Northside Monash
3, Lane Cove West 3
For
the second time this season, we came back from 3-1 down with not long to go to
snatch an unlikely 3-3 draw.
But
the circumstances were very different. Against Kissing Point in May we let an
inferior side get away to what looked like their first win of the season. Today
we were up against Monash who have lost just twice
all season. Man for man you have to say that they were better footballers to
us, stringing together many lovely moves (our count of lovely moves: approx
zero), but we hung in, despite being two goals down twice. Particularly in the
second half, we chased everything (but mostly a losing cause it seemed) and got
the reward that our effort, if not our football, deserved.
Our
opponents included four of our former players. Futhermore,
Steve L and I had the foresight, about ten summers ago, to prepare for today by
often joining their Sunday afternoon game for a closer look at their talent.
And we’ve forgotten not one detail, of course, so we were able to tell our
pre-game huddle that Ray and Barry were the main threats. A plan was agreed to
deal with them.
So
it was a bit of a disappointment when Ray scored after 5 minutes.
We
had had our usual sluggish start, and Monash stroked
the ball around with ominous aplomb. Ray got the ball some way out on the our
right, found space to move forward, and cracked a shot, that (like the first
goal last week) came out of the sun like a Messerschmitt [now that I recall who
are opponents were today, perhaps that’s an unfortunate simile. OK: last week’s
shot came out of the sun like a Messerschmitt, but today’s
like an Israeli MIG]. Anyway, 0-1 was the result in both cases, and a long, hot
and unhappy afternoon seemed very possible.
This
fear was only heightened by the next 20 minutes or so.
Next
we let Barry have a couple of shots, too (but luckily they flew wide or over). Monash seemed to move the ball away from us effortlessly in
their own half, and were elusive in ours.
Worse,
Brad Shofer then arrived. Now memories of Brad are
rather older than of the others: he retired from our team, and from all
football, at the tender age of 25 in 1986 (so yes: he is 45). And he was a
wonderful player: regularly scoring hat-tricks and more. (This was back in the
days when we won promotions in all-age, got to semis, that sort of thing). It
was tragic that a knee injury ended his career so young. [Note
1].
Brad
told me after the game that medical science has moved on in the last 20 years
faster than his knee has deteriorated, so surgery has fixed it. This is
excellent and welcome news for him, and Monash, no
doubt (especially as he’s back to form: scored all 5 in a 5-0 win recently) but
it wasn’t exactly what we wanted to see the evidence of at 1.30 today.
Sure
enough, his arrival on the field gave Monash a
further edge up front, and a series of chances for him
and them could easily have seen them four or five up and coasting.
But
we were holding on. Jon B, in particular, at the back was both playing well,
and directing and encouraging others.
Then
Peter had one of his mazy runs [see note 2] that ended with a shot blasted just
over. Although this and Eric’s run up the right were our only memorable attacks
of the half, and we’d been battered at the other end, it looked like we’d go to
the break just the one goal down.
But
then: disaster again. A Monash cross from their left
looked to be covered by either Eric or by Phil in goal. But it was their
forward who claimed it, and 0-2 was the result.
As
last week, Peter had wise words for us at half time (but different words this
week: there’s more than one set of words, it turns out): stay in your zone,
don’t get pulled away, and push up on that sweeper. Howard added that we all
needed to talk and encourage like Jon does. Armed with these simple intentions,
we set off for the second half: which we duly won 3-1!
Pushing
up on the sweeper had almost immediate effect. It meant that I was close on
hand to tussle when a cross (James I think) swung over into the area. I missed
it, and was puzzled when the ref blew; more so when he pointed at the spot, for
a push by the ‘keeper on me. It did occur to me that perhaps I should tell him
he was wrong. Had we not been two down against a team that had just brought on
their wonder striker perhaps I might have done. And I thought: you don’t want
to embarrass the ref in front of all these people; and maybe he saw something
that I didn’t feel.
So
up strode Peter. And if you want a set-piece nailed, there’s no better sight:
WALLOP! Low inside the left post, and we’re back to 1-2.
But
they’re still getting the best of the play; a bit nervy, perhaps, but still no
doubt the better side.
And
what seemed like the inevitable end was signalled
fairly soon. Another good Monash move resulted in a
low cross from their left which was eventually put in by a forward close to our
line. We appealed for off-side and took a little comfort from the fact that the
linesman had an arm raised. It was, though, odd that the arm wasn’t the one
with a flag attached, and it was raised only to the horizontal: it turned out
that he was merely pointing to the location of the defender that he thought had
played the forward on. 1-3 was the outcome.
Still time to go, but not looking good. But as Ernie said later,
it was probably significant that each time they went two goals ahead, we
replied pretty quickly.
Once
again, pushing up on the sweeper did the trick. Our close attentions caused him
to handle a bouncing ball just outside the area. Another set-piece to be
nailed, and there was Peter again: blasting to the ‘keeper’s right again, but
this time from twice the distance. The ‘keeper got a hand to it, but could only
help it in: 2-3.
Now
we’re really getting excited, and they’re getting wobblier at the back. But
they’re still a threat: Phil is forced to make an acrobatic save to push a shot
over the bar: a vital save, as it turned out.
But
James and Dave pound away up the right, and finally we’re stringing some moves
together. Corners result, and from one Jon B has a
free header: firmly downwards, as the textbook would have it, but the ‘keeper
grabs the ball, and Jon’s head goes down, too, convinced that the last best
chance has gone.
But
no: a few minutes later, a gap opens in their area, there’s the ball, there’s
Jon, the ball’s in the net, and, incredibly, it’s 3-3. (Careful readers will
spot that I don’t actually remember much about what happened, including how our
sweeper came to be there at all: more details next week when someone tells me).
An
anxious last few minutes ensued for both sides. Brad almost got away a couple
of times, and James and I were telling each other we were going to score (as is
only right when mid-fielders and defenders are cashing in).
But
it was not to be, and 3-3 was the result: a point gained for us, and two lost
for them.
James
and I were third in the MOTM voting, doubtless for second half hectoring.
Peter’s two goals (now 10 for the season) got him only second, as Jon won for
his defending, encouraging, and the memorable goal that I can’t remember.
MARK
BRYANT
Note
1: But Brad’s less important career continued when his football stopped. For a
while he was still working with me and Howard at Arthur Andersen, which was
clearly a great learning experience: he then went off and helped form, and then
move on from, MYOB, with one consequence, as reported in 2004:
Chief executive Craig Winkler bought most of the scrip - about $25.6 million worth - from fellow MYOB founder Bradley Shofer, who resigned from the board in the first half of 2004.
…and
then the next year…
Mr Schofer's interest in MYOB falls from
14.9 per cent to about 8 per cent and it appears his proceeds were in the order
of $28 million.
So,
he can afford his football subs!
Note 2: “Mazy
run”. Isn’t Google wonderful? I wondered where it came from, and the first
Google entry includes:
…this is a phrase I probably first heard from Barry Davies of the BBC in January 1978, when Leicester City's Keith Weller, wearing thigh-length white tights as protection from the freezing cold, half ran, half ice-skated half the length of the pitch, slaloming his way one-by-one past what seemed like the entire Norwich City team before slotting home a famous FA Cup goal.
'Mazy run' is the standard phrase used to describe the sort of jinking, bobbing-and-weaving, head-down-and-stick-it-through-the-full-back's-legs sort of scamper beloved of tricky wingers since the days of Stanley Matthews and before…
That’s it: it exactly describes what Peter does!