The Boys are back

MATCH REPORT BY DANIEL CUMMINGS

The boys are back in town.

Back in black, the team returned to winning ways last night with a 6-0 beating of the Brickhouse Devils, shaking the monkey of last game’s defeat off our back.

Our formula for success included another fine game between the sticks by Wayne.  Rarely troubled throughout the evening, but well up the task when he was, the 40 year old birthday boy's new goalkeeping glove never got much of a workout. A rock solid defense of Dominic, Ian, Ray and Inky never looked to be breached, even contributing 1/3 of the evening’s goals (Ian 1, Dom 1).  A Kenyan-esque performance won the midfield battle, with Joe, Darren, Chris and Jess running their bollocks off and hassling every ball and every play.  Finally a lethal strikeforce finished of the moves with Daniel and Tim keeping the defence on their toes and the keeping the keeper picking the ball up out of the net all night long!

The first half started in the customary “frantic” manner with Brickhouse obviously learning a few things from their 13-0 drubbing by us in the first game of the season.  They played well holding their back line and really getting stuck in, clattering people left, right and center.  The 0-0 deadlock remained until after several well worked moves just missing, it was broken by a return to the scorer’s table for Tim with a powerful volley into the top corner for his 3rd goal of the season.  The lead we extended a few minutes later with weaving run by Dom finished with deadly accurately courtesy of a rare right-footed “blast’ into the bottom corner.  His 3rd of the season extends his run as the Old Boy’s highest scoring defender.  Continuing the oddball goals theme, the 3rd goal came roughly 5 mins from time, from an unlikely source these days, the Gaffer! After being released down the right, Daniel turned back onto his left and coolly slotted home a left-footed shot for his 6th of the season and the Buddha belly making a long awaited return to the spotlight.

The second half started like the first ended with the Old Boys in total control.  A 4-0 scoreline followed shortly after, with a contender for “cheeky” goal of the season.  As their keeper and the Gaffer both tore towards the ball, the Gaffer got there first, and with pinpoint accuracy Daniel shot the ball around the keeper, rebounding it off the wall and into the goal.  It was then time for another defender to get in on the scoring act.  After we won a free kick on the corner of the box, the ball was quickly laid off to the middle, into the path of a storming Ian who one-timed a rocket fueled volley into the bottom corner for his 2nd goal of the season and our 5th of the night.  Brickhouse managed a few attempts on goals but nothing the give us a scare, their lack of a strikeforce becoming increasingly evident.  The 6th came with about 5 mins left.  After Darren had left 2 defenders and the keeper in his wake following some blinding skills, he laid the ball back to the Daniel who placed it calmed away for his hat-trick and our 6th of a well deserved victory.