Seventh Team
Goals; Rose (3), Kennedy, Burwell, Robinson, Piner, OG
All the talk before the game was about passing the ball and sorting out who was taking free kicks , corners and penalties . At these times someone always knows better than the captain but thank god I have the experience of dealing with 3 kids at home to ignore them. Albert Road was like a green carpet to welcome the footballing skills of the 7th’s .
We started comfortably passing the ball around with a confidence that other players would be in support to pass the ball to. A free kick was won on the edge of the area and because everything had been agreed at the start of the game there was no bickering with calls of “its mai turn”. Piner running in from right back was seen by Galloway and caught the 8th’s on the hop to make it one nil.
We made it two nil from a quickly taken corner with Rose pressurising the defence into scoring an own goal . The quick use of the ball from every dead ball situation meant that we were creating a lot of chances and it was left to Kennedy to beat Bagely from 25 yards to make it 3 nil . A goal from Rose made it 4 at half time.
The 8’s started faster in the second half and it was down to Ritchie in goal to keep them out . We started to come back into the game and as the 8th’s tired Robinson, Rose (2) and Burwell added to the score . At times we played very well but too often we forgot that the game is called football and not shinball or kneeball as our first touch let us down. Moving the ball at speed creates more chances rather than just running past people and eventually losing it.
We were incredibly lucky during the game to be treated to the Jon Galloway book of tricks which like K Tel records is not available in any training manual. Joe Robertson having studied at the Galloway school tried to copy the master by attempting to stand on the ball like a performing seal before crashing to the ground. Joe you should know there is only one Jon Galloway.
ALEXANDRA PARK 8s – MATCH REPORT – Sept. 11, 2010
ALEXANDRA PARK 8S 0 – 8 ALEXANDRA PARK 7S
A complete mismatch – and the 8s did well to keep it to 8! The 7s had their regular line-up (minus Williams and Torq) while the 8s had a young looking team with several players playing out of position. Cry-offs, no-shows and sending two players to the 5s at Bounds Green left us with 12. The skipper had to don the gloves and hope that we could keep it tight. That lasted about 5 minutes as Matt Piner blasted home after we failed to pick him up at a free kick. To our credit we played some good stuff in the first half and Andy Ritchie had to make a great save to deny us a goal. While we couldn’t score, the 7s took their chances. Wayne headed in the second, tapped in the third and then James Kennedy had time and space to lob the fourth.
The 7s dominated the second period and doubled their goal tally. By this time the 8s skipper was out on the pitch having persuaded Taylor Doolan’s buddy Tony to go in goal. We kept going but the legs went in certain areas and the final whistle was a welcome relief. That said we did create more chances and on another day Taylor could have had a hat-trick. Mr. Ritchie was very impressive.
From the 8s perspective, there were plenty of good performances: Joe Small, Matt Tarrant, Gavin Johnson, Jack Morris (first half) and Taylor up front and the Talaibek brothers. Bosey did great at left back – virtually on one leg – after being crocked in the first half.
