Sunday 22nd January 2012
Sportsman's League, Division 4
Lokomotiv Londres FC 2 v Pacific Sporting Jubilee 4
Dire Loko lose niggly encounter
After a good performance the week before, Lokomotiv were looking forward to a good win against a team that we beat soundly back in November and who are currently propping up Division 4.
Looking around the pitch though, it was obvious that our opponents had beefed up their defence and recruited new attacking players since last year’s demolition.
Loko were very poor right from the start. Our 5-3-2 formation was not really working as Jubilee were flooding the midfield, our passes from the back didn’t get anywhere and our attacks were few and far between. Jubilee were becoming more and more menacing, especially on their right wing and it was all hands on deck trying to avert the nimble-footed Jubilee forwards.
Luckily, a freak goal broke the deadlock. On 21 minutes, TERRY, who has been covering in goal for the past two games, accomplished what he enjoys the most – scoring goals. This was a long-shot, namely a free kick from just outside his box, 80 yards out. No doubt, the strong wind helped but his shot flew over the Jubilee defence, bounced in the box and crashed to the right of their motionless goalkeeper.
Lokomotiv 1 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 0
This beauty was, unfortunately, followed by an unnecessary incident. As Loko were under the cosh, Chris urged Morris to stop giving silly free kicks away and told him in no uncertain terms that he’d take him off at half time if he continued doing so. Our fiery tempered Irishman saw red, responded that he might as well take him off now and just walked off the pitch to everybody’s surprise and new boy James’s likely delight at a Loko start earlier than originally scheduled.
A few timid Loko attacks saw us threaten their defence with in particular a Dave K header that flew just over the bar from a corner by Dave F but the two teams were now neutralising each other.
Half time: Lokomotiv 1 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 0
The second half saw Loko take to the field with a reshuffled backline and a more adventurous 4-4-2. Again, Loko were not being the most fluent to the evident frustration of Imants who was kicking his heels whilst waiting for a decent pass on the halfway line. For a short while and despite the very strong wind, Loko did manage to develop a few convincing attacks but did not manage to capitalise on Jubilee’s weak goalie.
However, it looked like it was going to be Loko’s lucky day after all. On 53 minutes, Imants and James exchanged a short and sweet one-two on the halfway line followed by Imants's deep pass that carved open the Jubilee defence. JAMES outpaced and rounded the sluggish defence, scarpered down the right wing and drilled his shot low to the right of the keeper from the edge of the box and into the net.
Lokomotiv 2 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 0
The feeling across the park was that Loko didn’t really deserve to be in the lead because Jubilee’s play belied their low league position. Shortly after the goal, Chris (pictured) was involved in argy bargy with their Caribbean forward in scenes that belonged more in a wrestling match or rugby field than on a football pitch. Chris complained to the ref and so did their forward and they both got yellow-carded. The ref was arguably spending too much time talking his decisions through as opposed to trying to keep the situation under control and ensuring the game could go on. Following yet another foul, though, he did warn Chris that this was going to be his final warning. Ivan did also try to restrain Chris but things never really calmed down.
Shortly after that, Jubilee reduced the deficit from a free-kick from the right side of our defence that saw the Jubilee manager score an unlikely goal from 2 yards out.
To Loko’s utter astonishment, this was followed by an ominous, well taken equaliser. Then, Jubilee scored twice in quick succession. With less than 10 minutes to go in this unfolding nightmare, Loko found themselves down to 10 and in total disarray when Chris fouled their centre forward on the left side of our defence and the ref followed up on his threat and, as expected, red carded our manager.
Final score: Lokomotiv 2 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 4
Club Secretary Ivan Rahal said: “A very poor performance all around. Away from the technical side though, I feel that we were the architects of our own downfall. With the score flattering us, we got a bit too cocky and didn’t give Jubilee the respect they deserved. We lost our concentration trying to bully them and being drawn into silly arguments instead of focusing on our game and containing them. Let’s focus on winning games with our heads and our feet, not our fists.”
Man of the Match: Special mention to new boy James, who fitted well into the team, showed great speed and levels of fitness and crowned it all with a well taken, opportunistic goal. M.O.M though goes to TERRY, who scored the goal of the season so far, was vocal and supportive in goal and was never at fault on Jubilee’s goals.
Line-up:
Terry
Morris (then James, 29 mins)
Steve
Marcel
Chris
Steve
Dave J
Dave F
Alejandro
Dave K (then Serik, 59 mns)
Imants
After a good performance the week before, Lokomotiv were looking forward to a good win against a team that we beat soundly back in November and who are currently propping up Division 4.
Looking around the pitch though, it was obvious that our opponents had beefed up their defence and recruited new attacking players since last year’s demolition.
Loko were very poor right from the start. Our 5-3-2 formation was not really working as Jubilee were flooding the midfield, our passes from the back didn’t get anywhere and our attacks were few and far between. Jubilee were becoming more and more menacing, especially on their right wing and it was all hands on deck trying to avert the nimble-footed Jubilee forwards.
Luckily, a freak goal broke the deadlock. On 21 minutes, TERRY, who has been covering in goal for the past two games, accomplished what he enjoys the most – scoring goals. This was a long-shot, namely a free kick from just outside his box, 80 yards out. No doubt, the strong wind helped but his shot flew over the Jubilee defence, bounced in the box and crashed to the right of their motionless goalkeeper.
Lokomotiv 1 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 0
This beauty was, unfortunately, followed by an unnecessary incident. As Loko were under the cosh, Chris urged Morris to stop giving silly free kicks away and told him in no uncertain terms that he’d take him off at half time if he continued doing so. Our fiery tempered Irishman saw red, responded that he might as well take him off now and just walked off the pitch to everybody’s surprise and new boy James’s likely delight at a Loko start earlier than originally scheduled.
A few timid Loko attacks saw us threaten their defence with in particular a Dave K header that flew just over the bar from a corner by Dave F but the two teams were now neutralising each other.
Half time: Lokomotiv 1 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 0
The second half saw Loko take to the field with a reshuffled backline and a more adventurous 4-4-2. Again, Loko were not being the most fluent to the evident frustration of Imants who was kicking his heels whilst waiting for a decent pass on the halfway line. For a short while and despite the very strong wind, Loko did manage to develop a few convincing attacks but did not manage to capitalise on Jubilee’s weak goalie.
However, it looked like it was going to be Loko’s lucky day after all. On 53 minutes, Imants and James exchanged a short and sweet one-two on the halfway line followed by Imants's deep pass that carved open the Jubilee defence. JAMES outpaced and rounded the sluggish defence, scarpered down the right wing and drilled his shot low to the right of the keeper from the edge of the box and into the net.
Lokomotiv 2 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 0
The feeling across the park was that Loko didn’t really deserve to be in the lead because Jubilee’s play belied their low league position. Shortly after the goal, Chris (pictured) was involved in argy bargy with their Caribbean forward in scenes that belonged more in a wrestling match or rugby field than on a football pitch. Chris complained to the ref and so did their forward and they both got yellow-carded. The ref was arguably spending too much time talking his decisions through as opposed to trying to keep the situation under control and ensuring the game could go on. Following yet another foul, though, he did warn Chris that this was going to be his final warning. Ivan did also try to restrain Chris but things never really calmed down.
Shortly after that, Jubilee reduced the deficit from a free-kick from the right side of our defence that saw the Jubilee manager score an unlikely goal from 2 yards out.
To Loko’s utter astonishment, this was followed by an ominous, well taken equaliser. Then, Jubilee scored twice in quick succession. With less than 10 minutes to go in this unfolding nightmare, Loko found themselves down to 10 and in total disarray when Chris fouled their centre forward on the left side of our defence and the ref followed up on his threat and, as expected, red carded our manager.
Final score: Lokomotiv 2 Pacific Sporting Jubilee 4
Club Secretary Ivan Rahal said: “A very poor performance all around. Away from the technical side though, I feel that we were the architects of our own downfall. With the score flattering us, we got a bit too cocky and didn’t give Jubilee the respect they deserved. We lost our concentration trying to bully them and being drawn into silly arguments instead of focusing on our game and containing them. Let’s focus on winning games with our heads and our feet, not our fists.”
Man of the Match: Special mention to new boy James, who fitted well into the team, showed great speed and levels of fitness and crowned it all with a well taken, opportunistic goal. M.O.M though goes to TERRY, who scored the goal of the season so far, was vocal and supportive in goal and was never at fault on Jubilee’s goals.
Line-up:
Terry
Morris (then James, 29 mins)
Steve
Marcel
Chris
Steve
Dave J
Dave F
Alejandro
Dave K (then Serik, 59 mns)
Imants
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