Football on Tuesday 25/11/08

Whites
Amit
Vish
Rush
Stas
Sunny

Colours
Nav
Sam
Mung'ara
Gaurav
Jai

Whites 7 - Colours 7
Man of the Match - Gaurav for making some very good runs in the channels and clinical finishing.

On a bitterly cold night, these two evenly balanced team fought a topsy turvy encounter culminating in a deserved Draw for both sides.

The White team was the first to find the back of the net with a quickfire goal from Sunny but colours started off the better organised team and equalised and comfortably moved ahead into a 3 goal lead at 4-1. With Mung'ara and Sam controlling the back and Gaurav and Nav making space up front it seemed as if colours would go on to an easy victory especially with Gaurav in sharp form upfront with some great goals on the turn.

Alas the experience and long standing relationship of the White team in particular noting the Highgate connection, managed to get organised and half way through the game started to take control as they clawed back colours 3 goal lead without allowing colours to threaten too much with steely defensive work from Amit and Rush in particular.

Once Whites drew level they were in complete control and a tired Colours team tried in vain to break down a well organised white team, resulting only in getting caught cold on the break and moving into the last 10 minutes with the score 7-5 to the Whites.

The Colours who had effectivly been carrying a player in myself,had a final flurry of attacks in the last 10, with some great break up play from Mung'ara, good movement from sam and Nav and ultimately excellent finishing from Gaurav again. The equalising goal coming in the last minute in a fair result considering the endeavours of both teams.

Football on Tuesday 18/11/08

Colours
Amit
Sam
Nav
Stas
Rajesh

Whites
Rush
Nii
Mungara
Gaurav
Jai


Whites win by 4
Man-of-the-match: Jai

It was a slow and tentative start to the game with both sides walking the ball around and neither side threatening in the first 5 mins. Whites quickly went 4 nil up however with some slick movement and passing between Nii, Jai and Guarav (and some dodgy goalkeeping by Rajesh). Stas pulled one back for Colours and from that point on the sides traded goals with Colours coming to within 2 on the back of some good individual goals from Sam and Stas and some lack-lustre defending by Whites. Colours should have come back all the way were it not for the 5 or 6 posts they hit, 3 of them during a 5-second attacking flurry. In the end however, Whites kept their shape, defended well and finished off chances to edge further ahead eventually running out winners by 4 goals.

A welcome return to Jai after a short spell out. He was the focal of the Whites attack and this pundit's choice for Man-of-the-Match.

Football on Tuesday 11/11/08

Colours
Amit
Manu
Nav
Stas
Vish

Whites
Rush
Sam
Mungara
Ravi
Gaurav


Awesome defence results in tactical stalemate - George Graham would have been proud

Whites win by 1
Man of the Match - Mung'ara

Following on from poetry week last week, this week witnesses a return to more conventional reporting methods - thank f*ck for that the masses scream…

With a number of changes to the line-ups due to injury, laziness and concert attending, the revised teams lined up for this gladiatorial battle in the Mill Hill coliseum - in the famous words of Ivan Drago "if he dies, he dies…" bring it on…!

The game started cagey to say the least as each team tried to work off those extra pies/fags each had consumed in the previous 7 days - whites took an early lead, but were pegged back almost immediately with a Tulsiani wonder goal (which one?!…good question!) Whites continued to play the more attacking football with colours suffering from a lack of movement and at times imagination. Colours far too often made the wrong decision trying to play the killer ball when it wasn't on…it just wasn't working.

Whites to their credit were organised, compact, disciplined and lucky - they managed to score a couple of soft goals to extend their lead to 3-1 by half time…

The second set of 30 minutes witnessed a shift in balance of power - colours began to win their personal battles. Vish took Ravi out of the game, mostly fairly, although there was some question as to where his head was, as when asked to call a man he screamed "I've got Nav", cue Nav's customary girls scream - it has to happen at least once a game…Stas began to look more comfortable in the middle. Colours take a 4-3 lead…

The last 10 were a bit of a haze. Whites buoyed by Mungara and Rush controlling things at the back and Sam recovering his strength following removal of his tights decided to step up the pace…the final result 5-4 to whites.

The reason, of course a Ravi goal in the last 5 minutes. Manu and Vish managed to trip over each other, leaving Ravi to dance through and score the winner…
Unfortunately, mention must go to the various colours shots off the post - at least 3 or 4, including Stas bouncing one of both posts, me hitting the crossbar and the post in the last minute…
Enjoyable if cagey…

Football on Tuesday 04/11/08

Colours
Sam
Manu
Rajesh
Amit
Nav

Whites
The Black Star
Stas
Sunny
Rush
Gaurav


Colours by 3:
MOM – Manu probably....

The week after Diwali,
Not a an athlete in sight,
Too many jelabi,
Giving fitness a fright!

Colours played with discipline,
Whites without,
Lack of defending, what a sin!

Control Stas and Nii,
The game is won,
Colours break quickly,
Nil to one.

More finishing from the colours,
To gain a lead,
Whites are nowhere,
They play with determination without greed.

But Clinical counter attacking,
Maintains the advantage,
Whites kept away through tight defending,
Younger legs no match for experience and age.

Last quarter the game gets tight,
Whites come back to make it to 2,
Colours regroup and and put it out of sight,
Last minute goal, whites turn blue!