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By BestieG
BEFC 3 - Shane 0
New Era?
A new-look team, three goalkeepers, new management, a new league
and, bizarrely even, a new name, although high hopes for 2004 were
hacked down a mere five seconds into the new season when a hopeless
punt downfield shortly after the kick off needlessly gave away possession.
You can stick your new era up your arse.
The first game of the new campaign saw us open our Metropolis adventure
on a wintry January night on the plains of the once-plastic, now-concrete
Oifuto with a match against the Western drama about a family living
out west, or Shane.
Five kilos heavier after some hearty mochi munching in Hiroshima
over the festivities, Kenji had brought back with him a new pragmatism
regarding the warm-up, opting to spend the whole of the warm-up
outside the ground practicing how to look for lost balls.
Both teams struggled to cope in frosty conditions with a chalk
storm also reducing visibility to 20 feet - at least that is the
excuse Ifm sticking to for not completing one pass in the
whole of the first half.
And although Shane had started off the brighter, it was BEFC who
made the early breakthrough against the run of play when Mitchi
gorged on a Bacon corner, fed Sami, who made no mistake from close
range.
Familiar defensive mishaps came back to haunt us again midway through
the period although Shane failed to capitalize. Giles, who got the
nod between the sticks ahead of the right midfield and substitute
right-back, came dashing out to duck under the bouncing ball, but
another bounce, or perhaps the gale blowing in from Siberia, saved
the day.
Left Back Down
Starting the game with no less than three to choose from at left-back,
we were lucky to have one man standing by the end.
After injuring a rib taking a throw-in, Captain Marbels was replaced
by long-time rival Sprightly, who lasted ten minutes (including
six during the half-time break) before his hip popped out when he
tried to kick the ball a bit too hard.
Donald's final contribution (ever?) was not all in vain, however.
His cross field thump wrong-footed the Shane defence and an alert
Biffa was on hand to run in and skillfully, erm, tit it in.
Sendo-san stepped into the hot seat and although managing to avoid
injuries of the bizarre nature to which his predecessors had succumbed,
was later heard to be complaining of chronic ear-ache. This part-time
observer, however, has yet to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Mitchi moved up to midfield in the second half and with Shane starting
to tire, BEFC extended the lead to bag all three points. Biffa was
once again involved, a delicate chip over the back with Tetsuro
made sure of the victory with an emphatic finish.
And after that, it was simply a matter of trying to keep warm for
the last 20 minutes.
Bifta award
Biffa sweeps the MOM stakes, having either a hand or a chest in
all three goals.
Credits - (Giles, Simon, Vern, Mitchi, Donald, Keith, Tim,
Kenji, Bifta, Tetsuro, Sami, Mohammed, Sendo)
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