Match Reports Season 2008
Division 1 Firsts / Reserves | Division 3 Firsts / Reserves

S.A.A.S.L. Round Six Saturday 17th May 08

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DIV 1 FIRSTS 3 v 2 ADELAIDE UNI

Stenta (2), Kari (1)

Sparapani, Ciano, Condon, Barolo, Kari, George, Drazetic (Siklich), Sommerville, Sawicki (Manou), Stenta, Ripa (Rossi)

Finally the drought has been broken.  It didn’t just rain this Saturday, it poured!  Not only did the heavens open up for the first time in a long time, but the Wolves opened there account in Div 1 with a come from behind victory over Adelaide Uni.  Despite the heavy precipitation before the match, the cloud cover lifted just prior to kick off and the sun came out and bathed the pitch in splendour.  Was it just a freak of nature?  Was it just good timing?  Or was someone smiling down on us from above?

The game began well for OISC with the Wolves having the line share of possession in the first 10 minutes.  We struggled to turn this possession into any threatening attempts on goal though.  Uni fought back into the match and began to win the ball consistently through the middle of the park and as a result put us under some pressure.  Our defence was up to the task though.  Sparapani in goals was making his debut this season for the A’s and was in great form early.  Ciano was back to his miserly best, barking out instructions and regaining some of the confidence that seemed to elude him in last week’s match.  And, continuing the good form they have shown so far, Condon and Barolo stuck to their men like white on rice and managed to not only contain their skilful opponents, but run off them as well.

Sommerville was another debutant for the A’s this Saturday and he took up the unforgiving wide right role and did it to perfection.  It was his ball forward midway through the first half that would lead to the opening goal.  Ripa, showing the pace and agility of someone half his age managed to chase down the ball before it trickled over the touch line.  He then proceeded to beat a player on the edge of the box before cutting the ball back to Stenta whose attempt on goal was stifled by a crude challenge from behind that would have received a penalty had the ball not sprayed to Kari who calmly slotted home for his first of the season.  For the fourth time in six matches we had taken the lead.  Not many more chances were created by either side for the remainder of the first half as both sides played hard at it, scrappy football.  As a result, the score would remain at 1-0 until half time.

Coach Romano swung the changes at half time bringing on Manou and Siklich.  The latter slotted into the middle of the park whilst Manou pushed up front and reacquainted himself with his old sparring partner Ripa.  This pushed Stenta out to a wide midfield role.  It seemed to upset the shape and structure that we had fought so well to keep in the first 45 and, with Uni surging for an equaliser, we were on the back foot early.  For the first 20 minutes of the second stanza we struggled to get out of our defensive half with Uni’s midfield in total control.  Only Sparapani in goals was keeping us ahead.  Uni would break through eventually though and, in what has become the norm for us this season, it was from a cross into the box.

At 1-1 we were rattled and Uni could sense blood.  They upped the ante and pushed hard for a goal that would put them in front.  Again, we conceded from another cross…this time a corner.  The unbelievable had happened.  Again we had thrown away a lead.  This induced some bickering and slanging between the Wolves players and one could have been excused for expecting the side to internally combust.  The sprays were flying in thick and fast and everyone was having their say.  Had Uni taken another chance, they probably could have killed off the game at that point.  Pure guts and heart were the only things keeping us in the match as Sparapani made one fine save after the other in a superhuman performance in goals, whilst George cleared a goal ward bound shot off the line following a goal mouth scramble and Sommerville put the team before his own safety to stop what looked like a certain goal with his face as we dodged countless bullets.  But there was still life left in the Wolves carcass.

In what would make the perfect script for a feel-good Hollywood script, the team rose from the mat in a Balboa style recovery and re-found the passion and hunger it had played with in the first half.  Uni sensed our momentum was gaining and decided to employ time wasting tactics despite the fact that there was still 15 minutes to go.  Rossi was injected into the fray to add some much needed pace up front and played his ‘impact role’ to perfection.  Kari and George won back the battle of the midfields and Siklich rose from his slumber and began to play with the forwards.  Sommerville returned to the field following his blood nose and continued to pound up and down the sideline with fearless intent.

On one surge forward he found Manou who turned and ran at the goal before being brought down.  Kari took the resulting free kick from just outside the box cleverly by sliding a neat little pass into the feet of Stenta who turned his marker before slotting the equaliser.  It was a significant moment for the Wolves as, although we had thrown away the lead many times before in matches this season, this was the first time we’d actually got back on level terms.  With renewed vigour, we continued to surge forward.  Not content with just not losing, the team was out for a winner.  It would come from a fluid moving counter attack.  The defence again played the ball out after repelling another Uni challenge and some quick passing saw the ball find its way to Sommerville on the left.  He beat his man well and fired in a cross.  Manou was first to the ball and laid it back to the running Stenta who fired a low shot into the corner and the comeback was complete!  The Wolves had their first win of the season.

Whilst we’ve played better football this year, this game was by far the most passionate display we had pieced together.  Seeing and hearing players go off at each other and even the coach during the match is never to be condoned and it is not acceptable at this club, but it proved one thing today…that there are still enough people in this team who have the will and desire to win.  Although it came out in an undisciplined way, this author was happy to see that passion come out of his team mates as it proved one thing; that when push comes to shove, we can step up to the plate and play the committed football we need to if we wish to stay in this league.  It was a win that will forever be remembered and one which we’d like to dedicate to the late Frank Spinelli.

DIV 1 RESERVES 0 V 1 ADELAIDE UNI

Goals: Nil

DIV 3 FIRSTS 5 V 3 MURRAY BRIDGE UNITED

Lineup: Lissner; Lai, Gilbert, Williams, A. Rossi; Al-Hinai, J. Kitching, Cosentino (Woods), Ventura; Balestrin (G. Bolognese), Kostadinov

Goals: J.Kitching 2, Al-Hinai, Kostadinov, Gilbert

The sea was angry this day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.  Luckily, we were play 25 km inland and managed to avoid all of the storms and hail that Jane Riley had been promising us each week.  Speaking of Channel 10 personalities, what has happened to Sandra Sully lately?  The late news is no longer the same…

We entered this game knowing that a win was the only thing possible – to honour the memory of Frank Spinelli, one of the founding members of the club, and to climb off the bottom of the table and back into the dogfight.  We achieved both, but not without some scary moments.  We were heartened by the excellent performance of the 3Bs before us.  Bacon was making his debut in goal for the 3A team, well before he predicted (round 10, 2009), and Gilbert strengthened our defence.  The point made by this author last week was obviously noted by the coaching staff, as two players that had often been played up started in the two forward positions (Balestrin and Kostadinov).

The game started at a sluggish pace, with each team probing the other without having a shot on target.  Murray Bridge seemed the most likely to score with their excellent run through the middle.  Our 4 men struggled with their 5 (and at times) 6 players coming through the central channels.  We managed to hold out for half an hour (a new record!) before a long ball was sloppily cleared by the defence which allowed a Bridge striker to sneak through two defenders, dribble Bacon, and tap in from 3 yards.

Rather than drop their heads, however, the team was lifted and struck back almost instantly.  A good move down the right saw Kostadinov flick the ball to Al-Hinai, who lifted it over his head into the path of Kitcho.  Kitcho flicked it past two men, chested it down on the top of the box, and beat the ‘keeper to the ball on the penalty spot, slamming it in with his right foot.  The team was buoyed into action, and had a second goal minutes later.  Butter, playing on the right to accommodate Gilbert’s move into central defence, harmlessly carried the ball over the halfway line.  Spotting Kostadinov moving into the box with a much shorter defender, Butter whipped in a delightful cross which the Bulgarian maestro firmly headed in from 8 yards.  2-1 to OISC at half time!!

We reiterated during the half-time team-talk that the only possible result that we could take from this match was a victory – anything less, and we had let ourselves down.  That, and the 3As crowd would also be let down.  It must be said that the numbers that continue to get pulled by this team would suggest it is the best supported in the club by a long margin.  The continual banter between the crowd and the players during the second half was a joy to behold.  Particularly grateful, given that he was playing on that side of the pitch, was Ventura, especially when he continued to beat his man, time and again.  Rumour has it that Ventura is giving up his job and leaving OISC to join the latest production of Riverdance, such was his prolificacy with the ball at his feet.  Another rumour heard after the game was that he was thinking of starting a Julio Iglesias tribute-show, but his singing ability is unknown.

Either way, the second half started with a bang.  5 goals in 15 minutes, with 1 disallowed.  OISC started the brightest and doubled their lead almost instantly with a superb goal.  A cleared ball from a corner fell to Balestrin who controlled the ball on our side of the halfway line.  Kitcho, anticipating the gap behind the defenders, charged off on a run.  Balestrin deftly lobbed the ball over the defenders, and the race was on!  What people don’t remember about Kitcho, despite his solid frame, that in his prime he always finished second to Bar-One at the sprints at school, so the Bridge defender that was backtracking had no chance.  Kitcho met the ball first-time, on the half-volley, at the edge of the box, to slot past the ‘keeper.

OISC held out for 10 minutes, before falling to sleep.  Bridge had been threatening, with the midfield starting to get on top.  They owned the match for the next 20 minutes.  Slack marking from a throw-in saw a Bridge midfielder ghost into the near post and flick the ball past a stranded Bacon.  Two minutes later, Bacon had a brain freeze, throwing the ball straight to a Bridge player, whose shot deflected off Gilbert and into the bottom corner.  A fourth was scored 5 minutes later when a quick throw saw the same Bridge midfielder ghost across and produce a carbon-copy of his first goal.  However, at this stage the ref remembered who the home team was and disallowed the goal for a foul throw!!  If I was Murray Bridge I would have protested vigorously, but this author can’t remember even one shout.  Either way, it signaled the turning point, because OISC scored two in the next period of the match to effectively seal victory.

Gilbert had gone forward from a corner and narrowly missed a header, before a free-kick put into the box by Butter was put away by Jimmy in a goalmouth scramble.  Then came the goal of the match.  A half-cleared ball by Bridge fell to the perfect height for Zee who performed the perfect execution of the ‘Zidane’ (see the 2002 European Champions League Final) into the top corner, killing the game.

The Omani terrorist has improved dramatically over the course of the season, learning when the right time is to utilise his array of flicks and tricks.  He has developed an excellent understanding with Kitcho on the right hand side.  All he needs to do is learn how to shoot (although he can apparently shoot with left!).  It won’t be long before a higher team is calling for his services.

There was still time for some late dramatics – Bacon pulled off a fine one-on-one save, JD came off the bench and went on a mazy run which the ‘keeper managed to save with his arse, and Cosi and Kitcho managed to get themselves booked for dissent.

The boys were relieved to hear the final whistle, and sang the song with the same gusto that Frank Spinelli threw himself into every match.  A proud day for the 3As and the division 3 squad as a whole, climbing to 10th (from 12), and looking forward to the challenge of meeting Salisbury Villa in the Cup.  Although last time was a significant defeat, this match gives us the opportunity to determine how much we have improved.  Don’t be surprised if a few eyebrows are raised at the result.

DIV 3 RESERVES 3 V 0 MURRAY BRIDGE UNITED

Goals: Greene, Angley, OG!!!

Lineup: Callaghan, Earls, Jiminez (Hurt), Walker, Natasie, Angley (Sarkies), Inamoto, A Kitching, Fantasia (Trengove), Greene, N Bolognese

"All's well that ends well!" This is the greatest line said by a goalkeeper ever, Tavis Callaghan love your work!

A tough year so far saw us fall down at every sight of winning this season. Something was different this weekend, we needed points to get off the foot of the table. We controlled the game from the get go, and the new strike force, for the purposes of this report we will call bolo-greene. The big man little man combo, the vision on Inamoto, the holding display of Chief, the penetration of the wingers, the solidarity of the back four and the eccentricity of the goalie all came together perfectly with Jimmy's words of wisdom (which cannot be repeated in a public place, they are very dirty and very hard to translate) saw the mighty div 3 reserves get three points notched up on the table!

I had a wiff, and yes kitcho, i think it was the beautiful smell of the spirit of the C2's back in town! Everyone backed each other up, no ball was ever too hard to chase down. Bolo-greene carved out many chances and the smaller part of the combo fried rice put the first goal away for the Wolves. Angley followed soon after following more great work from bolo-greene, the new MacEnroe finished off with a powerful strike from 2 yards out, the linesman though about waving an offside but MacEnroe knifed him and all was well.

Half Time was upon us, and we went into the 1970s changerooms fresh from their midweek media frenzy that may or may not have involved one James Kitching and two young girls. Keyword Innamorati, spurted out some, well, key words to keep in mind for the second half, passion commitment composure pizza jaegerbombs. Woods quoted Football Factory "Murray Bridge at home, LOVE EEET!" Jimmy told us not to get excited but gave us all a cigarette to chuff down anyway.

The second half was Man Utd esque, a bit of swagger! Inamoto was dispersing the ball to all parts of the field, a bit like a Paul Scholes or Michael Carrick (yes they can't tackle either!) Andrew Kitching was backing up well in midfield, in the words of Dave "you did well Chief, you basically covered up my mistakes!", poetry. Jimmy made his first sub taking off MacEnroe as the cops were lurking and throwing Sarkies onto the field. After his woeful performance the other week at hindmarsh Sarkies decided to drop a couple of leagues, obviously he caught a whiff of the C2's spirit! Trengove then came on for Zambrotta who was one of many dying from some kind of flu, he crawled of the field and Paul added some more run.

Tavis meanwhile was making sure he kept a clean sheet with a series of fine one-on-one saves, trying to follow in Bacon's enigmatic footsteps! Danzo came onto the field for Jiminez who is a fine example of composure at the back "IS EZE MEIN! JOO FUCKIN COCKAROACH!" We continued to push forward and it resulted in the third goal......somehow. It was a -reaaaaaaaaaaaallllly- unfortunate own goal, that unfortunately no-one from our team can claim!

3-0 to the good then! 3 points! Let's keep it going boys.

This week Elizabeth Downs in the cup, EASY!