Mens H 4 - 1 SSSC C

 HKFC H's 4 - 1 SSSC C : Beating the team that beat us



From a Captain's point of view, our first half performance was educational
and we took away positives from the mistakes we made, in that we learnt from
them at half-time.  The mini-blip also helps keep our feet on the ground and
us firmly aware that we cannot deviate from the "pass-and-move" style of
play that we have fostered.



The lack of shape of our own team (my fault! - holds hands up) and the nous
of the opponents were the main obstacles that we faced in a largely
frustrating opening period.  In short, as we could not find our short passes
wide left, we played to our weaknesses by trying to hit bouncy balls,
mid-dribble, through the sticks of experienced Div 3 quality defenders.  



After the change of formation, we did string a move together that resulted
in a peach of a goal.  Four quick short passes ended with Mark Kan's right
wing cross to Brett Goebel on the P-spot, who had an easy task of slotting
home.  1 - 0 to Club.  



Our play towards the end of the half was settling down, but we suffered a
setback right at the stroke of half-time.  Two hotly-contested short corners
were awarded to Bullets just before the end-of-half whistle.  On the second
of these, we endured a "Hiro Nakamura" moment, where time stopped for our
defenders dealing with a Bullets' "second opportunity" off the goalie's
pads.  1 - 1.



We got ourselves composed for the second half and, as the G's started to
filter into the dug-out, we got back to moving the ball around quickly and
treated the spectators to our usual fantasy hockey.  We patiently
"daisy-chained" (I will now trademark this new hockey verb for future use)
our passes from one side of the pitch to the other, across our line of
halves, until the right moment for the risk-free vertical through ball to
our strikers in scoring positions.  In the process, the Bullets' defence got
extremely tired chasing the ball from side to side in such hot and humid
conditions.



Our second goal came from Mark's second assist of the game - keeping the
ball in play near the right side by-line just enough to present Tim Loh with
the opportunity to lift the ball over the goalie's foot from less than a
yard out.



Our third goal came from one of our few well-earned short corners that we
won in the second period.  Lloydy slipped it right to Paul McGuire, whose
reverse stick shot was saved brilliantly only for Andy Dale to slap in the
rebound - following in his own injection.



For me, the goal of the game was our last, when "Mugwire" again demonstrated
the panache that has enabled him to score 48 goals in one single season in
the past.  It all happened in a split second. So relaxed in the zone was
Paul, he was practically unconscious when he guided in Andy's superb
vertical ball through the goalie's legs.  Like a Jedi Knight, one relies on
natural instinct when one plays hockey with the Force.



Towards the end, we were so dominant only a defender's foot prevented us
from capitalising on a 5-v-1 breakaway.



The conversation at the Sportsman's Bar stuck largely to team affairs and
hockey matters.  According to Andy, I was best qualified to write this match
report, as "on the field, you watched most of it!".  And Nick Hunsworth was
feeling a bit sorry for himself, as "One can't get lower than being
Slotter's understudy at left back".  Meanwhile, Lloydy choreographed some
more attacking set-pieces involving a self-pass from a short corner and long
corners that sail over to the other side of the D. 



All-in-all, this was a sweet win that makes it 5-4 on aggregate in our
favour against SSSC/Bullets this season.  But, for me, the lesson I will
take away from Sunday's game, paraphrasing some wise words of The Hun, is
that "You cannot hit the ball through players in Div 4 or higher.  You've
got to play the ball around them."