Match Report:

Les HAN RIVER HARRIERS 5 ?0 St. Patrick’s FC

Sunday, September 12, 2004

The Harriers don’t have a great history with St. Pats. We’ve never had an easy game against them and in most of our contests we’ve usually come out at the short end of the stick, more than once due to a last minute goal. So you can imagine how it felt for the team to beat them 5-nil last weekend. Our defense held strong against St. Pat’s always dangerous goal-scorers while our strikers were on fire, each of the five goals scored a contender for goal of the match.

About ten minutes before the opening whistle many of the Harriers were wondering if there would be a game at all as none of the Irish lads had yet appeared at the pitch in Apgujeong. But they needn’t have worried. The entire St. Pats team arrived en masse, threw on their kit, and rushed out onto the field just before the official start time. Probably not the kind of preparation they normally preferred but at least no one can accuse them of being late.

In contrast, the Harriers were motivated and warmed up well before the opening whistle. With new players in the lineup and playing under new management, the team is ambitious for a good showing this season, perhaps even a top-three slot if all goes well. A win against St. Pats would be the first step towards that goal.

Evan’s header off a Didi corner kick started off the scoring for the Harriers. This was followed shortly afterwards with a lovely combination between Evan and Jean Blaise. Christophe, weaving his way through mid-field, sent a perfectly weighted through-ball to Evan who could have taken a shot but instead opted to pass to Jean Blaise running unmarked just to his left. The tall Frenchman made no mistake and shot the ball home. It would be the first time Evan ever elected to pass instead of taking the shot. His team mates were stunned.

Christophe almost got a goal of his own from a dramatic leaping header off a pass from Phillippe who had steered the ball up the left side of the pitch. Christophe didn’t score but he looked cool which is almost as good.

Just before the half time whistle Sylvain very nearly gave the Harriers another goal when he launched his heavyset frame in a ferocious diving header for what most of us thought was a sure goal. Incredibly, Otthman, the St. Pat’s keeper, somehow managed to reach out just in time to bat the ball to safety.

Otthman wasn’t so lucky in the second half when he moved out of his box to chase down a loose ball only to have Evan bearing down on him. After a brief m?? Evan managed to pass the ball out to the top of the box while St. Patrick defenders scrambled to cover for their absent keeper. They were too late as it turned out. Trent had been running up the center and arrived just in time to meet Evan’s pass with the outside of his right foot, sending the ball curving into the top left corner of the net.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Joos was not faring well. The Harriers?Dutch striker who scored with a beautiful lob in our friendly last weekend, was disoriented and feeling nauseous; the result of a mild concussion he received earlier in the game when he cracked heads with a St. Pat’s player. He’s ok now thanks in large part to Martin who volunteered to drive him to the hospital.

The fourth goal of the game was another piece of magic from Guillaume. The lanky French striker had his back to the opposing net when he received a low level pass from Gregoire from the right. With a defender at his back, Guillaume stopped the ball in the air then round-housed it into the top left corner. 4-nil.

Gregoire was unquestionably the most industrious player of the day. Whether on or off the ball he never stopped running. At one point he lost the ball deep in St. Pat’s half. Immediately he chased the lost ball all the way down to the Harrier’s side of the pitch and stripped it from his opponent with what his team mates took to be a brilliant tackle. Unfortunately, the ref didn’t agree and whistled a free kick for the opposition to a chorus of boos from the sideline.

Guillaume’s second goal was a one-touch wonder. Once again the play started with a through-ball from Christophe. His pass was off the ground coming towards Guillaume when the St. Pat’s keeper raced out to cut off the angle. Just as the ball touched ground Guillaume surprised the on-rushing keeper with a perfect chip that sailed just over the hapless keeper’s fingertips and under the crossbar.

The game wasn’t all about the strikers, however. Let’s not forget that the Harriers defense managed a clean sheet. Lawrence had spell of poor form at the end of last season but since his return from summer vacation he’s been playing like a man possessed. Most notably his passing game has shown a marked improvement. On the wings ? Kevin and Jo-Jo, sharing the right and Randal and Marco, sharing the left ?did well to mark their men and shut down any crossing attempts. Sylvain and Lawrence were left to defend the center, especially those high balls so favored by the Irish. Many players from other teams (and sometimes Jean Blaise ;-) are reluctant to go head to head with the Irish for high balls because they know there’ll be no backing down from the other side. But Sylvain and Lawrence were more than up to the task. Putting their height and large frames to advantage, they won most of the high balls that dropped in their vicinity.

 Tight marking obliged St. Pat strikers to make their shots from well outside the box. That’s not to say a player like Steve Hyland wasn’t dangerous. He can put the ball in the back of the net from almost anywhere which is what he almost did with a cracker from a tight angle at the far right of the pitch. Fortunately the ball hit the crossbar.

 Michael, the Harriers keeper, played with his usual poise. Occasionally, one or another Harrier defender found himself in a tight spot and was obliged to pass back. Even with opposing strikers closing in on him, Michael managed these plays with his usual aplomb only furthering the confidence his defenders had in him.

 Three-fourths of the way through the second half the light rain that began in the first half had become a deluge. While the ball was in play, Sylvain, playing at the back, yelled at his kids to seek shelter. The rainfall was so heavy in fact, the ref saw fit to call everyone off the pitch for their safety. His decision was met with derision from both teams but he stood firm, refusing to go back on until the rain abated. Amid talks of abandoning the game and the rules thereof, the rain finally did die down and everyone returned to the pitch.

 Only a few minutes remained, but it was enough time for Kevin Cowell to have a go at the net. Kevin, nominally a right back, had moved up the pitch during the course of play. Trent spotted him open and put the ball at his feet. This occasioned a massive kick from Kevin that must have torn the hide off the ball. Certainly, the unfortunate St. Pat’s defender who blocked the shot with his back probably still has the imprint of the Nike emblem as a memento of the game. It looked painful.

 Clearly, the game was not going as St. Pat’s would have wished; nevertheless, dead tired from a long rain-drenched game and goodness knows what shenanigans the night before they nevertheless pressed on. Steve Hyland and Niall both made promising runs into the Harrier’s box, beating several defenders in the process, but in both cases they were stopped short just before they could get their shots off. Appeals for penalties were made but the ref wouldn’t have any of it. Justifiably or not, a lot of calls were going the Harriers?way, a fact which Steve brought up with the ref couched in language that would make a sailor blush. Immediately, a red card was produced, but by the look on Steve’s face it was clear that he couldn’t care less by that point. Somewhere out there was a pint with his name on it and he was off to claim it.

 The end of the game came quickly thereafter. All the St. Pat players acted graciously and were quick to congratulate the Harriers ?“good game fellas? Naturally, we were happy enough to have beaten them but none of the Harriers are so naive enough to believe that things will go as smoothly the next time around. St. Pat’s simply had a bad game and, for once, the Harriers had a good one.

Man of the Match: Evan Hale

Goals: Evan Hale, Jean-Blaise, Trent, Guillaume x2

Assists: Evan x2 (re: Jean Blaise & Trent), Didi (re: Evan), Gregoire (re: Guillaume), Christophe (re: Guillaume)

Cleansheet: Michael (keeper), Randal, Kevin, Marco, Lawrence, Sylvain, Jo-Jo

Play of the Game: Jean Blaise’s confident tap-in off Evan’s selfless pass.