EM95 5 v 2 Red Star

April 24th, 2024 Clifton College Sports Ground

TEAM: Sir, Teague, Bri, Drane, Neil, Elf, Duds, Manny, Rick, Stu, Sheri SUBS: Jones, Alex

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RED STAR EVENTUALLY DIMMED

After a lot of squad availability ping-pong, Monday showed up with a strong squad along with a strong list of absentees (always a positive sign for the future).

The 95ers were ready for a must win game and Stu kept the pre match chat simple, press all over the pitch and keep the ball on the floor. 

During his pre-match team talk Stu asked the lads to play the game in their half, Sheri took this too literally, playing it from kick-off straight in behind the first Red Star line after a trademark pirouette. At least he didn't boot it out of play this time. But apparently Elf had made his move too soon so Monday had to re-take the KO.

Stu, later commented… “The first five mins were a bit messy and Draner had a couple of brain farts, but then we settled down.”

From there on, until half time the 95ers didn't give Red Star much of a sniff.

Manny was relentless, pressing so high he was almost playing alongside Stu and Sheri as a front three. When Red Star had the ball, it wasn't long before one of the midfiled (usually Duds) got a foot in to claim it back.

The Monday movement was good, so there was always a pass on and they made the most of the lovely surface, linking it up nicely.

Bri wandered through from the back a few times, Neil was always available for the ball from full back. The Blues overloaded their opponents and made plenty of chances, although – as usual – quite a few went over the bar. But it felt like a goal was coming.

Stu wiggled through a couple of players and got brought down. Bri hit the free kick hard and low and it deflected towards to corner, but the keeper got across impressively.

On another attack Monday broke down the right and Sheri pulled it back to Stu just outside the box, making an unsually clean connection the ball hit the top of the post.

Monday worked the ball from right to left and Elf played it across the six yard box. Ricky had made a postive run in from the opposite flank and slammed it home. Everyone was playing on the front foot. 1-0

Colonel made a couple of changes, bringing on Al and Steve – fresh legs to keep the tempo high. That made Sheri grumpy because they weren't in the pre-match plan, which Colonel knew nothing about because Stu hadn't told him.

Despite his head injury (playing earlier in the season for todays opponents) Draner had remembered how to play, and on the 2-3 occasions that Red Star tried to break through he snuffed it out.

Draner pinged a lovely switch ball to Al who killed it with a sexy first touch and played it square. Sheri flicked it on and Stu got a shot off, but the keeper was there again.

Sheri got in behind a couple of times only to be flagged offside. It felt like the second goal would come soon enough.

Bri was keeping standards high by bollocking his team mates for any imperfection, especially if he thought they were 'fucking about' with the ball. That's what leadership looks like.

He was strangely lost for words when, during a rare Red Star attack, he attempted a step over and presented the ball to the oppo centre forward who then scored with Red Star's first shot of the game.

Sheri observed… “Total domination soon turned into a sucker punch of our own doing. A pass to Bri who deliberately let it through his legs was intercepted, a swift pass left, one touch and in the net and we had been mugged. 1-1 at half time  disappointing after a dominant display minus just one moment.”

Stu told his loyal TikTok fans… “The first half was lots of controlled fart but little shite. The second was mainly follow-through. We delivered the goods, but with less control. The ball was pinging loose more and we felt stretched and a bit more vulnerable to the counter attack. Someone wondered whether the pitch had got bigger.”

Maybe it was the Red Star midfielder with robot knees who had come on. He was eye-catching on the ball, but his main highlight was jumping up and down, waving his arms like a toddler in frustration at a team mate.

The second half started scrappy with Red Star showing more signs of attack and more even play. After some ‘encouraging’ words from Neil to Morgs a moment of magic. Morgs did some sort of high kick that flew into the net 2-1, great goal.This lifted the Monday and they pushed forward again and forced a corner.

From the corner Duds fired a great bullet header into the top corner. Stu had told Duds "this is yours" as he headed into the box, apparently he’s claiming an assist for his header. 3-1 With these two top class goals the Blues looked like they had a comfortable lead with 20 mins to go.

To their credit Red Star kept coming and a driving run by their centre mid somehow resulted in some form of mix up as the ball got through two defenders and Sir Lee, leaving him a tap in, 3-2 and the Monday were back under pressure.

Sheri told reporters after the game..,. “`We responded well and thankfully Morgs scored what can only be described as a slow dribble shot into the far left corner, which was strange given how good their keeper had been. 4-2.”

It felt like game over but it was definitely game over when Sheri found Morgs who had Manny shouting at him, take them on, Morgs duly obliged and was hacked down just inside the box, penalty given.

Stu promptly took the penalty, placing it to the keepers right. Given how good the Red Star keeper had been all game it was no surprise that he saved the penalty, but luckily Manny was following up and tapped it home. Stu later commented… “ I deliberately fluffed the pen to create the opportunity for Manny to tap in – the goal his performance deserved.” Jonesy was having fun down the left, cutting inside and showing flashes of his younger self. Marcus, as usual was giving nothing away. 

Sir Lee continued his heroics, playing with a chipped bone in his ankle, looked like he was walking on stumps by the end.

Full Time 5-2 which despite the roller coaster of a game was a result the Monday would have taken all day long at the start.

As usual with Red Star the game was played in a truly Corinthian spirit and a third consecutive title is still on. MoM: Duds