Match Report: Loko v South Auckland Rangers

Sunday 22nd October 2006
Barnesalona League

Lokomotiv Londres FC 3 v South Auckland Rangers 1

"I’d buy that for Addala":
BA’s Bullet sparks Battling Turnaround

Just another Sunday afternoon down on Barnes Common - or was it? Loko set down a marker as their good early season form was turned into a fine 3-1 win over South Auckland Rangers, after trailing 1-0 at the break.

A brimming squad turned out at Barnes Common, giving manager Jules some selection problems. He opted, as far as was possible, for an unchanged line-up, after the team had impressed against a vastly improved Groovers eleven the previous week. Ismail replaced the sidelined Rohan at centre-half, and Paul Kelly made way for new club ambassador Ivan.

After heavy rain the pitch was a bit of a mess, with divots and bobbles hampering the passing of both teams, and preventing Loko from getting their passing going. Auckland took an early lead, as hesitancy in the Loko defence saw the Kiwi forward pounce to steer home across the goal past Jules.

Interestingly heads didn’t go down - which was a break with tradition – and Loko battled back into the match. Roger was doing a fantastic job of holding up the ball, but Loko’s midfield were regularly too slow and too far from him to benefit. However they did manage to work a number of decent half-chances; sadly none of them dropped kindly and the match began to have the same frustrating feel as the Madras game.

Auckland, for all their trickery on the wings, rarely looked like doubling their lead - although they did come within a whisker of doing so on one occasion, as the big man struck a fine shot from thirty yards that glanced off the crossbar. The Loko boys went into the break feeling that a similar stroke of luck at the other end might provide the break they deserved.

Half-Time Loko 0 v South Auckland Rangers 1

Jules rang the changes at the interval, bringing on Paul for Ivan and Stefan for James. The second half took up where it had left off, with a fairly even contest and very few chances.

The match had had a hard edge to it throughout, with flash points and handbags in both halves, but eventually (and this reporter almost cannot believe it!) it emerged that the Loko players had the greater reserves of energy, as Dave Lineker and Peggy took the midfield battle by the scruff off the neck. Simultaneously Roger and Stefan began to find themselves with more space to exploit, and they wore down the Kiwi back line as they stretched it one way and then the other.

The breakthrough arrived on the hour mark. Roger beat the Kiwi left back down the channel, turned inside and pulled the ball back to Adrian (pictured top), who was arriving late in the box. It was a simple, well-struck finish into the bottom corner, but it was a real weight off the Railwaymaintenanceworkers’ shoulders.

Five minutes later Loko took the lead. As the ball was swung into the box the Auckland keeper could only knock it to Mark (pictured left), who had replaced Lineker. The injury-plagued striker showed that he hasn’t lost his poacher’s instinct as he chested the ball back over the keeper and into the net.

Loko were left with almost half an hour to defend a one goal lead – exactly the same situation, against the same opponents, as the first game of the season. Auckland bundled forward, but despite several corners and free kicks they failed to come any closer than some snatched efforts from outside the box. Hearts were in mouths at one point when the ball bounced up in the box and struck Ismail’s hand, but the ref correctly adjudged it as unintentional and waved play on.

Instead of a late equaliser, this time the fixture saw Loko score a fantastic goal on the counter to kill the game off. After another Kiwi attack had broken down, Roger received the ball just outside his own box. He dribbled across the halfway line and played it wide to Stefan, who had dropped to right wing. The happy hammer held it up for a second to allow Roger to make his run, before slipping the return into the box to put Roger (pictured below) clean through on goal. The big man hungrily accepted the chance put on a plate for him, and coolly slotted the ball into his favourite bottom corner, sending the crowd wild.

The Auckland players seemed crushed after this, and the match ended shortly afterwards. The Loko players were rightly proud of this victory and went out to the social at Barnes Rugby Club in high spirits; nearly everyone came along and it was good to see the lads together after a game. The hope for Julian is that the team can take their form into the re-match against Madras and take another step up the table. Fourth place is excellent but it is common knowledge that all the boys are unhappy with the two league defeats they have suffered to date, and that is a good attitude to have for the remainder of the season.

Final Score Loko 3 v South Auckland Rangers 1

Team Line Up
1. Julian
2. Nick
3. Ivan
4. Ismail
5. Pete
6. Dave W
7. Adrian
8. Dale
9. James
10. Roger (c)
11. Stephen
12. Paul (Replaced Ivan 45th Minute)
13. Stefan (Replaced James 45th Minute)
14. Mark (Replaced Dave W 60th Minute)

Goals
Adrian (1)
55th Minute - Roger was played in down the right channel by Dale, he got to the byline and pulled it back for the onrushing Adrian to sidefoot the ball home.
Mark (1)
75th Minute - A long ball in by Adrian was only parried by the keeper and the ball rebounded off Marks chest into the back of the net.
Roger (1)
85th Minute - A lovely one two on the edge of the area between Roger and Stefan enabled Roger to run through and guide the ball past the keeper into the bottom corner of the net.

Other League Results
Barnes FC 2 v Celtic 3
Hendrix FC 2 v Real Madras FC 2
Uncle Bob's FC 2 v Ladbroke Groovers 0 (Forfeited Game)
West Ken Kings 0 v Cosmopolitan FC 0

Match Report provided by Rohan Tesh.