Manchester United NZ played East Coast Bays today and what a game it was !
United were short again, but we played on anyhow, as we do. Nobby lent us his daughter Bianca and Colin (Chis) from ECB put on a red shirt as well. We lined up, Jan in goal, Bianca, Marc, Phil, Shaw at the back, Mike, Chis, Lee, Lance in the middle and Karl up front.
Right from the start it was a visual experience with United passing the ball around the field like pros, everyone getting in to space and the ball at the foot nearly every time.
Up and down the field we waltzed, but once again, when we broke the magpies defence we didn't finish, Karl was awesome up front, alone most of the time because of the numbers but playing out of his skin and Chis was a master in the mid-field, he really enjoys playing against his mates, as we saw once before, down the other field, and his quiet words were like Mike Hester from the days of old.
The game was on a knife edge the whole half and our defence was superb, Jan's mate Colin turned up mid way thru the first half and his touch and talk, inspired us even more and it was slightly devastating to let a goal in, a couple of minutes before the half time whistle, truly undeserved for the effort put in. Nevertheless the talk was all positive as we knew that we had played some brilliant football and had a real chance against the Bays.
Bianca defected to the Bays team and with her brother Gianni they played some wonderful football, on going talents and a slice of their old man for sure.
Into the second half and once again we moved up the field passing like Red gods and then we got the break with Colin and Chis combining for a right hand break and Chis scored a great goal. YEAH HAAAAA .... the black and whites were still playing well, but the red defence was excellent and the midfield combo of Lee, Colin and Chis was cooking and most of the attacking football was red, but again we couldn't finish. Then as the clock wore down and Nobby came back on, we faced numerous attacks and finally succumbed, from a Mark Massicks corner, the old hippy couldn't get high enough to defend it and Jenno headed it home. The heads dropped, the air left the lungs and the toil finally broke the Reds and a minute later Gianni broke thru, only to be checked by Marc for a free-kick, from which he scored brilliantly.
A great game and one all the players will remember ....
Thanks to ECB and special thanks to Bianca (Nobs daughter) and Colin (Chis) for helping us out and also thanks to all our guys that turned up. Thanks also to Amber and Raegen, and the others for the vocal support.
A great day and onwards to Norwest next week ...
