 |
YC&AC, Sunday 26th September
BFC made it three wins out of three with a 4-3 win at rivals YCAC in a see-saw game capped by another double from Shosuke Yamagishi and a Shergar sighting.
SHO-TIME
Another game, another two goals from Shosuke Yamagishi, who has now scored six in BFC's first three games.
If the skinny Frankfurter's first goal at YCAC had more than a touch of good fortune about it (taking nothing away from a fine finish), his second was pure genius in arguably his best game for BFC to date.
The visitors were a trifle lucky to be ahead early on, Steve Taw correctly flagging for offside but referee Orlando over-ruling and Yamagishi dancing round the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
Feeling horribly guilty, BFC gifted YCAC a quick equaliser when some feather-duster defending allowing the impressive Sho Kitano to smash in the first of his treble.
Fast forward 10 minutes and BFC surrendered almost a carbon copy goal, doubtless still wracked with remorse over their opener and the sight of Taw throwing down his flag, albeit very politely.
BFC 'JFC'
Ping-pong drama, three whiffed attempts to clear before that man Kitano toe-poked home YCAC's second, triggering finger-pointing and some very long faces among a BFC side featuring nine (yes nine!) Japanese starters.
As tempting as lame Daily Telegraph Steve Gerrard cliches of 'Cometh the hour ...' are, Yamagishi's solo effort to restore parity turned this one around just as BFC were beginning to lose the midfield battle against a bigger YCAC side.
Alone with three YCAC defenders for company and no BFC players seemingly interested in joining him in the opposing half, Yamagishi kept possession, jinked left, then right and found a yard of space before crashing a right-foot shot into the top corner. Torres-like.
The equaliser lifted BFC, who won a corner and Carlos Aranda's delivery was cleverly chested in by Kazuki Tadokoro, BFC turning the game around again in the space of 10 minutes. 3-2 at half-time.
Planned changes were cancelled over oranges and cigarettes but when YCAC's dangerman Kitano prodded home to make it 3-3 moments after the restart after more horror defending the wisdom of that decision looked less than water-tight.
SHERGAR SPOTTED
Twenty minutes of pinball later the game took another twist with Alastair Himmer putting BFC back in front, driving in an unstoppable shot from 35 metres ... alright then ... charging down an attempted clearance, the ball flying in off his golden slippers from six yards. Shergar sighting indeed.
The final act was bruising, backs-to-the-wall stuff as YCAC launched the plumbing and upholstery at BFC but the back four stood firm with some excellent last-ditch tackles from Tadokoro and Taka Imai in particular. But this was a true team effort, with superb shifts put in all over the pitch, epitomised by Saco Sakai's amusing ninja turtle impersonation, finally going off after his fourth or fifth bruising challenge in a matter of minutes.
YCAC could justifiably argue they did not deserve to come away from this game without a point but BFC scrapped hard for the win and with some fine-tuning -- a few more bodies committed in attack and a little less indecision at the back -- could threaten to hit some serious form.
Softly, softly catchy monkey after all. A good day, though, for BFC and all credit to YCAC for taking it on the chin. Obviously they will be in the mix at the end of the season too. Bring it on!!!
Report by PINKY AND DIANE
|
