Div 8 Match report by Dave Hanna

The first real winter day of football started positively with the team showing up early and eager to make amends for our previous week's performance. There was an eerie silence as we warmed up because Dean had been selected at centre forward and we weren't subjected to the constant barrage of "I want to play up front...when can I play up front?" After we initiated a local doorknock appeal in search of a volunteer to referee our match, the football Gods decided to perform a miracle and presented us with, not only a qualified referee, but a full complement of linesmen.

The first half commenced at a brisk pace and Burwood had certainly improved since the last time we had drawn with them. Paddy, Matt and Akin were combining well up the left side and we made several sorties into Burwood territory. Burwood were up to the task and countered through the midfield by enticing us to leave our opposite mark. Burwood started to get momentum and if it had not been for the solid defence of Dan, Al, Gavin and Mike at the back and Amir's excellent positioning in the goal, we could have been down by two. However we continued to attack with Dean pushing forward a few times and finally being rewarded with a free kick in front of goal. Dean capitalised on the free kick, putting the ball over the wall, hitting the cross bar and bouncing down over the goal line for our first goal. The score was unchanged at half-time.

We resumed where we left off with Dean heading a Paddy corner into the back of the net for our second goal. Burwood were not finished yet and mounted a few solid attacks into our territory. Dean realised that he had achieved his pre-match goal quota and put his body on the line to combine with Amir to save a goal. Our interchanges were now complete and we now had fresh legs with Ere, Justin and Kader. Not long after we completed the interchanges one of the Burwood boys entered the goal square and viciously assaulted Paddy's knee with his stomach. The referee didn't see what happened clearly and gave the penalty against us. Amir conjured up his reliable black magic to make another penalty attempt soar over the cross bar. We started to make some good ground through the work of Paul, Akin and Justin taking the ball through the middle and pushing it out to the wings. On one such occasion Paul advanced down the field and put through a perfect ball for Dave on the right hand side of the goal square. Dave lined up his shot, struck the ball solidly on spot on target only to be thwarted by a supernatural force that moved the goal box ten metres to the left. The game finished with Balmain winning 2-0.

Goals: Dean Lenz (2)
Pele Points: 2 - Amir Hatami, 1 - Dean Lenz, Paddy Denvir, Gavin Carey, Akin Karaca