Result: Whites 2 – 1 Grads Red

It’s never an easy game against Reds. Going into it we knew they would be hard, so we needed to do what we do best, attack with pace. With 5 on the bench, Campbell as manager, Sam as linesman and after scoring 20 goals in the last 3 games, we went in confident. The game started messy, with no team taking real control of the game. As the game went on, we wasted the few chances we had; it would have been difficult to watch as a neutral. Both sides went into the half scoreless, which well reflected the game. We came out hungry, with our Omani based attack eager to get some goals behind their names. The score sheet was opened with a penalty on the back of a skilful run by Ismail who got hacked down in the box. Despite having the captains armband upside down, Marc raced in to provide some much needed captains insight, that being he didn’t want to take it. Omar, however, stepped up and did what he does best, and slotted it home. Reds had an opportunity to reply, only to be stoped by Bas pulling off the impossible, getting low, diving and pulling of a save. You know its good when the striker congratulates you on it, however he must have low expectations. After missing 2 in the first half that I think my nan could of put on target, Mo managed to keep a ball down and slot one past the keeper, after running in on goal, trying to pass to Omar, of which was intercepted by defender and ricocheted back to him, followed by him slotting it in. Red were restless the whole game, with the ref having little control over the game. Reds managed to start a fight, which they used as a distraction to play a two-on-one through ball, which the defence collected. The keeper, who seemed to just be an angry man, was not hiding how he felt, even having a go at myself for collecting the spare ball. The game came to a boiling point when a Reds player, already on a yellow, came flying in earning a second yellow and being sent to the cheap seats. Late in the game, Reds were award a controversial penalty of which they converted, however this was just consolation as the game ended 2-1. Proud of the boys, as it wasn’t an easy game, but we fought through it and got the result we deserved.

Campbell Hodgins