This was it, the big game of the season was upon us and a test to see what we were really made of. We were playing J Leaguers the only undefeated team like ourselves in the league.

Taking 2 more players than normal we started with the following formation:

D: Stef & Oz

M: Joe, Jens & Nick

S: Bruno
With more subs than usual the plan was to run hard and make regular subs especially on a larger pitch. The game was played at a quicker pace than normal and it was a tight first half.

We confined them to shooting from out far but their diagonal balls sometimes looked dangerous and with it poised on a knife edge they could of taken the lead as could we at any point.

 

They never really tested our keeper to much in the first half and we had a hat full of chances ourselves with Nick one on one with the keeper, Forlan putting a header over the bar, Joe going close as well as another of close shaves.

 

0-0at half time we kept making subs every 12 mins with everyone playing their part.

 

The second half we started to get on top of them with Bruno switching to the wing and Forlan going up front and the pair of them looked very dangerous as the game went on. Our Defence of Rob, Stef, Oz, Bertie and Rossy were all playing well tracking back and keeping a man at the back. As Bruno started to push further up the game opened up more with Forlan getting a few more chances only for it not quiet to go his way. Bruno started to really test the keeper with some powerful low shots. The defining moment came when Forlan and Bruno combined together with a couple of one twos and then Forlan passing to Bruno to put it past their keeper with 12 mins to go to go up 1-0.

 

This was the goal we needed and the bench was ecstatic. We had been on them for a while and it was just reward for Bruno and Forlan who had been close throughout the game.

 

The game was wide open now and Nick W was doing a lot of running in the midfield with Joe, Jens and the defence all covering as Bruno and Forlan stayed up front dragging the game open which suited our game. 

 

Eventually we ended up taking the win 1-0 and a hard fought victory in the end it proved to be. J leaguers were a tough team to play and it was good for us to raise our game, they didn’t really have many great shots and a lot of their passes were a bit astray but they were fit, quick and hard to break down but eventually we got there and it’s all credit to the players who ran tirelessly throughout the game.

 

Collectively every player deserved the man of the match award as together we played well with the defence keeping the ball well and passing it around through to the midfield who ran all game and the strikers who did their part in securing the all-important goal for us.