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Big Circus, Sunday 14th May. Just one left then.
The road to Big Circus (which isn’t big, but is usually full of clowns) winds up through attractive foothills, across dainty red bridges, along brooks of old from the banks of which wizened old men, little different from the trees around them, attempt to lure a trout with a tasty gnat.
Onwards, through hayfever inducing, rashly planned, government cedar plantations, past turn-offs so steep they induce vertigo in the weak of mind, and on which moss lies so thick, as to suggest that no car has ever braved them. The journey ends suddenly, on a quiet, flat stretch of road overlooking a wide valley which is dominated by a giant carbuncle of a cement factory, billowing dust and smoke into the sweaty dusk air. A dog barks pointlessly, straining at his chain in the garden of the small pre-fab house opposite the taxi.
The radio crackles once or twice and the driver picks it up. He says, (and I translated accurately from the Japanese)
“10-4, 10-4.” And waits…A voice eventually replies…
“What!?”
“Doreen, where the %!$# is Big Circus?” He shouts.
We are lost in Kanagawa, visions of ‘Deliverance’ flash through my mind. The dog, I notice as I look round, is cross-eyed.
Seven or eight days later, we arrive at the Fujitsu facility, with wallets depleted and a new found lack of faith in both Japanese taxi drivers and GPS systems used anywhere further afield than the boundary of the Yamanote line.
A double booking of said facility, led to more drama before kick off, but one of the Jetro boys managed to calm the belligerent scamp at the front desk into allowing us to play.
Jetro fielded a team featuring few familiar faces; apparently even unfamiliar to themselves, judging by the amount of shokai’s being dusted off before the game. They desperately needed maximum points to stay above the drop zone, and get them they did.
They were a bit sloppy to start with though, Sala created several chances in the opening stages, including a series of corners that somehow didn’t result in a goal. Minutes later, Dhugal’s ‘dummy’ set up Charles from the edge of the box, but his shot was high and wide.
Andres and Dhugal then combined to carve the Jetro defence apart with a series of one-twos, but the Colombian’s shot from 10 yards was excellently saved by the Jetro keeper. Evan and Giles kept things moving on the left, and the defence kept heads above water with a series of timely clearances.
Jetro proved to be more clinical. Taking advantage of the speed in wide positions, they carved open a bunch of chances and got two goals towards halftime, knocking one in from close range, and then a flicked header from a corner. 0-2.
Towards the end of the half, and to the consternation of Charles, Toby was booked for basically doing nothing.
Halftime was a welcome relief. Especially the water, as the night seemed to warm up as it got later.
In the second half, Sala didn’t create that many chances, the Jetro keeper being too quick off his line on most occasions, though the pitch surely demanded more balls to Dhugal, Toby and James’s feet.
On the break, Jetro looked dangerous, their forward players displaying great technical skill and strength in holding up the ball against bigger opponents. They missed two or three chances in a few minutes mid-way through the half, which inspired Sala to keep pushing forward.
Eventually a through pass did work. With Jetro pushed right up to the halfway line and Dhugal and Toby retreating from offside positions, Charles, who had just switched from right flank to left, burst onto the ball, and ran clean through unchallenged, to slot pass the keeper from close range. 2-1.
Suddenly Sala had the wind in their tails. Toby sent a header narrowly wide, Giles fired a couple over the top and Charles sclaffed a rebound wide after a corner.
Pushing more men forward and switching to three at the back, Jetro should have got a couple more late on, but it was they who were on the backfoot at the final whistle, barely clinging to Division One status as Toby’s cross narrowly evaded Dhugal.
In the end it was probably a fair result, with Jetro displaying superior pace and skill in most areas of the pitch. Sala should take some heart from the fact that they were still in with a shout at the death, despite not playing terribly well.
Reporter: Roddy Charles.
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