Match Report

Opposition: South West United

Date: 12-Mar-2003

Time: 7:50pm

Some discussion prior to the game about the SWU team as we've not had one in this competition. Expected it to be mostly people we had played grade with over the years.

1st half.

Some mixup with my counting – we almost started with 10 on the field (the 3 3 3 1 looked fine). Once this was sorted and our 12^th man waited to have a run (Andrew – one of the two 'new boys', Wayne being the other) we started with possession and quickly looked to dominate. I missed my usual shot at an empty goal from out front – missed the ball completely having played my shot rather too early. Andrew sub'd on and quickly got our first goal after some ranging shots. Over the next 10 minutes we scored 3 more to be leading 4-0 after 20 minutes. It's about then that we began to look at the clock and wonder why it was going so damn slow – we hit the wall at 20 minutes and the gas tank was not looking or feeling good. Darryl and I discussed what we had left for the 2^nd half – not a lot apparantly. The other goals were scored by Wayne, Bruce and Darryl.

After the first 20 minutes SWU began to get their passing game together and pressed on attack for some period resulting in a goal. We went into the break at 4-1 up.

2^nd Half

SWU's game continued to improve as our fitness (or lack of) took it's toll. We withstood some steady pressure and when we broke out of defence we got another goal from Darryl. They replied with a further goal from a scrappy piece of defence on our part where we simply didn't recover quickly enough. Wayne was having an outstanding game in the centre as was Ray. Everyone got the cobwebs out and all played well with the noticeable exception of moi who was ½ sec late for the first 20 minutes and got to enjoy a yellowcard event for a trade mark tackle in the 2^nd half – whoops.

Bruce finshed the game off with a great diving goal.

Their keeper played well and saved many shots, Andrew helped by missing several shots too – he wasn't the only one though. It's not often that Steve goes a game without scoring – and he probably would have except that I kept intercepting the passes destined for him and then giving him passes that really stretched his hammies. Our team looked well balanced and with the addition of the missing people (Colin and Graeme Wallace) we should do all right. We all combined well and the passing game mostly looked fine if perhaps not quiet hard enough – we'll need to fix that. The game was well read by the players and mostly the correct options appeared to be taken.

So, harder and quicker passes and look more to passing the ball around the back and not so quickly out of the blocks next week. Monday it's v Storm at 9:10pm!!!

The game was played in good spirit and Commercials' umpires did a good job (except for the send off of course!).

I predict that SWU will make some teams work hard this year once they develop their teamwork – don't take them lightly, they're a good unit. Watch out for them in the second round.

Scorers: D Tucker (2), B Clarris (2), W Tucker 1, A Blanchard 1

Cards: G Higgins (yellow and one carton owing.....damn)