Back to the Old Days

D'OH! 6 Van Basten 5

Old adversaries and a game to please the purists - full of cut and thrust, played in a good spirit and plenty of goalmouth action. In the first half a lot of that action was at the end we were attacking but in the second half it was our goal which was under siege. Thanks to an awesome display from Euge we managed to hang on the slender lead we held all night but with a bit more luck for them it might have been a result of a different kind.

Trev was forced to pull out so it was a minimum 5 that took the court for D'OH! It would have been easier if we had had a sub, but as we played it seemed that the burden was being shared and as some took a breather others picked up the slack. At various times we all struggled but true to our heritage we stuck at it and came out of it with a good win. First half highlights included Plaino winning the ball in attack and working it to the skipper for a goal and Euge pulling off a dramatic double save before the third attempt came in and Sadds somehow got his head in the way to deflect it wide and we had kept them out again. The best moment of the half came when Euge's bowl out went to Kev and thence to the skipper. As the play slowed, Sadds made a dash across the court and picked up the pass heading to the sideline at pace. Turning, Sadds crossed to the far post where Plaino was lurking in his inimitable fashion for a simple tap in - it was a magic moment. The skipper and Sadds had scored other goals so we led 4-2 at the break.

In the second half we were under pressure as Van Basten threw themselves into attack. Plaino's ability to get in the way of the defence proved effective again as he worried them into coughing up the ball close to goal and the skipper was on hand to complete his hat trick. With them attacking we were likely to get more opportunities, but only Kev took his, blasting into the back of the net when he found himself one-on-one with the keeper. Hard to pick out Euge's best save but the reflex one from the flick-on header was right up there.

Still no news on the time for next week's game but keep the evening free. When I know, so will you.

(25-FEB-2008)

The Skipper Switched Sides

D'OH! 5 Scratch Team 2

Strange circumstances last week when the scheduled opposition failed to show and a scratch team was cobbled together to at least give the lads a run around. The skipper opted to start with the opposition and refused to be substituted, evidently quite enjoying being up against his teammates for a change. It was a good game played slightly below full pace and there was a healthy regard for the other protagonist in the challenge so that there was no danger of getting hurt. (Thanks Kev, for going easy on us).

It was end to end stuff and the opposition did surprisingly well in the first half, holding D'OH! to just a couple of goals and making plenty of openings themselves. Not bad for a team thrown together at no notice.

Plaino was given too much space and opened the scoring after a series of saves by the bearded ref. Trev was the main danger up front and he ended up with a hattrick. One goal resulted from the pressure he put the skipper under in defence - the latter's attempted clearance rebounding off Trev's leg and into the net. At the death Trev seemed certain to have his fourth but with the keeper beaten, Trev's shot was kept out by the skipper's hand and we had a penalty. Up steps Euge to take the spot kick after the siren has sounded and perhaps double his goals tally for D'OH!? Unfortunately the bearded ref was too good and Euge had his penalty saved. Nevermind. Not as bad as the skipper's earlier miss when given an open goal by the same bearded ref who was now performing brilliantly as rush-goalie. Oh well, as determind at an earlier juncture, any goal scored for the opposition won't count in the stats.

Tonight's game is against Van Basten at the ungodly hour of 10.40pm. As it is now 9.54pm and I am still at home I'd better stop this, get changed and get down to the venue. See you in a minute!

(18-FEB-2008)

Closing down the opposition

D'OH 9 def Albert Park Ranger 2

We took the court this week without Skipper, another 10pm game. Going down a grade and you get the late shift more often by the looks of it.

It has been some time, since we had 7 fit bodies ready to play days before a game, so our gallant Skipper took his turn to enjoy a night off, and to rest a dodgy knee.

So we rocked up for game 2 Div 2 knowing we had blown a brilliant 2nd phase comeback the week before, we vowed not to fall into the same fate again.
Plaino returned after having not played since before Xmas and his fitness told, mind you the rest periods on the bench by all the guys did increase as the match went on. Plaino did not find the net on the night, but he did provide an annoying presence up front and opened up the defence with many dummy runs and his excessive calling for the ball, which I don't think the other guys heard too often.

Within 5 mins we had a two goal lead, one each to Sadds and Trevchenko, however after that we turned on cruised control or was it had someone turned up the heat in the stadium,as we fatigued beyond comprehension. With 10 min to go on the clock, The Euge was caught with his feet grounded at the near post and stood there watching the ball flying thru his legs, they had one back.

Not long after, we reverted back to a style of play reminiscent of the week before and the ball was lost at half way by the last defender and they countered 2 on 1, scores were level. We looked lackluster and without purpose, shots came from way out and little holes started to appear in defence. My thought was here we go again. Thank God for the half time siren.

Well the mood at the break was well "S--- what is wrong with us". So it was decided to just get the game over with and search for answers after the game.

We kicked off, and they certainly thought they had us beat, and frankly that did cross my mind as well. Obviously nobody told the rest of our boys and in good old D'oh fashion we fought back, and how.

In a magic three minute period, we had 4 more in the back of the net and soon after the 5th appeared. Two rushed goals from Sadds, who took on the keeper and won the hard ball gets, two traditional Lobby toe pokes and a dogged run and finish by Trev saw us open up a good lead. They continued to pepper our goals as well, but the defence was solid and much more alert than
in the first half. Had we broken the back of our opposition, well the answer was yes, they started to lose heart, and Sadds and Kev made them pay with two more goals.

Thats how it ended, 9-2 and a first up win in Div 2. All round a more polished performance from the lads, the mood certainly did pick up at the after game wrapup and our resolve is to keep this momentum going forward.

Next weeks game is at 7.20pm against I don't know as I didn't take a draw with me first week. Skipper will be back so if any of you apart from Plaino who want to take a week off please let Giles or myself know by Monday morning or the Skipper will have to draw an unlikey participant to sit out.

I will taking my week off on the 3rd March as Golf will again keep me from attending so I draw tabs for that night.

Again well done lads and I see/hear from you next week.

(11-FEB-2008)

A Game of 3 Phases

D'OH! 7 Bulldogs 9

Off to less than a flying start in the new division in what was an up and down performance. In the first half we looked like a team that had been promoted beyond its ability (rather than one that has voluntarily, if prematurely, dropped a division) as we struggled to do anything coherent. Only Lobby's well taken goal from the left wing gave us anything to be pleased about as we conceded 4 and looked a bit of a shambles.

In the second half we started to play and we turned in a 10 minute performance which was quite outstanding. Trev finished off a neat move, Kev beat his man on the left as Lobby had done in the previous half and drilled one in, and the skipper slammed in a freekick from some way out. Not to be left out, Sadds got on the scoresheet so we now had 5 individual scorers. We were irresistible and Lobby worked a move for Trev to grab his second and we had turned 1-4 into 6-4.

Unfortunately we had spent our energy and they started to come back at us. Some quick-fire scoring put them 7-6 up before Sadds equalised for us and it was exciting. In the end they edged to 8-7 and in our effort to equalise it was not surprising to concede again in the final moments.

A bit disappointing to be defeated first time out, but there is plenty of time to assert ourselves in Division 2.

Next week's game is at 10pm again against Albert Park Rangers. Never heard of them. In a couple more weeks we play Van Basten and we followed Bananas on to the court on Monday night. At least they had a win so there is hope.

If Plaino is fit we might have 7 in which case I will rest my niggly knee and Euge with the dreaded job of writing a report on our latest adventures.

(04-FEB-2008)

Another Premiership as our Finale

D'OH! 5 Teabaggers 1

A couple of weeks ago, the lads played their final game in the top division, and perhaps predictably after recognising that we can no longer cut it in the top flight, we won comfortably to secure the silverware that is the Pool B premiership. So we have proven that over the last two seasons we are indisputably the 5th best side in Division 1. We brushed the Teabaggers aside with a consummate display, conceding the single goal late on after we were 4 up and home. They were not up to much and because we were allowed time on the ball and to build from the back, we reverted to our familiar style of play and were very effective. Trev and Sadds starred, with Trev picking up a hattrick and Sadds scoring one and seeming to have a big hand in the others which must have edged him against Trev in the man of the match stakes.

Lobby contributed the final goal after winning the ball on our own dead ball line and venturing forward. As he swept towards the opposition goal the remaining defenders seemed more intent on marking other players than trying to stop Lobby so he was only eventually slowed by his own lack of puff. Breaking into the opposition half he unleashed the trademark toe-poke which zipped past a startled keeper and allowed Lobby the break to get his breath back. With Plaino missing out because of his persistent ankle injury, Kev, Euge and Giles made up the rest of the victorious team most of which repaired to the Cricketers Arms for a couple of swifties to mark the Premiership and the end of an era. Thanks also to Mark Lockwood for being the crowd in the second half.

Tonight we begin our new life in the second tier of the competition and interestingly, our first encounter is with Bulldogs who used to play in Division One as well. We'll see how that one goes. The 10pm kick off is at MacRobertson as the annual exodus takes place to make way for the Grand Prix. If Bernie Ecclestone has his way, and Melbourne loses the Grand Prix after 2010, it may be only a couple more years of disruption for us.