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| Thick and fast: just keep them coming. |
After a decent start of two wins UU Accies hit a bump with defeat to Yamaha Aces then hit the wall that is Hadjuk Spiff the following week.
In a 7-goal thriller they got back on the winning trail in a cracker of a game at FC Ceahlaul Piatra Nea. It was fast–paced, energetic with style and guile as KElliott and Clojo sent out their teams to dominate the midfield, control the ball and, with some craft and some dig, create the chances both teams desperately needed. It was a match even the purists will enjoy when shown on MOTD!
Ceahlaul were first to score on 16 minutes when Martyn Warrington’s quick feet fed Terrance McIntyre in the area for the midfielder to get his second goal of the season. UU Accies were not for sitting in, pressed the home team and on 29 minutes got a deserved equalizer. Drew Harsley, up supporting the front two at every opportunity, played off the last defender when Bruce Prattis picked him out with a slide-rule pass that broke the offside. One-on-one with Finn Ballylee the Accies stalwart gave the keeper no chance as he slotted home.
With 5 minutes to the half time whistle Fabio Roberto drilled a low ball into the Ceahlaul area. It had a bit of pace to it and as Riccardo Lanna raced to get to it he was beaten by Ceahlaul captain Al Dowell. But the ball bobbled so he sliced his clearance and the ball sailed backwards and in to gift the visitors their second. It was a painful moment for the big defender and the look of incredulity on his face told it all.
Maksym Sikora came on for Jasuhiro Kajiyama after the break and it was Sikora who was out-jumped for the home team’s equalizer. UU Accies defensive unit was unrecognisable and, although played well, were not to their usual standard. Understandable when the two best defenders are injured but Joachim Gamme is a more than capable deputy for injured captain Dragan Andic who sat at the back of the dugout beside fellow crock Pontus Stahre, both wrapped up as if for an Arctic expedition.
It was Warrington again with the set up as he swung in a cross and Sikora was out-muscled by Terrence Swales. The Ceahlaul midfielder showed more determination to reach the ball as he powered his header home in the 57th minute. Accies’ junior Willy Kögel was replaced by Loius Dunstan on the hour and 10 minutes later Izzet Esentepe replaced Hisao Okazaki up front as the Accies looked to press home their midfield dominance.
Within 2 minutesd Fabio Roberto picked up the ball deep and ran at the defence, Esentepe made a diagonal run followed by two defenders leaving Lanna to sneak in on the blindside. Roberto picked him out and the Accies frontman made no mistake as he drilled the ball low and hard for his 8th goal this term.
But Ceahlaul weren’t done yet and Clojo has them playing well and fired up for this tie. Warrington, getting in amongst the visiting defence like a buzz-bomb, never gave them a moments peace and was the provider for the third time. With 4 minutes to go he took Dowell’s long clearance down, one-touch past Prattis and pinged a sweet pass through the Accies defence and all McIntyre had to do was put it away and he duly obliged. Guang Yu Chiu was going mental at his players as they left him exposed again as, for the second match in a row, conceded 3 goals.
Clojo must have thought her boys had managed to secure their second point but 2 minutes later Lanna’s pressure gained a corner for the visitors. Bogdan Zabelin swung the ball over to the far edge of the area to the waiting Harsley who put his laces through the ball on the half volley to put the Accies 4 – 3 up at the end of a pulsating fixture.
An excellent game of football with both sides giving their all, although a real blow for Clojo who couldn’t have asked any more from her players. On balance, though, chances and possession went the way of the visitors and the points were just about deserved. The win keeps UU Accies in the top half of the table but Ceahlaul remain rooted in 8th, with a single point so far.
At the other end Hadjuk Spliff continue their dominance with yet another power-house display, this time against Ryans Rangers at The Smoking Hut. Eorospurs maintains his 100% record as his boys strolled past the visitors with an astonishing show of strength. An Ivan Guijarro double and Koshishiro Takamatsu single were enough to see off the visitors 3 – 0 and it’s no fluke that 4 of the top 5 places in the points charts belong the Hadjuk players. Hadjuk’s 64% dominance against the quality of Big Dog’s midfield belied belief and on this form it’s hard to see anyone touching them this season.
Yamaha Aces managed another late show to get the win and take the points from Disco Blue at The Big Blue. Honest D was already fearing the worst before kick-off and preparing his squad for a dogfight this season as his campaign. Hambone, picking up his second manager award, has every confidence in his team’s ability to win matches, whether through bossing the ball or grinding out results. Yamaha were two ahead at the break through Kurt-Erik Edling (2 minutes) and Tommie Toresson (27’). A 6 minute second half spell saw Disco bring it back to 2 – 2 with a Ryce Dean penalty on 65’ and Dean Armstrong strike on 71’. But Yamaha are masters at playing to the whistle for the full 90 and never stop running, probing and passing as they look to win every match. Their third came from a Lars-Göran Odenberger 79th minute strike. The Yamaha win keeps them within touching distance of top spot but keeps DB mired in the relegation zone on 3 points from 5 games.
At the Estadio Deportivo Cali Witton Albion manager, Insalaffin, was raging as his team lost 2 - 1 to Deportivo Cali X1. It wasn’t so much the defeat as the manner of the loss after ‘keeper Bert-Åke Bladflod was injured on 6 minutes and was followed onto the treatment table in the second half by midfielder Terence Creighton, at which point, the match was level at 1 – 1. Soon after Creighton’s injury Roberto Lopez scored the winner for the home team to give them a massive 3 points that opens up a 4 points cushion to the drop zone. Shading possession and matching the home team on chances Insalaffin lays the blame for the loss on the two injuries and he certainly has a case. The result, though, is a real boost for Greyhead as he prepares his squad for the Round 6 fixture away to a weakened UU Accies at the Sink.
Round 5 saw some fractious action, poor decisions and some excellent football matches, with the pick of them the Ceahlaul/Accies tie. Round 6 sees some very interesting match-ups as the top two face off as do the bottom two: that should be fun.
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