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YCAC, Saturday, May 9th
Flat battery, no gas in the tank, wheels coming off - whichever motoring metaphor you choose it looks as if the Albion Old Boys promotion juggernaut has become a clapped-out jalopy as an embarrassing second-half breakdown allowed second-placed Zion FC to speed off into the distance with a comprehensive 7-3 win.
The first half gave little hint that the game would end up so one-sided. Despite playing into the inevitable YCAC wind, and despite gifting Zion two soft goals through individual errors, the Old Boys had slightly the better of possession and chances, and managed a goal of their own as both Sid Lloyd and Cyrille Segalini beat the Zion defence to Karl Twohig's through ball, Sid nudging his Gallic teammate aside with a brusque "Excusez-moi" before firing home his first Old Boys' goal.
So although the Old Boys went in 2-1 down at the break, the feeling was that the game was there for the taking, especially with the wind in our favour for the second half. The fourth goal of the game was always going to be a crucial one, but unfortunately for the Old Boys it went to Zion, once again gift-wrapped with a pretty blue and black ribbon on it. The Old Boys made an attempt at a comeback as skipper George Pele Clarkson combined a piece of inspired substitution with the longest near-post run in the history of football. Bringing himself on from the halfway line as the Old Boys were preparing to take a throw-in up near the Zion corner flag on the opposite side of the field, George trotted on for what turned out to be the 60-yard run-up to a well-timed jump that met the throw-in at the corner of the Zion goal area, flicking it on to the far post where Mick O'Hagan lashed in a murderous shot from one yard out.
That turned out to be the the Old Boys' last swig from a rapidly-emptying bottle of genki juice, and as both bodies and minds tired, slow reactions and uncharacteristically sloppy technique allowed Zion to score four more goals, all of which could and should have been prevented. Though referee Jorge prolonged the agony long enough to allow Andrew Morrison to narrow the gap to four goals with the last kick of the game, most of the Old Boys were out for the count long before the final whistle, honourable exception being Rod Cramblit, who had spells at left back, centre mid. and wide left, and was outstanding in all of them. The level of form and fitness that Rod's got back to, after missing almost all of last season with an injury that would have finished the career of most 40-year-olds, is something that a few more of us will have to emulate next season.
Overall the difference between the teams was that Zion were able to maintain a high tempo for the full eighty minutes. The Old Boys matched that tempo for fifty minutes, then [insert motoring metaphor of choice here]. Hopefully we have enough tin foil and gaffer tape to keep things rolling to the end of the season, but we'll need to do some serious restoration work during the off-season if we want to stay competitive when the next eighteen-lap race starts in September..
Report by Terry Cooney.
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