Twinkle Toes Defensive Midfielder Scores

A little preseason banter + TAB odds

Heath:

too quiet.  Any banter for tomorrow?

Saw in the TAB window -

Uni Stallions odds for 1st injury

$1.01 Gerald (hamstring)
$1.02 Tangi (early season graze)
$99.00 Carrick (dislocated shoulder from goal celebration)

Paddy:

$1.03 team pride (for losing by 13+)
Gus:

2.50 Logan to come along to watch and end up playing.

7.00 Logan to receive a season ending injury. 

$15  for 0-1 goals in game 

$1.03  for 2-3 goals in game

$1.00 Warwick to get all stallions goals

Dan:

S. Davey: deft control and volley to score from 20 yards 

R. Walker: albatross, and theatrical 'oh ref!' 

T. Walker: "nice one!" 

G. Mann: charging rhino run followed by bellow at missed shot

P. Sawyer: cheeky free kick while keeper is arranging wall, not having asked for ten

Let the preseason begin (and end)

Tim: Well if there was a pony I'd get it for snotting an own goal better than their strikers and getting in trouble by offering up a facial for the twat that banged the ball on my head after I clattered into their number 4.

Now I know why people get called 'Old sods' (slow old dangerous). Ruined Gus's clean sheet too.

Stallions 3 - 0 Marist

In the white corner: Crowey, 40m volley guy, the viking, bearded Number 7 and second half goalie.
In the black corner: Milky on the break and the volley, Rauru dominating in the air, on the flop n flap, and into the top corner, and Heath relishing free rein in the middle of the park.

It barely got easier after they were down to ten, and they gave it all for 15 minutes after the break. Quite some relief when Milky extended the lead in typical style: deft control of aerial ball then left foot volley into the the top corner. Rauru continued to trouble Marist in the air (and the refs patience!) but definitely had the last laugh with a cracking goal from 15 yards into the top left corner.

At three nil Marist slumped a little and we started knocking the ball around nicely, creating some space for Nick, G and Tim to start knocking it around and Paddy to surge forward ever optimistic!

Notable appearance from Timmy off the bench for first appearance of the season. Some nice touches, flashy dummy to cross move, and good tracking of the beardy pacey play maker.

Now a bye to rest the bodies before the final two games against Upper Hutt on the Maidstone turf and promotion contenders Olympic.

Goals - Steve 2 and Rauru (assists?)
Pony - Danno's horrible short range free kick, or Paddy's horrible long range free kick..
Stallion - DC for ensuring first clean sheet of the season, or Timmy for surviving intact his first appearance of the season..

Not heard on the sidelines #1

That f**ken Brooklyn victory song.

Stallions 3 - 3 Brooklyn 2nds (the haiku version)

Stallies down two nil
Steve "I don't miss penalties"
Three all like a win

Ninja: Matt Rowe the sniper
Yakuza: Matt Ryan the enforcer
Samurai:  Mus with thoughts back home, holds together back four

Stallions 3 - 2 Uni Thirds

Back on track! Proving the north result was a blip, an aberration, the Cap 3 equivalent of Mexico breaking their 22 game undefeated streak with a 7-0 thrashing by Chile!

It seems the thirds had targeted us as the game to keep them safely above us for the season. As they wore themselves out warming up, we meditated on that for deep motivation. And jogged a couple half laps.

Tellingly, the back four were still essentially warming up to the task (mea culpa) when a fast break up the right saw a misfit cross fall directly into the path of the thirds danger man Matt up front, and DCs first touch was picking it up out of the far corner of the net.

Five minutes later we were up 2-1 and the very early season cricketers in the nets were heard to ask Paul: whadda ya reckon the final score will be? Two assists in two minutes from Nick and well taken goals from Steve on the break and Jules on the half volley from 25 yards. Ole'!

The thirds looked a little brittle in the middle at the back and the 3-1 half time lead could easily have been more with a good save on the line to a Heath header off a corner, and Steve (I just can't get a hattrick this year) Davey rounding the keeper to hit the far post and back across the goal. (Not a bad problem that; bit like Bevan Congdon's reported weakness in the mid 170s in the 1973 tour of England. )

Second half was harder work. I think the wind changed. The thirds midfield certainly did, with the fresh faced kid with the undercut on after being benched first half for turning up late (but before most if not all of the stallions I suspect.. ) Fitness may have been a factor too.

They made more chances than us, and may ultimately feel a bit gutted with the score especially after Big red bearded Kev up front has his pen and rebound batted away by Paul. One well taken goal after Dan was out gassed on a long ball for a byline cross right into Kev's path four yards out.

Excellent tenacity to hang on, and another solid all around effort. Special mention to Nick for the rare appearance of his stand on the ball step over move a little after The two assists, and lots of running in the second half.

Pony contenders: Gerlald Joe for hamstring twang repetition, Paddy for screaming at Graham to recover shape after he'd stopped to check on Jules' little Florence after rhino-ini one into her head from close range, Carrick/ Steve for the friendly fire incident when milky was shooting from the edge of the box into an otherwise empty net.

Goals: Steve 2 (Nick, ?), Jules (Nick)

Stallions: DC for going full Peter Schmeichel by saving the pen, then unlocking the cheat code to enable levitating flying squirrel mode and deny big Kev on the follow up.

Stallion or pony worthy for Rauru for fronting with a hangover, fessing up, but tearing into it second half?