The game report started with the customary description of the weather conditions, which were cold but clear.

This week’s team sheet contained a couple of mild surprises (nothing to compare with the cardiac arrest-inducing revelation that Cooper was starting on the wing – sorry Coop, get well soon) as Rino’s own Ivan Drago, Stefan Caulfield, started at right-back. Marshy and Mcmeners must have had a falling out on their car-ride to the game, because Kenny had to put them on separate wings, as far away from each other as possible. Rino’s also welcomed Rob back to the sideline, which was just as well because otherwise we might have talked to the ref.

The game got off to a sluggish start, Desmesh looking a little more sprightly than we remembered them and Rino’s struggling to escape the general shiteness that plagued last week’s performance. We did, however, manage to score on our first attack, Laurie latching on Dylan’s through ball and doing sterling work along the left before crossing to leave Charlie a simple tap in. McMeners and Marshy continued to have lots of possession on the flanks, ably supported by Jordan and Stefan respectively, but the game settled into a generally low-key atmosphere with the help of some fussy refereeing.

Not for the first time this season, Rino’s seemed uncertain about what to do with the amount of time and possession they were afforded by limited opposition and surrendered the ball too easily and too often. This was compounded by the concession of several free-kicks which were, like Laurie’s diet (and this joke), cheap and dangerous. The rising tide of nervousness was, however, quelled on the stoke of half time when Marshy took his time to tee up a perfect lobbed pass (with the pitching wedge that both he and Charlie were credited with using in last week’s report) for Charlie to race on to and slot past the onrushing goalie. And so it was 2-0 Rino’s at half time.

The half-time break robbed the Rino’s players of their momentum and their body heat and the second half was a sluggish affair. Jeff Thom came up big with a great save from a Desmesh free-kick  and when a second set-piece came back off the Rino cross bar, Bligh did well to hack it away before any of Desmesh’s goal-shy forwards could prod home. At the other end, Cyrus was hustling to try and create something and Dylan made some great runs into the corner before getting tired and passing it back to Desmesh.

The already-flailing contest was killed by Rino’s third goal, which started with substitute Sam Chow (Chinese translation: He of the Pink Shoelaces) spotting a good pass to Charlie’s feet. The ball was then dropped off with Lenny, who thread a precise pass through two defenders, leaving John ‘Cascarino’ Marsh with the simple task of playing a one-two with the keeper and tapping home. An afternoon of uninspired entertainment for the watching Cantwell clan was rounded off with a red card for the Desmesh right-back, who fell victim to the man in black’s equal opportunities refereeing,  after questioning first his knowledge of football’s offside laws and then Canada’s discrimination laws. Speaking of The Man in Black, everyone apart from Brent, Dylan and enthusiastic debutant AR-JUNE was able to Walk the (Disciplinary) Line, and Rino’s go into next weekend’s huge tilt against Binger’s with no suspensions and no new injuries.

Three points, three goals, yet another clean sheet for Chinstrap and Hoof and fantastic displays by Nissan M-O-M McMeners and Stefan. Wadey and Frenchy coming back to boost a healthy squad unbeaten in 10 games.

Bingers…you have 4 days to enjoy being unbeaten.
Kenny…you can say it now, this is THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON

Rino returned to the scene of their Labour Day triumph on Saturday with high hopes of coming back to Vancouver with something much better than a new ball or even a Nissan hubcap: three points. Although our cobbler-to- the- stars benefactor was conspicuous by his absence, his team was roared on by their ever-increasing supporters club, which now comprises ‘Chair-breakin’ Steve Thom, ‘Mo-Money-Mo-Problems’ Khan, Cyrus’s party-loving dad and alternating members of the Hanson family.

The line-up remained mostly unchanged from last week’s demolition of CAFA, although Tyler started between the sticks and Peter made way for Cooper. And after a prolonged period of sterling work for the CAT team, Vinny Martin has forced his way into the first team picture, beginning this one on the bench.

Rino began the game with confidence and purpose and didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough; Wadey’s far-post corner nodded back across goal by Charlie and Cyrus finding the bottom left with a carefully placed header. And while he may bear more than a passing resemblance to Ross Geller from Friends, Cyrus certainly wasn’t ‘on a break’ when he had the wherewithal to return the favour to Charlie a few minutes later. His smart pass to feet gave his partner the relatively simple task of turning his lumbering marker and firing into the far corner.

Things were coming along rather nicely now, with Bligh and Brent again looking assured at the back and Desmesh’s 4-5-1 formation giving Coop and Haas time and space on either side of the burly duo. Even McMeners showed some lovely touch and passing in the engine room – the impish Scottish midfielder finally seems to be coming to terms with Corner’s abandonment of him and looks ready to fill Ally Gray’s child-size boots over the coming weeks. He still got taken off at half-time though; Ryan

taking his place.

The second half began with Zain and Peter lining up down the left side and it was that combination which created the crucial third goal. A patient passing build up began at the heart of the defence and ended with Peter feeding Zain, who showed lovely feet to jink around three defenders and finish with aplomb. Vinny was also in the action now and was spraying passes around in distinctly Cantwellian fashion as well as proving more than capable in the defensive third of the field. On that note, it must be said that Desmesh were limited to exactly one goal scoring chance in the entire game. Bligh told me to put that in.

Just like last week, goals were now there for the taking and take them we did. First, a precise long pass from the excellent Vinny was controlled by Charlie and laid into the path of goal-virgin Ryan Armstrong. Moranis confidently found the bottom corner, but only via a diversion by Andrew Wade. Unlucky Ryan. Wade’s lucky day continued when his mishit ball to Cyrus was left by a defender and dropped at the feet of Charlie, who gratefully half-volleyed it past the hapless keeper. Remarkably, these two serendipitous contributions were enough to earn Wadey the Nissan man-of-the-match award at the filthy hubcap’s spiritual home. The fifth goal also marked the end of ‘Billy-Ray’ Cyrus’s afternoon, the on-form forward departing with an achy breaky ego when he saw that Wee Laurie McMenemie was his replacement.

All in all, this was another good performance from a team rapidly recovering its confidence and there

was encouraging work all over the pitch from all 15 guys involved. Next week`s game should prove a much tougher test but with no fresh injury concerns and no silly yellow cards, a head of steam has certainly been built up. I would say that the team seem to have bonded in the wake of a difficult start to the season, but I don`t want Wadey to get the wrong idea and hate crime me with his hubcap.