Match Review: Gaelic Lions FC vs 1TM Latini FC

• Pete O'Brien GK
• Fraser Anderson DF
• Hiromitsu Nakaue DF
• Jonathan Baker DF
• Iain Mul DF
• Jonathan Cloak DF
• Ben Tomlinson DF
• Ismail Bardach MD
• Nathan Bryer MD
• Jacob Saurin ST
• Luke Townsend ST

• Lee Bradshaw DF
• Jordan Laing DF
• Jamie Roberts MD
• Mike Sharples ST

PART 2 OF THE TRILOGY

Our last fixture of 2022, saw a another return to Friday Night Lights and a tough encounter against Gaelic Lions. The Lions have been the only side to beat 1TM this season so we wanted to get a positive result and end the year on a high. No Tactical Tally again due to more World Cup tv appearances so Ruby was leading the dugout once more. With a couple of late drop outs within the squad, Ruby stepped up to name himself on the bench. 1TM started the game well, looked confident on the ball and worked hard off it. The Lions have what we expected with their high intensity pressure, playing smartly on the ball and a threat in the final third if they had a chance. Their chance did come midway through the first half when a deep corner was cleared out to one of their players on the penalty spot and he fired an effort into the top corner. 1-0 1TM knew we were playing well and our own chances would come. We managed to draw level in bizarre circumstances. Firstly, the tireless Flat White managed to bulldoze his way into space and had a hopeful punt on goal from the edge of the area. The shot took a big deflection and spun up wide of the goal and we all presumed it would be collected harmlessly by the ‘keeper. As the ’keeper came to meet the ball, the spin from the deflection caused the ball to defy any sort of physics and bounced off the wet surface, changed trajectory to go back towards the goal, and flew high over the keeper and into the empty goal, utterly strange but we will absolutely take it. 1-1 Just before halftime, Duplo, who was a menace all evening, turned his man well and played a through ball for Flat White to bear down on. Whereas the first goal was heading for the Dubious Goal Panel, 1TM’s top scorer for the season so far made no mistake in claiming his second for the night. HT 2-1 Credit to the Lions who continued to put pressure on 1TM and that attitude paid dividends when a deflected shot spun up into the air and got POB backpedaling. The big man knows he should have done better as the ball was allowed to bounce off the bar and landed at the feet of the grateful Lions striker. 2-2 With the Lions keeper pulling off a couple of great saves and Sharples cannoning a free kick off the bar, we could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be one of those nights. Thankfully, we were able to restore our lead after a poor challenge on Duplo was punished when Baker curled the resulting free kick into the box and Frando rose highest with a looping header over the keeper. 3-2 The evening became more comfortable when great work from Racky on the right and delivered a smart ball over the top which fell to Sharples and he finished well when 1:1 with the ‘keeper. 4-2. 1TM continued to push for another goal and were denied by several off the line clearances, some great saves, and the woodwork on a couple more occasions. The fifth goal finally came when Flat White turned provider and played Sharples in for another 1:1 with a predictable outcome from the in-form striker. FT 5-2 It was hard work but 1TM finished 2022 in style - a cup win and finishing top of the league for Christmas. Thanks to the Lions for a competitive match played in good spirit. That makes it 1:1 and looking forward to the finale fixture next year. The referee and his team were excellent. Credit to the whole squad as the pack needed shuffling several times throughout the night to get us through the evening. MOM Lions - Goalkeeper MOM 1TM - Didge DOD 1TM - POB KIT - Didge