to put blues into the lead. 0-1 BLUE
Blues carried the game to Oxgangs and had a number of other chances. Jude shooting wide, Hamish just missed with a header. The second goal was worth waiting for with the ball breaking to Alex on the left hand edge of the area. His shot found the postage stamp giving the goalie no chance. 0-2 BLUE.
Oxgangs responded but couldn't find anyway past the defence and with Robert and Sam coping with their infrequent forays into the blue half. After one such attack a great counter led to the third blue goal. Alex played the ball to Jude who then passed to Hamish and then continued his run. Hamish returned the ball to Jude who finished coolly. 0-3 BLUE.
At this point in a serious blow mid-field dynamo Murdo had to leave the action due to injury with Freddie replacing him. With only eight players on the day Blues couldn't afford any more casualties.
Next goal was from Hamish after being found from a clever pass by Robert. 0-4 BLUE.
Oxgangs scored just before half time to give them a little encouragement. 1-4 BLUE.
Hamish still had time to bag his second after a throw in from Alex to see the blues going in 1-5 up at half-time.
Half-time team talk was more of the same please. Coll, who had mainly been a spectator in goal, swapped with Freddie.
Second half kicked off and Oxgangs had obviously had the hair dryer treatment as they looked much more purposeful. Freddie was almost immediatley called upon to make a save. Despite their better start Oxgangs went further behind. A good ball from Coll released Hamish. Hamish was bearing in on goal and looked certain to score when his legs were taken from him pretty cynically. Jude stepped up and banged home the pen. 1-6 BLUE.
Oxgangs continued to make a go of it though and started to apply a bit of pressure. For a period blues looked a little shaky. Oxgangs looked certain to score but hit the post and then another shot went narrowlly over the bar. Eventually the pressure told and a ball over the top caught Blues napping. Oxgang forward finished well giving Freddie no chance. 2-6 BLUE
Blues responded immediately and Alex and Hamish combined allowing Hamish to complete his hat-trick. 2-7 BLUE
At this point Blues thought the game was all over and collectively started contemplating what they might like for lunch. Their tea was almost out though as Oxgangs suddenly made a stirring come back and scored two quick goals in succession. 4-7 BLUE
Then to the Blue coaches horror a controversial penalty was awarded against them. It it goes to 7-5 blues could be in for a very rocky last five minutes. However, Oxgangs answer to Chris Waddle (circa 1990) stepped up and puts the ball into the 'stratosphere' (one for the Ed!).
The Blues regain their composure and close out the final few minutes. Freddie make one terrific save from a powerful drive . Final name on the scoresheet is Jude who is put through and rounds the keeper to make the final score 4-8 BLUE.
Another good display with some really excellent passing moves and movement. A slight loss in concentration in the second half but other than that a really good performance from everyone. Tricky test against St Peters coming up but I think we can do well. Well done the boys!
MATCH REPORT : RED at home to St Peter's Primary, 18th September 2010...
On Saturday the RED team welcomed the mighty St Peter's Blue team (and their frankly enormous travelling support) to The Meadows Stadium. As ever, the Saturday morning weather was kind and the pitch eventually looked like it could be used for football (one or two issues on Saturday with 'missing' kit, the culprits will be found and dealt with). The game when it started was simply brilliant.
The RED team looked good during the brief warm up. Some nice crisp passing and some excellent goalkeeping from Danny. Surely there would be no first half disaster?
Danny started out in goals, Ollie at the back with Jack sweeping things up in a new role as the sitting-holding-sweeping-in-front-of-the-defence midfield player. Kjartan started in the middle of midfield, Struan on the right and Eyvindur on the left. Ali The Goalie was the striker and Alex A started on the bench but was soon involved.
In the opening few minutes The Mighty St Peter's Primary swarmed forward but the RED defence stayed firm. Jack was relishing his new role, constantly detecting trouble, intercepting and then bringing the ball out from the back. Appears that we have found a solution to our trouble getting the ball up field in a controlled manner.
Struan was playing well on the right, keeping the dangerous MStPP left midfield player very quiet. Kjartan was working really hard, tracking back to help his defence. Eyvindur was as busy as ever, looking to help Ali at every opportunity. Ali had a tough afternoon up front being marked very tightly by the two best defenders we have faced. I'd say that they were the second best defensive pair in the league - the RED defence are obviously the best, no matter who is playing there!
At the back Ollie was in fine form, snuffing out any danger and playing the ball to Jack or other midfield players or sensibly taking no chances and playing the ball out. Danny was in excellent form and had a couple of excellent early saves. Alex came on during the first half and was in great form. He was given a specific marking job which really suits his style of play. The MStPP number 6 went from being the most dangerous player on the field to being the quietest (from a footballing point of view, vocally he still had a few things to say!).
As the game raged from end to end it was obvious that a single goal could win this. As the first half neared completion some excellent play for Kjartan and Struan resulted in Alex getting the ball on the edge of the box. A nice trick from Alex and he had broken through the massed defence and smashed the ball off the post. Oh, so, so, so close. HALF TIME 0-0.
So far so good. The MStPP are always very impressive and play some excellent football. Both team were having to work extremely hard to keep the other team at bay. Would anyone manage to break through? Would we have a 0-0? Could anyone break the deadlock?
Second half started with Ali The Goalie starting in goals, Ollie as the sole defender, Jack sweeping behind the midfield, Danny at centre mid, Kjartan on the right, Eyvindur on the left and Struan up front. Alex, still recovering from his first half thunderbolt started on the bench.
The game was becoming slightly more stretched now with gaps beginning to appear in both midfields. Danny was supporting Struan at every opportunity and on a number of occasions either he or Struan were one touch away from breaking free. The MStPP defence was proving to be hard to break down and they somehow always found a touch or a flick to keep the REDs out.
RED pressure was building though and if anything the RED coaching team were feeling more confident of scoring than conceding. Suddenly the MStPP broke up field. The RED midfield were caught out and as more MStPP players broke forward Ollie and Jack were outnumbered. As they struggled to cope with the onslaught the ball broke to the back post where an unmarked St Peters striker left Ali The Goalie with no chance. 0-1 The MStPP.
So cruel. RED faces looked a little disappointed. The RED spirit is too strong to let a single goal put them off. As the RED team swarmed forward in search of the equaliser another MStPP break left the RED defence in trouble. Ali saved superbly from the striker but the ball broke free, Ollie half blocked the rebound but the ball broke free and as Ali threw himself onto the ball the St Peter's midfield player poked the ball over the line. 0-2 MStPP.
Very cruel. The RED faces looked red and very disappointed. However, if there is one thing that the RED team have then it is outstanding team spirit. The midfield suddenly doubled their efforts. Alex was everywhere, tackling like crazy. Eyvindur was full of energy and looking dangerous. Danny was full of running and Kjartan finding team mates with some excellent passing. The MStPP were not finish though and swarmed forward again. However the RED midfield tracked back and picked up their opposite numnbers and broke free with the ball. Eyvindur found Danny with a short pass and suddenly it was Danny and Struan crossing the half way line with only one St Peter defender in sight - "...not so mighty now we thought...". Unfortunately it was their best defender!
Danny flew off down the right. The St Peters defender, we should call him Callum because that is his name, retreated not sure if he should tackle Danny or mark Struan. Somehow he managed to cover then both at the same time! He forced Danny to make a decision - pass to Struan or shoot? With advice raining down on Danny he shaped to shoot, but then dinked the ball up and over Callum perfectly into Struan's path. Struan followed the ball and as it dropped over Callum's head he volleyed it with his right foot into the top corner. Wow. 1-2 MStPP.
Goal. Of. The Season.
Inspired by this brilliance the entire RED team became, er, inspired. Jack was causing the MStPP midfield no end of trouble. His distribution was excellent and his covering back was simply brilliant. Even Ollie was pushing up as the RED team tried for the equaliser. RED forced a series of corners that caused the MStPP team real trouble. First a short corner from Kjartan to Danny caused mayhem in the box. Next a fired cross from Danny flew across the box and Kjartan just failed to meet the ball. Next another short corner resulted in Danny smashing the ball near post where the goalie made an excellent save. The pressure was building.
Another corner was whacked clear and the RED team found themselved stranded up field. The MStPP midfield broke forward and the RED midfield looked tired. Ollie and Jack did their best but being out numbered meant that the MStPP took the chance to end the contest with an excellent finish from the breaking midfield player. 1-3 MStPP.
Shame. Just as we thought it was going to be 2-2 the RED team found themselves 1-3. Game over. Or was it? Once again the RED team took hold in midfield and swarmed forward. Struan slipped past a couple of defenders and fired in a shot that was well saved. Eyvindur had a tiny chance from the edge of the box that he did well to test the goalkeeper with. Danny had a couple of rockets blocked. Kjartan and Jack spread play brilliantly. Alex battled to win control of the ball and always looked strong in posession. Another bout of RED pressure forced another series of corners. The first was fired dangerously by Danny across the area but missed everyone. The second was floated over and Struan collected the ball on the edge of the box, slipped inside two defenders and fired the ball home. 2-3 St Peter's.
Yahoo!
With only minutes to go the game really stretched as REDs tried to force an equaliser. Ali has two superb saves as the RED team abandoned defence in favour of all out attack. Some outstanding MStPP defending saw shots from Danny, Kjartan, Jack and Struan all being blocked. Alex forced his way through a packed midfield but was denied by a last ditch tackle from that Calllum bloke.
Finally the ref blew for full time as the exhausted RED team tried to mount one final attack. FINAL SCORE 2-3 to the MStPP.
What a game! The signs at half time were that one goal would win it - this was true but you really couldn't imagine that there would have been 5 goals in the second half. It was one of the best games RED team have been involved in with both team contributing to a very entertaining match. Both sets of supporters when home happy with their teams.
Well played to the entire RED squad - Ali, Ollie, Jack, Danny, Alex, Kjartan, Eyvindur and Struan.
The RED team looked good during the brief warm up. Some nice crisp passing and some excellent goalkeeping from Danny. Surely there would be no first half disaster?
Danny started out in goals, Ollie at the back with Jack sweeping things up in a new role as the sitting-holding-sweeping-in-front-of-the-defence midfield player. Kjartan started in the middle of midfield, Struan on the right and Eyvindur on the left. Ali The Goalie was the striker and Alex A started on the bench but was soon involved.
In the opening few minutes The Mighty St Peter's Primary swarmed forward but the RED defence stayed firm. Jack was relishing his new role, constantly detecting trouble, intercepting and then bringing the ball out from the back. Appears that we have found a solution to our trouble getting the ball up field in a controlled manner.
Struan was playing well on the right, keeping the dangerous MStPP left midfield player very quiet. Kjartan was working really hard, tracking back to help his defence. Eyvindur was as busy as ever, looking to help Ali at every opportunity. Ali had a tough afternoon up front being marked very tightly by the two best defenders we have faced. I'd say that they were the second best defensive pair in the league - the RED defence are obviously the best, no matter who is playing there!
At the back Ollie was in fine form, snuffing out any danger and playing the ball to Jack or other midfield players or sensibly taking no chances and playing the ball out. Danny was in excellent form and had a couple of excellent early saves. Alex came on during the first half and was in great form. He was given a specific marking job which really suits his style of play. The MStPP number 6 went from being the most dangerous player on the field to being the quietest (from a footballing point of view, vocally he still had a few things to say!).
As the game raged from end to end it was obvious that a single goal could win this. As the first half neared completion some excellent play for Kjartan and Struan resulted in Alex getting the ball on the edge of the box. A nice trick from Alex and he had broken through the massed defence and smashed the ball off the post. Oh, so, so, so close. HALF TIME 0-0.
So far so good. The MStPP are always very impressive and play some excellent football. Both team were having to work extremely hard to keep the other team at bay. Would anyone manage to break through? Would we have a 0-0? Could anyone break the deadlock?
Second half started with Ali The Goalie starting in goals, Ollie as the sole defender, Jack sweeping behind the midfield, Danny at centre mid, Kjartan on the right, Eyvindur on the left and Struan up front. Alex, still recovering from his first half thunderbolt started on the bench.
The game was becoming slightly more stretched now with gaps beginning to appear in both midfields. Danny was supporting Struan at every opportunity and on a number of occasions either he or Struan were one touch away from breaking free. The MStPP defence was proving to be hard to break down and they somehow always found a touch or a flick to keep the REDs out.
RED pressure was building though and if anything the RED coaching team were feeling more confident of scoring than conceding. Suddenly the MStPP broke up field. The RED midfield were caught out and as more MStPP players broke forward Ollie and Jack were outnumbered. As they struggled to cope with the onslaught the ball broke to the back post where an unmarked St Peters striker left Ali The Goalie with no chance. 0-1 The MStPP.
So cruel. RED faces looked a little disappointed. The RED spirit is too strong to let a single goal put them off. As the RED team swarmed forward in search of the equaliser another MStPP break left the RED defence in trouble. Ali saved superbly from the striker but the ball broke free, Ollie half blocked the rebound but the ball broke free and as Ali threw himself onto the ball the St Peter's midfield player poked the ball over the line. 0-2 MStPP.
Very cruel. The RED faces looked red and very disappointed. However, if there is one thing that the RED team have then it is outstanding team spirit. The midfield suddenly doubled their efforts. Alex was everywhere, tackling like crazy. Eyvindur was full of energy and looking dangerous. Danny was full of running and Kjartan finding team mates with some excellent passing. The MStPP were not finish though and swarmed forward again. However the RED midfield tracked back and picked up their opposite numnbers and broke free with the ball. Eyvindur found Danny with a short pass and suddenly it was Danny and Struan crossing the half way line with only one St Peter defender in sight - "...not so mighty now we thought...". Unfortunately it was their best defender!
Danny flew off down the right. The St Peters defender, we should call him Callum because that is his name, retreated not sure if he should tackle Danny or mark Struan. Somehow he managed to cover then both at the same time! He forced Danny to make a decision - pass to Struan or shoot? With advice raining down on Danny he shaped to shoot, but then dinked the ball up and over Callum perfectly into Struan's path. Struan followed the ball and as it dropped over Callum's head he volleyed it with his right foot into the top corner. Wow. 1-2 MStPP.
Goal. Of. The Season.
Inspired by this brilliance the entire RED team became, er, inspired. Jack was causing the MStPP midfield no end of trouble. His distribution was excellent and his covering back was simply brilliant. Even Ollie was pushing up as the RED team tried for the equaliser. RED forced a series of corners that caused the MStPP team real trouble. First a short corner from Kjartan to Danny caused mayhem in the box. Next a fired cross from Danny flew across the box and Kjartan just failed to meet the ball. Next another short corner resulted in Danny smashing the ball near post where the goalie made an excellent save. The pressure was building.
Another corner was whacked clear and the RED team found themselved stranded up field. The MStPP midfield broke forward and the RED midfield looked tired. Ollie and Jack did their best but being out numbered meant that the MStPP took the chance to end the contest with an excellent finish from the breaking midfield player. 1-3 MStPP.
Shame. Just as we thought it was going to be 2-2 the RED team found themselves 1-3. Game over. Or was it? Once again the RED team took hold in midfield and swarmed forward. Struan slipped past a couple of defenders and fired in a shot that was well saved. Eyvindur had a tiny chance from the edge of the box that he did well to test the goalkeeper with. Danny had a couple of rockets blocked. Kjartan and Jack spread play brilliantly. Alex battled to win control of the ball and always looked strong in posession. Another bout of RED pressure forced another series of corners. The first was fired dangerously by Danny across the area but missed everyone. The second was floated over and Struan collected the ball on the edge of the box, slipped inside two defenders and fired the ball home. 2-3 St Peter's.
Yahoo!
With only minutes to go the game really stretched as REDs tried to force an equaliser. Ali has two superb saves as the RED team abandoned defence in favour of all out attack. Some outstanding MStPP defending saw shots from Danny, Kjartan, Jack and Struan all being blocked. Alex forced his way through a packed midfield but was denied by a last ditch tackle from that Calllum bloke.
Finally the ref blew for full time as the exhausted RED team tried to mount one final attack. FINAL SCORE 2-3 to the MStPP.
What a game! The signs at half time were that one goal would win it - this was true but you really couldn't imagine that there would have been 5 goals in the second half. It was one of the best games RED team have been involved in with both team contributing to a very entertaining match. Both sets of supporters when home happy with their teams.
Well played to the entire RED squad - Ali, Ollie, Jack, Danny, Alex, Kjartan, Eyvindur and Struan.
Monday 13 September 2010
MATCH REPORT : RED home to Oxgangs, 11 September 2010...
First home game of the season and someone called Tae-kwon Doegrading caused a RED team shuffle. The first half looked okay though - Ali the Goalie started in goals, Ollie and Jack patrolling around at the back, Kjartan, Danny, Eyvindur in midfield, Struan as the striker and Hector as the sub.
Oxgangs looked pretty good in the early stages. Red team started slowly but Jack and Ollie were solid. Struan had an early shot well saved by hte Oxgangs goalie but a quick break from Oxgangs looked like danger - but Jack tracked back brilliantly and snuffed out the danger.
Some neat work from Kjartan and Eyvindur set Struan free. A cracking shot followed but it was too close to the goalie who saved well. A nice period of play from Red though and they were starting to take control of the game.
Hector came on and was immediately very industrious. A fine pass from Eyvindur setup Struan again who had his shot blocked. Your correspondent then turned to his sub to impart some excellent tactical instruction only for Danny to wheel away on the pitch celebrating! Turns out Struan's shot was saved, then another attempt was parried and finally Danny sorted things out by smashing the rebound past the goalie. 1-0 RED.
Yahoo. Much better start than last week. Lots and lots of effort from everyone and lots of great tracking back to snuff out danger. Some nice play in midfield from Kjartan released Struan out wide. He took on the left back and made it to the by-line before firing in a great cross. Before you could say "Ach, who is that too?" Hector arrived at the back post and smashed the ball home. What a superb goal - nice midfield play, a great cross and a superb run off the ball from Hector and a great finish. 2-0 RED.
Comedy moment followed. Struan was substituted, Ollie replacing him. "Just go upfront for the last few minutes before half time...". Ollie tripped over himself "Upfront?!" he screamed. "You'll be fine..." we tried to reassure him. Moment later the ball breaks to Ollie, who was frankly wandering around upfront in a daze. The ball is fired into him, no-one around but the Oxgangs goalie. Ollie composes himself and very unselfishly lays the ball off to an imaginary right winger when others may actually have shot. "Ok Ollie, just drop back into any other position you want...". "Phew, thanks" came the cheerie reply.
The first half finished with Ollie slotting back into the heart of defence. 2-0 RED.
Second half we had a real change around. Ollie took over in goals, still chuckling about his time as a striker. Kjartan and Eyvindur in defence, Jack, Danny and Struan in midfield and Ali as the striker. Hector finished the first half puffing away so dropped down to the bench for the start of the second half. This new formation started nicely but a quick break from Oxgangs caught the defence pushing up a little too much and the Oxgangs striekr left Ollie with no chance. 2-1 RED.
A nice dribble from Struan released Ali who put in a great cross for Danny who fired the ball just over. So close. Hector and Eyvindur were playing well, bringing the ball out through midfield. Kjartan was enjoying having a little more time on the ball and played some excellent passes through midfield. Jack was having a great time in midfield, breaking forward at every opportunity and tracking back really well.
Some fast breaks from Oxgangs allowed Ollie to demonstrate his excellent positioning and judgement. He was happy to leave anything that obviously wasn't going in and decided to catch things as they rebound off the post or bar. Great strategy. On one memorable occassion an almighty, thunderous shot from the midfield giant whizzed past him and thudded off the bar, bounced down, hit Ollie, rebounded onto the post, was scrambled onto the post again before Ollie calmed everyone down by picking the ball up. Great entertainment for everyone.
Ali dropped into midfield and started to see more of the ball. Some excellent play from Kjartan fed the ball through to Ali who turned and started to gallop forward. "Pass" we shout. "Wide" we yelled. Ali skipped past a couple of Oxgang midfielders. "Out wide" we screamed. Ali looked up and smashed the ball into the net from 25 yards. "Shoot..." we suggested part way through the celebrations. Superb goal. 3-1 RED.
Eyvindur and Kjartan were looking good at the back and playing their way out of trouble. A lucky blocked clearance fell to the Oxgangs striker who left Ollie with no chance. 3-2 RED.
Uh-oh. Two minutes to go. Oxgangs grab the ball in midfield and unleash another thunderous shot. Ollie watches happily as the ball sails over him and thuds against the bar, before catching the rebound. Very cool. Great distribution from Ollie to Kjartan, Kjartan finds Hector, who plays in Danny, who passes to Struan and a snap shot is saved by the Oxgangs goalie. Oh, so close to a great finish just as the ref blows for full time. 3-2 RED.
Great performance, with a few more chances taken in either half it would have been a convincing win, but Oxgangs showed some great touches and forced the game into an exciting finish.
Oxgangs looked pretty good in the early stages. Red team started slowly but Jack and Ollie were solid. Struan had an early shot well saved by hte Oxgangs goalie but a quick break from Oxgangs looked like danger - but Jack tracked back brilliantly and snuffed out the danger.
Some neat work from Kjartan and Eyvindur set Struan free. A cracking shot followed but it was too close to the goalie who saved well. A nice period of play from Red though and they were starting to take control of the game.
Hector came on and was immediately very industrious. A fine pass from Eyvindur setup Struan again who had his shot blocked. Your correspondent then turned to his sub to impart some excellent tactical instruction only for Danny to wheel away on the pitch celebrating! Turns out Struan's shot was saved, then another attempt was parried and finally Danny sorted things out by smashing the rebound past the goalie. 1-0 RED.
Yahoo. Much better start than last week. Lots and lots of effort from everyone and lots of great tracking back to snuff out danger. Some nice play in midfield from Kjartan released Struan out wide. He took on the left back and made it to the by-line before firing in a great cross. Before you could say "Ach, who is that too?" Hector arrived at the back post and smashed the ball home. What a superb goal - nice midfield play, a great cross and a superb run off the ball from Hector and a great finish. 2-0 RED.
Comedy moment followed. Struan was substituted, Ollie replacing him. "Just go upfront for the last few minutes before half time...". Ollie tripped over himself "Upfront?!" he screamed. "You'll be fine..." we tried to reassure him. Moment later the ball breaks to Ollie, who was frankly wandering around upfront in a daze. The ball is fired into him, no-one around but the Oxgangs goalie. Ollie composes himself and very unselfishly lays the ball off to an imaginary right winger when others may actually have shot. "Ok Ollie, just drop back into any other position you want...". "Phew, thanks" came the cheerie reply.
The first half finished with Ollie slotting back into the heart of defence. 2-0 RED.
Second half we had a real change around. Ollie took over in goals, still chuckling about his time as a striker. Kjartan and Eyvindur in defence, Jack, Danny and Struan in midfield and Ali as the striker. Hector finished the first half puffing away so dropped down to the bench for the start of the second half. This new formation started nicely but a quick break from Oxgangs caught the defence pushing up a little too much and the Oxgangs striekr left Ollie with no chance. 2-1 RED.
A nice dribble from Struan released Ali who put in a great cross for Danny who fired the ball just over. So close. Hector and Eyvindur were playing well, bringing the ball out through midfield. Kjartan was enjoying having a little more time on the ball and played some excellent passes through midfield. Jack was having a great time in midfield, breaking forward at every opportunity and tracking back really well.
Some fast breaks from Oxgangs allowed Ollie to demonstrate his excellent positioning and judgement. He was happy to leave anything that obviously wasn't going in and decided to catch things as they rebound off the post or bar. Great strategy. On one memorable occassion an almighty, thunderous shot from the midfield giant whizzed past him and thudded off the bar, bounced down, hit Ollie, rebounded onto the post, was scrambled onto the post again before Ollie calmed everyone down by picking the ball up. Great entertainment for everyone.
Ali dropped into midfield and started to see more of the ball. Some excellent play from Kjartan fed the ball through to Ali who turned and started to gallop forward. "Pass" we shout. "Wide" we yelled. Ali skipped past a couple of Oxgang midfielders. "Out wide" we screamed. Ali looked up and smashed the ball into the net from 25 yards. "Shoot..." we suggested part way through the celebrations. Superb goal. 3-1 RED.
Eyvindur and Kjartan were looking good at the back and playing their way out of trouble. A lucky blocked clearance fell to the Oxgangs striker who left Ollie with no chance. 3-2 RED.
Uh-oh. Two minutes to go. Oxgangs grab the ball in midfield and unleash another thunderous shot. Ollie watches happily as the ball sails over him and thuds against the bar, before catching the rebound. Very cool. Great distribution from Ollie to Kjartan, Kjartan finds Hector, who plays in Danny, who passes to Struan and a snap shot is saved by the Oxgangs goalie. Oh, so close to a great finish just as the ref blows for full time. 3-2 RED.
Great performance, with a few more chances taken in either half it would have been a convincing win, but Oxgangs showed some great touches and forced the game into an exciting finish.
Sunday 12 September 2010
MATCH REPORT : BLUE at Gracemount, 11th September 2010
Match Reporter Richard takes up the story...
So Blues kicked off their season with an exciting game away to Gracemount at Double Hedges. Early rain had given way to a clear blue skies with a brisk breeze. Warm up went well. A few of the Blues players expressed doubts about the veracity of the opposition claims to be in P5 as a couple of them were huge and had obviously spent much of the summer loitering in there parents green houses with their feet in gro-bags. However, Coach Flavours steadied the ship with some well chosen pre-match words of the 'size doesn't matter' sort.
(Ed : veracity? Cool word...)
Pitch had a distinct slope and the Blues started of playing up it and into the wind. If we could hold them in the first half we new we would have the advantage in the second. Gracemount started off well and the first few minutes were played mainly in Blues half. Gracemount tactic was to try and play the ball in behind the defence. However, the wind and the slope was making it difficult for them to judge the pace. After about 5 minutes one such attempt was brilliantly cut out by Robert. He quickly released Alex who scampered off upfield and beat the Gracemount goalie comfortably. 1-0 BLUE
Celebrations were cut short a miute or two later when the Blues failed to clear thier lines and Gracemount forward fired a low shot past Coll to equalize. 1-1
At this point Blues were on the back foot and for a period just could not get out of their own half. Sciennes were limited to the odd counter attack, notably from Alex and Jude who drew good saves from the effective Gracemount goalie. Sciennes were fortunate not to go behind on 15 minutes when a ball over the top saw the Gracemount forward run in on goal. His attempted lob came off the Blues crossbar. As the half wore on Blues came more into and probably should have gone ahead. A goal looked certain during a huge stramash in the Gracemount goals when three or four shots were fired in in quick succesion. The Gracemount goalie was in inspired form though. Gracemount had a good chance to score just before half time but Coll saved well at the near post to deny them the advantage and teams went in 1-1 at half time.
HALF TIME 1-1
So second half kicks of with Blues feeling confident with the wind behind and shooting down the slope. Roddy takes over from Coll in goal after a good performance in defence. Almost straight away Alex catches a Gracemount defender dallying on the ball and fires home with his RIGHT foot to make the score 2-1 to the Blues. 2-1 BLUE
The blues are looking the better team now and are starting to put some passes together. Then out of nowhere a Gracemount midfielder picks up the ball some way out from goal and fires in a speculative shot which dips under the cross-bar leaving Roddy no chance to save. 2-2
All of a sudden the Blues early second half confidence has evaporated and for a minute or two we are looking as secure as Manchester United defending a 2-goal lead going into injury time. Gracemount exert all sorts of pressure but great defensive work by Joe, Sam, Murdo and Roddy helps to prevent Gracemount taking the lead. With the crisis averted Jude has a great shot well saved and then Hamish manages to latch on to a pass and finishes clinically from 8 yards to give the Blues the lead. 3-2 BLUE
Then the best move of the match sees the Blues forwards and midfield exchange five or six passes before the ball came to Alex who sylishly completed his hat-trick with a shot into the corner of the Gracemount net. 4-2 BLUE
Gracemount are deflated now and a sharp interchange of passes releases Hamish who's shot is turned round the post for a corner. The corner leads to Alex's fourth and the Blues fifth of the match. 5-2 BLUE
There is time for one more goal from the Blues. A good turn and shot from Hamish sees the Gracemount goalie pull of a good save but the ball squirms from his hands and Coll is on hand finish it off from close range. 6-2 BLUE
Gracemount manage a consolation before full-time. Final score 6-3 BLUE.
A great performance from every boy and the team as whole against what I thought was a really strong opposition. Stoic defending and counter-attacking in the first half and then some really good passing moves in the second with some great goals. Look forward to seeing more of the same in the coming weeks.
(Ed : stoic? Another cool word...)
Sunday 5 September 2010
MATCH REPORT : RED at Gracemount, 4th September 2010
Followers of the P5 RED team will know from experience that supporting the REDs is not easy. Some things will always be - night follows day, chickens lay eggs, dogs chase cats and RED team like a challenge. At half time on Saturday the RED team gave themselves their biggest challenge to date. What followed was quite incredible. Take a seat and hold on tight...
First game of the season, nice warm up, team looked good. Spoilt for keeping choices today - Danny started in goals, Ollie and Alex A in defence, Struan, Kjartan and Eyvindur in midfield and Ali the Goalie starting as the striker. Things looked great.
A brisk start from Gracemount saw RED team under some early pressure. Great tackling from Ollie and nice support play from Kjartan kept things at 0-0 but very poor marking from a throw deep in RED half gives Gracemount a chance which they take. 0-1 GRACEMOUNT
Another poor start from the RED team. More Gracemount pressure and the RED team are hanging on. Danny was busy and pulled of a couple of fine early saves. Suddenly a quick break from Struan sets up Ali, who calmly runs in on goal and fires home. Against the run of play but we like it. 1-1
A nice goal against the run of play, RED team started poorly but quickly got themselves back into the game. No more mega-comebacks required.
Wrong.
Gracemount tore into the RED team, which collapsed, lost its shape and in a blur lost a pile of goals. Six to be exact. 1-6 GRACEMOUNT.
A shellshocked coaching team constantly rearranged the team to try to stem the flow but it was hopeless. Danny moved into midfield to try to shore things up, Ali took over in goals, Sasha joined the action as the tough tackling midfield enforcer, Struan moved upfront but it was utterly hopeless. RED team fell apart.
"You are a wee bit better than the team we played last week", said one local "we score 18 against them but at least you have been in our half a couple of times".
Actually REDs had a couple of chances but the Gracemount goalie was in fine form, saving anything that came his way. Sloppy finishing and poor defending from the RED team saw the half end with Gracemount leading 6-1.
Halftime 1-6 GRACEMOUNT.
At half time the RED coaching team tore into the RED team. At one point Neil might actually have been shouting. Too many players walking around dreaming rather than getting back to help in defence, too many pretending to mark players but not really doing anything, too many players deciding to be strikers, too many problems to list here. One quick roasting later followed by a "come on REDs" huddle and the second half was underway. "We will win the second half..." said Eyvindur with a smile as he trotted onto the pitch.
What REDs needed was a nice early goal and if they got another a 3-6 scoreline wouldn't look too bad. Ali was on goals, Ollie and Sasha at the back, Danny, Kjartan and Eyvindur in midfield and Struan up top as the lone striker. Kick-off and the ball breaks to Struan who flies through the Gracemount midfield, round the last defender and...hits the post! The rebound...oh just past the post. What a chance!
Suddenly the RED team were alive. A minute later great work from Evyindur puts Struan through and this time the ball is in the net and the celebration a simple "COME ON REDs". 2-6 GRACEMOUNT.
Alive and kicking. Sasha was everywhere looking for the ball. Kjartan was working hard and snuffing out danger in midfield. Ollie was looking to bring the ball out sensibly and Eyvindur was a constant threat. Another great passage of play in midfield resulted in Struan having the ball on the edge of the box. A great one-two with Eyvindur and Struan slots the ball home. 3-6 GRACEMOUNT.
That looks a lot better. Alex joins the midfield and is in fine for tackling anything that moves and setting up some dangerous attacks with some strong running. More fine play from Danny and Kjartan sets up Struan who holds off two robust challenges to fire into the net. 4-6 GRACEMOUNT.
This couldn't be another one of those epic fightbacks - could it?
Another wave of RED attacks follow but the Gracemount goalkeeper is in excellent form. Kjratan and Danny have great shots well saved. Eyvindur fires just past the post and Sasha has an effort cleared. Nice pressure from RED team.
A great run from Danny results in a RED corner. A nicely worked move between Danny and Struan results in Struan shooting home from a tight angle. Wow. 5-6 GRACEMOUNT.
It wasn't all one-way. After this whirlwind start to the second half the RED team dipped a little. Ollie was outstanding, tackling, passing and organising the defence. Ali the Goalie had two excellent saves and Kjartan cleared one certain goal - a great reward for working hard in midfield. But suddenly the comeback was over. A great run down the left from Gracemount midfield drew three RED players over to him. An excellent cross then found three free Gracemount players at the back post and the ball was fired home. 5-7 GRACEMOUNT.
The RED team looked disappointed and a little tired. It took a huge effort to get back to one goal down but with time running out that looked to be the winning goal. An exhausted Danny swapped with Ali who looked to give the midfield some renewed energy.
One final effort. Ali played the ball out to Eyvindur who cut inside and passed to Struan. A great run from Kjartan confused the defence, Struan controlled the ball and fired it into the bottom corner. 6-7 GRACEMOUNT.
The referee indicated that we were now in stoppage time (some meaty clearances had rolled miles down the big hill). We needed one more chance - would there be time? Gracemount charged forward. Ollie tackled. Alex cleared it up the pitch to the halfway line. Struan collected the ball, skipped passed the defender and through on goal. Please...oh what a save from the goalie! The rebound? Blocked. The rebound from the rebound? Struan prods it to the edge of the area...and the fast arriving Eyvindur smashes it into the net. 7-7!
(Seven - Seven !)
The ref blows for full time and the RED coaching team sit down exhausted!
A fantastic comeback from the RED team - extremely poor in the first half and unbelievably brilliant in the second! Well done to Ali, Danny, Struan, Kjartan, Alex, Eyvindur, Ollie and Sasha.
But how do we solve the poor first half performances that have become standard for RED team since beginning of P4?
First game of the season, nice warm up, team looked good. Spoilt for keeping choices today - Danny started in goals, Ollie and Alex A in defence, Struan, Kjartan and Eyvindur in midfield and Ali the Goalie starting as the striker. Things looked great.
A brisk start from Gracemount saw RED team under some early pressure. Great tackling from Ollie and nice support play from Kjartan kept things at 0-0 but very poor marking from a throw deep in RED half gives Gracemount a chance which they take. 0-1 GRACEMOUNT
Another poor start from the RED team. More Gracemount pressure and the RED team are hanging on. Danny was busy and pulled of a couple of fine early saves. Suddenly a quick break from Struan sets up Ali, who calmly runs in on goal and fires home. Against the run of play but we like it. 1-1
A nice goal against the run of play, RED team started poorly but quickly got themselves back into the game. No more mega-comebacks required.
Wrong.
Gracemount tore into the RED team, which collapsed, lost its shape and in a blur lost a pile of goals. Six to be exact. 1-6 GRACEMOUNT.
A shellshocked coaching team constantly rearranged the team to try to stem the flow but it was hopeless. Danny moved into midfield to try to shore things up, Ali took over in goals, Sasha joined the action as the tough tackling midfield enforcer, Struan moved upfront but it was utterly hopeless. RED team fell apart.
"You are a wee bit better than the team we played last week", said one local "we score 18 against them but at least you have been in our half a couple of times".
Actually REDs had a couple of chances but the Gracemount goalie was in fine form, saving anything that came his way. Sloppy finishing and poor defending from the RED team saw the half end with Gracemount leading 6-1.
Halftime 1-6 GRACEMOUNT.
At half time the RED coaching team tore into the RED team. At one point Neil might actually have been shouting. Too many players walking around dreaming rather than getting back to help in defence, too many pretending to mark players but not really doing anything, too many players deciding to be strikers, too many problems to list here. One quick roasting later followed by a "come on REDs" huddle and the second half was underway. "We will win the second half..." said Eyvindur with a smile as he trotted onto the pitch.
What REDs needed was a nice early goal and if they got another a 3-6 scoreline wouldn't look too bad. Ali was on goals, Ollie and Sasha at the back, Danny, Kjartan and Eyvindur in midfield and Struan up top as the lone striker. Kick-off and the ball breaks to Struan who flies through the Gracemount midfield, round the last defender and...hits the post! The rebound...oh just past the post. What a chance!
Suddenly the RED team were alive. A minute later great work from Evyindur puts Struan through and this time the ball is in the net and the celebration a simple "COME ON REDs". 2-6 GRACEMOUNT.
Alive and kicking. Sasha was everywhere looking for the ball. Kjartan was working hard and snuffing out danger in midfield. Ollie was looking to bring the ball out sensibly and Eyvindur was a constant threat. Another great passage of play in midfield resulted in Struan having the ball on the edge of the box. A great one-two with Eyvindur and Struan slots the ball home. 3-6 GRACEMOUNT.
That looks a lot better. Alex joins the midfield and is in fine for tackling anything that moves and setting up some dangerous attacks with some strong running. More fine play from Danny and Kjartan sets up Struan who holds off two robust challenges to fire into the net. 4-6 GRACEMOUNT.
This couldn't be another one of those epic fightbacks - could it?
Another wave of RED attacks follow but the Gracemount goalkeeper is in excellent form. Kjratan and Danny have great shots well saved. Eyvindur fires just past the post and Sasha has an effort cleared. Nice pressure from RED team.
A great run from Danny results in a RED corner. A nicely worked move between Danny and Struan results in Struan shooting home from a tight angle. Wow. 5-6 GRACEMOUNT.
It wasn't all one-way. After this whirlwind start to the second half the RED team dipped a little. Ollie was outstanding, tackling, passing and organising the defence. Ali the Goalie had two excellent saves and Kjartan cleared one certain goal - a great reward for working hard in midfield. But suddenly the comeback was over. A great run down the left from Gracemount midfield drew three RED players over to him. An excellent cross then found three free Gracemount players at the back post and the ball was fired home. 5-7 GRACEMOUNT.
The RED team looked disappointed and a little tired. It took a huge effort to get back to one goal down but with time running out that looked to be the winning goal. An exhausted Danny swapped with Ali who looked to give the midfield some renewed energy.
One final effort. Ali played the ball out to Eyvindur who cut inside and passed to Struan. A great run from Kjartan confused the defence, Struan controlled the ball and fired it into the bottom corner. 6-7 GRACEMOUNT.
The referee indicated that we were now in stoppage time (some meaty clearances had rolled miles down the big hill). We needed one more chance - would there be time? Gracemount charged forward. Ollie tackled. Alex cleared it up the pitch to the halfway line. Struan collected the ball, skipped passed the defender and through on goal. Please...oh what a save from the goalie! The rebound? Blocked. The rebound from the rebound? Struan prods it to the edge of the area...and the fast arriving Eyvindur smashes it into the net. 7-7!
(Seven - Seven !)
The ref blows for full time and the RED coaching team sit down exhausted!
A fantastic comeback from the RED team - extremely poor in the first half and unbelievably brilliant in the second! Well done to Ali, Danny, Struan, Kjartan, Alex, Eyvindur, Ollie and Sasha.
But how do we solve the poor first half performances that have become standard for RED team since beginning of P4?
Saturday 4 September 2010
Big Kick-Off...
New season starts today. Only one training session and we are straight into matches - YELLOW at home to South Morningside, RED away to Gracemount but BLUE game dramatically called off.
Here we go again...
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