A perfect night for football bar the fact that it was on a Saturday night and in Surrey but none the less Rino’s played out a very comfortable four nil win. Numbers were thin on the ground but it was quality needed not quantity, and we got that in spades.
Kenny again opted for a robust team with the impervious Tyler getting the nod between the sticks. Five star General John Bligh was in command at the back with his first Lieutenant Brent just ahead of him in the trenches. A blend of youth and experience was chosen for full backs with the very composed Sam on the right and Mr. consistent Jordan Haas on the left. A hard working midfield was on show with swashbuckling Laurie Flynn and the very inventive Lenny in the center.
Andrew Wade again covered every blade of grass on the right with Cory forever being a menace on the left. And it was a familiar look up front with
Mr. Hollywood Charlie Carrick and Cyrus the virus.
The match is nearly under way with CAFA 3 men down. It would have been easy for Rino’s to get complacent but that was not going to happen with John Bligh in command of the battle cry. (Did anyone see “Braveheart…”). The first 10 minutes belonged to Rino’s and in particular Andrew Wade. He had 3 chances come his way and was unlucky not to have got one in the onion sack. After Rino’s dominance for the first 10, CAFA suddenly seemed to string a few good moves together and carved out the first corner of the game, but to no avail. Brent cleaning up the mess at the back (His lips miming “not on my watch”…). With only 1 up front, Rino’s full backs were given plenty of ball, as instructed by coach and director of football, Kenny. He also re-jigged the team with Cory moving to top of the left and Jordan on the flank. It immediately payed dividends. With Charlie and Cyrus always snapping at the heals of the back 4 like 2 Jack Russell terriers, there was always a chance that they would cough up the ball at some stage. And that chance fell to Cyrus who duly dispatched with disdain. A relief to all involved. The game was all set for a Rino victory.
Crowd trouble threatened to finish the game early with one of the CAFA “Ultra’s” showing his frustration to the ref with a tirade of abuse reminiscent of Sir Alex Ferguson. He was duly sent to the stands for the duration of the game.
Half time comes with only the slightest of margins separating the teams. The introduction of Stefan and John Marsh did nothing if bolster the team. Stefan was sent on to replace Sam, who had a fine game and continues to get better with each game. John Marsh was sent in to complete an all Irish engine room.
The second half started a lot better for Rino who were a lot more composed and inventive on the ball. The mystro Lenny was on everything through the middle. With Cafa now having 9 players they decided to go 3 at the back and tried playing the off-side. Not a good idea. Jordan Haas picking up the ball on the left and sent a heat seeker over the top to john Marsh who took one touch and saw that the keeper had encroached, and sent a pitching wedge “chip” and the ball nestled into the bottom corner. Delightful football.
From here on it was sexy football of the Ruud Gullit Newcastle United era. Rino continued to pass it around like it was going out of fashion but were missing that final ingredient. That ingredient came in the form of Laurie Flynn. A passage of play that saw 16 passes ended with John Marsh playing Laurie Flynn in who sent an unstoppable shot from an acute angle into the top corner. Game over.
“WAIT, I’M NOT FINISHED!!!!”, says Charlie. Cafa already had the white flag raised but Carrick was not going to be denied his goal which extends his incredible goal scoring form, which could net him the biggest individual prize of the tournament if he keeps it up, the coveted golden boot. A defensive corner was headed away to Carrick on the edge of his own 18. He put the blinkers and the after burners on and headed straight for goal. Avoiding 4 tackles, it was now down to him and the custodian. He waited for him to go to ground and took a loan of John Marsh’s pitching wedge and chipped it over the keeper. Superb individual goal.
The final whistle blows and the away fans (Cyrus’s Dad and Jordan’s girlfriend….) are in full song. They have their money’s worth tonight. With owner Rino looking on from the stands it will be comfort to Kenny as he surely now has funds to buy in new players in the January transfer window to bolster the squad.
After the match Kenny was quick to extinguish any thoughts of overexuberence with his rescinding of the man-of-the-match award telling Setanta sports that “no one deserved it”. You can’t doubt his aspirations for the club.
So, another clean sheet for the back 5 including the keeper officially describes them as “Stingy’. Midfield is becoming more creative and inventive as the weeks pass and up front its raining goals. With players to come back next week there is going to be a headache in picking the team Life is good in Rino FC. Roll on next week. Good thoughts go out to Rob as he still struggles with his “bad back”, hopefully he will be stomping the sidelines next week.