DBFC Vets v USRC 1911
Wednesday 23 June 2021 at Kings Park pitch#1 with 7:30pm kick-off
Score: 4 – 3
Squad: Bradders, Tita, Riggers, Morse, Ping, Nin, San, Crommy, Simon. Pedro, Thierry, Dan, Brendan, Minga, Ho Dog.
Scorers: San, Dog, Morse and Minga
This was the 10th match out of 16 games to play in the Legends league and DBFC Vets went to Kings Park confident that they would get their 10th straight victory and take another step towards the league title.
The weather during the day was heavy rain storms but fortunately around 5pm the rain eased and by the time kick arrived the rain had stopped. However, this didn’t help with late arrivals and Captain Crommy had to change his starting line-up at the last minute: Bradders in goal, Nin (coming back after a long lay-off with injury) RB, Tita and Riggers CB, Morse LB, Thierry and Simon CM, Crommy LM, Brendan RM, San and Dog up top.
The game started with USRC sitting deep and content to have their fast forwards chase the long balls. This led to DBFC paying the ball around the backs in their own third and the rest of the team dropping deep in search of the ball leaving the front 2 isolated. One rare push forward got Brendan down the line and the ball played inside and dog laid it off to San for a fine strike into the net on 16 minutes played to put DBFC 1- 0 ahead.
DBFC resumed, still playing too deep in their own third. After another 5 minutes Ping came on for Nin at RB and Simon came off for San to drop in midfield and Minga on to partner Dog up top. In the last 15 minutes of the first half DBFC did press more and got the ball in front of USRC goal a number of times with some great chances to score, one chance looking more difficult to miss than score. The pressure on USRC told on 35 minutes when some passing down the left got crummy away to cross and the ball finding its way back in the USRC box to the feet of Dog who fired firmly into the corner of the goal. DBFC Vets went in at half time 2-0 up.
The line-up for the second half saw Thierry, Brendon and Dog come off and Pedro, Dan and Simon taking up midfield positions. The half started as it left the first half with DBFC Vets pressing and goals came. Five minutes in (45 minutes) Morse got onto a pass as he ran infield from the left and at the D (about 20 yards out struck the ball firmly with his right boot to see it dip and bounce under the keeper to squeeze in at the post to put DBFC 3 – 0 up. The pressure continued and Minga got the ball just inside the USRC 18 yards’ box to rifle in a good shot to the far corner and see DBFC Vets cruising at 4 – 0 up.
DBFC continued to press and should have had more goals but with only 20 minutes to go and 4 -0 up complacency and tiredness seemed to overtake the DBFC players. This resulted in USRC getting a bizarre goal on 61 minutes. A long ball forward ran through to the bar line 6 yards from goal with Riggers in attendance to shield it out (one thought) but riggers stopped and the USRC striker got to it with a swing of his leg right on the line. The ball came spinning off his shin-pad just past the front post with Bradders caught by surprise, and ran along the goal line to trickle in at the far post. Everyone stopped in amazement and Riggers was still staring at the bar line scratching his head at how the line was able to move. This goal seemed to raise USRC and knock the confidence out of DBFC. USRC continued to press and 5 minutes later a long cross into the DBFC box bounced and chested by Riggers to land between him and Morse at the edge of the 18 yards’ box. Neither dealt with the bounce and watched with indecision as the USRC striker swung a shot of his shin that fouled Bradders and shot into the net. The Score was now 4-2 with 15 minutes left. Nin cane on at this point at CB for Riggers and Simon off for Brendan to go back on. Instead of DBFC consolidating their shape they went in search of another goal and it nearly came off the boot of Pedro hitting the underside of the USRC goal to bounce off the line and Dog (back on for Minga in the last 10 minutes) unable to guide in the rebound.
DBFC were stretched, tired and out of positions / shape at this time and USRC pressed by firing in long balls into a rather panicky DBFC defence. The pressure told and with 5 minutes to go USRC got just reward with another goal to make it 4-3. DBFC managed to hang on by the skin of their teeth.
MOM: It is Morse for a solid performance at left back and getting a goal with a 20 yards’ right foot shot.
DOD: Riggers for his complete switch off when nonchalantly watching the ball towards the byline to see the attacker rescue it on the line to execute a fluky spinning cross cum shot that went in. Riggers stood and starred at the byline for a few minutes after checking it hadn’t moved.
