Saturday, May 02, 2015

ARFC in unlucky 2-2 draw


Playing against OVA under-40 team where almost all their players actually looked below 25, ARFC was really unlucky to draw 2-2 at the Victoria School pitch.

ARFC was supported by Lingzhi, Ron’s capable wife.

To a suggestion, ARFC played in an unarthodox 3-4-3 formation as follows:

Keeper - Commanding Ismail
Stopper - Unpredictable Blackburn 
Sweeper - Combative Ron
Stopper - Towering Toh
Left wing-back - Unbeatable Darren
Rigt wing-back - Speedy Hee
Centre-mid - Dynamic Soon
Centre-mid - Influential Sebastian (captain)
Striker - Nippy Kenny
Striker - ARFC Scoring Legend Haron
Striker - Powerful Alvin

Subs:

Skilful Weilit (late)
Talented Chun Haw (late)
Wonder Wayne (slightly late)

Absent:

Steely Tze Ern
Hard-man Tjioe
Impeccable How Meng
Talisman Derrick
Marauding Guoxiong
Dependable Jinzhong
Astute-reading sweeper Elvis 
Sublime Khim

ARFC threatened almost immediately. From the left flank, Alvin picked up Kenny whose rocket just clipped the bar and over. Unlucky!

7 mins later, a flowing move saw Blackburn passed to Kenny and then to Alvin while Soon continued his run from deep. Alvin spotted Soon's run and put him through, leaving the opponent's defence in tatters.  With their keeper to beat, however, Soon could not keep his place-shot down and put the ball to row Z.

ARFC finally opened the scoring. Blackburn's corner was met by Toh whose majestic leap saw him headed the ball back into the 6-yard area. With their defence in sixes and sevens, Alvin reacted quickest when he leaped and kneed the ball home for his 253rd ARFC goal goal. 1-0

Ismail then showed what he is made of when he dashed out quickly to thwart their striker who was through. 

The opponents then scored en equalizer. 1-1

ARFC regained the lead through fortuitous manner. From a cleared high ball to about 47 metres out, Sebastian executed a sepak takraw-like kick with his inside right foot to send the ball back into the penalty box. The ball took a heavy bounce and their keeper then misjudged the flight of the ball after a little pressure from Haron. The end result? The ball bounced over the keeper for Sebastian's 97th ARFC goal. 2-1

In the 2nd half. ARFC began to tire but still conjured several chances.

First, Darren's left-wing cross went to the far post and Alvin nodded the ball back to the danger area just outside the 6-yard box. Wayne took a march from their defender but his fierce shot rattled off the post! Unlucky!

Alvin was then next to be unlucky when his shot bounced off the cross-bar.

The opponents then grabbed their second equalising goal to draw 2-2.

Voting results:

Ron - 10
Darren  -10
Alvin - 7
Soon - 5
Kenny -5
Toh - 3
Sebastian – 2

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