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Hachioji Park, Saturday 25th April.
After a hectic week in Hong Kong, and lack of sleep, the last thing I wanted was to find myself playing a full game in central defence due to having only 12 players against a strong Sala line-up, on the high after beating last year’s champs, and against us, after losing badly to Hibs with 8 players!
However, whenever Lions show up an hour before the game, and with the oldies (like your truly) are forced to play....commitment shows, and we Lions play our hearts out.
We went into the game with a keeper, 3 defenders, and 8 midfielders! No strikers on the day!...And to make things worse, a guest player, and the source of flair – Abu, was injured and had to play to complete the 11.
Sala started strongly, and a their fast striker (no.17 playing alongside Toby...dont know his name, so for now will call him Toby 2)...cut in past Yuki on the left wing, and as I poked the ball from him and tried to shoulder him off, he still put a shot in from 8 yards out, only to hit the cross bar!
Minutes later the Japanese left winger for Sala cut across Yuki, whose challenge did get the ball, but ref decided he got the player too, and a penalty was awarded.
Lenny stepped up and as he hit the ball towards the top left of Orlando.....Spiderman pulled a brilliant save, pushing the ball away to a corner!..It was so beautiful I was tempted to make another penalty to see that save again ;)
Sala’s corners were dangerous, but so were Lions corners.
Despite Lions playing 4-3-3, Captain Somi seemed isolated upfront, and we kept playing the counter attack....and as Somi controlled a long kick from Orlando....he carried the ball a few yards before passing it to the surprisingly quiet (and injured) Abu, who used his trickery to move, stop, turn, and hit a sweet ball from a tight angle between Taylor and the post to give Lions the lead at half time.
Second half started badly with Sima’s error letting Toby2 in, but my block from his shot from 7 yards out probably denied him a goal. Worse news was when Sima (centre-back) pulled his hamstring again, and Lions had to push Fahad back in defence and introduce Aziz in midfield.
This change invite Sala more into Lions territory as Fahad was controlling the midfield well.
Sala then had a free-kick that rebound off the bar only for Toby2 to head it wide from 5 yards out (but was too high for him).
Sala kept pushing, and a few neat passes say Toby take a low shot from the ‘D’, a milli-second before I got to him.....finding the bottom left corner of the goal to equalise for Sala.
A few minutes later Sala had a good long shot that Orlando parried onto the path of a Sala player who put it in the net, but was clearly offside...maybe 7 yards or so...and there was no complaints when it was fairly ruled out.
Moments later, the right-back Yuki for Lions found himself 15 yards out, with a deflected ball, and he hit a sweet low shot that would’ve put Lions ahead, only for Taylor to pull a remarkable save to push it agonizingly wide for a corner.
In the last second of the game, Abu went past 2 players and instead of taking the shot, he rightfully passed a perfect ball to his younger brother Omar on the left, 6 yards out, onside, but hit the ball as he’s leaning back, sending it 2 metres above the bar and saving Sala’s blushes!
Had there been any other keeper than Orlando and Taylor, it would’ve been 2-2 at least...hats off to both keepers!
Overall entertaining game, well refereed too.
Lions still struggling for consistency since winning Division 2, but at least this time gauranteed safety with 3 games to go, and maintained a new unbeaten record this season against teams like Sala.
Lenny was a rock in defence for Sala, and the tall chap with curly hair played really well in midfield.
Toby and Toby2 – the Double Trouble - made us work really hard in defence.....great players....and it felt like playing against 2xSpeedy Gonzales! but I have to be biased and give Man of the match to a Lions player...
Fahad was briliant and I gave him Man of the Match a few times, but this time I saved this for a brilliant player, recently added to Lions...committed, plays everywhere, and plays his heart out.....and above all his motivational words throughout the game make it a pleasure playing with him.....the skilful, hardworking midfielder, who played in an unorthodox left back position and did’nt do a single mistake.....so....without further ado, my Man of the Match: Keishi Mitsuda
(Just found Toby2 on team pic...Sam Mathews...but I like Toby2 for now :)
Report by Hussein Shehata
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