Olive (x8), Clark (x3)
Bonython (x2), Liascos
Liensavanh
In the pre-match warm up, the Tabernackles appeared to be well prepared for the imminent battle, even donning what appeared to be a uniform, but despite their rough-and-ready appearance, the match was to prove very one-sided indeed.
Within 30 seconds, IEA had hit the lead with an early John Olive strike, in what was to be the first of many goals. As a matter of fact, within 2 minutes, Olive had notched up his hatrick, and the lackluster Tabernackle offense barely crossed the halfway line at all in the quarter. Confidence quickly grew, or perhaps exploded, with goal after goal in every quarter. A delightful volley from James Clark just inside the IEA offensive half saw the bewildered Tabernackle goalkeeper glare at the ball with the same astonishment as a 12 year old who had just discovered internet porn. Mat Bonython was up to his usual tricks again, with his fancy footwork sending IEA into attack on numerous occasions. Yet it was the dark horse striker in Nathan Liascos who obtained perhaps 90% of the chances. He was therefore relieved when after 17 consecutive mishits, airswings, shinballs, kneers and stumbles, he managed to do the sensible thing and sidefoot one past the keeper, simultaneously silencing the enfuriated benched Liensavanh for a few precious moments.
Olive dominated the attack from start to finish, and by the final siren his goals had become a force of habit. The Tabernackle defence had been clearly outclassed by his superior touch and placement, and in the end he had managed to rip out eight goals evenly spaced throughout the match. Clark's back heel passes and play construction, and Bonython's agility, volleys and scissor kicks proved to be effective support up forward, with each player scoring 3 and 2 goals respectively. Zotti's longballs were well placed, and hell, even Suriya managed to score. Shepherd was not particularly challenged in the match, but a deflection of a Zotti boot caught him off balance, and prevented him keeping a clean sheet in his season debut. Even in the dying seconds of the match, the Tabernackles could not put a second away, despite the IEA field courteously stepping aside to provide a defenseless clear line of sight, just for the hell of it. Much mention must be given not only to the goal scoring achievements of the team but also to those players who held the Tabernackles to only one goal, a superb performance by Zotti, Clark and Liensavanh at the back as well as Bonython and Liascos in midfield provided the solid foundation for Olive to be able to attack so freely. A superb team effort that was acknowledged with a couple of beers after.
A comprehensive 15 to 1 vitctory to the boys in blue and gold, establishing IEA as promising cup challengers in season 02 / 03.