It had been a somewhat down beat week for me after the fairly hectic efforts before the last home game only to lose, then the loss away to Marconi midweek. It had also been bloody well raining again, but had cleared into a very pleasant Brisbane evening by about 5 o'clock. So it was that I approached O'Leary's definitely in "neutral", but was soon cheered to see a few familiar faces and a couple of new ones, including young Josh with another inflatable banana - they are proliferating slowly now. A couple of Boddies and things began to look up. It was good, too, to see that the club had supplied some match programmes to the pub and I think, once this becomes known better, it will be a handy facility as there often seems insufficient time at the ground to have a read.
The grandstand looked ominously empty on the walk down Caxton Street (shame you get such a good view from there) and the queue at the gate was as small as I remember seeing at a STRIKERS' game. The club had taken up a suggestion we had made (as well as the programmes at the pub) and had labelled seats in "our" area "Singing and standing area - you have been warned!". Nice touch, and I think it worked, because throughout the game I didn't hear one word of dissent from the cardboard people who normally come in silent vigil near there. There was some inventiveness in the songs and chants and I thought the participation and atmosphere was possibly the best this season, at least in our confined area.
Of course Kingz are an easy target for ovine references and included were variations on old favourites such as "Can we play ewe every week?", "Same old Aukland, always bleating", "Give me a B. Give me an A. Give me an A.......", "What's it like to ram a lamb?", "Its a long way back to Aukland" ending in "There's a sheep waiting for you" and, naturally enough, the good old "SSB". Off the sheepy topic "You're name is Kingz, but you play like queens" raised a laugh. Finally we ended up with "Are you sick of ovine songs?". All jolly amusing, but it's easy to sing when you're winning.
The game started with the STRIKERS much more obviously "up for it" than they have seemed in the last few matches, and the Red Baron headed in a free kick from very early in the game and we had the opposition chasing us for a change. Before half time it was 2-0 and we deserved it. First to the ball, some serious work in the midfield and getting nice and wide in attack too. Kossie had Battiston as central defender and his height made the move very successful. Perhaps Kingz are not that penetrative, but we seemed to handle everything they offered quite comfortably. At half time it looked like we had the game by the short and curlies.
So it was for the first twenty minutes of the second half, with the STRIKERS attacking in waves and missing a couple of very good chances before Chay Hews hit a screamer from outside the box into the top left corner. Must be contender for STRIKERS goal of the season that one.
The Kingz solitary reply came from a deflected cross to an unmarked whether at the far post, and he nodded it in. This occurred towards the end and did lift us out of a brief trough and we created two more good chances before both sides had to leave us.
Good performance and a win without our top scorer. There's hope yet brother!