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Match report, session three, 2006/07
This, indeed, was a Sunday morning like no other, and certainly a far cry from the relaxing Sunday being enjoyed by the majority of the country, as three of the HSAs big guns began the mental and physical preparation that subbuteo success at this level demands.
On this particular Sunday Butler Stadium witnessed � as, in fact, with every other session this season � matches packed with drama, incident, and shock! The latter was supplied in droves by Tom Porter, who enjoyed the finest HSA session of his career. Who knows what went into Tom�s pre-match preparation that day, but if it could be bottled and sold they would be queuing up all the way down Huntingdon High Street, as he shocked the HSA with two remarkable performances against the Butler brothers, holding Dave to a 0 � 0 draw and then to stun Dazza with an early goal in their HSA Cup semi-final encounter, before eventually going down 2 � 1. His point against Dave couldn�t prevent him regaining the HSA title for the first time in five years, as Dave followed up this draw with a 2 � 0 victory against defending champion Dazza, to regain the league.
Before a player was flicked or even buffed there were some important issues to resolve: which bases would be flicked and which polish would be applied to them? It was to be a historic day for the HSA. In over 20 years of HSA action, only Waddingtons, or in the modern era, Hasbro bases have been used, and always polished with Mr Sheen. Even before this session, there was many an e-mail exchanged on the question of whether � and when � to change to modern bases such as Stefan Corda�s �G2 Raptors�, and a modern polish. It was eventually decided that progress could be held off no longer and the ultra-flat bases were unleashed. And with a polish and a good hard buffing with �Supersonic Perfect Flick� pro-polish, the players were gliding, as if they were in an ice-rink, rather than an astropitch. The line was drawn at the new big keepers, the players alarmed at the sheer size of them and also at the bizarre lack of proportion between the body and the massively-long arms. It is not only in this way in fact that the HSA retains its rebellious stance against subbuteo�s establishment: numerous rule-changes introduced by the FISTF have been resisted. The HSA controls its own destiny and is proud to be different.
Tom Porter certainly seemed to take a shine to the new equipment, using them to become the first Porter to take a point off Dave Butler, battling out a well-earned draw. The chipping potential of the new bases was clear to see, Dave coming closest to scoring with two chots clipping the bar.
Porter was to pick up immediately where he left off, firing in a penalty to go one up against Dazza within three minutes of their HSA Cup semi-final. The inevitable 'baby' celebration inevitably followed (right).
By this time on a Sunday, many people might not have even stirred from under their duvet, and yet, Porter had already foiled one Butler boy and now had another in his sights and the reward of a first appearance in the HSA Cup final that such a victory would bring.
A cup final day out would be a superb outing, but alas it wasn�t to be � despite some fine blocking to protect his lead until half-time, Dazza�s pressure eventually told as he carved out some decent chances and put them away with some aplomb. For Porter, his cup dream was over, but it will certainly be a Sunday morning that he won�t forget in a hurry. The result means that Dazza has single-handedly knocked the Porter family out of this year�s Cup, having already beaten Willard in the qualifier! He may well be off their Christmas card list!
Dazza�s impressive second-half performance would have put him in the zone for his league showdown with his younger brother. Lying four points behind and realising that only a win would do, he came out all guns blazing. It was, however, Dave that had the better of the opening five minutes and he made the pressure count, taking the lead with a looping deflection. Following that Dazza went even more on the attack, leaving Dave to defend the shooting line and play on the break. Eventually, with the full-time whistle imminent, one of these breaks lead to a goal, the ball chipped into the left-hand corner, and he won his first HSA league for five years, thus halting Dazza�s attempt to seal a third consecutive title.
With a couple of league matches to play, one more semi-final and of course the final itself, this record-breakingly long season still has a couple of twists and turns left to reveal. With players taking it in turns to take points off each other this season, HSA fans will already be looking forward to even more thrills and spills next season.
If only every Sunday could be like this �
HSA 2006/2007 main page HSA 2006/07 table and results at-a-glance