Discovery Bay FC 4 : 0 Soho Spartans
Venue: KGV
Date: 11 June 2022
Kick Off: 21:00
Squad: Jimmy, Awal, Nik, Kieran, Ryan, Makito, Danny, James, Nick B, Emma, Pius, Steve, Hiro, Sean and Barry
Scorers: Nick B x 2, Kieran and an OG
Heading into the last week of the season, DBFC had to claim four points in their remaining two games to guarantee the Legal League title, having to assume second placed Wanchai Spartans would win both their remaining two games. This Monday night game at KGV, pitting top of the league table against bottom of the table, DBFC were confident in collecting the first three of those 4 needed points from Soho Spartans and hoping to also bag many goals to surpass the advantage of goal difference held by Wanchai Spartans. Gazza, along with stand-in assistant coach Tita (injured in the game on Saturday) advised the team to be patient, have confidence that chance will come and work down the wings rather than through the middle if the Spartans defended deep.
The game started positively for DBFC with high tempo and lots of possession. Jimmy (RB) and Ryan (RM) were working well together and regularly overlapping at pace at pace down the right wing and from early one of these attacks, a cross was fizzed across the face of the goal for Nick B coming into the Soho box from the left to meet at full pace and deflect into the corner of the net with the toe of his boot. The second was soon to arrive and similarly constructed with smart play down the right reaching Emma, close to Soho’s by-line for him to pull the ball back for Nick, again coming in off the left wing, to hit cleanly first time. The ball curled at pace just inside the far post for Nick’s second of the game.
The rest of the half saw lots of DB chances, knowing that a strong goal difference could have put the title to bed. Dangerous set-pieces from Danny, Makito and Kieran were all close to being converted. The second half started in an equally frustrating manner with chances not quite falling right for Barry, who was regularly beating his man on the right, and Emma.
Bringing Danny back on at left wing finally helped to put the game to rest, claiming a loose ball and showing the composure to time a pass inside to Kieran 30 yards out. Luckily, he took the ball off Nik’s toes who had just air-kicked a chance from a similar position. Instead, Kieran’s shot fired in off the inside of the post for a three-nil lead.
If that was a ‘worldie’, with a strong claim for goal of the season, the fourth was rather less stunning. Danny, again, released Emma down the left. He beat one player before hitting a low ball towards the far post. The defender’s block spun away from goal and then bounced back towards goal up over the keeper, a defender, and Barry high into the net. I have no idea whose goal that was, and given the randomness of refereeing decisions earlier in the game, it looked like it might be forever left to the dubious goal panel but when pressed the referee showed he marked it down in his note book as an own goal (OG) —- or was it OMG?
Not quite a perfect night for DBFC but another three points to extend their winning run to 10 games and keep a firm hold on the title race.
MOM: Nick B – two very well taken early goals to settle nerves, particularly when Soho Spartans made it difficult to create clear chances.
