A top-of-the-table six-pointer. Both the BC and Gogooryo FC came into this match on the back of 100 percent starts to the ESPZEN Division 5 season, so something had to give. In the end, the BC ran out comfortable winners with a cohesive, though not spectacular, performance.
Scrabbling around for a dozen or so fit and able players, the BC pieced together a team that grew in stature as the game progressed. Beneath an electric blue sky dotted with bruise-coloured clouds, the midday game was played out in a cauldron.
After a stuttering first 15 minutes, which saw half chances at either end, a struggling IG, whose effectiveness effectively ended during the pre-match warm-up, made way for DH, whose idea of being “injured” is to turn up, turn on and turn in a match-winning performance. Within 10 minutes, he had opened the scoring, turning in a JR cross at the far post.
That lead was doubled on 35 minutes by skipper AL, who came off the bench for an all too brief 10-minute cameo during which he accepted a MJ headed pass on his chest, turned and thwumped it into the net from the edge of the box. Moments later, MJ, wide right, again fed Big Ant, who stuck a Post-It Note on the ball and skied it heavenwards into the nearby KFC complex with an order for an upsize bowl of the Colonel’s Secret Recipe Special Chicken, with a side order of bone-in Chicken Wings, to go. Ant then took his leave, nursing a damaged calf, or heifer, or some other lonely farmyard animal. DH flashed a header just over and MJ put an effort wide as the BC ended the first period well on top.
Gogooryo are a tidy side, playing well out of defence, but their game petered out in the final third of the pitch. They created chances but failed to finish them off. That was largely down to a monumental performance at the back by AP, alongside newcomer JV, and more than ably assisted by Budgie, the gig-less BW and AM at full back.
In midfield, the evergreen JR and the youthful GT fetched and carried and hustled and harried, breaking up Gogooryo attacks and building their own. MJ strode the right flank, and won a S$5 debit for dissent to a bellicose and inconsistent referee who had strolled up 20 minutes late with no word of explanation or apology. DH was back to his jinking best, and set up the crucial third goal on 55 minutes with a typically mazy run and pass that left Budgie with a simple tap-in.
That was the signal for the BC to settle into a rhythm, dominating possession, controlling the pace of the game and knocking the ball around in comfort. One move down the left saw second-half keeper CB throw short to AM, who linked up with CF to play a couple of crisp triangle passing moves with aplomb. Great, simple football.
Up front, BC started with Chrisses B and F, briefly enjoyed Big Mac’s cameo and ended with JL and CF leading the line, with the latter inexplicably embroiled in a little argy-bargy towards the end of what was a good-tempered affair.
So, four wins out of four, and the BC motors on towards Division Four – though the injury list is starting to grow. Several strong contenders for MoM. BW put the disappointment of a cancelled Irish pub gig behind him to put in a commanding performance at right-back. GT and JR excelled in the middle and DH mesmerized with his trickery and work rate but, for my S$12 match subs, I’d go for AP, playing his second match of the weekend and dominating at the heart of the BC defence with towering headers and some perfectly-timed sliding tackles and … no yellow card.
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