Lane Cove West 4, Northbridge B 2
19 May 2007, Blackman Lower
Twice
in the last 13 days we’ve played really well. A week ago last Sunday, we took
what is still the only point conceded by Monash all season. Just like today, we
then went a goal down, but recovered by playing good football with passion and
commitment.
But
in the middle – last week – we were crap: lost to
What
is it that makes the difference? Discuss.
Is
it that the team we lost to were lowly, and we play better when the other side
are flying high?
Or
is James?! After all, he’s the only one of us who played the two good games and
not the bad one! (If so, the bad news is that he’s missing three of the next
four games).
Back
to today. We had our 4th 4-2 result in 6 games. But this time, finally,
it was us with the 4, and it makes for a much happier post-game mood (eg I
insisted on shaking hands with a Northbridge player who then told me that he
hadn’t actually played in our game!).
Despite
our pre-game resolve to avoid our usual slow start (and Howard arriving fired
up from arguing with officialdom at his son’s game), we were soon a needless goal
down. Again we backed off from a forward who picked a spot in the corner of the
goal (this week, top left; last week, bottom left) to leave Tony with no chance.
0-1. Déjà vu revisited again.
But
a crucial change in the plot came next. We attacked strongly (following Bob’s
pre-game advice to loft the ball into their area) and had quite a few chances.
And it was Bob himself (fittingly) who rose to a cross beautifully flighted
from the right by Mark S (I think). Bob’s header was a classic: downwards and
back across the goal, just inside the post, and rather than 0-2 (which is what customarily
follows 0-1), it was 1-1.
Better
was to come very soon after. Following a strong run by Phil, we got a corner on
the right, which James banged smartly into Bob who matter-of-factly stroked it
roughly where the header had gone; and it was 2-1. Two simple but elegant
goals, and regular readers will know already who was the man-of-the-match
today!
But
it could have been more, and our afternoon could have turned very rosy much
sooner than it ultimately did.
We
were now carving their defence apart regularly (how had they conceded only 5
goals in 5 games?). Mark S and James and I (trying all three pairing
combinations) found lots of space. Just behind us in midfield Bob, Phil, John C,
Peter & Dave (in fewer than all of the numerous combinations of four from
six) marauded happily.
And
only a few minutes later, Bob had a chance to round off a hat-trick so quick
that the statisticians would have been reaching for their…statistics. An easier
chance fell to him, very near the same spot as goal two. But there were two
vital differences. Firstly, there was a defender in close attendance. And
secondly, Bob missed the ball completely and ended up sprawled on the ground.
But he still had the presence of mind to scramble the ball across to me, in
front of the goal, 8 yards out, all alone, keeper to beat. The miss of the
season, so far, I was told at half-time: side-footed over the bar – by some
distance.
But
on we steamed, and it seemed only time before we scored a few more. Another
good chance went begging when a good lob (from Tim, I think: certainly he has
been specializing in them recently) blinded a defender, and dropped in front of
me as I saw again the whites of the keeper’s eyes. But maybe I should have
concentrated on the ball, not the eyes. The ball dropped in front of me, it’s
true. But didn’t make it to the ground: instead, it hit my knee, and rolled
gently to safety.
So
2-1 it was at half-time, and I, for one, wondered if our time had come and gone.
I was already half thinking about what I would write if they stormed back and
we lost 4-2 again after all. (“I blame myself. Everyone else does, too…”).
But
I should have had faith in the stats. Despite our troubled record overall, we’ve
scored in every second half, and lost only one of them.
And
so it was to be again. But only after we had withstood Northbridge’s best
period, and a lot of worry. They seemed to get more of the ball, and had quite
a few promising moves. But Tony was resolute in goal, and the stand-out
performance of the half was Jon B at sweeper. His anticipation was faultless,
and, with sterling support from Eric, Tim, Steve B & Martin, Northbridge’s
chances were kept mostly to long-range ones.
Howard,
meantime, moved into midfield (thus almost completing a full set of positions
in the last two games), maintained the rage from the morning game, and blasted
one shot that achieved bar height roughly as it crossed the penalty spot, and
orbit somewhere over the car park.
But
I jump ahead. What was needed to relieve the tension was a goal from us, and
who better to score it than he who had missed two sitters in the first half? Mark
S chased a through ball on the right, and despite a harrying defender, squared
it for me in the centre. All alone again, but this time I fired it across the
keeper and into the bottom right corner. I was a bit disappointed by the lack
of reaction – the avoidance of eye contact, even - until I realized that almost
everyone else thought I’d missed (again) The power of the shot (or possibly the
weakness of the knots) had caused the net to come adrift, the ball was off
under the trees and Dave Irvine, the linesman, had his flag up. But this turned
out to be his signal that a really good goal had been scored, and it was 3-1,
and time to breathe a bit easier.
But
not to ease up: definitely not. On we pressed, and were rewarded again.
As
their full-back said to me after the game: “your blond-headed forward really
wanted the ball and was really hard to mark”. James it was of whom he spoke,
and true it was. He now battled on the right, and got the ball across to Peter,
in full flow. I was standing in my now customary lonely position in the area,
and conveying to Peter that if he gave the ball to me, I’d be really quite
pleased. But Peter had a much better idea: jink a bit, create a space, and
knock it into the far corner himself: a fourth well-executed goal, and 4-1 to
us.
The
story gets a little spoilt at this point. We did eased up a little, and a
series of rebounds in our area left a forward with an easy chance, and it was
4-2 with ten minutes or so to go. That was the end of the scoring, but continuing
our policy of defending by attacking, it was we who looked the more likely to add
to the goal feast in the closing minutes.
Bob
was man-of-the-match, of course; Peter was second & Mark S third
So,
a very satisfying result. Three of the four teams below us lost. We’re still sixth,
but now only five points from both third and fourth. Next week we play West
Pymble B: danger, they’re below us! (but only by a point).
Thanks
to Stuart Marshall for sensible refereeing & David Irvine for running the
line; also to Howard & Mark S for officiating the As; and to John S for
refereeing all-age at
MARK BRYANT