colombolions.com

[Mosquito]

PRINCESS PUMMELS LIONS

Colombo Lions 2 Princess Veterans 4
(Mitchell, Hicks)

Layards Road, Saturday March 5th 2005

Dark, lowering clouds loomed over the Layard's Road stands while the Lions slumped at the feet of the Princess Veterans on Saturday evening. Despite the home team having the lion's share of possession in the first thirty minutes, with Marlon and Karsten looking particularly bright on the left, Princess scored first, a lightning break which caught the defence flat-footed. 1-0. Lister off, Lucca on. and an immediate impact on his Lions' debut when he broke on the left to whip in a cross met by the powerful head of Sniffer Mick Mitchell. A magnificently worked goal to level the score. And then it all went cloud-shaped.

TWo soft goals conceded - five players breaking on two. The midfield on walkabout. A huge hole in the centre. Yellow shirts swarming through thirty yards unchallenged. 3-1 at half-time, and the Lions had got off lightly. Twice more the Veterans had broken clear only to bundle their shots wide of the target, one an open goal as Seaman went missing. Mucky McManus was unlucky to see his shot pass across the face of goal, but it could have been, should have been 5-1.

Thunder rumbled. Raindrops spattered. Black clouds gathered. Could the Lions turn it around? Second half stalemate. Dull football, poor passing, midfield messiness, and then, as a ray of light penetrates gloom, Mucky unselfishly passes the ball across goal, Colin Hicks caressed the ball into the Vets Net. 3-2. Chicksy, like Mick, back on the score sheet. Twenty minutes to play. 1 goal needed. Pressure piled on pressure. Lightning flashed. Paul McManus' long range shot tipped over the bar. Martyn Bingham's shot tipped onto the bar by the keeper. Surely ...

But it no. Disaster. Discord. Defeat. Princess broke again, this time with four players five yards offside. The linesman stood still. The Veterans did not. 4-2. Despite heated protests, the referee explained that the goal stood because the player who had passed the ball had been on-side at the time. Well, that's a new one.

A few minutes left, the Lions dispirited, the darkness deepening, the gloom in the sky matching the gloom on the pitch. A 4-2 defeat, made up for by the Hicks-Mitchell axis striking back, but it's all about percentages, as someone once said, and you can't give the opposition 100% of the space and possession for twenty minutes if you want to win.


Team: Seaman (GK), Karsten, Kevin, Randall, Previne, Marlon, Mick, Matthew, Kiran, Paul, Martyn

Subs: Lucca, Colin, Anil, Dave

Man of the Match: Mick

Mosquito

[Luca]

We lost, fair enough, but it was still fun. Tell me whenever you need a sub, Sam from the HC has my number. Thanx guys

[the gaffer]

Cheers Luca,

we don't have your/Sam's telephone number and we've been trying to get in touch. Can you send me the details here? don't post it here, send a private message to 'the gaffer', or admin@colombolions.com

[lion]

Luca, you can't send private messages if you are not registered. However, you are registered now as user: Luca, password: the special item you were wearing at the game. I think it was light blue. Small cases. Two words as one.
You can also mail me:admin@colombolions.com
or the gaffer: gaffer@colombolions.com