It was "STRIKERS' weather" yesterday, with heavy rain squalls in the morning and threatening clouds all day. By 5 o'clock it seemed to have lifted and on arrival at the Rainbow in its latest reincarnation as O'Leary's there was a lot of activity in the bar - mainly in the form of carpentry. Robert, the new owner, was on the footpath fiddling with some 4 by 2 rough dressed hardwood and said hello and took me to the back where a few were already gathered and preceded to dish out free beer! A good start to our relationship, I thought. Sad thing was that the previous owners he had caught emptying the supply of Kilkenny down the drain! In consequence he had only rescued enough for a few pints and had borrowed a keg of something vaguely resembling beer called "VB", I think. Very much your making love in a canoe experience.
By 6.30 there were 30 or so assembled and some new faces amongst them - good stuff, but no singing, probably because we were all a still down after those bastard penalties. I handed round the Glory programme and the supplement from the Perth paper which were greeted with exclamations of jealous amazement. Someone had a match programme for that night's game and there was a whole page, submitted by Craig, devoted to the Banana thing. Wonderful to have the STRIKERS actually encouraging real supporters instead of trying to supress them for once.
That warm feeling was cooled a little when, down at the ground at the turnstile, a security person warned me, without even inspecting my bag, that my rattle may be confiscated! Just as we entered, down came your driving rain and your howling wind from the Milton Road end. This required the 115 step climb (I know, I counted them) to the top tier. As someone remarked, up there it looks like Subbuteo down on the park. The first half got underway with South Melbourne attackin' the goal to our left, and with a gale behind them. the Banana Army was more or less assembled in one place and with a tin wall behind us and were soon in good voice with "We love you rattle!" an early improvisation. We had fallen amongst friends on this occasion and quite a few around us actually joined in, more and more as the game unfolded.
For forty or so minutes the game comprised a mid field struggle with the home side battling both South Melbourne and the elements. Despite this, the visitors only really caused two scares, both from free kicks by Lazonovski who was quite fetching in white plimsolls.
Just before half time, the rain having eased, the STRIKERS worked a great one two to allow Foster to slot in his usual goal for the game. We had not sat down before Pilic did equally well to make it 2 nil at the far post from yet another Meredith long cross. Those that nicked off to beat the rush to the bar or toilet missed both goals and it would be fair to describe the atmosphere in the stand as warm and encouraging.
It looked as if the wind had dropped, but that did not prevent the STRIKERS adding a second for Foster, then his third before just about the only balls up in the home defence all night lead to a reply from Curcija. However, Pilic soon added a fifth and it was contest over with, I'm sorry to have to report, South Melbourne becoming a little petulant ("Just because you're loosing!") towards the end. Nicky Meredith was again taken off injured, but I hope we eased his pain with a quite strong rendition of "The twelve days of Meridith".
Who played well for the STRIKERS? Virtually everyone - a solid team performance which has characterised what Kossie has done this season ("Are you watching Farina?"). IMHO Nicky Meredith still plays too many early long crosses, though the second goal did come from one. In fact, the third goal resulted from our actually getting behind the defence on the left for the only time in the match. Overall, nice goals, nice team effort and very encouraging.
Who played well for South Melbourne - well I can't honestly remember anyone who worried us all night, though Tsekinis was useful on the left when he came on late. The STRIKERS made them look very ordinary ("You're sh*te and you know you are!") and I doubt that Fergeie will be losing too much sleep in his bed in Tokyo tonight ("You'll never beat Man U!").
Despite the elements, four and half thousand fronted and I expect a big crowd for the Gippsland game in a couple of weeks. "Top of the league, top of the league, oh lay oh lay oh lay!!"