MEFF #11 – EDDARD’S REVENGE 5 – 5 SHEIKH MANSOUR’S PLAYTHING:
Despite a rampant first half from new challengers Sheikh Mansour’s Plaything (led by Taylor) in which they raced to a strong 5-0 lead and rarely looked troubled, Eddard’s Revenge refused to give up and produced a sensational second half comeback to end a turbulent game of 6-a-side in sweltering temperatures with MEFF’s first ever draw.
Although the game contained a number of excellent solo and team goals, it’s also worth noting that either team could have nicked the win had the stand-in keepers not performed heroics of their own, with SuBo’s extendable arms producing some sensational 3-shot combination saves in the second half to deny Griffiths and Phil, while a stubborn Tugby and acrobatic Phil ‘The Power’ Parrot denied Revenge an improbable win at the death as Patto and Fletch headed or shot for victory.
I also said I would mention SuBo’s precise ‘laser-pass’ to Kieran down the right wing which almost ended in a goal. LOLZ.
1-0: Griffiths (bundled the ball through a diving SuBo after Brett’s squared pass)
2-0: Spence (rose like a salmon at the back post to smash home a header from Griffiths’ precision cross)
3-0: Luke (after a corner was only half-cleared, Luke found the time to smash in a long range shot from outside the area)
4-0: Spence (another counter-attacking move saw Luke play Spencer into space, and his hard punt was too much for SuBo to hold as it rolled over the line)
5-0: Neil (nice team move which culminated in a one-two between Phil and Neil on the edge of the box, with the latter side-footing a finish beyond SuBo’s flailing limbs)
5-1: Patto (a quick counter-attack from Crozier allowed Patto a long-range swerving shot that went through Griffiths’ legs)
HT
5-2: Griffin (a great team goal that ended with Crozier cutting into the box and setting up Griffin for a right-footed finish as he arrived late and unmarked into the box)
5-3: Griffin (after good work from Crozier and Kieran, Fletch produced a precise cross from the left that generated a classic El Ballo goal, bouncing into the far corner off the sprinting Griffin’s balls)
5-4: Patto (a high, quick clearance from Fletch fell over Patto’s right shoulder and was volleyed into the far corner from outside the area)
5-5: Fletch (took down Patto’s throw, held off his marker, and turned to smash home a left-footed volley from an improbable angle to level the game!)
Men of the Match were Fletch who “ran all game and scored a beauty to level the scores”, and Spence who “put away two clinical goals but also worked from box to box to link play.”
