SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY SAW THE G.A.A.F.C. 07 SQUAD GO THROUGH THEIR PACES AT THE 2ND OF THREE FUTSAL 5-A-SIDE TOURNAMENTS AT THE SALTIRE SOCCER CENTRE.
THIS TIME WITH A SLIGHTLY ALTERED FORMAT OF 8 MINUTE GAMES AND IT SEEMED A MINIMUM OF 6 GAMES PER TEAM, ON OUR CURRENT FORM WE APPEAR TO HAVE A VERY GOOD 5-A-SIDE PEDIGREE.
A SLIGHTLY BELATED MATCH REPORT THIS TIME.
1) TRANENT WERE OUR FIRST OPPONENT OF THE DAY AND WE WERE OFF AND RUNNING WITH A CONVINCING 4 – 0 VICTORY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE HAD A VERY GOOD DISPLAY OF PASSING SHOOTING AND SKILLS ALL ROUND.
2) COCKENZIE WERE THE NEXT TEAM WE HAD TO FACE AND AFTER A COMFORTABLE START THIS MATCH PROVED MUCH THE SAME WITH A 3 – 0 VICTORY, AGAIN USING ALL OUR SUBSTITUTES AND SHOWING REALLY GOOD TEAM SPIRIT AND ENERGY.
3) THIS TIME WE LINED UP AGAINST LONGNIDDRY A TEAM WITH GOOD RESOURCES AND A LARGE PLAYER POOL. ANOTHER CONVINCING RESULT ALTHOUGH WE GOT OFF TO A SLOW START AND WERE INITIALLY 1 – 0 DOWN FOR A FEW MINUTES (THIS GAME ALSO HAD A LITTLE TWIST WITH THE LONGNIDDRY COACH WANTING TO REFEREE THE GAME, BUT HE DECIDED TO ACTIVELY FOLLOW PLAY AND ACTUALLY ENDED UP GETTING IN THE WAY OF ALL THE PLAYERS AND CAUSING A LOT OF UNNECESARY CONFUSION AND STOPPAGES – I DON’T THINK THIS OPTION WILL BE ENCOURAGED IN THE FUTURE) BUT ONCE WE GOT OUR GAME GOING WE ACTUALLY CAME OUT VERY MUCH ON TOP IN THIS GAME WITH A 4 – 1 VICTORY.
4) NEXT WAS THE TURN OF OUR MOST VERY LOCAL RIVALS AND PART TIME TRAINING PARTNERS ABERLADY, AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE MUCH CONFUSION AND A VERY DELAYED START WE MANAGED ABOUT 5 MINUTES GAME TIME AT BEST BUT STILL WALKED AWAY WITH A 2 – 0 VICTORY AND ANOTHER GOOD PERFORMANCE ALL ROUND.
5) THE PENULTIMATE TIE IN THIS TOURNAMENT SAW US FACNG UP TO DUNBAR “2” TEAM, AFTER A PUNCTUAL START AND A REALLY GOOD PERFORMANCE WE MANAGED TO DOMINATE POSESSION AND THE SCORE LINE SHOWED AT 5 – 0 AND ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE 07 TEAM.
6) OUR FINAL AND WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE MOST CHALLENGING FIXTURE CAME AGAINST DUNBAR “1”. WITH THE BROTHERS STEMP HAVING TO LEAVE EARLY WE FOUND OURSELVES UP AGAINST IT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT WITH ONLY 1 SUBSTITUTE AND WE MET UP WITH CAMMY FROM DUNBAR (WHO HELPED US OUT AGAINST NORTH BERWICK IN THE 7-A-SIDE FRIENDLY JUST RECENTLY, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION ) AND THE REST OF HIS TEAM. THIS WAS A GREAT CONTEST FOR BOTH TEAMS AND AS LUCK SHOULD HAVE IT GULLANE WALKED AWAY THE VICTOR WITH A HARD FOUGHT 4 -3 VICTORY, WHICH WAS 4 – 2 JUST MOMENTS BEFORE A LAST GASP GOAL FOR DUNBAR BEFORE THE FINAL WHISTLE.
PERFORMANCES TO MENTION:- THIS IS NOW BECOMING A REGULAR THING SO I MAY GIVE IT ITS OWN SECTION FROM NOW ON, ANYWAY I DIGRESS, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER HERE WE GO.
BENJI B. HAS STARTED TO COME INTO HIS OWN REALLY PERFERRING A RIGHT WING ROLE (ALTHOUGH HAPPY ON EITHER SIDE) USING HIS PACE AND HE MANAGED TO GRAB A REALLY NICE SOLO GOAL BREAKING THROUGH MIDFIELD ON HIS OWN TO REALLY BLAST THE BALL PAST THE COCKENZIE GOALIE WHO WAS LEFT WITH NO CHANCE AS BENJI STRUCK THE BALL PERFECTLY.
JOSH M.C. CONTRIBUTED A COUPLE OF TALKING POINTS, FOLLOWING UP A HARRY S SHOT PARRIED FROM THE GOALIE TO SCORE AN OUTSTANDING AND POWERFUL VOLLEY AGAINST DUNBAR “2”(WITHOUT EVEN BREAKING HIS STRIDE), AS WELL AS A LONG RANGE SOLO GOAL ALSO AGAINST DUNBAR “2”, THIS WAS TOPPED OFF WITH KEEPING A CLEAN SHEET IN A RARE APPEARANCE IN GOALS AGAINST ABERLADY AND SOME FINE DEFENSIVE WORK AGAINST DUNBAR “1” IN THE FINAL GAME.
CAMERON F. WITH SIOME GREAT TWISTING AND TURNING CREATING LOTS OF SPACE FOR HIM AND HIS TEAM ESPECIALLY BRINGING US BACK INTO THE GAME AGAINST LONGNIDDRY HOLDING THE BALL UP FOR HIS TEAMMATES AND HIS OWN OPPORTUNITIES ON GOAL AND SOME GREAT GOALS AS WELL AS A RARE APPEARANCE IN DEFENCE IN WHICH HE PERFORMED ADMIRABLY.
OLLIE S. YET AGAIN PROVIDED GREAT ENERGY AND IN PARTICULAR ONE FANTASTIC GOAL AGAINST DUNBAR “2” FROM AN ANGLE SO TIGHT MARCO VAN BASTEN WOULD HAVE BEEN JEALOUS.
HARRY S. PROVIDING SOME GOOD PLAY, GREAT STRENGTH, GOALS AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP IN HIS LAST GAME EVEN THOUGH HE WAS SCYTHED DOWN AT ONE POINT HE JUST DUSTED HIMSELF OFF AND GOT HIMSELF A GREAT GOAL.
HARRY O’. REALLY WORKING HARD ON EITHER WING AND IN DEFENSE WITH AN APPEARANCE AS A FORWARD BUT HIS TALKING POINT WAS IN GOALS AGAINS DUNBAR “1” WITH AN AMAZING DOUBLE SAVE KEEPING OUR NECKS ABOVE WATER.
CHRISTIAN L. WAS OUR POWER DEFENDER AGAINST DUNBAR “1” AND HE SDHOWED GOOD VERSATILITY IN VARIOUS POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE TOURNAMENT.
CHARLIE G. HAD A GREAT DAY SHOWING VERSATILITY, GOALS AND DSICIPLINE COUPLED WITH SOME GREAT PASSING MOVES AND SKILLS ESPECIALLY IN THE OPENING GAME AND CONTINUED TO IMPRESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
AGAIN A HUGE THANKS TO THE PLAYERS FOR ALL THEIR EFFORTS AND GOOD SPIRITED FOOTBALL, AND OF COURSE TO ALL THE MUMS AND DADS FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT US AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR UPCOMING FORNMAT CHANGE TO 7-A-SIDE.
JUST ONE MORE FUTSAL FESTIVAL TO GO THIS WEEKEND (SAT 13TH) BUT THEY’VE ALL BEEN GREAT FUN FOR OUR 07 SQUAD SO FAR AND THIS WEEKEND WE SEE RORY COMING BACK INTO THE FOLD AFTER A LEAVE OF ABSENCE (TOURNAMENT WISE) TO BOLSTER THE RANKS FURTHER.
REMEMBER G.A.A.F.C. AGM COMING UP ON 24TH FEBRUARY AND MANY THANKS TO ANGUS F, WHO HAS NOW LAUNCHED A NEW “APP” FOR ALL US MUMS AND DADS WITH SMART PHONES OR TABLETS IT SHOULD MAKE THINGS A LITTLE SIMPLER FOR UPDATES SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AND IM SURE ANGUS WILL BE ABLE TO HELP THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN’T GET IT SET UP PROPERLY (SORRY ANGUS )