Stallions Inter

In its 5 or so weeks of operation, our blog has been accessed in some interesting places. Sure, while a lot of this can be put down to the globe trotting adventures of Rauru and Nick W, its a sure sign of stallions going international.

We have been visited from the following places:

UK: London, Edinburgh, Barnsley, Holmfrth, Lambeth
Spain: Barcelona, San Sebastian, Palma de Mallorca, Urnieta
Greece: Athens
Sweden: Danderyd
US: Minnesota, Oregon, Seattle
Canada: Toronto
France: Nice

Danderyd represent.

One things for sure, we need to develop a type of football to appeal to the under represented African and Asian nations. Sad to know that are millions of people in China who have never heard of the Hodges toehack. Nick, work out a strategy.

Can we make it 4...

This football thing really is quite fun when you're winning. I kid you not, once the game is finished all I can think about is next weeks game and how it can't come soon enough. I often dream about football on Saturday night, sometimes it can be a nightmare - stupid penalty - but most often it is a glorious dream.

It sounds as if the Stallions have never had a run like our current one, and we have a damn good opportunity to extend our winning streak to four games this weekend! We are against the other Petone team (Stewsmum - great name); back out at Petone Memorial at 2:30pm again. We are on the number 4 field though and I'm not sure what sort of state it'll be in seeing as number 2 was literally covered in number 2's (haha, man I'm clever).

These guys are low down the table but troubled Terrace last week, so again we need to make sure we don't go in complacent. Continue with balls to the feet of our strikers, using the width and keep up the great communication and dedication on defence. It's no coincidence that we are doing so well, and have only conceded 3 goals. If we keep up the staunch defence we will more often than not do alright.

Should be good for numbers this week. Hodges is away (cue communal sigh) probably along with Joe (still injured) and Jamie (any update mate – there's a strikers spot waiting for you) plus it'd be good to give Gus a proper rest of his back so he can get to full fitness.

Paul is back and Panda is backing up though, it seems Tristin has a whole bunch of footballing mates just waiting to be called up, so with him in the team we should never be short again. Aaron can you ask Mike B again, otherwise we'll dip further into Tristin's little gem bucket.

That gives us 10 + walking injuries Graham and Corey + super sub Gus + and one other which I think is fine, especially with most of us having a bit of reluctance to sub (me included).

So Ben B, Me, Jason, Corey, Graham, Paddy, Aaron, Rob, Spencer, Tristin, Paul, Gus, Panda and Mike B (or A.N.Other) kitting up (oh that reminds me, in future, if you're away the following weekend can you give me your top so we're not having to share - dunno what I was thinking letting Nick take off with his after the first game! And Jamie we could do with that 16th top and your presence along with video camera this week?).

If this is incorrect and any of you can't make it, let me know, and we can see how deep Tristin's bucket is. Or Jules is also a possibility but lacks commitment – and I quote "would prefer not to play but if desperate I can". What has come of you Jules?

Be at KP at 1:30pm or Petone at 2pm (so we can practise penalties again, yeah right). Again, if you are going from town, please come to KP first to ensure we have enough cars for those bums without cars or even licenses!

I will either be leaving early or right after the final whistle to catch a plane, so those guys will also need a lift back in.

Nick
(ps. See that 'Cory', Nick spelt with a 'k' at the end)

Lock up your daughters ... its Robin

Position
Right or left mid. Let’s face it - I’m only really good at running.

Stallion Hall of Fame
Most handsome Stallion 2004 (as voted by the team’s most regular supporter, Jen). Hang on, what about the other seasons?

How many seasons as a Stallion?
One less than self-proclaimed original Grand High Stallion Mr Rauru Walker.

Are you a dual Stallion? If so what game are you best at?
Yes. At this stage I’m the only “surviving” dual stallion. My definition of surviving excludes people who play one game of football every season just to earn the dual stallion stripes (Graham), people who play one game of cricket every season on a whim because it’s a lovely sunny day, we’re playing at Kelburn park and there might be a barbecue (Aaron) and people who have to invent new teams and call them “The Line-dancing Stallions” or “The Stamp-collecting Stallions” just so that they still feel like they’re still in the loop but really they’re quite homesick and just need a little cry (Rauru).

What game am I best at? Telling it like it is.

*Cricketing Stallion Greg says: Robin 'Rob' Hinkley- the man most likely to score an exquisite 49 and then get bowled leaving a straight one....Rob should be good for a stunning bicycle kick into the corner of the post, as well as for maintaining a veneer of faultless fair play and reasonableness while actually being a ruthless, cold-blooded psycho who writes catchy pop songs about vengeance and armed robbery...

Greatest Stallion Moment?
The goal I curled in from a corner kick at Newtown Park against our foes Wellington United. Someone (perhaps Ben H) blocked the keeper, and no one laid a hand on the ball until it was in the net. Aaron didn’t even get a shoelace to it. That’s a tinny goal, I know, but the best bit was my uncharacteristic celebration that few have been able to replicate – it was kind of a double middle-fingers-up albatross mixed in with the ferocious roar of a lion. Quite Ancient Greek in its blending of creatures actually.

Worst Stallion Moment?
Realising later that the celebration discussed above was OTT and made me look like a complete dick.

A close second: Losing against runaway easy-beats Stokes Valley in a mud-bath at Delaney Park (though “Park” is being quite generous here). I vowed never to wash my boots until we had avenged them. Avenging them was subsequently made more difficult by the fact that they were relegated. Now you know why my boots are always so grubby.

Describe your last goal for the Stallions.
Two Saturdays ago. Made a run on the left wing, and was fed a beauty by either Paddy or Tristan. The little legs of the Olympic Nursery team couldn’t catch me and I popped it across the goalie into the right side of the goal. Managed to keep my celebration in check this time.

Complete the sentence - As a player I am susceptible to...
Kicking the ball away too early. I’m always looking for the through ball, and often mess it up when I could just pass it back, run with it or hold it up.

Most under-rated Stallion?
Nick Goodall. Come on guys, he’s not that bad!

Finish this sentence. The Stallions need more…
…net pegs, and perhaps a couple more rolls of insulation tape. Could someone perhaps pick those up on the way to the next game? Is this part of the blog a kind of shopping list?

Which international player are you most like?
Susan Devoy, for obvious reasons.

Where will the Stallions finish in 2008?
I’m feeling pretty optimistic about the season, but it’s hard not to after a 11-2 win. We won’t have any other games as easy as that, and there are a couple of teams in the grade that look formidable, but I reckon we can finish in the top three if we can field a consistent team and aren’t plagued by injury or fatherhood. Structurally, we seem to be working well as a team – the defence is well organised, our strikers and attacking midfielders are showing a bit of spark, and we’ve bagged some handy new recruits.

Sanity restored

After a particularly mouthy game Ben H has managed to crawl his way back to the top of the fine table. It helped that Patrick didn't play I guess. This weeks awards/fines go a little like this ...

Stallion - Spencer - played in multiple positions, seemingly put under pressure everywhere but dominated everything. 2 standout moments - winning a huge midair heading collision, and reeling off a great shot which the keeper saved but commented that 'I though keeping gloves were supposed to save fingers' - now thats stallion-worthy.
Pony - We have already had a good chuckle at this one - thanks Nick, that was one for the ages.

MVP:
3 - Aaron
2 -Tristin
1 - Spencer

Fine highlights:
- Nick G - the pen incident totalled $4
- Jason - forgetting his boots and driving all the way back to town.
- Ben H - crying, bitching, whinging.
- Ben H - 'Ben's on the D, Ben's on the D' - Ben was never on the D.
- Ben B - suggesting the pre-game penalty tourny.
- Logan - from hatrick hero to one goal yawn.

Not that many really, we must have played quite well.

With fines adding up ye olde fine tin will be waiting to be filled at games from now on.

Talking the talk ...

Look at our captain stirring up a bit of pre-match animosity with the league-toppers - I like it a lot.

F**ked Polls

My poll theory has hit a problem - once someone has voted the options can not be edited, so new options can not be added. Still a good idea, but it will mean weekly votes are required if new candidates present themselves. So this week, possibly no goal for the best of the season (?), but have added Tristin's anyway just too see - which means Robin's zero-vote header which was clearly crap has dropped off. Of course Goodall's penalty 'effort' has offered itself as a new candidate for pony moment of the season.

For those not there, let me elaborate:

Pregame - Ben B suggests a penalty competition for a bit of a warm up (strange, he never moved - hardly a warmup). Started promising, with Ben H immediately blasting one about 10 metres to the left. Jason's chip effort was a thing of beauty. Nick G moved through the rounds, coolly slotting a couple of great ones, and commenting that with Patrick away he would take any penalties. Through all this there was a lot of laughter as Stallions regularly and spectacularly missed, as Petone wryly observed the cowboys they were gonna play. The box of beers sitting on the sideline guarded by a toy stallion and mylittlepony probably assisted in this illusion.

As Corey has stated, about 10 mins a handball in the Petone box leads to a pen (the ball ended up in the back of the net, and I'm sure the ref said lets just call it advantage and give the goal, but Nick still floating after his pre-game penalty victory virtually begged to take it - he denies this.)

Needless to say Nick steps up and totally blows it - we ain't talking Beckham blasting it above the bar or Ronaldo hitting the post, this was a slow, slow dribble - which the 55 year old reserve keeper managed to fall over and wait to collect it.

You can now vote for this as pony moment - much worse than any of the other contenders!

U.S 3 V 0 Petone Dreamers memorial pk#2 26.04.08

Have the Stallions ever won three in a row before ? a question posed after Saturdays game, answer anyone ??

Wellington put on another glorious autumn day,with not a cloud in the sky,as University Stallions took on Petone dreamers at Petone memorials #2 ground. quite apt really as the entire field was completely covered in geese poos which made people think twice about A) slide tackling and B) attempting to head the ball.

With talk of only having ten men for the game it was a relief to see Liam (from the 2nd's) and ring-in panda (Tyrone) turn up to give us a full team plus a sub (thanks guys).
the team line up from g.k to striker Brooks,Spencer,Nic,Jason,Corey,rob,Hodges,Aaron,Liam,Tristan and Logan subs were Tyrone (panda)

Petone kicked off and were put under pressure straight away, Logan gifting them a free kick just inside their own half even when the ref had called play on.
the stallions then began to dominate the game from that point on and pressed forward at every opportunity,it was around the 10 minute mark that the dreamers were adjudged to have handled inside the goal box giving U.S a penalty,in a small form of mind games Petone subbed off their 55 year old(who started the game injured) goal keeper and replaced him with another 55 year old who as Nic Goodall stepped in to take the kick fell over to his left right into the path of Nic's shot, resulting in a save.
The game continued and Petone were again under pressure good football, nice runs and great footwork causing their defence all sorts of problems,U.S dominating the play with Robin and Liam providing great runs down the wings and generally good service into the box for the forwards.
Petone to their credit broke through a few times a free kick for a "body check"(a nice piece of shoulder to shoulder i thought) was given against Nic Goodall about 5 yards to the right of the U.S goal box, a two man wall wasn't enough to stop the ball curling around them and onto the left hand post where brooks claimed the ball only to have it kicked out of his hands by a Petone player and cleared off the line by a falling Ben Hodges header saving U.S some serious blushes indeed.
Stallions pushed forward again and were almost undone again on the counter attack Petone running down the left hand side and crossing the ball into the box brooks dived but it slipped by him and Corey was there to clear the ball from an open goal (hearts in mouth stuff).
more attacking football from the stallions saw shots going left right and over the bar but not in the back of the net the half ended 0-0 but with the stallions clearly the better side.

the second half started and for once the stallions did too,gaining early control again of the match
and began attacking from all areas of the park.
the game began to really free up as the two teams tired and Petone had a few more chances(and reserves) to get on the score sheet the U.S defence again proving they would be hard to score against, a corner taken short by Petone ended up in a header going over the bar the only real shot by them the whole half.
On the attack again Logan latched onto a ball on the Petone 18 yard box turned his player inside out and with a shot from his left foot, put the stallions up 1-0 after 70Min's.
nothing the stallions didn't deserve and something Petone were just waiting for
it wouldn't take long to double the advantage Tristan taking the ball out wide on the right and worked his way into the penalty area took a shot and bang it 's 2-0 to the stallions after 79Min's another classy finish.
the stallions having all the forward momentum now pushed forward again and a well weighted cross from Liam found both Rob and Aaron fighting to get the ball in the back of the Petone goal Aaron finally poking in the ball to make the game 3-0 Aaron having a blinder in the midfield by the way.
and so that was how the game ended I'm sure there were a plethora of other shots not mentioned and incidents not covered but the game was generally a good natured affair with both teams playing in the right spirit and the stallions running out deserved winners.

3-0 goals to Logan 70Min's Tristin 79mins and Aaron 85 Min's