It has been a long, hard off season for the STRIKERS and the BSSA. In a way the anguish and intense activity have bonded us and caused the time to pass very quickly so that the night of the first game this season was upon us almost too soon.
Brisbane is in the grip of a very severe dry spell and I had expected our first home game would probably break the drought. Indeed, there had been a threat of rain over the last couple of days. Thor, though absent was kind and it was warm and humid evening.
As the day progressed I began to be gripped by that so familiar childish feeling of nervous anticipation which always make me glad I have never fully turned into a grown up, and Jim and I arrived at the usual spot to find a couple of other cars present and very few punters outside the ground. We helped distribute the Free Kick from under the grand stand and were amazed to hand out the full 3000 copies printed. Even more astounding was the sight of very extensive queues held up outside the turnstiles at kick off time. Would the start be delayed? Yes, Iım delighted to report, good sense prevailed and it was!
Out came the teams (the STRIKERS in an all white strip, the home oneıs production being delayed due to late sponsorship negotiations) and the packed stand was treated to a very quiet version of the inappropriately played National Anthem and we were away 12 minutes late. All over the park there were STRIKERS players I didnıt recognize either because they were new or disguised by the unfamiliar strip. Itıs strange that players often look so different in a change of strip. It became immediately apparent that the team had changed not only in personnel and kit, but in attitude as well. They all looked so young in their virginal white, but from the start you could see they were thinking. Doing the right thing with the ball. Holding when it was proper to do so. Heads up. Supporting and running all night. We got behind the defense and pulled the ball back more often last night than in the last two seasons and in all of the Cranny years. The result was plenty of worry in the NOT Auckland Kingz's defense.
We should have had a couple early on, with Fernando missing a free header from close. Quite soon he made up for it by using his strength in a scramble close in and poking it home. The stress and anxiety that had built up during the restructuring fiasco, the indignation we had felt at being written off by the tossers from the South, the concern that we may not cut the mustard were all released in fantastic outpouring of emotion on the terraces. Almost like when we scored the second against Iran, We could and did sing ³Top of the league² and ³Weıre going to win the league² and I was so glad Iıd put on $10 at the TAB at odds of 71 to 1 that afternoon. We continued to play very well and most of the time the Kingz actually looked outclassed, and by half time it could have been 3 nil.
The second half started in much the same way with Trajanovski one on one with the keeper twice, but unable to do it. We did not tighten the vise and we paid for it. A long cross ball to the right wing found an unmarked player (sorry donıt know who) who must have been on side by millimeters. Kearton, who really looked the goods all night, advanced and the ball rolled agonizingly over the line with our covering defender half a second too late to prevent it doing so. To its credit the crowd immediately got behind the home side and to their credit, the lads responded, attacking with great flair, especially after young Drake came on. The Kingz keeper became very flustered, dropped an easy cross (and got away with it), hoofed an easy clearance for a corner and finally punched Fernado and escaped with a yellow card. Fernado was shown one too for objecting to being jobbed. God knows how the assistant ref on the far side missed the initial offense. To add insult to injury, Rech was obliged to go off for quite a long period because of the blood the punch had spilled. This livened the game up even more and during that ten man period, our ovine chums pressured us. I was so impressed with the commitment of the STRIKERSı players. They really did step up a gear and eventually we were rewarded by classic goal resulting from that ingredient whose absence I have bemoaned for years the cut back. From the right, Drake turned the defence and chaos reigned in the Kingz box before the ball was blasted into the net by Fossie with not long to do. Cue possibly greater pandemonium in the stand. Justice had been done and we then had to endure a great deal of injury time (Jim reckoned the second half we 55 minutes) and a free kick just outside our box before the whistle brought to an end a great game of football and perhaps the start of a real revival up here in every way. You could see the team really were affected by the win and interacted with the supporters with genuine feelings at the end. Very promising.
The crowd was announced as a ground record for the STRIKERS of 3,800. I donıt know the capacity of the stand, but I do know that 3000 Free Kicks was handed out and if one in three took one it would be an over estimate. Perhaps we were dazzled by the night, perhaps the number was miscounted, perhaps there may be some other explanation, but the crowd was both big and noisy.
On the way out a bloke waking alone asked me a very strange question. ³Was that a good game?² I said, ³What did you think? Why do you ask?² He said heıd never been to a soccer match before, usually followed Oz Rules, had come just for solidarity for the Brisbane team, had had a great night, had bought himself a season ticket on the strength of it and would definitely be back! Oh, if only there are a few more like him. If the latest version of Kossie's Kids keep this up there will be.
Our big problem now, as a result of the Cosmos cock up, is no home game for a month again. Weıre dead unlucky, because one of the contributing factors to our problems last season was the lack of home games early in the season. Couldnıt be helped this time, but keeping the momentum up could be a difficult.