Stallions 4 - 2 Naenae

Think Carrick's might make this video?

Another must win game against mid-table opposition, though the game was hardly conducive to the usual high standard of Stallions football with key personnel missing and Kelburn Park a slippery mess. Kicking off with only 10 men (Tim making a typically late start to the game and the season), we took a while to get going. In a flat first half (several of us playing out of position), Heath continued his rich vein of scoring form by flicking a header over the top of the oncoming keeper to make it 1-0. Paul was also having a blinder in goal, making a number of top notch saves.

On to the second half, and 15mins in Rauru makes it 2-0 with a great flick over the keeper (from a speculative 50m through-ball from Aaron…or did you pick him out? Eds note: I was calling for the ball to be put through. Whether Aaron meant it or not...). On to the 20 min mark and Rauru gets chopped in the box - Naenae down to 10 men and the game is effectively over. Ra is hurting (and Paddy’s away), so I (Carrick) pick up the ball and place it on the spot. Not even a squeak from Tim or Bakky. Aiming bottom right (having missed bottom left with my last two penalty attempts in the past decade), the ball is slotted between the keepers legs. 3-0, and pony award safely secured. A few minutes later and its 4-0…great build up down the left (Eds note: Rauru to Tharron to Heath in a move Barca circa 2011 would have been proud of) , Heath’s shot is parried across the goal and I (Carrick) slide it in to score another gimme. Game over. Though we did manage to leak two late goals (it’s the Stallions way). The penalty was dubious to say the least, though Paul did well to get a hand to it (and duly dislocated his finger (before putting it back in himself) before playing upfront – well worthy of Stallion. Eds note: Not to mention when he was keeper taking on and skinning an advancing striker). 4-1. Some poor defending from the make-shift backline saw Naenae score another late goal. 4-2

All up, a crap day for football, but a good effort from the bare 11. Another 3 points in the bag and the Stallies are up to second on the table (though we’ll probably need to beat BNU, Accies, UH, Olympic and Petone to finish in the top two).