Match Report: Invictus vs Loko

League - Sportsmans League, Division 2
Sunday 16 Sept
Invictus 2 vs Loko 3


LOKO WIN THROUGH SHEER DETERMINATION

The omens were not good. Two of our most attack-minded players pulled out the day before the game. Captain Dave F had a bad cold. Darren had a dodgy Achilles. Plus the Invictus squad that turned up on the pitch looked fast and skilful.

Indeed, in the first 15 minutes of the game Loko were on the back foot trying to stem the flow. Thankfully, under new boy Ed’s marshalling orders, the defence were holding tight.

Yet, the omens were still not good. Darren had to come off after 10 minutes and on came Joe but Loko were still holding tight. Plus, the European tournament top goalscorer a.k.a Adil was back after a 3-month absence and he certainly made his presence felt. On 13 minutes, Dave F took a corner from the left and unmarked ADIL stepped forward and nonchalantly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Invictus 0 – Loko 1

Piqued by this setback, Invictus stepped on the gas and also fouled Adil time and time again, pushing, shoving him out of the way for all to see except the uncommunicative, indecisive, blind ref. By the end of the game, we could have had 6 blatant penalties yet the ref annoyingly kept blowing his whistle against Adil or simply declaring the fouls mere freekicks.

At the other end of the pitch, Invictus were becoming more and more menacing and equalised when one of their forwards took his chance from outside the edge of the box and his rasping shot hit the target low to the right of John.

Half time: Invictus 1 – Loko 1

With Invictus fielding fresh subs at half time and injured Jake having to come off and being replaced by Lawrence, the odds were decidedly stacked against Loko.

Yet another Invictus attack down the right hand corridor saw one of their impish forwards pull the ball back only for the defence to be surprisingly exposed. Ivan, who’d been tracking back into the centre of the defence, found the cross hit his foot and being deflected into his own goal. Invictus 2 – Loko 1

However, much to their credit, Loko were trying harder and harder. At long last, the ref saw the Specsavers light. Yet again, Adil got bundled in the opposing box and, although he still looked undecided, the ref eventually called a penalty in our favour. DAVE F stepped up to the penalty spot feeling as a confident as his idol Frank Lampard. Our captain shot to the left of the keeper but it was also the direction their number one dived but, thankfully, despite a deflection, the ball ended up in the back of the net. Invictus 2 – Loko 2

This goal unleashed Invictus’s onslaught - part 2. Wave after wave of attacks saw Joe clear on the line, Ivan save close to the upright and the whole team putting in a selfless shift. But above all, our saviour was the flying Irishman in goal who pulled off some superhuman saves whilst the whole team were defending heroically.

The omens were not to be trusted for, on 81 minutes, ADIL latched on to a long ball from Dave F and sauntered past 2 defenders and now, clear on goal, calmly scored from outside the box into the far left corner.

All heroes!

Club Secretary Ivan said: “We didn’t play as well as last week yet our gritted determination made up for it. This shows that any team with a great keeper, a solid central defence, hardworking midfielders and one or two goal poachers can go far in this league. What was also great about today’s win was the positive energy where everybody fought the cause through thick and thin. Brilliant!”

Man of the Match: The flying Irishman gets my vote for his match saving performance whilst Adil comes a close second. Special mention to Ed, too.

Line-up: John – Jake (then Lawrence, 46’), Said, Ed, Ivan – Andre, Matt, Dave F -  Darren (then Joe, 10’), Marcel - Adil