Season 3 Game 2
Penny Rangers 0-2 YMCA B
Pressy, Chris
For the first time the Bullets can lay claim to being joint top of the league! Though at this stage its nothing to go off as, even Mill Hill can share this claim, but I'll tell you now, the Bullets will certainly finish higher in the league than the previously named team.
Indeed, a change to the previously arranged fixture against Talking Heads, Penny Rangers were making their debuts in the league and the Bullets would be their first opposition.
Judging from the quality of the new teams, this season will be even tougher than the previous seasons. From the kick off Penny Rangers showed some crafty touches of the ball and looked comfortable in thier new surroundings, as the entrants from the previous season will note how hard it is to get used to the size two ball. There were chances from both sides in the first half, and both goalkeepers produced fine reaction saves, amazingly the half time score a deadlocked 0-0, and how is anyone's guess.
Now with a team called Rangers, you'd expect skill, style, class & international superstars, (well three out of four is pretty good.) No, unfortunatley the Bullets are the side who have this claim, with Crissimo, goalie John, Pressy and Ellis (Eng), Roddy (Sco), and Pete (Rep Ire) fascinating the crowds.
When the second half kicked off, you thought that as the chances came and went no-one would score, in three seasons there has only been a single 0-0 and that was last season's opener between Fuel Save and Livesey.
Eventually something had to give and some superb passing cut through the Gers and then Pressy made no mistake putting the ball where it belongs in the back of the net. For the next what felt like a millenium, the opposition were under threat, as their goal was continously bombarded with shots and the Gers goalie pulled off some amazing saves, and without him, would certainly have faced a hrash scoreline.
However, they broke on several occasions and always looked dangerous, but obviously they lacked practice with the ball, most of the finishes way over the bar, but when the keeper was called on, he was always there. Eventually, with a huge sigh of relief, the Bullets got the second with little more than three minutes to go, when last season's 36 goal-man Crissimo got one with some confusion, the shot hitting the post rolling along the line the hitting the other post and finally crossing the line, the relief was immense. All in all though huge credit to the new boys who will undoubtedly do well and also played some good stuff.
When that final whistle went the celebrations begun as the Bullets made it a second consecutive victory and have clearly left last season's end of form dip well and truly behind them. For goalie John, he celebrated a personal milestone as he celebrated his first clean sheet in 5-a-side after two full seasons of trying. He said; "I'm very glad, I've waited a long time for this, last season against Mill Hill I thought I had one in the bag, but they got one right towards the end and I was gutted."
Here's to the Boca Juniors game next week, they will be on a high follwing a seven-nil victory.
John ?, Peter 8, Roddy 8, Pressy 8, Ellis 8, Chris 8.