Match Reports

Metro 5 KPR v Eastern Suburbs 16/05/10

Result: KPR 1 Eastern Suburbs 5

Date: Sunday 16/05/10

Kick Off: 15:00

Conditions: The Twilight Zone…

I’ll keep this mercifully brief for obvious reasons. Chief among them being that it’s probably best not to dwell on getting hammered 5-1 at home (albeit by the league leaders). But more significantly, I’m running out of different ways to describe 22 blokes chasing a ball around a field.

KPR were buoyant after a good win away to Redlands in the previous round. However, Easts had been smashing teams left, right & centre in the lead up to this game, and big talking, loud clapping coach Graham Cameron was on the turps down in Melbourne, so a home win was always going to be a big ask.  

There was not much between the teams in the opening 25 minutes, with KPR very nearly drawing first blood when Fitz drifted in behind the defence to head home, only to be foiled by the linesmans flag. In fact, the only real blood that was drawn all afternoon from a KPR perspective came from keeper Grant Preston, who charged out to collect a cross and got a stray tooth embedded in his forehead for his troubles!

Easts were steadily building the pressure as the half went on, and 3 sloppy mistakes from KPR gifted the visitors 3 quick fire goals, including 2 in 2 minutes.

The least said about the second half the better. KPR actually made it 3-1 on 55 minutes when Danny Zumaeta converted a quality Tommo Ishiguro cross from the left. And Niall Clancy very nearly clawed another one back, with a curling, dipping free kick from distance which left the cross bar shaking like a shitting dog. However, the momentum swing was short lived as Easts poured forward in numbers, taking full advantage of a tiring midfield and a courageous but kamikaze 3-5-2 formation to pile on the misery…and a couple more goals.

In summary, KPR were in more trouble than a Sumo Wrestler on a tightrope for the majority of the game and were taught a lesson by a very good Eastern Suburbs outfit. There are rumours and allegations floating around on various forums about Easts stacking their side with ringers from higher divisions, but this isn’t a new phenomenon in the Metro league, and KPR did themselves no favours whatsoever with a lacklustre performance and a fair slice of tactical naivety. There’s no shame in taking a defensive approach against the top teams and walking away with a point, as opposed to going out all guns blazing and getting walloped.

To finish on a positive note, Franky ‘Guus Hiddink’ Lopez is back in the fold after spending 6 months in the UK coaching Southampton FC in the Diet Fanta Championship (or whatever it’s called these days). Welcome back mate!