29.06.07           6-A-SIDE RESULT 28.06.07 – O’Carrolls 4 - 1 Hold The Phone

 

OC’s secured top spot last night with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Hold The Phone. It’s the third first place finish in the A Grade since we began over two and a half years ago, our previous win surprisingly coming way back at the end of 2005. (Two runner up finishes in 2006 and, even though we won all ten games in the first round this year, it wasn’t the best six teams involved).

 

Going into last night’s game, we were level on points with Inter but with a +4 goal difference. Even the narrowest of victories would leave Inter needing to beat Hamstrung by more than five goals – unlikely, but we still had to ensure we won our game. It wasn’t the great start we would have liked; passing and possession was good, but there was little talking going on and things were soon to get worse. Richie mishandled a routine catch and not only managed to meg himself, but couldn’t stop the ball from trickling over the line. For a few seconds we thought we’d gotten away with it, but the eye-in-the-sky gave the goal and the cries of “AGGHH, you’re joe-kin” weren’t going to change the refs mind. Worse still for butterfingers, Tim was in the stands watching!

 

Anyway, that was the motivation we needed and from there on in, it was all about OC’s. Make no mistake, HTP are a decent side (there have been some close contests in the past) but the fact that they were panting for breath after 15 minutes is testament to the performance put in by OC’s. Gus leveled matters with a superb individual goal, weaving his way past about three players before picking his spot. Jobba gave us the lead after latching onto a quick free kick from James and drilling his shot past the keeper. James added a third from the edge of the area, sending his strike across goal and keeper with his right foot.

 

Tom capped off the scoring in what will probably be his final OC’s 6-A-Side game for sometime; Gus drew the defence on the edge of the area before laying the ball off for the Irishman to side-foot into the back of the net. 4-1 and job done. An accolade usually reserved for Tom, Tancell was the only player (including Richie) who failed to find the net last night, but he finishes top scorer with 15 goals, followed closely by James on 14 and Gus on 12.

 

So Inter were left needing to beat Hamstrung by eight goals or more to overtake OC’s. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be as they went down 5-3 in what sounded like an ill-tempered clash. Angry-beanie-man was red carded after about five minutes for making a rude gesture – naughty naughty! – and Inter found themselves trailing 3-2 soon after the restart. Word reached Kenny’s Bar & Grill later that evening that a second Inter player saw red for some particularly aggressive behaviour towards the referee, and continued to dish it out in the gantry afterwards. Really, it’s no wonder nobody will play them in a friendly!

 

Aside from a pretty average performance against Inter, it’s been an excellent display from everyone involved over the last 10 weeks – well-done lads – champions again! So that’s it for a few weeks, the next round is scheduled to start on July 19^th. OC’s will be looking to further extend their unbeaten run of 21 games. Until then!

 

        29.06.07           LEAGUE RESULT 22.06.07 – Waitakere Rangers 0 – 5 O’Carrolls

 

Better late than never, it’s Richie O’Neill…

 

Sunday saw us up against Waitakere Rangers for the 3rd time this season. It was an 11am kick off which had the gaffer worried, as a fair few of the lads are usually on their way home from the previous night at this hour. Not to worry though, only Lobster struggled with the early KO.

 

The starting line up was Matt in goal, Paddy left back, Tom right back, Tancey and Biddy the central defenders. Captain Gus and Hirdy held the middle of midfield with Stu on the left and Jobba on the right. Ash and James led the attack. On the bench were Olly, Walshy, Chris and Dan.

 

With O'Carrolls playing into a strong wind, both teams started cautiously, not being sure whether the wind would be a help or a hindrance. OC's managed to keep the ball on the floor and had a few good early chances (one of these days you will score James) but with no end result. Rangers were looking for a long ball over the top (wind assisted) to feed their forwards. Generally the defence coped well, but alarm bells rang when Mark G got to a ball before Matt and prodded it towards the open goal. Only a good headed clearance off the line by Tancey kept the game at 0-0. It was the wake-up call that OC's needed and it wasn't long before the first goal was scored. Gus picked up the ball in midfield played it out to Ash who played it to Jobba. An excellent one two with Gussy (who had continued his run) saw the Man Of The Match finish with style for the goal of the game.

 

Both teams continued to play their own game despite the wind with OC's edging it with goal chances. On the stroke of half time Jobba played a good ball into Ash who squared it to Stu. The winger scored with a tidy left foot finish to take us into the half-time break 2-0 up.

 

OC's continued to press in the second half and the Rangers keeper was being kept busy. He made some good saves and commanded his box well. A lot of energy was also spent chasing the ball a couple of hundred yards every time it went wide. He also had to contend with the banter from both teams, which was all in good spirit. Even Bernie joined in when he nicked Trev's cap, the surprise being that Trev couldn't catch him. Rangers thought Bernie was still taking the piss when he awarded OC's a free kick near the corner flag. James saw Gus calling for it at the back post and delivered an excellent ball for Gussy to use his height to good effect and nod the third home. A finish Peter Crouch would have been proud of!

 

The game was effectively over as a contest at this stage with OC's taking their foot off the gas for the next 20 minutes. The gaffer had enough and made a triple substitution, bringing on Dave, Dan and Olly for Stu, Ash and Hirdy. It wasn't long before the changes brought about the next goal. Olly had a good attempt blocked and with the ball rebounding back to him, he squared it to Dan who made no mistake. With 2 of the subs involved Dave wasn't going to be left out. With a bit of space around the 18 yard line

Gussy was looking for an avenue. Dave sprinted into space as only Dave can and with Gussy hearing his call the ball was squared on to his right foot. The Waterford man got to the ball just before the Rangers centre half and curled an unstoppable ball into the top corner.

 

That was it, 5-0 OC’s. A big thanks to the Rangers boys who despite the score line gave us a good physical, fair game. They are also the best team when it comes to taking the piss and having a bit of a slagging on the pitch. Best of luck for the rest of the season.

Richie O’Neill

 

        27.06.07           FRIENDLY RESULT 26.06.07 – Papatoetoe AFC 6 – 2 O’Carrolls

 

Before I start this, Richie is doing the report from last Sunday, so that should be up before the week is out. Last night OC’s faced Papatoetoe AFC at Murdoch Park for a mid-season friendly, arranged on the back of our Chatham Cup defeat in mid-May.

 

Papatoetoe showed right from the kick-off the pace and ability they possess, but watching from the sidelines, I felt that OC’s (once we found our shape) started quite brightly also. This was further validated when we were rewarded with the opening goal. It started with Biddy at the back, picking up possession, he rode a couple of challenges before steamrolling his way to the to the halfway line. From there he picked out Dan Green with a beautiful diagonal ball, and the ginger controlled well before smacking the ball across goal past the keeper. Terrific goal!

 

From here though, Papatoetoe took the game by the neck and their pace and movement caused OC’s all sorts of problems. Almost immediately they leveled matters, a cross from the right found their player free at the backpost and he made no mistake. Things got worse as we went 2-1 down, soon followed by 3-1 (both good goals). The gaffer made the first of many changes at this stage in an attempt to stem the flow of Papatoetoe attacks. They further extended the lead when their captain rose highest and headed powerfully home from a corner. OC’s did however show some promise and came back into the game for the last ten minutes of the half, keeping a bit more possession and stringing some decent passes together. It augured well for the second half, and having led so early on, we went into the break 4-1 behind.

 

Second half did prove better for OC’s, but even still, Papatoetoe were a constant threat and we were made to defend hard for the majority of the half. It didn’t help when we were forced to sub Biddy after a spat with an opposition player, but it was a friendly after all and the referee just wanted to calm them down - both players came back on later in the game. 

 

Papatoetoe further extended their lead after another quick break from midfield, the final shot rolling over the line after ricocheting off the inside of the opposite post. Despite the improved performance, chances were at a minimum for OC’s but we did score a second goal through James, which restored a bit of confidence in the side. Having won possession in the opposition half, he played a neat one-two with Tow Truck before striking the return ball on the bounce from the edge of the area; it looped up over the Papatoetoe keeper and nestled in the back of the net. It appears that James’ problems in front of goal only apply to competitive weekend fixtures – mid-week friendlies – two from two! Papatoetoe captain Graham completed the scoring (and his hat-trick) with a great strike from the edge of the area after making space for himself with a mazy run along the 18-yard box. 6-2 the final score.

 

Tow Truck got the nod for Man Of The Match for OC’s; my picks for Papatoetoe would have to be Graham (for the hat-trick) and Iwa (apologies if the spelling is wrong) – the forward has fantastic pace and a great touch to boot – he caused us real problems at the back yesterday and would be a handful for any defence.

 

Thanks to Peter and his team for the game, our level of fitness should be boosted a little after chasing you guys for most of the evening! It’s great for us get the opportunity to compete against teams like Papatoetoe and important lessons will be learned from the game. I believe both managers have already tried to organize another game for the near future - hopefully this could signal the start of a valuable affiliation between the two clubs.

 

Sunday we’re only one of four clubs in action in the AFSA; we play our postponed fixture from May against Carlton at Coxes Bay Reserve.

The Editor

 

        23.06.07           6-A-SIDE RESULT 21.06.07 – O’Carrolls 8 - 0 Gen Hack

 

OC’s have now gone 20 games undefeated after Thursday night’s mauling of Gen Hack. It was two goals a piece for Gus, James, Jobba and Tancell in a sublime performance from the league leaders. With one game to go it looks like it’s going to go to goal difference. OC’s face Hold The Phone next week; Inter are up against Hamstrung immediately after. All OC’s need to do is win and we can probably enjoy a few in Kenny’s without any care in what’s happening in Inter’s game!

The Editor

 

        18.06.07           LEAGUE RESULT 17.06.07 – Waikaraka Roofers 2 – 3 O’Carrolls

 

A narrow 3-2 victory against Waikaraka Roofers on Sunday saw OC’s go 6 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand; closest challengers Zimbabwe Warriors failed to overcome Bohs 2 at home, going down 2-1 in the 3.00pm kick-off.

 

OC’s were looking to better the 4-0 victory we had over Roofers first time round (the allegations and grumblings from Roofers during and after that fixture had left a bad taste in our mouths), but with Tim away on holiday (we tend to draw when he’s away) and the game being played at Waikaraka Park (it’s not been a happy hunting ground for us), all the omens were there for an upset. And there almost was… almost, but not quite!

 

The line up this week was as follows: Richie in goal; Tom, Tancell, Biddy and Colin at the back; Jobba, Dave W, Gus & Hirdy across the middle; James and Ash up front. On the bench were Martin, Chris, Lobster and after his Wednesday light/heavy training session (the reports are conflicting), Olly returned to the squad for the first time since going off injured against NZCS in the Chatham Cup.

 

For me, OC’s made the more promising start. The opening minutes were pretty much spent in the Roofers half as we forced their defence to concede countless throw-ins and even a few corners, none of which were very menacing, but we had started positively and it looked to have their back-line concerned. Roofers were pumping ball after ball up the pitch in what I initially thought was to snuff out the danger of an early OC’s goal, but was in fact their game plan; 80% of the delivery to their midfield/forwards came that way, despite the strong wind against them. Their chief attacking outlet appeared to be a chap called Mario on the left side, and he kept Colin very busy for the opening half. No.13 (Dumbass from here on in) picked up right where he left off from last time, late and reckless in almost every challenge.

 

It was Roofers that took the lead on pretty much their first jaunt into the OC’s half. The killer ball came from that left side, drilled across goal, perhaps three yards from the line. Biddy swung a leg at it but his contact succeeded in only accelerating the ball towards Tom’s knee and in it went – oh dear, OG! (Editors note: Short of wiggle my nose Bewitched style and hope my left leg vanished (I did try it) there was not a lot else could be done). So a disappointed OC’s found themselves 1-0 with barely 10 minutes on the clock – but we’ve never been known to drop our heads after going behind and it was just the wake up call we needed (along with a few encouraging words from Richie of course).

 

The rest of the half was all about OC’s as we really took the game to Roofers. An obvious penalty was waved away when a defender intercepted a ball with his hands, but the referee adjudged that it struck his head. It did strike his head not long after, a fierce volley from the edge of the area catching him square in the face, but this was not before the same player conceded a less clear-cut penalty for handball. He will claim he attempted to pull his arm away, but the decision was made and Dave Walsh stepped up and slotted home to the keepers left. The man just doesn’t miss! With the wind in our sails we searched hard for another goal before the break; Gus forced the keeper to tip over from about 20 yards out, while a rather hopeful ball from Biddy forced the first of a barrage of consecutive corners, but Roofers got their heads first to almost every delivery.

 

Roofers were the happier side to hear the halftime whistle as it was OC’s clearly in the ascendancy. Martin replaced Colin at the interval to keep pace with the Roofers right-winger. The break, however, served Roofers better than it did OC’s as we struggled to settle back into the second half. The wind certainly aided Roofers cause and they used it effectively to pump long balls into our half – as a result we couldn’t get the ball down and play it on the deck; the midfield was effectively left to scrap for our headed clearances, while goal kicks were finding little distance either. Not a great start and it got worse when NOTW-should’ve-been Biddy conceded a penalty after the forward made the most of a mistimed challenge, flinging himself to the dirt. Richie guessed the right way for the kick, but in fairness, it was a good penalty and drilled low and hard into the left corner.

 

So OC’s found themselves trailing again, and once more we had to dig deep to get ourselves back into the game. It was yet another spot-kick that offered us that chance with Dumbass climbing all over Ash who was trying to control a throw-in. The protests were half-hearted as Dave stepped up and calm-as-you-like placed the ball in the same spot as the first. It wasn’t going to be that easy though; Dave was made to re-take it for an infringement in the box so he had to beat the keeper for a third time. All square once again!

 

Matt made the second change of the game, introducing Olly up front in place of James, and the substitute was immediately involved in the action. His first touch of the game could have resulted in a goal had his finishing not been a little rusty. A self-inflicted ankle injury to Richie could have spelled disaster as he wasn’t looking too comfortable at all, but with no keeper on the bench he was going to have to stick it out. It wasn’t long after that OC’s took the lead for the first time in the game. A clearance from Richie found Man Of The Match Gus in the middle of the park, who in turn spread the ball out to Olly on the left. His low cross found Ash unmarked and the leading scorer tucked away his fifth goal in only two games.

 

The referee demonstrated he wasn’t afraid to issue a card, booking a Roofers player for dissent, but how Dumbass escaped a caution after a nasty chop on Gus is beyond me! The remaining minutes were scrappy but OC’s held on and took the points. Roofers - cheers for a competitive game; OC’s – terrific spirit to come from behind twice and take all three points. Next week we travel WAY out west to face Waitakere Rangers at the early time of 11AM - get to bed nice and early on Saturday gents!

The Editor

 

        15.06.07           6-A-SIDE RESULT 14.06.07 – O’Carrolls 3 - 2 Hamstrung United

 

Another sweet victory over Hamstrung last night now sees OC’s unbeaten run stretch to 19; the last time we tasted defeat was early in December 06 to the hands of Inter. A brace from Jobba either side of Tom’s third of the round saw OC’s come back from a goal down, leaving Hamstrung frustrated once more in the tenth meeting between the sides. OC’s have won the last three clashes and not lost since the first meeting back in March 05. (Record: P10 W6 D2 L1, 1 abandoned)

 

Not for the first time this round we struggled for numbers; and with Richie stuck at the airport, Martin reluctantly slipped on the gloves. It was a composed start from OC’s, neat and accurate passing as we maintained the majority of the early possession. This didn’t go down too well with Tommy (opposition), and his readiness to argue with every member of his team wasn’t very well received. Despite this, it was Hamstrung that took the lead very much against the run of play. A break down the right side resulted in the ball being knocked back across to the edge of the D where a Hamstrung forward got his toe to the ball ahead of Tancell and it looped in at the back post with Martin’s efforts to get to it in vain. Not the start we wanted, but we felt we were playing well enough that the goals would come.

 

The patient football eventually reaped its reward as Jobba equalized from a tight angle after skipping past a rapidly tiring Hamstrung defence. With the equalizer under our belts we were confident of scoring again but despite the pressure it remained 1-1 going into the break. The tension between the Hamstrung players was still evident at the start of the second half when their keeper pelted the ball, and a few choice words, at Tommy, clearly annoyed with him. OC’s picked up where we left off and the lead was taken about five minutes in. With the play heavily concentrated on the left side, Tom had the acres of time and space to meet Jobba’s squared ball and struck it first time low and hard into the right corner. Unstoppable!

 

The lead was short-lived however, Hamstrung equalizing seconds later directly from the restart, much to the delight of Inter in the stands. Perhaps we need to rethink our strategy of charging down these tip-offs? Anyway, disappointing as it was to concede like that again, we still felt the game was ours for the taking and we weren’t to be proved wrong. With only a few minutes left, while Hamstrung were opining over a free kick award, the ball was fed out to Gus on the left who laid it back for Jobba to drive home from around the halfway line – terrific strike! Overall Hamstrung offered little other than two or three shots on target (two of which went in, the other well stopped by Martin) and the result was the right one in the end.

 

With two games to go, it may very well come down to goal difference. Inter scraped past Gen Hack last night with a 2-1 win, so OC’s still have a goal advantage of 6+. Inter have Hamstrung and bottom side Econz to play, while OC’s have Gen Hack and Hold The Phone on the final night. Next week 6.35 KO – put it in your diaries.

The Editor 

 

        11.06.07           LEAGUE RESULT 10.06.07 – O’Carrolls 5 - 0 Roving Star

 

It was a triumphant return to league action yesterday after almost a month out as OC’s ran out 5-0 winners against mid-table side Roving Star. It wasn’t as easy as the scoreline might suggest; OC’s were made to work very hard for their half-time lead and the pace of Star caused problems in the home defence on a number of occasions.

 

Once the referee had checked boots (insisting that the team lined up in numerical order), the game was underway with a couple of changes to the lineup. Matt was back in goal after his short break back to the UK. Colin started his first game of the season at left-back alongside Biddy, Tancell and Tom. James and Jobba were dropped to the bench with Martin and Dave Walsh taking up position on the left and right wings, while Gus and Hirdy were paired up in the middle of the park. Up front Ash was partnered with Stu, with Tow Truck still unavailable through suspension. Max, Dan G and Lobster were also on the bench.

 

Right from the off it was it was clear that OC’s had a game on their hands; a scrappy opening 25 minutes was controlled by neither side as the play swung from end to end. The early passing from OC’s was a little careless and Star were quick to punish our mistakes – they were first to pounce on every loose ball in the opening exchanges. It was this determination that almost paid dividends after a couple of defensive mix-ups nearly cost OC’s dearly. Matt and Tom clashed after misjudging a bouncing ball, but Gus was in quickly to clear the danger and nick the ball away from a Star forward. Soon after Matt was forced to dive at the feet of the same player after he’d latched onto a long ball under pressure from Tancell; there was a bit of a wrestle between the three for the ball but the referee eventually blew for a foul on the keeper.

 

Star forced a couple of corners and free-kicks but failed to produce any decent efforts on Matt’s goal. By now OC’s had shaken off the cobwebs and the midfield and forwards were creating some openings of their own, with Gus and Stu having OC’s first notable attempts on goal. The breakthrough finally came after a Martin put Ash through on goal with a clinical pass. The leading scorer beat the offside and coolly controlled before slotting the ball past the keeper to break the deadlock. Star staged a half-hearted protest to the decision, but linesman Richie had gotten it spot on and the referee saw no reason to disagree. OC’s had soaked up the anticipated early pressure put on them by the opposition and with the lead secured began to finally take some control of the game.

 

The lead was doubled not long before the break after some terrific football culminated in, what for me, was the goal of the game. A lofted pass from midfield was controlled by Stu on his chest and with his second touch he lifted the ball over the Star defence into the path of Ash who with great composure stroked the ball beyond the onrushing keeper. No appeals for offside this time, Star were just left to appreciate the quality of the finish.

 

So OC’s took the 2-0 lead into the break after a tough first half. The gaffer was relatively happy with the performance but we all felt we needed to lift it for the second half.

 

The second forty-five was more of a one-sided affair as it the home side that did most of the pressing. The first change of the game came at Olly O’Clock, Dave replaced by Jobba just before the hour mark. Ash and Stu had linked up beautifully for the second goal, and they combined twice more to put the game beyond all doubt. The third goal wasn’t too dissimilar to the second, Stu again showing great vision to chip his pass over the defence into the run of Ash who completed his hat-trick with yet another clinical finish. At this stage Dan G came on for Martin and this saw Stu drop back to the left of midfield. It was from the left side that Stu dispossessed a defender, taking the ball toward the byline before squaring to Ash for the Man Of The Match to smash home his fourth goal. That was to be his last contribution of the game as he exited to great applause to be replaced by Lobster.

 

At 4-0 the game was wrapped up, but Star never stopped playing and they were only denied a consolation goal by a superb goal-line clearance from Biddy. Matt came for a cross but failed to hang onto it and the ball spilled out to the edge of the area. An initial shot was half cleared by Colin but only as far as a Star forward. His fierce strike looked a certain goal, but Bidcom came from nowhere to clear the danger. There was one further goal to come and it was from the spot after a Star player handled in the area - birthday boy Tancell stepped up and placed the penalty high and to the keeper’s right.

 

So the 100% record is maintained and we’re now three points clear with a game in hand. Zims keep the pressure on though, having beaten Grey Lynn 5-3 yesterday after going behind early on. Thanks the Roving Star for a good, competitive game and good luck for the rest of the campaign. Next week we travel to Waikaraka for a 1pm clash with the Roofers – no doubts there’ll be an official referee after the bellyaching from these guys after our first meeting.

The Editor

 

        11.06.07           6-A-SIDE RESULT 07.06.07 – O’Carrolls 2 - 2 Internationale FC

 

This week, the New Zealand Herald’s Stuart Dye…

 

A classic game of two halves saw the spoils shared in a somewhat ill-tempered affair between OC's and closest rivals Internationale. But the emotions - which came closest to boiling over when Tancey tangled with the Inter goalkeeper - couldn't ruin an absorbing contest, which finished two apiece.

 

OC's came out all guns blazing and their neat passing game meant Inter struggled to touch the ball for long periods of the first half. Composed at the back with Jobba, Tom and Tancey, and breaking fast through Gus and James, it seemed it was only a matter of time before the first goal came. Richie was a spectator in goal - but he used the free time to good effect... shouting himself hoarse. When OC's did go ahead there was an element of good fortune. An attempted clearance by an Inter defender ricocheted off the referee into Gus's path. But there was nothing fortunate about the finish as Gus seized on the loose ball, skipped clear of a couple of desperate lunges before the sweetest strike into the top right of the goal.

 

It was one-way traffic by this point and the beleaguered Inter boys were blaming the referee and each other as they tried to gain a foothold. Instead it was OC's who extended their lead. The ball was played out to Tancey and from a long way out - and a tight angle to boot - the big man drilled home a half volley. If the keeper was a little lacking as the ball flashed passed him, let it take nothing away from a finish of supreme confidence. It seemed it should all be over as a contest, with OC's just needing to keep the ball and frustrate the opposition. But Inter found themselves right back in it straight from the second half. A wonderful hit from the kick-off saw the ball squeeze past an unsighted Richie. The recriminations (Jobba) as to who moved (Jobba) from the wall (Jobba) continued long after the final whistle.

 

It was the spur Inter needed and they began to crank up the pressure, controlling the second half in the way OC's had the first. A couple of great saves from Richie were warning signs, but they went unheeded. A free kick just in the OC's half was powered home to make it 2-2. With only minutes left OC's began to play again in a bid to claw back their advantage from the rejuvenated Inter. And rising tempo was matched by rising tempers. The referee didn't help by flashing a couple of yellow cards and blowing the whistle for innocuous challenges. It threatened to spill over as Tancey stretched for a ball the keeper was claiming. As the big man tried to jump clear the keeper seemed to stretch out a leg. Cue some handbags and jostling.

 

As the game headed for a draw OC's could - and probably should – have snatched victory. Gus threaded a cross to the back post to pick out a wonderful run from Jobba but, perhaps tiring from the exertions, Dirty Old Ski could only jab a weak left footer wide of the mark. A draw that felt like a loss and OC's will know the possession and quick passing game deserted them in the second half, taking two points with it.

Stuart Dye