Wellington United Salmon 1- Petone For Sure 3
(Half time 0-2)
Wakefield Park #1
Scorer: Craig
MOM points
Kahu Kirikiri- 3 pts
Richard Hallam - 2 pts
Simon Healy 1 pt
Match report by Mr J. Dow
LIGHTS GO OUT ON SALMON CUP CHARGE
The sometimes mighty Salmon faced the Petone For Sure team in a must win Cup match at the salubrious Wakefield Park under lights on a still crisp Monday night.
The Petone team turned up early looking keen and eager and with a large squad determined to get the win which would push them in to a coveted Cup Final appearance, whilst the Salmon looked confident and relaxed pre match.
The Salmon started the match bright and urgent and initially looked the more likely team with the good playing surface conducive to moving the ball accurately and at pace causing Petone some early problems.
However, when a Salmon goalkick landed near the half way line and no one challenged for the ball a Petone fullback hoofed the ball forward and a clever flick on from their striker was suddenly heading for the back of the net for a lucky opening goal. Petone 1-0.
Petone had got the advantage and their confidence suddenly grew, their midfield battled hard, defenders took no prisoners and a couple of awkward but committed strikers were able to hold on to the ball and cause the Salmon defence a series of problems whenever they got the ball.
The Salmon pushed forward looking for the equilizer, Squirt was getting time on the ball in the middle of the park and was able to make a few runs forward, including unleashing a few long range efforts goalwards but off target.
Captain Craig was busily putting pressure on the Petone defenders and their keeper was looking a bit shaky, he was then injured going for a through ball and substituted off.
A tantalising Simon freekick found its way into the area and Captain Craig was clean through for what looked like a certain goal, but the bounce and speed of the ball saw him nudge it over the bar with the goalie completely beaten.
Wazza and Jeremy were working hard to get some ascendancy in the middle of the park with Kahu pushing forward to add support and Simon was constantly under pressure from their large and physical strikers, but keeping them at bay.
Richard H. and James had players running at them down the wings but generally held their own and broke up play before it became a real problem.
Fulton was getting some space on the right wing and on occassions got in behind the fullback and stretched the Petone defence.
The play was often going Petone’s way, aided by some strange refereeing decisions. A dubious foul throw against John D., a freekick against Squirt as he battled to win a corner and then a serious oversight when Captain Craig broke clear and was heading for goal only to be stopped for an “offside” which it clearly wasn’t.
Danny and Dave entered the fray out on the flanks and the Salmon continued to push forward. Dave covering huge amounts of ground with real purpose and urgency. Danny showed his ball playing ability and game awareness to find plenty of quality space which he exploited superbly.
Time and again Danny took players on and made progress, delivering passes at the end of a run that asked serious questions of Petone’s defenders, however despite forcing a couple of corners and freekicks, including one when Captain Craig was chopped on the edge of the box, the Salmon were simply not creating clear scoring opportunities and Petone kept hoofing the ball away up field.
Football can be a cruel mistress and Petone were relishing things going their way when a slow and indecisive clearance from the Salmon defence gifted them their second goal. Petone 2-0.
With their confidence boosted again, Petone laid siege to the Salmon goal, forcing corners, hitting the post twice, as well as forcing Richie Hallam to clear off the line, and generally making Richard Martin work overtime pulling off saves but failing to net a decisive third goal before the half time whistle.
Down 2-0 at the break, the Salmon had some hard work ahead of them to get back into the game.
Petone had their tails up and sensed a win was on offer, when a probing run down their left flank saw their winger clear in behind and a good cut back produced a shot that gave Richard in goal no chance. Petone 3-0 and was the Salmon dream over ?
With nothing to lose the Salmon lifted their intensity and urgency.
Danny kept making dangerous marauding runs forward, Squirt after some time on the bench reasserted himself and Captain Craig with some help from Fulton was pushing the Petone defence hard and gaps were starting to show.
Ashby, fresh from his Asian sojourn, had plenty of legs in the midfield to complement the industrious Jeremy and the Salmon were looking more dangerous and still in the game.
Kahu with an eye for the attacking option knocked a long ball into the path of Captain Craig, who with an excellent turn of pace out stripped the fullback, got himself into an excellent scoring position and duly converted the goal. Salmon 3-1 down but the dream was alive.
Suddenly the game was all on and when Wazza re emerged from the sidelines his swashbuckling style put Petone’s midfield under real pressure and Salmon were winning plenty of the ball and getting forward with a new found enthusiasm.
Richard in goal was directing the traffic at the back with confidence and purpose and with Simon as solid as ever the defensive platform was set for a late surge home and the Salmon went after the game.
Captain Craig knocked a ball through for John D. and the subsequent cut back didn’t produce the shot on target it should have. Craig then went through himself and got pushed wide before his cross/shot flew across the goalmouth and away to safety. John D. clipped a ball over the defence into space in the penalty area which neither Craig or Danny could just quite reach when a goal beckoned.
Still the Salmon battled hard to score again whilst Petone looked to break quickly but to no avail as the Salmon defence held firm.
Then with 5 minutes still on the clock, the lights and the Salmon’s brave Cup run with them, were extinguished.
As darkness descended on Wakefield Park and the reality of what was happening set in, Captain Craig with heavy heart and in deep distress made the honourable decision to concede the game, result and the Salmon’s victorious march to the 2011 Cup Final was well and truly over.
As the shell shocked Salmon troops traipsed off the park, Petone celebrated their team’s greatest achievement to date.
However, all was not lost, as the Salmon players were treated to some outstandingly high quality Beer in the changing rooms, courtesy of Steve Jessup and after some Moa Ale and Emerson Pilsener, it was widely agreed that life wasn’t so bad afterall, and on another day with a kinder and more sympathetic bounce of the ball, it could easily have been the occasionally mighty Salmon who would be preparing for a Cup Final appearance next week.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Our Cup Run Runneth Over the Rovers
Division 9/10 Cup Round Two
Wellington United Salmon 5- Karori Rovers 0
(Half time 3-0)
Melrose Park
Scorers:
Craig Ireson (3)
Craig Johnston
Warrick Jackson
MOM:
James Stewart- 3 pts
Warrick Jackson- 2 pts
Adam Holloway- 1 pt
Great result Salmon; yes, more goals were on offer and at times we seemed somnambulant but we kept a clean sheet despite having some key players out and we took five of our chances which was more than enough to see the Rovers off.
We did all this despite illness, hangovers and injury plaguing our squad as well as unseasonable sunshine making Melrose a sweaty cauldron.
On to the match report- ably remembered and written by John Dow, with only a little input from myself:
SALMON SMASH FIVE PAST ROVERS IN PUSH FOR CUP FINAL APPEARANCE
On a Spring like afternoon at Melrose Park the Salmon took the field against a Rovers side known for leaking goals in pursuit of a score that would put pressure on the Legends and Petone leading into the final round next week.
With players injured and unavailable the thin squad was under instructions to take the game to the Rovers and score plenty of goals whilst keeping a clean sheet and a 4-4-2 line up saw Fulton join Captain Craig in the forward line while Kahu took on the goalkeeping with Richard away on business.
The Salmon put Rovers under immediate pressure with Jeremy and Squirt getting the midfield ascendancy and new recruit Convert Craig Johnston, showing some dash down the right flank.
Some quick balls forward had the Rovers defence under pressure and scrambling when a miscued clearance landed at John D.’s feet out on the left.
A pin point cross picked out Jeremy who expertly headed the ball well past the beaten keeper but the ball hit the post and bounced out into the path of Convert Craig who after a rush of blood to the head managed to finally get the ball across the line and the Salmon were in front 1-0.
The Salmon continued to dominate proceedings and playing some good constructive football opened up the Rovers backline who were constantly flat footed and lacking organisation, a few shots went high and wide, plus Captain Craig in 2 efforts straight from the FIFA Fair Play dossier penalised himself for foul play which the Rovers greatly appreciated as he was in dangerous positions both times.
Rovers made a few forays forward including forcing a couple of corners but it was the Salmon who looked the more likely to score.
A loose ball in the midfield was knocked back to James by John D. and his long ball forward had Captain Craig straight through on goal and with a tidy finish Salmon were now 2-0 ahead.
Still Rovers pushed forward and with their striker clean in front of goal and only Kahu to beat he thrashed his shot against the crossbar and the ball flew to safety.
Rovers had a few more corners and were showing they were determined not to lie down.
However it was the Salmon who got Simon and Wazza into the penalty area for a few attacking corners which caused some major problems for the Rovers with one botched clearance landing nicely for Squirt on the edge of the box who lashed it back towards goal but unfortunately too high to cause the keeper a problem.
Another corner saw the ball land on a very firm and forthright part of Wazza’s anatomy, bounce up gleefully into the air, then with great gusto Wazza smashed it into the roof of the net for a much deserved goal and the Salmon were now 3-0 ahead and the Cup Final dream was very much alive.
The Salmon kept searching for the elusive extra goals and just before half time another pin point cross from the left wing floated past Fulton’s head, was completely missed by Captain Craig right in front of goal unmarked and Convert Craig also failed to dispatch a golden opportunity and the Salmon went to the half time break knowing more goals than 3 could easily have been scored.
The team were looking a bit tired as the second half got underway and the Rovers were keen to keep getting forward and sensed they weren’t completely out of the game.
Jeremy and Squirt were trying to get the midfield moving forward at every opportunity and Convert Craig and John D. were getting space on the flanks ably supported by Adam dashing down the right and James very keen to get into the action down the left.
The dominance was starting to convert into corners and a stirling effort from Jeremy was scrambled out the back door for Craig Stewart to pick up. He drove to the bye-line and dinked a short cross into the 6 yard box, where Captain Craig headed home unmarked for his 150th Salmon goal. Salmon ahead 4-0 with plenty of time to play.
Simon and Wazza were controlling the centre of defence and also showing a willingness to put pressure on the Rovers by going forward particularly for corners and freekicks.
Rovers themselves got in to a few scoring situations but some poor finishing, a post and a dominant keeper in Kahu managed to keep them at bay and scoreless.
Hanse, a friend of Fulton's, brought some fresh younger legs onto the field and Convert Craig continued his runs down the right flank which the Rovers struggled with.
A pin point through ball from Adam, afetr he dispossed their winger, was cleared back to the rover's keeper by the left back. The Keeper should have handled it comfortably, but it was seriously misdealt to and Captain Craig in true predatory fashion cheekily slipped it away from him and then sent the ball goalward for a much deserved hat trick and the Salmon were now 5-0 ahead.
A clever tactical move saw Kahu become a keen and eager target man with Captain Craig who was running out of puff donning the keepers jersey determined to keep a clean sheet as the team laid down the challenge to the Legends and Petone through a very solid win.
With Fulton maintaining his high workrate and putting Rovers defenders under pressure, Kahu started causing them other problems as he made himself available for the ball, held it up and managed to set play up or create scoring chances, in contrast to the play of Salmon’s usual striker.
A cross from John D. found Kahu’s head in the six yard box but Rovers scrambled the ball clear, then in the last play of the game a well constructed move saw Jeremy clean through on goal with only the keeper to beat but he blazed the ball over the bar from 8 yards out and the game was over with Salmon 5-0 victors.
Was such a victory going to be enough to hold off the challenge of group favourites the Legends who expected to smash the Rovers next week and finish with the best goal difference ?
News came through from the Petone Stadium that in fact the Legends and Petone had drawn 3-3 throwing the group wide open with the Salmon on top leading in to the final round.
With Petone only beating Rovers 3-1 in the first round the Salmon are in the box seat with a better goal difference than both rivals and a point more than the Legends too.
A straight win against Petone will catapult the mighty Salmon into the promised land of a glorious Cup Final appearance, regardless of what the Legends might achieve against the Rovers in their last match.
A 1-1 or 2-2 Salmon draw with Petone would give the Legends a chance of finishing top by crunching the Rovers by 5-0 or better.
A 3-3 draw and a 5-0 Legends win would leave both sides exactly equal on goal difference and perhaps a toss of a coin would be required ?
Can this Salmon side who have shown plenty of endeavour, played some good football, fought hard against tough opponents, scored quality goals and defended stoutly throughout the season ( with the odd lapse in form and attitude) finish 2011 with an appearance in a glorious Cup Final and with it the chance of winning some silverware ??
Wellington United Salmon 5- Karori Rovers 0
(Half time 3-0)
Melrose Park
Scorers:
Craig Ireson (3)
Craig Johnston
Warrick Jackson
MOM:
James Stewart- 3 pts
Warrick Jackson- 2 pts
Adam Holloway- 1 pt
Great result Salmon; yes, more goals were on offer and at times we seemed somnambulant but we kept a clean sheet despite having some key players out and we took five of our chances which was more than enough to see the Rovers off.
We did all this despite illness, hangovers and injury plaguing our squad as well as unseasonable sunshine making Melrose a sweaty cauldron.
On to the match report- ably remembered and written by John Dow, with only a little input from myself:
SALMON SMASH FIVE PAST ROVERS IN PUSH FOR CUP FINAL APPEARANCE
On a Spring like afternoon at Melrose Park the Salmon took the field against a Rovers side known for leaking goals in pursuit of a score that would put pressure on the Legends and Petone leading into the final round next week.
With players injured and unavailable the thin squad was under instructions to take the game to the Rovers and score plenty of goals whilst keeping a clean sheet and a 4-4-2 line up saw Fulton join Captain Craig in the forward line while Kahu took on the goalkeeping with Richard away on business.
The Salmon put Rovers under immediate pressure with Jeremy and Squirt getting the midfield ascendancy and new recruit Convert Craig Johnston, showing some dash down the right flank.
Some quick balls forward had the Rovers defence under pressure and scrambling when a miscued clearance landed at John D.’s feet out on the left.
A pin point cross picked out Jeremy who expertly headed the ball well past the beaten keeper but the ball hit the post and bounced out into the path of Convert Craig who after a rush of blood to the head managed to finally get the ball across the line and the Salmon were in front 1-0.
The Salmon continued to dominate proceedings and playing some good constructive football opened up the Rovers backline who were constantly flat footed and lacking organisation, a few shots went high and wide, plus Captain Craig in 2 efforts straight from the FIFA Fair Play dossier penalised himself for foul play which the Rovers greatly appreciated as he was in dangerous positions both times.
Rovers made a few forays forward including forcing a couple of corners but it was the Salmon who looked the more likely to score.
A loose ball in the midfield was knocked back to James by John D. and his long ball forward had Captain Craig straight through on goal and with a tidy finish Salmon were now 2-0 ahead.
Still Rovers pushed forward and with their striker clean in front of goal and only Kahu to beat he thrashed his shot against the crossbar and the ball flew to safety.
Rovers had a few more corners and were showing they were determined not to lie down.
However it was the Salmon who got Simon and Wazza into the penalty area for a few attacking corners which caused some major problems for the Rovers with one botched clearance landing nicely for Squirt on the edge of the box who lashed it back towards goal but unfortunately too high to cause the keeper a problem.
Another corner saw the ball land on a very firm and forthright part of Wazza’s anatomy, bounce up gleefully into the air, then with great gusto Wazza smashed it into the roof of the net for a much deserved goal and the Salmon were now 3-0 ahead and the Cup Final dream was very much alive.
The Salmon kept searching for the elusive extra goals and just before half time another pin point cross from the left wing floated past Fulton’s head, was completely missed by Captain Craig right in front of goal unmarked and Convert Craig also failed to dispatch a golden opportunity and the Salmon went to the half time break knowing more goals than 3 could easily have been scored.
The team were looking a bit tired as the second half got underway and the Rovers were keen to keep getting forward and sensed they weren’t completely out of the game.
Jeremy and Squirt were trying to get the midfield moving forward at every opportunity and Convert Craig and John D. were getting space on the flanks ably supported by Adam dashing down the right and James very keen to get into the action down the left.
The dominance was starting to convert into corners and a stirling effort from Jeremy was scrambled out the back door for Craig Stewart to pick up. He drove to the bye-line and dinked a short cross into the 6 yard box, where Captain Craig headed home unmarked for his 150th Salmon goal. Salmon ahead 4-0 with plenty of time to play.
Simon and Wazza were controlling the centre of defence and also showing a willingness to put pressure on the Rovers by going forward particularly for corners and freekicks.
Rovers themselves got in to a few scoring situations but some poor finishing, a post and a dominant keeper in Kahu managed to keep them at bay and scoreless.
Hanse, a friend of Fulton's, brought some fresh younger legs onto the field and Convert Craig continued his runs down the right flank which the Rovers struggled with.
A pin point through ball from Adam, afetr he dispossed their winger, was cleared back to the rover's keeper by the left back. The Keeper should have handled it comfortably, but it was seriously misdealt to and Captain Craig in true predatory fashion cheekily slipped it away from him and then sent the ball goalward for a much deserved hat trick and the Salmon were now 5-0 ahead.
A clever tactical move saw Kahu become a keen and eager target man with Captain Craig who was running out of puff donning the keepers jersey determined to keep a clean sheet as the team laid down the challenge to the Legends and Petone through a very solid win.
With Fulton maintaining his high workrate and putting Rovers defenders under pressure, Kahu started causing them other problems as he made himself available for the ball, held it up and managed to set play up or create scoring chances, in contrast to the play of Salmon’s usual striker.
A cross from John D. found Kahu’s head in the six yard box but Rovers scrambled the ball clear, then in the last play of the game a well constructed move saw Jeremy clean through on goal with only the keeper to beat but he blazed the ball over the bar from 8 yards out and the game was over with Salmon 5-0 victors.
Was such a victory going to be enough to hold off the challenge of group favourites the Legends who expected to smash the Rovers next week and finish with the best goal difference ?
News came through from the Petone Stadium that in fact the Legends and Petone had drawn 3-3 throwing the group wide open with the Salmon on top leading in to the final round.
With Petone only beating Rovers 3-1 in the first round the Salmon are in the box seat with a better goal difference than both rivals and a point more than the Legends too.
A straight win against Petone will catapult the mighty Salmon into the promised land of a glorious Cup Final appearance, regardless of what the Legends might achieve against the Rovers in their last match.
A 1-1 or 2-2 Salmon draw with Petone would give the Legends a chance of finishing top by crunching the Rovers by 5-0 or better.
A 3-3 draw and a 5-0 Legends win would leave both sides exactly equal on goal difference and perhaps a toss of a coin would be required ?
Can this Salmon side who have shown plenty of endeavour, played some good football, fought hard against tough opponents, scored quality goals and defended stoutly throughout the season ( with the odd lapse in form and attitude) finish 2011 with an appearance in a glorious Cup Final and with it the chance of winning some silverware ??
Monday, August 8, 2011
Salmons Rise as Legends Falter
Div 9/10 'B' Cup- Round One
Wellington United Legends 3-Wellington United Salmon 3
(Halftime 1-3)
Te Whaea
Scorers:
Craig Ireson (2)
Richard 'Squirt' Morrison
MOM Points
Richard 'Squirt' Morrison - 3 pts
Simon Healy- 2 pts
Jeremy Norman/Warrick Jackson- 1 pt each
Match report by John Dow:
SALMON LEAP WHILE LEGENDS FALL, THEN RISE
A stunningly beautiful clear night welcomed the leaping Salmon to Te Whaea for the first round Cup clash with the Legends on Friday August 5.
The Salmon were in buoyant mood after the excellent last round victory over the Tawa Bears, the team’s first win in over 2 and 1/2 months, a result that had put the team level with the Legends on the final league table, but with an inferior goal difference.
With conditions perfect, the surface excellent, the Salmon willing and the Legends starting the match in a sluggish mode it was quickly one way traffic towards the Legends goal.
Within the first few minutes a well flighted freekick from Simon was knocked onwards by Fulton into the welcoming run of Captain Craig in the 6 yard box and it was 1-0.
The Salmon midfield were completely dominating and the team pushed forward at every opportunity with the Legends offering minimal resistance. Nic and Johny were well on top and Jeremy was getting plenty of ball going forward and often outpacing his opponents down the flank, while Fulton was proving a handful on the wide right.
Squirt was covering a huge amount of territory and looking very strong and creative on the ball in a top level all round performance.
It was his own excellent work just outside the penalty area that created space for an outstanding long range effort that left the keeper scrambling to no good effect and it was 2-0 to the Salmon.
The Salmon defence was holding firm with Richard and James blocking the flanks and Simon and Wazza despite a couple of mis communications generally having the better of the Legends attack.
Captain Craig was getting a plethora of ball in good positions and once hit the post and then saw another goal bound strike superbly pushed away by a keeper who was seeing plenty of the ball and feeling totally vulnerable and exposed by a fragile, disorganised defence.
Another goal finally came Craig’s way, and it was a good quality longer range effort from a difficult angle.
The Salmon were on fire and in complete control of the match having produced their best display this season for over 30 minutes leaving the Legends chasing shadows and at 3-0 it looked like a big score was beckoning.
However, the Legends made a few intelligent substitutions, reorganised their midfield and defence and started to push players forward and the game’s momentum started to shift.
A midfield scramble saw Squirt dispossessed in a dangerous position and the Legends player thrashed a shot from 30 metres into the top of the net and the Legends were getting back in the game.
The Salmon midfield were starting to lose their earlier control, players were tiring and balls forward slowed down and the game evened out as half time approached.
While the Legends rotated players regularly the Salmon stuck with the original eleven and intelligently battled it out till half time with the 3-1 lead preserved.
The second half saw a decidedly more motivated, aggressive and better organised Legends team take the field with winning the match firmly on their minds.
The Salmon were in for a massive battle to retain the lead and the defence ably led by Simon were under huge pressure as the Legends pushed forward at speed and in numbers.
A slick passing move saw an opportunity open up and suddenly the Legends scored and were right back in the match.
Despite the pressure and attacking determination of the Legends the Salmon also started to carve out a few opportunities of their own and the game swung from end to end.
However, it was the Legends who scored again to bring the teams level at 3-3 with 20 minutes to go and they started to look the more likely to go on and win the match.
The Salmon kept fighting hard and with some fresh legs added to the fray started to make some dangerous inroads into the Legends defence and a few genuine chances started to appear.
The Legends goalkeeper muffed a goal kick and Captain Craig nearly had a golden scoring opportunity and a corner from John D. was nearly met by Wazza who threw himself forward in the penalty area.
Johny Sneyd and Lane started to once again get some go forward in the midfield and Dave A. burst down the left like a man possessed while Squirt returned to his first half form in patches that clearly worried the Legends.
However, the Legends still fancied there chances of a come from behind win and the Salmon defence continued to be put under immense pressure which they handled very well, Adam and Dave as fullbacks tackled solidly while Simon and Wazza held firm in the middle ably supported by Richard in goal who had a solid match, while the midfield continuously tracked back and worked very hard defensively.
The Salmon constantly forced the Legends wide and quickly dispatched any loose ball forward or if required over the sideline which proved an effective approach and successfully kept the Legends at bay.
Some quick balls forward also had the Salmon looking dangerous and some late corners should have produced more scoring chances but it was not to be and the game ended as a 3-3 draw, the same score as the first match of the season between the same teams.
Can the Salmon now go on and put a bucketful of goals past the Karori Rovers and Petone teams and reach the Cup Final through a superior goal difference to the Legends who will be hoping to do the same themselves ?
Will the Rovers or Petone cause an upset and trip either the Salmon or Legends up by grabbing a result or successfully keeping the goals against down ?
Is Friday Night Football on the Artificial Pitch the primary reason for a large, keen squad or have some of the Salmon “part timers” sensed a late season Cup winning surge is now a distinct possibility and something they want to be part of ?
Will Captain Craig get another call up to Capital Division One just when the Salmon need him to maintain his goal scoring form that can take the team to a Cup Final ?
Wellington United Legends 3-Wellington United Salmon 3
(Halftime 1-3)
Te Whaea
Scorers:
Craig Ireson (2)
Richard 'Squirt' Morrison
MOM Points
Richard 'Squirt' Morrison - 3 pts
Simon Healy- 2 pts
Jeremy Norman/Warrick Jackson- 1 pt each
Match report by John Dow:
SALMON LEAP WHILE LEGENDS FALL, THEN RISE
A stunningly beautiful clear night welcomed the leaping Salmon to Te Whaea for the first round Cup clash with the Legends on Friday August 5.
The Salmon were in buoyant mood after the excellent last round victory over the Tawa Bears, the team’s first win in over 2 and 1/2 months, a result that had put the team level with the Legends on the final league table, but with an inferior goal difference.
With conditions perfect, the surface excellent, the Salmon willing and the Legends starting the match in a sluggish mode it was quickly one way traffic towards the Legends goal.
Within the first few minutes a well flighted freekick from Simon was knocked onwards by Fulton into the welcoming run of Captain Craig in the 6 yard box and it was 1-0.
The Salmon midfield were completely dominating and the team pushed forward at every opportunity with the Legends offering minimal resistance. Nic and Johny were well on top and Jeremy was getting plenty of ball going forward and often outpacing his opponents down the flank, while Fulton was proving a handful on the wide right.
Squirt was covering a huge amount of territory and looking very strong and creative on the ball in a top level all round performance.
It was his own excellent work just outside the penalty area that created space for an outstanding long range effort that left the keeper scrambling to no good effect and it was 2-0 to the Salmon.
The Salmon defence was holding firm with Richard and James blocking the flanks and Simon and Wazza despite a couple of mis communications generally having the better of the Legends attack.
Captain Craig was getting a plethora of ball in good positions and once hit the post and then saw another goal bound strike superbly pushed away by a keeper who was seeing plenty of the ball and feeling totally vulnerable and exposed by a fragile, disorganised defence.
Another goal finally came Craig’s way, and it was a good quality longer range effort from a difficult angle.
The Salmon were on fire and in complete control of the match having produced their best display this season for over 30 minutes leaving the Legends chasing shadows and at 3-0 it looked like a big score was beckoning.
However, the Legends made a few intelligent substitutions, reorganised their midfield and defence and started to push players forward and the game’s momentum started to shift.
A midfield scramble saw Squirt dispossessed in a dangerous position and the Legends player thrashed a shot from 30 metres into the top of the net and the Legends were getting back in the game.
The Salmon midfield were starting to lose their earlier control, players were tiring and balls forward slowed down and the game evened out as half time approached.
While the Legends rotated players regularly the Salmon stuck with the original eleven and intelligently battled it out till half time with the 3-1 lead preserved.
The second half saw a decidedly more motivated, aggressive and better organised Legends team take the field with winning the match firmly on their minds.
The Salmon were in for a massive battle to retain the lead and the defence ably led by Simon were under huge pressure as the Legends pushed forward at speed and in numbers.
A slick passing move saw an opportunity open up and suddenly the Legends scored and were right back in the match.
Despite the pressure and attacking determination of the Legends the Salmon also started to carve out a few opportunities of their own and the game swung from end to end.
However, it was the Legends who scored again to bring the teams level at 3-3 with 20 minutes to go and they started to look the more likely to go on and win the match.
The Salmon kept fighting hard and with some fresh legs added to the fray started to make some dangerous inroads into the Legends defence and a few genuine chances started to appear.
The Legends goalkeeper muffed a goal kick and Captain Craig nearly had a golden scoring opportunity and a corner from John D. was nearly met by Wazza who threw himself forward in the penalty area.
Johny Sneyd and Lane started to once again get some go forward in the midfield and Dave A. burst down the left like a man possessed while Squirt returned to his first half form in patches that clearly worried the Legends.
However, the Legends still fancied there chances of a come from behind win and the Salmon defence continued to be put under immense pressure which they handled very well, Adam and Dave as fullbacks tackled solidly while Simon and Wazza held firm in the middle ably supported by Richard in goal who had a solid match, while the midfield continuously tracked back and worked very hard defensively.
The Salmon constantly forced the Legends wide and quickly dispatched any loose ball forward or if required over the sideline which proved an effective approach and successfully kept the Legends at bay.
Some quick balls forward also had the Salmon looking dangerous and some late corners should have produced more scoring chances but it was not to be and the game ended as a 3-3 draw, the same score as the first match of the season between the same teams.
Can the Salmon now go on and put a bucketful of goals past the Karori Rovers and Petone teams and reach the Cup Final through a superior goal difference to the Legends who will be hoping to do the same themselves ?
Will the Rovers or Petone cause an upset and trip either the Salmon or Legends up by grabbing a result or successfully keeping the goals against down ?
Is Friday Night Football on the Artificial Pitch the primary reason for a large, keen squad or have some of the Salmon “part timers” sensed a late season Cup winning surge is now a distinct possibility and something they want to be part of ?
Will Captain Craig get another call up to Capital Division One just when the Salmon need him to maintain his goal scoring form that can take the team to a Cup Final ?
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Alive in the cup
Legneds 3-Salmon 3 in the Diamonds Derby- it keeps us alive in the end of season cup.
Full report to follow
Full report to follow
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