The season is taking its toll, and this game – a slim win to keep us top of the EFL -- ended with injuries to three of the BC’s creative heart – DH, GT and MJ, all of whom had to pull out of Sunday’s ESPZEN fixture, leaving us horribly exposed to the embarrassment of having to cede a match that on a normal day we could easily have won to stay top of that table, too.
The first 30 minutes against Buona Vista must have been tough fare for the large crowd at Bukit Timah Fields. Under a mercury-leaden sky, the British and Norwegians humped and hoofed aimlessly and with little sense or passion. Buona Vista looked to want this more. A squad of at least 20, all six-footers plus, chasing and harrying, shouting and urging, but lacking the guile to really trouble a BC back-three of AW, the venerable JR and CA.
Across the middle, MJ, BM, GT and BC, with IG in the Claude Makelele holding role (yeah, right), created little of note, but worked hard to stifle the Viking threat. AL and young JM chased lost causes up front. DH arrived late.
Then, apparently through some divine intervention from the Skipper, a move evolved that was as sublime as it was simple. The ball was played to AL’s feet near the halfway line, moved to MJ on the right and switched forward into the path of the onrushing GT, who finished the job with a shot to the near post.
The Norwegians bounced back, and JL was brought into action, saving well and clearing his lines with little fuss. DH arrived, BC took a breather, SM joined the fray, but the fare was little improved. AW looked off the pace on the right after opting to delay back surgery. Buona Vista broke through and set up an easy strike for a deserved equaliser.
AL produced an impressively rollicking halftime analysis, switched back to the more familiar 4-4-2 set-up and sent us back out with pride, purpose and tingling eardrums. Buona Vista continued to threaten on the downhill slope and IG was lucky to get just a brief word from the referee for a blatant trip. More chances fell to the BC, but Olaf Tubolardsson in goal was equal to the threat. Then MJ, a constant menace on the right wing, skimmed a through ball for AL to latch on, circumnavigate the keeper and slot home.
DH twisted awkwardly on his right ankle as he shot at the end of a mesmerizing run. Play was held up for 20 minutes as an ambulance was called and D, vomiting, dispatched to the NUH. He has badly damaged ligaments.
The BC lived precariously at the back as the Norwegians pushed for an equaliser, but the home side had enough in the tank, just, to keep them at bay. GT ended the game with an Alien-esque pulsing in his calf.
A good result that keeps the BC top of the EFL table, but it’s getting tough. Only 12 players for a big Saturday game and just eight (including two ringers) for Sunday. The Corinthians, ably marshalled by their stand-in keeper, won 4-2.
Both the Singapore Bomb Squad and Drug Enforcement Agency were called to the BC Racquets bar later on the Saturday evening after large quantities of a white powder were discovered in the Mens’ changing rooms. After a thorough investigation, it transpired that the son of a BC player and his friend had been trying to produce wholesale amounts of a generic version of a famous skin-whitening agent using water and talcum powder. No charges were pressed. BM’s (18-strong) team won three rounds of the BC Pub Quiz, but didn’t share the wine.
Man of the Match: MJ comes close for two assists and a constant threat wide right, JL kept us in the game at times, but AL takes the award for a winning goal, leadership qualities … and because he hasn’t won a MoM this year despite scoring 22 goals.
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