Mucky
Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 206
|
| Posted: Sun 03.6.07 20:19 Post subject: Lions Vs Shanghai No 7 9/6/2007 |
|
|
Match review by Ian Cochrane:
With apologies if I’ve spelt your name wrong, invented you, missed you out altogether or fictionalised events.
09/06/2007
Shanghai-7 0, Colombo Lions 6
We all live in a yellow sub…stitution as Lions get back to winning ways.
Readers will be relieved that this week’s report is decidedly shorter than the last one.
A strange anomaly that rarely happens in a day in the life of a regular football club started a very satisfactory away day for the Lions.
First of all, the opposition (from what I can glean) failed to show up at the cow dung strewn Ratmalana ground which prompted an improvised two-touch game for about twenty minutes before the actual venue manifested itself via a mobile phone call.
Back on the bus, we headed for the comparatively lush (and cow dung free) Cooray ground to face a team that likewise had played amongst themselves in anticipation of our arrival.
By the time we’d arrived, time had already ticked on and so the match took the shape of a practice game with thirty minutes being played per half in order to meet the schedule of the sinking Sun.
Suitably warmed up then, the game kicked off.
Sadly, without the help of a referee, I had to kiss goodbye to a few hundred words at least! Gutted!
Both sides showed attacking intent from the start which made for an interesting contest,
the minutiae of which will be lost forever but spectators may remember a solid performance from the well organised Lions who had clearly finished licking their wounds from last Saturday’s lesson against the Maldives.
Throughout the first half, the Lions continued to attack without pause and the back four were allowed to clean up and then orchestrate easily with only an occasional alarm bell.
Asanga once again patrolled his area with confidence and was quick off his line when duty called.
The details of the goals will have to remain in the individual memory as I can’t dictate and kick a ball at the same time but at half-time the Lions were comfortably ahead with a 2-0 lead thanks to Mucky’s head and right foot.
The job was, by no means finished though as Shanghai-7 were in possession of 3 or 4 skilful and nippy forwards that kept the well organised back four busy and were sure to continue to cause problems down both flanks.
Half time: 0-2
The second half began as the first with the Lions dominant.
Returning captain Rich continued to design things from midfield and increased the score line to 4-0 with two goals in quick succession. First, by floating in a goal ward cross which flew into the top corner and then by floating in a goal ward cross which flew into the top corner. Speculative the first one may have been but a weakness had been found and Rich exploited it with aplomb for his second.
At 4-0 down, Shanghai-7 seemed to gird their collective loins and put some good moves together down both flanks as they did in the first half but a consummately professional defensive display saw to it that they received no joy in the goals department.
One should, perhaps give a little credit to Shanghai-7 for trying until the end to chalk up a statistic of their own but the Lions bounced back well from last week’s disappointment with an all-round display they can be proud of against a side that were better than the score line suggested.
They did have a few cracks at goal but, of the ones on target, Asanga was as good as his shout.
Ultimately, the battle was won in the middle of the park and, in truth a couple of the goals may have been the product of inexperience on their behalf.
Steve A. did crack in a stunning thirty yard stunner to cap things off though.
Actually, it was a stunning 17-and-a-half yard stunner which was helped over the last half a yard by the keeper but I said I would big it up by way of an apology for accidentally covering the passenger side foot-well of his car with dog sh*t on the way to the Cricket club. Sorry mate!
Laurent won the M.o.M. award for a comprehensive defensive shift at right back and was seconded without alternative nominations. I think that says it all. Jolly well done young man!
Starting XI: Asanga, Laurent (M.o.M.), Steve H, Martin, Iain C, Daz, Jules, Rich (Capt.) (2), John, Mucky (2), Pablo.
Subs: Kaz, Steve A (1), Sylvan, Vegard, Adnan (1), Cormack |
|
