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Daito Bunka, Sunday 16th November
Even when he is sent off Carlos Aranda makes an impact. TML Champions BFC went from 2-1 and not overly impressive to 5-1 after 'El Mulleto' (you were warned, Carlos) got his marching orders for an ill-advised shove on a Geckoes player.The same score as last year's meeting on the same Mickey Mouse pitch between the two sides and a result, which like season, saw champions BFC climb above Geckoes in TML1 ... so, you know, that's good.
Aranda's free kicks provided the launching pad for BFC's win, the first after 15 minutes spilled by Geckoes goalkeeper Rob Manager and Sahara whipping off his headphones to snaffle the rebound. 1-0. Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Geckoes failed to clear another Aranda cracker and Clarke smashed in the loose ball.
Cue bizarre 10 minutes of BFC trying to sit back and ping daft long balls into the corners. Aranda -- he no happy. 'I no want to work here no more, Mr. Fawlty,' he may have said.
Sitting back on a pitch this short not clever either. Had the back four dropped back any further they would have all rolled down the big ditch behind the goal and down onto the distant tennis courts. Which would have been rather fun to watch. Anyway, Geckoes got a penalty. Did not look to be too much contact but I'm sure the ref got it spot on.
In the absence of a penalty spot, the ref marched out the distance -- and then some. From what appeared to be more 14 metres than 11, the Geckoes striker blasted the ball straight at Teppit in the BFC goal, although credit to Teppit for, well, being in the way. Only messing, Tiger.
To their credit, Geckoes quickly recovered and pulled a goal back through XXXX (not a shite lager, just someone I don't know) and rattled BFC. Although probably fairer to say BFC rattled themselves. Why is a mystery.
Second half then. Rather feisty. Morson was clattered from behind, the offending player getting off without a yellow, annoying the BFC captain, who for a few minutes looked in danger of going to his kit bag and coming back with a sawn-off shotgun.
Nothing on firearms in the TML rulebook but I'm guessing a straight red and two-match ban. A second red would have left BFC in a real hole. My time-line may be off -- Aranda may still have been on the pitch, can't remember.
Either way, red cards generally not good for the team (speaks the voice of reason). He took a bit of calming down, the little fella, but he got there in the end.
Pomares went down under a bone-shuddering challenge and stayed there, obviously in some pain. The poor chav had been munching painkillers before kickoff for a sore ankle anyway and was caught again, though he got to his feet and continued his trojan shift, which is not to say he was humping boxes of condoms about. He wasn't.
A Paraguayan moment of madness perhaps turned the tide, though, Aranda chopped down from behind and retaliating a bit needlessly, shoving the guilty player in the back. Nothing malicious really, just silliness, but a nailed-on red.
A couple of minutes of pure Dad's Army followed but then Sahara, pausing the latest Britney tune mid-track, sorted it out with a Torres-like finish to restore BFC's two-goal cushion.
Which became a plump, goose-feathered eiderdown when Evans, amazingly in one piece after being hammered at Saturday night's rough-and-tumble BFC training session, met Robertson's cross with a bullet header to make it 4-1 and job done.
There was even time for Day, nursing a mangled wrist -- a result of a bad fall rather than too much Internet surfing (hopefully) -- to add a fifth after a sweeping move down the right.
Teppit was left in a heap at some point as a Geckoes striker bombed-on, but (from my admittedly biased view) nothing wrong with letting the goalkeeper know you're about, or leaving your calling card.
Boring journalist bit, reduced to note form due to pressing urgency of a Miss Universe party at Le Baron: BFC up to second, five points behind leaders Hibs, who have a game in hand bla bla bla. We'll catch you (wink, wink) ...
Match report by Landing Strip
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