Lets make it the only one this season.
A good commiseration turn out at the pub. Decisions as follows:
Stallion: Tim - the headband has never been put to that use before.
Pony: Dan - 'Get that man out of the wall' ...
MVPS:
3 - Gerald
2 -Tangihaere
1 - Dan
Damn, someone tell me if those mvps are wrong.
8 comments:
Indeed. The first set back for the season with a 2-1 loss to Brooklyn at Happy Valley. A strong northerly really did make for a game of two halves, with their two first-half goals beating our one second half goal. I will try to be gracious.
Overall, I thought Brooklyn did play to conditions better than us. Down wind, they seemed to attack from deeper - so were often playing through balls to run onto and through to goal, whereas we seemed to hold it up deeper and look to run off. And into the wind they attacked well on the break well and forced saves. I'll leave it to the pub pundits to unpick the whys and wherefores, but ultimately we hardly got a decent run at- or shot on their keeper. Semi-decent looked like it woudl ahve done it.
Lest I'm accused of being too balanced, we would definitely have smashed them with Lloydo and Paddy, and a full 90 minutes from Tim. Based on my limited intereaction with the other party, Tim clearly had the most to lose in their nasty head clash. A wise call to sit out the rest of the match.
Honorable mentions from my view at the back of the pitch to Gus, for strong defending on the first half and good attacking forays and distribution into the wind; Chris in his return game held up the ball and showed a good short passing game; and Glen who looked dangerous out wide with great crossing, including a cracker to the far post to be nodded back for Rauru to finish.
At 2-1 down with a good 15-20 minutes to play it was there for us to win. Open to the bloggers who were closer to play for why we couldn't get another. I recall a couple of chances that went over, and a sense that we just didn't look dangerous except when Glen found space to attack and cross from. I thought their ref was a little whistle happy when they attacked us in the first half, and he might have thought so too: we were lucky I thought to have an offside plea go our way after they'd put the ball in the back of the net.
It's a goalkeepers frustration to make saves in a losing effort, and to accept there's no way to atone on the score board for a blunder. Their second goal was very well taken from a one-on-one slipped into the far post from 15 yards out, not much to do about that. The first was also well taken into the corner from a direct free kick on the edge of the box. But in a pony-worthy moment (that I am embarrassed to admit I secretly hoped had been knocked out of Tim's head) I insisted on a four man wall, pulled him out so I could see the ball, and their dangerous striker put in at the far post with me stranded. Ugh.
Overall, a disappointing result, but one that's set up the prospect of a great last match of the season. To be honest I was surprised in that I didn't thin they were particularly flashy, and I would not have picked them to be the top of the table team. Though despite that, they did make plenty of chances, so maybe there's something to be said for being young and fit and hungry for goals.
I'm relaxed about the return match, especially back to full strength and with Lloydo tight on their one-man play maker / chief whiner. Isn't it so much nicer to shake a guy's hand at the end of the game he's essentially won for his team - with great all around play and a goal - and say "well played" without thinking to yourself "... for a whining little twat"?
Heard on the sidelines: Gus, after retrieving a lost ball, in a tete a tete with the whiner, suggested he read the rule books, got some inane response and said "Oh ok you do that if you want to act like a 7 year old your whole life."
I'm away next week, so thanks Graham for accepting the new pink highlights to the keeping kit. It's a wonderful thing the goalkeepers brotherhood
Is it wrong to beat your children when you receive bad news from Rauru via text? If it is, then Holly and Jack I apologise.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If we were lining up into that breeze again I'd say lets go with 4-5-1. Absorb the pressure, bolster the midfield given the void of Lloydo. We probably were guilty of letting the ref call too many fouls which he was happy to oblige with. As much as anything giving them opportunity was our undoing. I think we were expecting to play out of our half too easily and it was far harder than we thought. The second goal was well taken but we were caught out going forward and they made a nice almost planned move. The whiner played straight to the striker who controlled, drew the defender, rolled inside, straightened and laid the ball back into the whiners unmarked run (he hit the hole where our defender had been).
Second half, we had more ball and played better, wind at our backs and motivation. they absorbed as best they could and they set up with 4-5-1 with their centre midfield pushing forward hard whenever they got the pill. They worked very hard in the second half and their fitness will be a factor next time. But their strength is also their weakness. If we eliminate their mids and force them wide. Stop the offload to their strikers then we make their life harder.
Dan, for the record, you have the best hands in the team and without you in goal scorelines with always be worse.
Paddy, Lloyd et al holiday makers...bad timing to muck about with a good combination. Lets beat them next time
Paddy!?!?!?! What an angry little Irishman(I hope you're Irish) Beating your kids up, kicking opposition players...what next?
Commiserations to Krip for missing out on the Stallion award. His negotiations skills were outstanding - a full 5 minutes after the goal was awarded, he managed to convince the ref that it should be disallowed for offside. Magic. Big thanks also to Jimmy who made a big impact when he came on.
Massive effort from everyone. Unfortunately we didn't quite put it together. Dan was awesome in goal and gave the troops a sufficient rev-up when needed.
first thing I thought on Sunday morning is that I'm really looking forward to playing them again. especially that whiner.
heath
Hey fellas been tracking the team, stink first loss for the boys,on a side note -Go Tawa (my old team) In lifting the Swindale Sheild last weekend in Club rugby!! I see panda made an appreance last week for the Stallions, nice work cuz. Dont forget I am avaiable if required as a ring in when you need someone to stand up front and call "play it to feet Aaron!"
So when did Aaron become the butt of jokes for this team - old stallions, new stallions - everyone taking the piss. I guess with the Butcher gone ...
Talking of the Butch, we ain't heard from him for a while, come on Mike we know you are lurking out there somewhere!
Ha, good to hear from you Tristin. Though, I don't know if we now have a need for strikers who turn slower than the titanic and call for balls to feet only cause they run out of puff after running 2 meters!
You would have appreciated Panda's face plant hand ball effort last weekend. He couldn't do it again if he tried.
Hope we see you in green and gold at some point (if only to take the finger of derision away from me!)
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