Soccer Tips
Home
HSC
Pictures
Tournament Info.
Game Schedule
Kirkwood have been the bogey team for the Hammers in tournaments and in the regular season, the Hammers warmed up for the match knowing that a win could lay to rest the bogey and put them top of the table.
The match started full of promise with end-to-end play, both goals coming under pressure in the opening phases. Matt and Travis were solid at the back allowing Jacob time to make some crucial saves. The forwards were working hard with the ball and Digger opened up the Kirkwood defense with some nicely angled passes, Sparky and
D getting on the end of them but unable to find target. Adam worked furiously up and down the right wing and the Hammers pressure was rewarded when D sliced a perfect pass to Adam in space, who settled the ball, picked his spot and slotted a beautifully worked opening goal! The Hammers clearly thought they had the game in the bag and backed off the gas, Kirkwood were hungry and a scorching break down the right opened up a swarming Kirkwood attack that swamped the back three and netted the equalizer. Kirkwood now piled on the pressure, the Hammers defended solidly with Matt, Travis and Antonio breaking up attacks. The midfield and forwards were sucked backwards by the pressure and although D and Jerr scrapped bravely the Hammers were trying to attack from too deep and the first half ended 1 all.
Kirkwood started the second half strongly and in less than two minutes took the lead with a scrappy goal, which led to Digger coming off hurt. The Hammers started to put together some good attacks, Matt clearing some solid balls and targeting teammates, putting the midfield and forwards into space. Sparky worked some runs in to the box, threading neat crosses and D was always making ground with Colin scraping for the ball, but the final strike from the Hammers was either off target or lacking punch. Brendan worked hard in midfield and Adam continued to make space up the left feeding Sparky and stoking the Hammer attacks. A free kick gave the Hammers a scoring chance, but the distance was too great for a strong shot on goal and the keeper cleaned up before the Hammer follow up could arrive. Jacob and then Adam just failed to get on the end of a couple of nicely weighted corners from Sparky but the Hammers were beginning to feel the bogey looming. Kirkwood defended tenaciously and were always dangerous on the break out, Antonio and Travis pulled off some crunching tackles and Jerr provided his usual safe pair of hands and �siege gun� goal kicks. The Hammers were left playing catch up soccer from the early second half goal, they began run out of gas and heads were going down as the final whistle sounded. The Hammers had allowed Kirkwood to win the mind game and the Kirkwood bogey had struck again.
CONTINUED