Match Reports
Metro 5 Redlands United v KPR 07/05/10
Result: Redlands United 3 KPR 4
Date: Friday 07/05/10
Kick Off: 20:30
Conditions: Brass Monkeys
KPR headed out bayside late on a chilly Friday evening looking to post back to back wins for the first time this season, after thumping an under-strength Brisbane Wolves outfit 7-0 the previous weekend. The opposition this time around were far more formidable however, having comfortably won every home game to date. The visitors were backing up from a midweek Veto cup game played only 48 hours earlier. Quick fire match report as follows:
Rochedale Rovers under 21's v KPR - Wednesday 05/05/10. KPR rocked up, forgot the kit, water bottles & only had 1 flat ball. Borrowed a spare kit from the Rochedale 'kit room'' and spent $40 on bottled water. Rochedale pitch was immaculate with more advertising signs than Wembley! Rochedale won the first half 2-0 despite KPR playing some great football. KPR switched from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 in the second half and fell apart, eventually losing something like 7-0 (give or take).
The body language was spot on from KPR in the warm up and they attempted to stamp their authority on proceedings early on by winning the toss and electing to change ends, moving the home side out of their favoured half, and hopefully their comfort zone.
The play was end to end for the first 15, until Danny Zumaeta took full advantage of some good build up play by the visitors. Finding himself one on one in front of goal, he showed great awareness and composure by first committing the Redlands keeper, before cooly chipping him to make it 1-0 KPR.
Redlands hit back immediately. A hopeful long ball brought keeper Grant Preston racing off his line, but he unwittingly stepped a yard outside his area and was unable to gather the ball legally as it sailed over his head. The Redlands striker managed to steal a march on the KPR defence and slot away an easy tap in to level the scores at one apiece.
Niall Clancy was the architect of KPR's second, after being scythed down in the penalty area whilst in full flow. It looked like the referee was trying to make up a new rule and award a free kick in the box, until the linesman intervened and the spot kick was correctly awarded.
Tommo Ishiguro placed the ball on the spot, and demonstrated his own version of Bruce Lee's famous one inch punch, nonchalantly slotting home with a one step run up.
KPR's third came courtesy of a comedy of errors from the home side. The ball was slotted through for Paidraig to chase, but there was a little too much weight on it and it looked to be heading towards relative safety. The Redlands centre back shepherded the ball back towards the keeper in slow motion, but a serious lack of communication allowed Paidraig to nip in between them and slot home from 3 yards.
The first goal of the second half was going to be crucial and KPR managed to prevail, against the run of play, to make it 4-1. Fitz showed great determination out wide, persisting where others might have given up. He forced the mistake out of the home defence before unselfishly pulling the ball back for Danny to convert his second of the game.
Redlands had been skating on thin ice all evening with their overly aggressive tactics and eventually there had to be some consequences, with one of their midfielders being dismissed late on for a second bookable offence. Not satisfied with merely being sent off, he decided to throw in a bit of racial hostility for good measure, calling the referee an Asian c**t as he trudged off (apparently he got a 4 match ban).
Strangely, losing a player seemed to galvanise the home side, and KPR soon found themselves in more trouble than a midget in a mosh pit after conceding back to back goals in the dying minutes of the game. Fortunately, they managed to dig deep and hold on to post a great win which saw them jump up to fourth in the table (that's ladder in Australian!).
