Match #49 (25 Oct 09): Another Hard Fought Win With A Depleted Squad!

match report contributed by mel

Hot day, 12 players, small pitch, good opponents. All the ingredients of a good, hard match. The opening 15 minutes was a scrappy start for Marine Sunday. After playing as defender in the last two matches, Melvin sparked a series of problems with his non-positional play. Our opponents, Winchester United, were good at counter attacks and had speedy wingers on either side and a deceptively quick forward. Despite the slackness at the back, we held our own with two guest players - Song and Kwok Khuen - terrorising on the left. The pair were to contribute to our first two goals. Song seized the first with a delightful punt from outside the box, aiming for the top corner. The shortish keeper palmed the ball but his effort merely guided it into the same corner Song was aiming for. 1-0.

We still struggled with stringing passes together and at the other end, Guan and Leong had a tough time with the diagonal runs made by their forward line. The central midfielder displayed class and skill, often weaving his way around a sea of legs with the deftest of touches. But it was MS which grabbed a goal again. From the same left position, Khuen - he had already delivered a few pot shots at goal - whacked one that was low and hard. It rolled through the keeper's hands and past his legs for our second. 2-0. Winchester immediately shot into action. Their left winger - hacked repeatedly by Ng - outjumped our defender for the central striker to hit one past Brandon on the half-volley. 2-1 at half=time.

The second half was a different game. Leo continued his fine form, intercepting a series of passes and sparking counter attacks with his infamous "tonjols". At the other end, Chye, Wah and Mike were playing havoc on the left with Simon running through the middle in support. A series of passes in defence led to Wah laying it for his brother who stretched his hymen to slide the ball past the onrushing keeper. 3-1. Then came a series of misses - Song headed just wide, Wah beat the keeper but played the ball a little too deep for Chye, Chye's ambitious lob failed to beat the keeper and Simon's shot was comfortably covered by the keeper. But it was clear a fourth was coming. Another well-worked effort with Wah and Chye playing clever one-touch passes put Simon through. With the keeper rushing out, Simon put in a gentle lob which sailed over the keeper into the empty goal. 4-1.

Game in the bag right? Nope. Winchester, demonstrating the same tenacity as MS, were relentless in their pursuit for goals. If their first was good, their second was even better. Brandon, who had to make a series of saves, could do nothing as a shot from just outside the box sailed past the crowded box into the far corner. 4-3. Then their left midfielder danced his way past the defenders before placing the ball just wide of our keeper. 4-3. It was becoming hectic and we were panicking. Wah came back to defend and he did so stoutly, throwing his frame infront of their striker's attempt at goal. Right at the end, a pinball session almost led to their equaliser until Brandon grabbed the ball and hung on to it for dear life.

Final score 4-3.

Man of The Match: Teck Wah (3 out of 10 votes)

A very keenly-contested encounter and Teck Wah edged ahead of the pack by just 1 vote:

1. “MOtm- Teck Wah. Created some nice chances. Supported both attack and defence well.

2. “MOTM: Teck Wah - he was everywhere and everything. Tracking back to defend, running after long passes, fighting for headers, saved a possible last gasp equalizer in front of keeper. What did he not do?
3. “Motm is Teck Wah - was involved in most of our attacking play”

3 players, one of whom a guest player, tied at 2 votes each. Preference goes to our own players, so that eliminated Yang Song. Between Simon and Leo: since one of Simon’s two votes came from the MoTM himself, that carried a bit more weight to nudge Leo to 3rd position. Simon at 2nd:

1. “motm: simon for closing down the dangerman in midfield and scoring a wonderful goal which turned out to be the winning goal”

2. “Motm was Simon. Played well in the center of the park. Won key battles with the opponent's best player, their playermaker.”

Leo at 3rd:

1. “MOTM goes to Leo. Hard running and tackles all day. His timely tackles were a joy to watch. Worked super hard and with no reserves to save his delicate lungs, our MLM towkay had to push himself for 90 minutes.
2. “leo good defend in intercepting few passes and created few counter attacks.”

Yang Song and The Rock mopped up the remaining 3 votes:

1. “MOTM goes to Yang Song who came on & played like a 18-year old with zest & drive running all over the pitch(lack of understanding of our 4-2-3-1 formation & tactical play) & challenging every ball with passion. It really made a difference to our game play after our first 15 mins of organised chaos.”

2. “Motm today is last minute guest player yan song. An energetic display of solid pressing & tackling in the role of def mid. Scored an exquisite first timer. Our defenders put their bodies on the line against the onslaught as well!”

3. “MOM is to Hock leong for inspiring performance in covering the defensive gaps and repelling the continuous wave of attacks that rained on us. He was a "rock" in the middle of a organized chaos (his own words).”