Mario Pisano reports: After frantic negotiations with agents to bring in fresh blood to the club, Adam managed to recruit three new faces before the dealine expired. A new goalkeeper (Joe), a centre half (Rob) and a midfield player (Dan).
A few words from Adam before the game about playing the ball on the ground and not hoofing it, seemed to have sunk in, as we started the game with some good football.
There aren't enough superlatives to describe my 1st half performance, just to say it was Messi(esc) and also showed I'm a team player by letting myself be substituted so that Dan could have a run out and to see what he was made of.
As the game progressed, it was obvious, that the Hackney boys hadn't taken my advice to attend 'Anger management' classes during the off season, but some did manage to find themselves WAGS, who came out to watch us and make sarcastic comments when they felt their boyfriends were being wronged by the opponents.
Two of our goals were well taken after some fine attacking play by the Hackney boys. The penalty came about when Ben tried a Rooney(esc) style 'shinner' and the ref felt he was impeded while in flight.
The penalty was so well struck by Joe that even though their goalkeeper got a hand to it, it still bulged the back of the net.
This was a game we should have won, Joe in goal, made some fine saves and seemed commanding on corners. Jeffs Chippy's goalkeeper wasn't to be outshone and also made some fine saves, but if the Hackney boys were as ruthless in front of goal as they are when answering back to the ref, we would have won the game. The case in point being when Liam, who was outstanding all game and seemed to go past their defenders at will, collected the ball, out sprinted their defender, went around the goalkeeper and with the gaping goal at his mercy, decided to do a 'Balotelli' and back heel the ball into the net, but he din't hit the ball hard enough giving the defender time to clear it.
It was 3-2 for a long time and the final whistle couldn't come soon enough, but a mistake at the back allowed Jeffs Chippy to equalise. It was a game we should have won as we were the better side.
Team: Joe, Aaron, Ben Chambers, Chris (Adam), Connor Joseph, Joe Haley, Liam Greenaway, Mario Pisano (Dan), Max Bland, Russ, Rob.