Match Reports
Metro 5 vs Logan City Game 2
Result (Official): KPR 6 Logan City Kings 0
Result (Actual): KPR 7 Logan City Kings 0
Date: Saturday 20/03/10
Kick Off: 12:00
Conditions: Overcast/windy
Disclaimer: Goals may not be in chronological order - I lost count
After the disappointment of seeing the first 2 outings of the season canned because of rain & fire ants respectively (only in Australia!), the Metty 5 boys were chomping at the bit to get a competitive game under their belt.
Notable absentees from previous seasons included Jon Whitehead (promoted to girls team head coach), Marty Forster (retired), Ian Gomez (ruptured ankle ligaments) & Marty JW (head hunted in the off season by the lucrative Moorooka futsal league). Despite these departures, a solid looking Rovers team took the field at midday, hoping to take advantage of the strong Wellington Road end wind in the first half and with plenty of ‘quality on the bench’.
The visitors looked confident before kickoff, and rightly so after posting a good win against a usually very competitive Eastern Suburbs outfit the previous week. However, an impressive KPR midfield quartet of Tommo Ishiguro, Neil Gibson, Niall Clancy and Stephen Kerr, with Tom Beattie playing just in behind, quickly laid claim to the middle of the park, linking defence and attack with skill and composure and laying down a marker for what was to come.
The Rovers endeavour paid dividends on the 15 minute mark, with Danny producing a close range but nonetheless clinical finish after patient build up play out of defence. 1-0 KPR.
An inspired substitution by coach Graham Cameron saw the Rovers double their lead shortly afterwards, with the fastest real estate agent in Brisbane, Brent Compton, losing his marker at the back post to get on the end of an inch perfect Pete Poli cross and confidently head home. 2-0 KPR.
It wasn’t all one way traffic, with the visitors pressing hard to get on the board and creating some decent half chances. But the Rovers defensive unit, although stretched at times, worked tirelessly and combined well to nullify the threat. The home side had an opportunity to extend their lead when coach Cameron subbed himself on and was immediately dragged down in the box, but the resulting penalty was well saved by the Logan City keeper diving low to his left.
Fortunately, the crowd (does 9 people count as a crowd?) didn't have to wait long for a third with Marcus Chamo chiming in with an early contender for goal of the season. A long ball from the back dropped over his shoulder on the run and without breaking stride, from a good 25 yards out he let rip with a thunderous, dipping volley on his supposedly weaker left foot, which somehow found the gap between the keepers grasping finger tips and the bottom of the cross bar. Absolute screamer!! 3-0 KPR.
The second half started much like the first, with Danny producing another composed finish from inside the area, placing the ball in the bottom corner with slide rule precision after more good build up play. 4-0 KPR.
KPR were threatening to run riot now! When the ball fell nicely to Tommo just outside the Logan penalty area, he still looked to have it all to do, with a crowd of players between him and the goal. Temporarily blinding the opposition with his new yellow boots, he threaded the needle with the sweetest half volley you’re ever likely to see. 5-0 KPR.
The Logan City keeper was starting to lose his rag as the goals rained in from all angles and he looked to be in more trouble than the Zimbabwean dollar mid way through the second half after having a bit too much to say to the referee. Fortunately the card was yellow but his relief was short lived as Niall Clancy took advantage of a scramble in the 6 yard box to poke home number 6.
Credit where credit’s due, the visitors never dropped their heads and continued to attack the KPR goal at every opportunity, but a new look back three of Ritchie M, Chris Oliver and Pete Poli were first to everything and strong in the tackle, and Grant Preston was solid as always between the sticks. The Kings had their best opportunity when the referee blew up for a dubious hand ball on the edge of the Rovers penalty area, but the free kick disappeared high over the bar towards the Piney and a deserved clean sheet was maintained.
Neil Gibson completed the route late on, picking up the ball a fair way out on the left and giving the keeper no chance with a composed and technically brilliant finish into the far right hand side of the goal. 7-0 KPR.
If you’re still reading this – it could have easily been double figures with several simple chances going begging. In the end it was 7, although the referee somehow managed to miss Danny’s second so officially the score will go down as 6-0 (if the Rovers miss out on finals footy by 1 goal, there might just be a stewards enquiry!?). Overall, a complete squad performance by KPR with stand outs all over the pitch. Some smart substitutions by player coaches Cameron and Chris Rojek kept the pressure on throughout and the win was rightly celebrated with a belting rendition of the Piney song in the home change rooms. The only question now is….how do you pick a 321 after that??
