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[Black cat]

REPORT BY IAIN COCHRANE

With apologies if I’ve spelt your name wrong, invented you, missed you out altogether or fictionalised events.
Thanks again to Andy for Dictaphone duty.

07/07/2007

Colombo Lions 4, Korean XI 3(body count 5)

Sick as a parrot, over the Moon and a game of two halves in a 7-goal thriller etc.

For the third time since March, this Korean team visited Beddagana in an attempt to finally put one over on the Lions. The game in March was a brutal affair with many injuries and a narrow 2-1 victory. Three months later they came back to play in a game which thankfully had more goals than broken bones and the Lions ran out 6-2 easy winners. There were a couple of new faces in their team this time around but their tactics remained the same. Whilst the Lions made substitutions because they could, the Koreans were making substitutions because they had to. The pitch today was in pretty good nick and the conditions suited everyone. Andy had a skeleton crew to choose from in the absence of several key players due to holidays but the Lions had records to beat and were keen to get on with it.

A lively start by the Lions saw them camped in the Korean half for the opening minutes with any chance of a Korean attack snuffed out by a solid back four who were holding their line well.

All the early pressure paid off when there was a big shout for a goal after a precision cross by Pablo looked to be placed over the line by John. Their keeper seemed to spoon the ball away from behind the line but all claims were dismissed by Mr. Osman.

Despite feeling a bit aggrieved, we carried on and looked confident on the ball. Defensively, the Lions were giving the Koreans nothing to go on and the first signs of frustration began to show.

After the game settled, Asanga received a bit more to do but stayed alert and came racing off his line many times to comfortably deal with all the hopeful balls thrown over the top for the Korean strikers to chase.

Some good work by Pablo resulted in a corner after 7 minutes which caused the Korean defence the headache of a goalmouth scramble. The ball though looked to be cleared off the line and they breathed again.

Donaldinho was instrumental in breaking up two attacks by sending the ball into touch but the Koreans were entering the game by gradually gaining ground. A throw-in level with the Lions penalty area culminated in a shot on goal but it was well wide.

Another attack down the middle came to nothing when Kaz indulged in some great covering defensive play. Running back from a midfield position, he did enough to make the striker’s shot go well wide of the left hand post.

On the quarter hour Mucky had a shot saved before Korea XI stunned the Lions by hoofing the ball up to the other end of the pitch. The bounce was tricky to deal with but it was the Korean striker who latched onto it to lash one into the bottom right hand corner grazing the tips of Asanga’s fingers on the way.

0 – 1

On 25 minutes, the Koreans doubled their advantage totally against the run of play when some lazy defending invited their striker to have another pop. The invitation was accepted and a weak shot rolled comfortably into the bottom left hand corner.

0 – 2

To the Lion’s credit, heads stayed up and soon after conceding, Mucky had a shot well saved but earning a corner. The well taken kick by Pablo went to waste after two Lions were impeded in the area but no whistle blew.

After a 10 minute lull a double substitution was made and the fresh legs of Rich and Adnan created a chance for Pablo whose shot was pushed out for another corner with 29 minutes gone.

The state of play could be accurately assessed by the number of corners that the Lions won but it was the Koreans who went in at half time, two goals to the good.

Half time: 0 – 2

There was a sense of bewilderment at the interval but a certain belief that it wouldn’t be too much of a task to turn it around as long as we could limit them to the two goals that they had already scored and not concede early in the second half.

Early on in the second half the Lions conceded a third due to yours truly being second to the ball in the six yard area. It was a disappointingly soft goal that put the Koreans well and truly in the driver’s seat.

0 – 3

Once again there were some “impartial” decisions being made by the man in black but none of it made a difference to the score until Adnan was man handled in the area and a penalty should have followed but the spot kick was not awarded. However, the Lions picked up where they had left off in the first half and were playing some decent football.

Soon after, Adnan reacted badly to a challenge and play stopped while the fallout settled. Captain-for-the-day Donaldinho calmed things well and Mr. Osman was requested in no uncertain terms to keep his North eye on the increasingly aggressive Koreans. Mucky replaced Adnan lest things became exacerbated.

Perhaps we should be used to Korean tactics by now but at least they waited until the second half before predictably suffering from cramp.

65th minute. World’s smallest cat invades pitch.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first with the Lion’s dominating and dictating and this finally paid off when Captain Rich came to the rescue and put his team back on track. He collected the ball half way inside the Korean half, carried it for a few yards and let loose from outside the area. A cracking shot which sailed into the top right hand corner. ‘Ave it!!!

3 – 1

More pressure, more corners. Rich’s goal raised Lion’s tails and the shots on goal began to rain down but the Koreans frustrated every attempt with some decent defending. One clearance saw a good move develop down the Korean left which saw four forwards bearing down on three defenders but a bad touch lead to an infringement and the resulting free kick went well over.

Normal business was resumed shortly after with Daz and Seaman combining well to set up Chandu but he scuffed his shot.

Daz then did very well to keep possession after a good run down the right. With his arse on the floor he still managed to pass the ball to a team-mate despite the attentions of two Korean defenders.

Mucky then collected the ball on the half way line, turned and ran to the by-line only to be dispossessed by two defenders after all the hard work with Daz waiting in the middle.

The Koreans had another go, creating a spot of pinball in the Lion’s area. A good shooting opportunity then presented itself but Asanga narrowed the angle to make a good save.

By this time, the play was pretty much end to end but then Pablo decided to take matters into his own hands. From the half way line on the left, he preceded to take on absolutely everyone. He lost the ball twice. He won the ball back twice. After what seemed like an hour or two, he finally sent in a terrific cross which was met by Daz who pulled the ball back before attempting a shot which was saved. Pinball in the Korean area. Daz got hold of another shot which was diverted away for corner. How the Hell the ball stayed out will have to remain a mystery and the bench was going nuts!

Another 10 minute period of sustained pressure put the Lions in command and a change of tactics from Andy changed the shape from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3. This turned out to be a positive change but still the goals weren’t coming despite everyone doing everything right.

There was another good shout from Mucky for a handball inside the Korean area which was waved away by Mr. Osman and then a free kick in a dangerous place just outside the Korean box which was comfortably saved.

Then, during open play, Rich once again tested the keeper from distance with a shot aimed high. Their keeper managed to get his fingers to it to parry it onto the bar but John was first to the rebound and leathered it home from a tight angle 2 yards out.

3 – 2

Yet another corner resulted from yet more good work by Pablo on the left which he took quickly and short to Rich who crossed it into the danger zone. It was met by Mucky who squeezed it through to John who controlled it well, took a touch and drilled it past the keeper. Cue wild scenes of jubilation!

3 – 3

70 minutes gone, there was still time and opportunity to put the seal on an amazing turn-around especially as Korean heads had dropped. Game on!

At this point, the whole team were playing like their lives depended on it. Donaldinho was huge at the back, the midfield were using every trick in the book and the forwards were creating havoc. A draw simply wouldn’t do and we had easily done enough to record a cricket score.

The come back was completed in fine style. Rich took a short corner to Pablo who drove in a low cross. Jules arrived at the back post and nearly took out the roof of the net to put the Lions in front for the first time in the 73rd minute.

4 – 3

Daz then had an opportunity to stretch the lead when he was fed a through ball by Rich. He stole half a yard but the shot went just over.

The corner count by this time was well into double figures but it was a throw in that caused bemusement. Having not blown for a multitude of foul throws by the Koreans in the first half, Mr. Osman then decided to award a throw to Korea after a Lion was deemed to have taken a throw improperly. He hadn’t but there you are?

The last hurrah of the half belonged to the Koreans. A decent cross led to a header on target but Asanga was able to collect comfortably.

Final score: 4 – 3

Without bias, it’s true to say that we deserved the victory on dominance alone. The fact that we made it extremely difficult for ourselves and managed to complete a fantastic reversal says a lot about the team spirit and the game itself. Interesting fact: All of today’s goals were scored by midfielders. Make of that what you will. Two goals and an aggressive performance in midfield from John earned him the M.o.M. award.

Starting XI: Asanga, Kadi, Kaz, Donaldinho (Capt), Iain C, Jules (1), Daz, John (2) (M.o.M), Chandu, Mucky, Pablo

Subs: Rich (1), Schell, Chopper, Adnan