When the archivists come knocking in years to come to compile the History of the BC Football Section, they should not trouble themselves with this particular game. Just hours after the match, I spent an enjoyable evening with friends at the Banana Leaf Apollo restaurant on Racecourse Road. The fish head curry was superb, the naans exquisite, the jugs of Tiger beer just right and the Saag Gosht particularly memorable. More so, I found, than the afternoon’s match.
The Latinos arrived on a cool afternoon much trumpeted as skilful, swashbuckling, fast and fearsome. Sadly, they were none of these – a fairly ineffectual bunch of amiable blokes who rarely play together. Lots of exotic Hispanic speak, but no Messi or Adriano or very much in the diving or theatrics department -- careless with the ball, narrow in formation and soft in the tackle.
As is the scheme of things, the BC struggled to take control, hampered by sloppy passing, poor communication and some woeful finishing. This fairly dire fare was enlivened only midway through the first half when Hinge (BM or JR, take your pick) played a delightful diagonal through ball that Billy Whizz (MB) dispatched with aplomb, fizzing a fine right foot drive from just inside the area past the keeper at his near post. 
Floodgates opened? Nah. More chances went begging. Magic (MJ) battled gamely in an unaccustomed role as lone striker, but there was too little support and not enough width. Our defence had little to cope with. DR was a spectator. On the half hour, though, Bracket (JR or BM, take your pick) chipped into the box and IB -- moved into a holding midfield role – stole past a static back line to beat the offside trap and slot home coolly to make it 2-0.
AM provided a brief, sublime glimpse of what could have been -- the veteran Notts County stakeholder actually jinked past an opponent using both feet and then sent a lovely pass down the wing. The second half was one-way traffic, with the BC camped in the Latinos half, creating a hatful of chances but rarely troubling the keeper. Billy Whizz nicked his second, and the third of the game, with a tap-in, before Big (AL) rounded things off with a typical solo effort.
(The smaller) CA was booked for his 14th mistimed tackle ...
… and that was about it. Good turnout from the Groupies, but I doubt many of them actually watched much of this.
Roll on Phuket ....
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