I went along to this game hoping that it would prove that Marconi's lukewarm performance I witnessed against Brisbane was but a momentary abberation.
Unfortunately, little I witnessed last night suggested this was the case.
Frank Farina, certainly doesn't need my advice.....but I'm gonna give it to him anyway.....GET SEAN BABIC ON FROM THE START!
If ever a team needed his *zip* its this one, as honestly no matter how much Francis flaps around, and with Kris Trajanovski continuing to look as he is suffering from a complete lack of confidence around goal..goals will be hard to come by.
As Stuart Jones has said in his match report, the game was pretty bland, but hey, we love taking the points off our closest rivals!
Velemir Kupresak, whom I have admired for a long time, will remember this game for.... a long time.
A presentation (why do they give big, hard, tough tackling stoppers flowers before the game?) then first a yellow, and finally a red card in his 200th game.
An excellent save from him too, Andrew Crews must be worried about his spot on the strength of Kupresak's instinctive save.
Kim took the penalty, and did a wee "shimmie" as he ran up to score - must admit I thought such a thing was declared illegal a few years ago, but others suggested that as long as his foot didn't go above the ball or some such thing it was ok.
Perhaps he was just doing some kind of Korean celebratory dance in advance.
The goal stood, Kupresak walked, and I yelled.
I coul ddo little other than yell and it was the first Marconi goal that I can remember which I didn't celebrate in time honoured fashion of jumping about like an 8 year old, as at that poiont I was making my way back from the beer shop and was clutching 3 plastic foaming cups...one of which was for GKW who had by this time, been reported missing in the male toilets.
He eventually re-appeared after I had no option but to drink his brew to prevent it going off, and just in time to see one of the best goals I have seen at any fitba park anywhere in the world, never mind just Bossley Park.
Brad Maloney's first time sideway scissors kick from just inside the box cannoned off the goalkeeper's right hand post and rocketed into the net.
I only hope that this goal will appear on free to air telly, and indeed if ever SocOZ get around to making an advert for the game, then this goal is a must to appear on it....pure dead brilliant, as they say.
Other points:
1 Marconi Stadium is looking better and better these days, with the new stand certainly enhancing its appearance last night.
2 The programme (38 pages, free) is also excellent, and credit to Mr Musso here.
3 The Stallionettes (28 plus horse) were also in fine form and added colour.
4 Security guards ejected about a dozen Sydney United fans after some fireworks went off...and they went quietly too, unlike the fireworks.
5 I called on security to throw out a wee erse who was firing paper pellets at the players in the goal mouth via an elastic band....he was only about 13 but a paper pellet in the eye can do nasty damage...anyway Security didn't hear me, but he desisted after I spoke nicely to him..
6 And finally, Big Francis never fell on the ground until the 21st minute....is this a record?