SIHK 9 Sam’s Soldiers 10 (or 9 or 11)

SiHKFC returned to our bogie-pitch, the carpet at Happy Valley for our fifth match against the Samless Soldiers.

It proved to be an event-filled match. Indeed, so much took place that nobody could agree the final score.

In usual shambolic fashion, SiHK just about managed to get enough players on the field in time for kickoff, and went through a rigorous warm-up routine of taking pot-shots at the goal (and usually missing). Yet there was cause for optimism. With Craig and James returning to action after a 2 month hiatus, there were surely goals to be scored.

When the whistle blew, Linesmann and CK were nowhere to be seen. So we lined up with Stuart in goal. A complex tactical shuffle, a la Ramos, saw a rotating back-line of Dan and Stewart (once CK arrived!). Sam and Dannyboy alternated between defence and midfield. Paul took centre-mid, while Linesmann alternated left and right midfield positions. James, James and Craig took turns up front and in midfield. A fluid 2-3-1 formation.

SiHK started slowly and conceded an early goal. And then another one. Twenty minutes in, we were 4-0 down and every player in white looked like they were towing a caravan through treacle.

With Edman missing, the pitch was as quiet as the Emptycrates. Number 10 tried the good old English tactic of shouting at everyone a lot. Dan embraced this approach whole-heartedly and his guttural cry of ‘Come on you Melonfarmers!’ fired the whole team up. For the remaining 70 minutes the match belonged to Spurs.

Sam had almost been loaned out the Soldiers at kick-off. Fortunately, our utilityman hero stayed a yiddo. His loyalty was rewarded with his first goal for SiHK, a low driven shot to cap off a few minutes of much-improved spurs play.

Although the soldiers kept popping the odd goal in, SiHK had stopped the rot and tightened up. After a few minutes of hard work, SiHK made a several key tactical changes. There is a coaching maxim that there are three phases in a match: attacking, defending and the moments of switching between these approaches when losing or winning back possession. When the Soldiers won the ball, our midfield stepped higher up the pitch pressuring every man and cutting out the easy passing options. When we won the ball, we began to keep it moving quickly to stop them reorganising.

As our play improved, the goals started to flow. James B finished from close range. Sam and James B each added a second. Suddenly the Soldiers’ lead no longer seemed insurmountable.

Spurred on by Number 10’s goals, fellow forwards Craig and James Y got themselves onto the scoresheet. Craig’s first goal was very well taken, a sudden snapshot that whistled past the keeper. ‘Team of Jamesy Yeungs’ was shaking off the rustiness and scored with sheer determination, bundling the ball and the keeper into the net, Janek-style.

SiHK were now outscoring the Soldiers and cutting into the lead. Paul was playing an excellent destroyer role in midfield, snapping at heels. The fired-up Dan was doing a fine man-marking job, using his strength well. Danny and Sam were the multi-taskers. Sam got so carried away with being involved in every part of the game that he even managed to score a goal for the Soldiers, deflecting a shot past CK. He goes down in history as the scorer of the first ever SiHK own goal.

As SiHK improved, the Soldiers buckled under the pressure and conceded a handball, not far outside their area. Number 10 stepped up and curled a precision free kick into the top corner. Another historic event as he became the first SiHK player to score a hatrick.

Craig added his second goal and by now the whole team were flying. While Stuart and Dan took turns marshalling the backline and effectively keeping the Soldiers at bay, all other players pushed forward. Dannyboy had a good game with some positive forward runs and dribbles. Linesmann was an engine in midfield, as older players began to tire.

There was still time for Number 10 to score a fourth. It was fitting for such a determined and disciplined team performance and come-back that this took us to our highest SiHKFC goal-haul of 9 goals.

There was some debate about how many we had conceded, but with the Soldiers getting the last strike of the match, we agreed on a final score of 10-9. With the second leg scheduled for next weekend, SiHK finished the match in ebullient mood and headed to the Derby for refreshments.

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Team: CK; Dan, Stuart, Danny; Sam, Paul, Linesmann; James B, James Y, Craig.
Goals: Sam (2), James B (4), Craig (2), James Y (1)