Inter Menan 14 vs 5 East Coast Tournament

Heartache for Menan in spot kick drama!! <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The Menanians made their first appearance in a Football Mundial one day event and came away as runners up. It could all of been different as the dreaded penalty shootout scuppered the Menanians chances of their first piece of silverwear for the barron cabinet in team boss Plumptons spare room. Sneeky Russians (Thirsk) 1 v 2 <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Some pre tournament nerves and confusion due to mass substitutions saw the tangerines downed 2-1 against a well organised and fit outfit. The boys were out classed for large parts of the game and found themselves two down with minutes remaining. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">A late rally by Captain Patterson got his troops finally in the mood as Hawkes played a delightful setpiece kick in to Willan who finished with aplomb. Unfortunately it was not to be but some lessons were learnt and the boys were ready for more! Allstars (Bridlington) 3 v 0 <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Losing two games in four years was the talk about the Bridlington based Allstars, sadly for them it was all hot air. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The Menanians turned on the style with Brooksby and Hawkes running the show infront of goal thanks to some hard graft and creative flair from Captain Patterson. The main issue of the game was the stupendous hair style of Allstars defender who was donning a "blonde skunk" look, much to Menanian Ward's amusement. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The standard was set after two Brooksby strikes and a solo effort from Hawkes as the reduced substitutions and the boys finally waking up saw a win at a canter. Real Fairburn (Knottingley) 2 v 1 <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">This game proved something of a 5 minute nightmare for team manager Plumpton who gifted the Knottingley based Real Madrid kit wearing team a gift of a goal with what can only be described as a Titus Bramble moment. One cap Menanian and crowd dweller Alex Hamilton was said to have described Bramble as a "good player", Hamilton was promptly removed from the premises. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">More Plumpton mayhem was to follow as he found himself wandering over the half way line, striding out of defence with the ball like a budding Rio Ferdinand, only to attempt a step over and fall over the ball, gifting the ball to Real (To no goalscoring opportunity i may add). <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Wig lookalikey Brooksby quickly stepped up to the plate finishing two with his predators instinct, with Patterson once again provider. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Brooksby on four goals in 3 games was quickly turning around the fans who were on his back due to the overgrown nest like barnet! Barmy Army (Harrogate) 3 v 0 <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">A gruesome encounter was to follow as the boys came up against the scum of Harrogate, four of which were rumoured to have ASBO's. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">After a relatively calm opening exchanges the boys carried on their fine form with top scorer and trophy dreaming Brooksby hitting home another Patterson hollywood throughball. It was exciting times for the Menanians as other rival sides were beginning to take note of their slick passing play and Plumptons amazing first touch. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Ged "The Hitman" Ward entered the fray at half time to beef up the attack. It didnt take long to put his giant like stamp on the game, setting up Plumpton for a tidy finish as well as laying one on a plate for Brooksby to finish the fist throwers off. It was beginning to turn ugly as Willan found himself in his element once again being called "Big Head", he would have the last laugh in the teams next meeting..... 1/4 Finals - Ruswarp Rovers (Whitby) 2 v 1 <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">9 Points saw the Menanians qualify as group champions ahead of the Sneaky Russians and setting up a game with Group B botton side Ruswarp Rovers. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The Shitby based team quickly recruited some new blood, picking up some eliminated teams players to enchance their baby like team. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">This proved to be one of the teams easier games which sadly was not reflected in the score line due to some top draw goal keeping by the Rovers number 1. It was left to Plumpton to carry on his hot streak and put the lads infront. After making an over lapping run Hawkes slid the ball into his path leaving the goal at his mercy and he duely obliged with his 2nd of the day. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The Rovers keeper was keeping the score credible as Hawkes was denied on several occasions before Ward found himself on the score sheet with a wonder goal. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Ward received the ball with his back to goal. Rolled his man, beat the next with some silky skill before hammering home a strike Willan would of been proud of with his left foot into the top corner of the net. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">All the talk of Titus Bramble by the Menanians had amused Willan before the game, maybe too much as he found himself wishing the ground would eat him up after an error Bramble would of been proud of, laying the ball to the Ruswarp striker for an easy finish. Semi Finals - Barmy Army (Harrogate) 2 v 0 A <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">It was obvious the follow up to the group game was going to be equally as dirty, it proved to be alot worse. 3 different Barmy Army players found themselves either yellow or red carded as they gifted the semi final to the Menanians. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Tempers were on edge as the whistle started the game, with several Menanians feeling some dirty challenges had gone unpunished in the previous meeting. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Willan got his revenge with a haymaker Roy Keane would of been proud of as he sent the opposition midfielder a good couple of foot in the air as he won the ball. The Barmy Army player needed a bit of a time out..... a good hit!!!! BOOOOM! <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The game took a new level of uglyness, possibly likened to the ginger one from Girls aloud as Menan were awarded a penalty. The Army players were up in arms with one off for swearing at the ref and the other for throwing the ball at penalty taker Brooksby, narrowly missing his&nbsp;proud tramp like curly&nbsp;locks. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Play resumed with the penalty dispatched and a further goal for Ward with his first touch of the game. The game was over seconds later as the Barmy Army team felt hard done by and walked away from the pitch leaving Menan through to their first ever final. The Final Sneaky Russians (Thirsk) 1 v 1 (lost 8-7 on Pens) <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">It was not to be for our boys as they were cruely denied glory after a tense penalty shootout which saw weak bladdered Willan actually piss his pants (very similar to Ayton presentation night). <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Just like the first game Menan fell a goal down after a poor refereeing decision from Les Ramm who gave a free kick 15 yards out very softly. The Russians were on it like a flash and a great bit of skill saw the striker avoid two challeges before slotting under the despairing Tony Ross. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Unlike the first meeting the Menanians were up for this one and after a bit of tactical tinkering they took more of a control on the game. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">It was down to team Captain Patterson to save the day after a quickly taken free kick from Hawkes. Our chavtastic captain wheeled away in glory as the Menanian faithful went wild. The final minutes were all Menan as they sensed victory like a police sniffer dog with the scent of two jamaicans flying one way into heathrow, sadly no winner could be found and the game finished 1-1. The fun had only just begun!!! <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Penalty's occured with Menan winning the toss and opting to hit first with the hope of adding pressure to the Sneaky Russians obviously fragile nerves after losing the lead so late in the game. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Sudden death it was with Brooksby leading the way as he had done all day by notching with his spot kick. Ross couldnt get any where near the Russians penalty, so up stepped spot kicker number 2, Willan. Willan did the business, as did our opponents and a theme was beginning to take shape, somebody was about to be the villain as the brave penalty takers cooly slotted home. Hawkes, Patterson, Plumpton, Dorey and Ward all finding the target. It came down to the 8th man, Tony Ross. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The heroic keeper stepped up to the spot, the nerves evident by the small brown patch showing through on his under-crackers, he placed the ball and took his allowance of one short step. As he let fly with his left duke the crowd gasped, the Russians celebrated, Ross had failed to score. He was even more distraught, completely forgetting he had a chance to save the day as he walked away from the action, taking his goalkeeping mits off as he slumped away. After a quick recall he was back between the posts, the Menanians praying, hugging each other like two ethiopians in a crate travelling accross the channel. The Sneaky Russians were back to their first penalty taker which was a controversy within itself, sadly he netted and sent the blue Thirsk outfit into raptures as they sealed their names in history and picked up a photo from the evening news, which Hawkes was most gutted about as he had his shirt off and muscles tensed ready for the Menanian pic. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">A great effort from the lads with some top performances on the way, on another day it could all of ended so different, but it just wasnt to be on this occasion. <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Inter Menan's Player of the East Coast Tournament goes to&nbsp;gym enhanced Robbie Hawkes&nbsp;as voted for by his fellow compadres, most noteably for a rapid workrate and a keen eye for goal.