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Match Report: |
The Harriers' plan was simple: contain Pat and Fudje and the score-line would take care of itself. It made sense after all. To anyone glancing at SBFC's stats this season, the partnership of Pat Dugas and Bosango Fudje played Lennon and McCartney to the George Harrison and Ringo Star that comprised the remainder of the Jokers. According to the math, SBFC with Pat and Fudje neutralized, amounted to a mid-table team, easy pickin's for the Harriers, still on a high after tying former league champs, Seoul United. Unfortunately for the Harriers, football is a game played on artificial turf rather than in playbooks and stat sheets -- none of them reckoned on Henry Matsuda, Kirk Fernandes, and other Jokers stepping up their games and exploiting the Harriers' fixation on their team's two stars. Henry's brace from beyond the 18 yard box were at once spectacular and demoralizing to the Harriers who had to be thinking: "How many players need to be man- marked before we're safe?" Quite clearly, the Beatles analogy had been woefully misapplied. As it turned out, SBFC is a complete team - better compared to an orchestra than the fab four. Trouble came early for the Harriers. A well executed set-play between Pat and Kirk resulted in a loose ball in the Harriers' area. In the ensuing scramble, Lawrence of the Harriers intercepted Kirk's attempt but was nudged from behind at the crucial moment of contact; possibly by a team-mate (the investigation is on-going). In mid-stumble the ball careened off his shin and spun into the net. 1 - Nothing Jokers. The Jokers' second goal followed on another corner not long afterwards. The ball was knocked into the center and cleared just out of the box to a waiting Henry who blasted it nearly perfectly into the upper 90. Henry's strike should have provided a wake-up call for the opposition but an almost duplicate goal would follow in the second half indicating nothing had been learned. In the words of the current American President: "Fool me once. shame on. shame on you. . . If fooled, you can't get fooled again." Anyway, you get the idea. Team guru Trent put the Harriers' problem down to a lack of stamina and concentration on the part of the midfield, and noted the most egregious lapses occurred when midfielders were called upon to take up the unglamorous job of defending. Things weren't too bad in the first half but as the game progressed SBFC's center midfielders began to wrest more and more possession from their counterparts to the point where they were able to dribble from their back field up to the Harriers' 18 yard box with virtual impunity. According to Trent, the only effective counter measure to this would have been faster substitutions akin to what is done in hockey. Henry should never have had the time to tee up as he did on both of his strikes. To quote Trent, marking by the Harriers was "beyond horrible". The first Harriers goal came about after SBFC's Mark Cummins miss-hit the clearance of a shot by Jean Blaise. Andy Collins of the Harriers chased down the deflection, brought the ball in, and scored from a tight angle. The play was indicative of his work ethic throughout the game. Andy is well deserving of his first Man of the Match award for the 2004 season, no doubt the first of many to come. Just before the half, the Harriers evened up the score and restored belief in themselves after Jean Blaise managed to steal the ball from the keeper's fingers thereby gifting his team mate, Evan, with the easy tap-in. Around this time Markus, who had been charged with shadowing Fudje, became the latest victim of THE HAN RIVER CURSE. The Harriers have lost a player to season ending injury in almost every game they've played this season. So it was left to Randal to relieve Markus of the unenviable task of covering Fudje. While carrying out his assignment the diminutive defender made contact with the 6' + striker in the box, just as a strong gust of wind passed in the vicinity. The combined effect proved too much for the hapless striker as he tumbled to the ground in agony while drawing the foul from the eagle-eyed referee at the opposite end of the pitch. Pat converted the ensuing penalty with an expertly placed shot, high and down the middle. SBFC's fifth goal once again involved Pat. Drew made a colossal throw-in from the left which found Pat positioned directly in front of Michael Cop, the Harriers' goalie. Pat took full advantage of his height and managed to head the ball just over Mike to where his teammate Kirk was standing by. Kirk made no mistake in scoring his second goal of the match. One colossal throw-in deserves another; this time it was Kevin Cowell, the Harriers' burly defenseman, who made the toss. Evan, on a near post run, intercepted the pass and directed the ball into the back of the net. But time had run out for the Harriers. Their sole comfort was the knowledge that their three goals were more than any other team had scored against the Jokers thus far this season. Unless a way can be found to contend with Pat and Fudje while at the same time pressuring SBFC's central midfielders, the only music the rest of the league will be singing this season will be the blues. Stats for the Harriers: Man of the Match: Andy Collins Goals: Andy Collins, Evan Hale x2 Assists: Jean Blaise (re: Evan), Kevin Cowell (re: Evan) Play of the Game: Evan's perfectly timed near post run to head in a goal off one of Big Kebin's monumental throw-ins. |
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