It's a beautiful, cool, clear morning here in Brisbane following a very humid and damp evening at the Corpse.
Things started badly with four of our normal group being otherwise engaged and the rest unwilling to attend the Irish Connection pre-match. There is an increasing number however turning up there and it may yet end up developing into a regular part of the football experience here in Brissie. The place had been done up in blue and yellow and there was a free pint of beer to be swapped for a match ticket after the game and they had a few prizes to give away including two footballs autographed by the STRIKERS. The players were to attend after the game too. So, good on them and good on the STRIKERS' Bonnie for her involvement in this. I didn't here anything over the PA at the game about it however.
To the game. I saw two things happen last night that I've never seen before in league game. Firstly Tall and Thin didn't take the field at kick-off time. His team, our team and the ref obviously hadn't noticed - they probably mistook one of the goal posts for him - and so the game started with us yelling "Chip the keeper!" After about a minute or so Tall and Thin, without the official's permission came running on. Was he cautioned for entering the field of play without the referree's permission? No. The ref simply blew up play and started all over again!! OK, rulesfolk, tell us what he should have done.
The second wierd thing occurred in the second half when Sydney had a corner. To everyone's amazement he simply pushed the ball a metre then played it again. Probably thought this was a cunning new variation that no-one had thought off before! So the STRIKERS were given an indirect free kick right at the corner post. At first I thought he wqs going to let them have a second go at that too.
We were all very worried about the absence of Gwynne (my player of the year by miles and well up to local Socceroo standard IMHO) and Zorro at the back and Brownie at the front. In the first half the STRIKERS were superior to United in all but one department and that was the universal problem of scoring. Despite considerable domination, they really only had a couple of attempts which were either feeble or straight at T and T. Eventually the visitors made a rare break and Bolton was spied off his line for Phillips (I think) to catch him out with a lovely lob just over his head and just under the bar. 0 - 1 at half time; but the STRIKERS were playing well and most felt we could still do it. BTW, the crowd in our area at least are becoming increasingly vocal with the Strike Squad behind and some very good lads in front. A lot of the evening they were giving a few checkered shirt wearers "If your proud to be an Aussie clap your hands" and "Stand up for Austalia". That aspect, at least is improved this season.
We were wrong. In the second half we more or less lost it. Especially Bolton, who inexplicably came rushing out when two defenders were between him and the ball carrier and was duely lobbed a second time. Very poor vision IMHO. So we were two down and one and a half could be blamed on dodgey keeping. Their third was basically due to the STRIKERS pushing forward and being cought undermanned at the back. The goal being a very well struck low drive from the edge of the box.
On a positive note, the STRIKERS, for a lot of the time, were worth watching for almost the first time this season and didn't deserve to lose 3 - 0. Sydney United were for the greater part of the evening ordinary; but they did score when given the chance. We made very few and squandered those we did make.
OHY demonstrated time and again that my nickname for him is very appropriate, and it's starting to catch on! He also wasted two of our best chances. An unchallanged drive from just outside the penalty area in the first half which actually missed by rather more than half a yard and a one on one (as they say nowadays) with T and T where he carried the ball about half a yard too far before meekly chipping it into grateful hands. He was about half a yard offside on several occasions. Towards the end, sad to relate, there was a sustained chant of "If you hate Andy Harper clap your hands" FF I still think is either carrying an injury or playing one season too many. He is no longer sharp, has lost that blistering first few metres and missed a couple of chances which last year he would have taken blindfold. Sad to see and I'm grieving every game as he was one of the few genuine class acts on view in Oz last season. Casey W had a good game - his vison in passing is great asset, and he caused a major scare when he was down for some time in the second half and was eventually subbed off. He even starts matches with a noticable limp. God knows how good he'd be on two legs!
So, we left the Corpes again somewhat down in spirits (and I couldn't be arsed going for my free pint - how did it go Crofty and ajm?) agreeing that we only got behind there defence about once and spent most of our attacking enegry pumping long balls from 30 degrees which tall defenders and goalkeepers lap up with ease. We have to get defenders facing their own goal to worry them, and we're not. Top six? Pull the other one Frank.
Crowd 4014 after a deluge of a storm less than an hour before kick-off and a threat of more throughout.
[NOTE : OHY = Old Half Yard or Andy Harper to you and I - Ed]