We are the famous varsity!
Would have been a worthy occasion for a sing, if any one had the energy, or could remember all the words :-)
Tremendous day over in the 'rapa with beautiful weather, a nearly full roster of stallion kids in tow (whose average age was comfortably closer to the Bieber clone army that the stallions average age is) and a special guest appearance from Phillip Lawrence Bak, ye-ahhh.
Paul Ifill's academy boys must've been wondering what the margin would be as 6 stallions lined up for handshakes, with Heath having just arrived, a few late deep heat leg rubs, and Milky seizing on the optimal time to try fix the broken stud thread in his boots. (Already both stallion and pony worthy efforts here, as Heath who told his wife and kids he was off to the supermarket and disappeared from the in laws in The Hawkes Bay for 6 hours; and Steve who not only had broken boots but also a rather ripe shirt, unwashed from last week, and scraped out of his kit bag.
After withstanding a fast starting BCA, we broke up the right with good interplay from Rauru and Carrick leading to defensive confusion in clearing the cross and Jules making a well timed and long run to smack home from close range. 1-0 up was not a score I think many of us were expecting!
The BCA were playing well to the very wide pitch, switching well through the midfield and looking to release the fast and dangerous target man up front (Josh, I think, aka #15). He swivelled and shot well for their first goal, and then pushed the ball back out to set up a switch and through ball for their second. Before he knew it, Paddy had three Biebers coming onto him, and was so confident in DC's keeping that was later admitted: as soon as I saw the through ball, I thought 'goal'.
Into the break at 2-1 down with the momentum with the Biebers and a little apprehension given their second half performance at KP when they pulled away from 0-0 to win 3-0 in the first game of the season. A very different second half this time, as they seemed to struggle into the breeze, and the midfield needle definitely tipped towards the stallies as Jules and Lloyd asserted themselves.
Dan and Tangihaere found a way to each play their preferred style, and resolve the question of man marking vs. sweeping: Dan marked the increasingly stroppy #15 with Tangi holding down the fort. One suspects Tangi may very have very well enjoyed Dan being too out of breath to talk most of the second half..
Dan and Tangihaere found a way to each play their preferred style, and resolve the question of man marking vs. sweeping: Dan marked the increasingly stroppy #15 with Tangi holding down the fort. One suspects Tangi may very have very well enjoyed Dan being too out of breath to talk most of the second half..
Big games from Rauru, Heath and Carrick in terms of ground covered, and with Milky looking dangerous as ever (and this half in borrowed boots with a full set of studs) we really started to take the game to them. A classic counter-punch goal from a 'long ball' (welly out of the back), and a Carrick flick-on, saw Milky lift it over the stranded keeper: 2-2.
Carrick got the third with a well taken finish 10 yards out, following a press up the left side and we couldn't quite believe it! Could we play smart and hang on for the win? More twists lay ahead...
The Beebs continued to press and some committed defending from Gerald saw him strain a hammie and gave Bakky - our only sub - the signal. Fresh off a flight from Sydney, and a quick stop at his Dad's on the way to the game to pick up a slab of Tuis, Bakky confessed he wasn't "that fit by my standards" hadn't kicked a ball in a while, and used an entire roll of strapping tape on each ankle before the game. Ominous.
His first touch was a nice one-touch pass. His second drew the largest roar of the day from the Memorial Park grandstand. After rebuffing another Beiber advance, the ball was cleared to a still retreating PLB who let the ball roll and turned on halfway with no one within 20m of him. A side step, quick look up and then boom - Bakky lying face down on the turf as the ball trickled way. The mother of all snipers!!
P.Bakky picked himself back up and assumed the position more up front with Rauru pushing wider out left. The clone army continued to push and on another day might have had a penalty after Heath went shoulder to shoulder with #15 as he was about to shoot from close range. The floppy haired lad flopped and writhed and the ref sprinted over. And told him to get up and stop the theatrics. Maybe a bit of a case of boy that cried wolf.
They finally drew level with the fastest hit shot I think I've ever seen as their big midfielder broke through with a well timed run and drilled first time into the bottom corner. Paul was probably lucky not to get in the way of it.
Stay with me dear reader, as we are both tiring in the writing and reading of this now, it was nothing compared to the stallies as they now focused on holding on for a point...
And then Lo, the Lord said let their me light - low angled and straight across the ground so you couldn't see to the right hand side. So the stallies pushed left. And somehow Bakky finds the ball at his feet 8 yards out, with back to goal. A boggle of the knee, and then. Sweet little ball out to Paddy outside the edge of the box. In soo mo the stallies turned as one and watched the wee man rip stick one into the very top corner of the old onion bag.
For a while there it had the Manchester United at home feeling, with the referees time stretching on, and on, and on... But thankfully no penalty and we'd done it! A result no one would have dared suggest before kick off, or even at half time. A really great team effort, with absolutely everyone contributing at a high level and the team working well together.
Great after match with all the families, and Dan, Carrick and Milky called in to see Postie crooning at the White Swan in Greytown on the way home.
Magic.
Goals: Julian (Rauru), Carrick (Steve?), Steve( Carrick), Patrick (Bakky)
Pony: Bakky (though Rauru very close for the Haka / Marcel Marceau beach ball act after his "nothing but ball" challenge..
Stallion: Bakky for flying in from Australia to be the one sub,give it 100% for 20 minutes in his first run all year, and tee-up the winning goal.
P.Bakky picked himself back up and assumed the position more up front with Rauru pushing wider out left. The clone army continued to push and on another day might have had a penalty after Heath went shoulder to shoulder with #15 as he was about to shoot from close range. The floppy haired lad flopped and writhed and the ref sprinted over. And told him to get up and stop the theatrics. Maybe a bit of a case of boy that cried wolf.
They finally drew level with the fastest hit shot I think I've ever seen as their big midfielder broke through with a well timed run and drilled first time into the bottom corner. Paul was probably lucky not to get in the way of it.
Stay with me dear reader, as we are both tiring in the writing and reading of this now, it was nothing compared to the stallies as they now focused on holding on for a point...
And then Lo, the Lord said let their me light - low angled and straight across the ground so you couldn't see to the right hand side. So the stallies pushed left. And somehow Bakky finds the ball at his feet 8 yards out, with back to goal. A boggle of the knee, and then. Sweet little ball out to Paddy outside the edge of the box. In soo mo the stallies turned as one and watched the wee man rip stick one into the very top corner of the old onion bag.
For a while there it had the Manchester United at home feeling, with the referees time stretching on, and on, and on... But thankfully no penalty and we'd done it! A result no one would have dared suggest before kick off, or even at half time. A really great team effort, with absolutely everyone contributing at a high level and the team working well together.
Great after match with all the families, and Dan, Carrick and Milky called in to see Postie crooning at the White Swan in Greytown on the way home.
Magic.
Goals: Julian (Rauru), Carrick (Steve?), Steve( Carrick), Patrick (Bakky)
Pony: Bakky (though Rauru very close for the Haka / Marcel Marceau beach ball act after his "nothing but ball" challenge..
Stallion: Bakky for flying in from Australia to be the one sub,give it 100% for 20 minutes in his first run all year, and tee-up the winning goal.
4 comments:
Bakky, Stallion LEGEND!!!
Great win Stallions, they must have left the field in tears. Rauru said at one point they were chanting 'we are going to the top of the league'. Stop right there boys. And then Rauru trolled Ifill on twitter.
F**me, the Stallions must have gone nuts after Paddy's goal.
Dan- great effort on the write up. Couldn't have put it better myself. Stallion effort all round the pitch lads.
Great report Dan, and epic win Stallions! Looking forward to defending the fortress against North Wellington this weekend.
Top work there Dan. Almost as good as your defensive effort on #15. I'll take the assist for Carrick's (if anyone is gonna claim it). A blocked shot that fell to Carrick, although he did all the work (or was it an own goal ;) ).
A couple of heard on the sidelines:
"We're going top of the league boys!" - Beiber after going 2-1 up.
"Let's end the game now, I'll take that score" - Paddy at half time with Stallions 2-1 down.
"I thought at halftime "That's a pretty good score. At least we're not getting embarrased"" - Milky.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" - Everyone watching the game when Bakky got snipered. Probably 3/4 of the people playing the game too.
And Aaron, I don't know how crazy everyone went when Paddy scored. I think everyone was too tired to congratulate him (at least I was) and there was still 10 minutes left so based on the above quotes I think half the team still expected us to lose!
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