The Eagles have landed!

Fresh after the weeks break AC arrived at Balwyn ready, well ready to have an in-depth conversation and deep analysis into; the infamous Harry Kewell hand ball, the All Whites and of course team Ingerland’s insipid performance to date. This may have been just the pre-game distraction required for AC to forget about the mounting pressure for a win.

The home of Boorandara’s Purple Eagles, Hislop Reserve, was like stepping out on a pitch in Ol’ Ingerland. The rain was falling, the pitch heavy and both boxes caked in mud; perfect for football.
A pre match vote was taken and it was unanimous; Tim would line up in goal in place of the injured Wong (mainly cause he was the only one not in the rooms at that time). Poor Tim had arrived with new boots ready to thump balls out of defence, but not from the very last line. Tim’s fate was clear and like a true champion, in a time of crisis, he stood up for his team.

Kick off, and much of the early going was like watching a high school dance. Both teams were feeling each other out; AC being the dominant male, and fittingly the purple eagles filling the female role.

Seventeen minutes in Damo, the proud Kiwi, picked the pocket of an Eagle attacker and charged down the left wing with the ball before sliding it into the box to Shane Smeltz, I mean Hendo. Hendo then turned provider laying off to Norn-Iron Pete who slotted home his second for the season; 1-0

You guessed it, five minutes later then Purple Eagle’s managed to answer and level the game up; 1-1.

AC’s were buoyed by the underdog’s performance in the World Cup so far and decided to take it to the highly fancied Eagles. Despite a minor confusion with substitutions, the back three were dominant, not letting a thing through. For the first time this year Malvern were using their wings with Marty and Phillips controlling the wide balls and creating chances for the front paring of Ralpha and Hendy.

The front pairing would combine brilliantly with Ralpha playing through Hendy to have him one on one with the keeper. Hendy did what Hendy does, dancing around the keeper and scoring Malvern’s second. Then in an uncharacteristic move he charged down the corner flag, pulled it out and did his best impersonation of Craig Bellamy’s controversial goal celebration, pictured. Look for the coming weeks where we are sure to see him copy Robbie Fowler’s line sniffing celebration. This little furry Meerkat can’t wait for that one.

Just before the break the Eagles started to challenge, unleashing shots on target, but stand in keeper Tim, having a cracker of a game, was more than up for the challenge ensuring AC held their 2-1 lead.

HALF TIME


Joga Bonito, or play beautifully was the instruction at half time and the boys did not disappoint. Straight from the off they controlled possession and continued the elegant delivery forward evident in the first half.


An early attacking move from the Eagles was snuffed out quick smart. Pressured by Captain Cresswell, the Eagles allowed Pete to steal the ball, then turn and go. He charged down the right, returning the favour from earlier by laying off to Hendy. Hendy, unselfishly played in Marty who banged home his second for the season; 3-1.

Plenty of chances came and went for both teams with inaccuracy costing Malvern but Tim countless saves keeping the score line at 3-1.

With ten minutes to go, and AC looking likely for to hold on for a surprise victory; Marty stepped up to seal the Eagles fate. The Monster controlled the ball outside the box and had plenty of goal scoring options at his disposal. Instead he launched his boot into the ball and found the back of the net from distance. 4-1

The Eagles had a chance late with a free kick within range. The resident Balwyn Geezer stepped up and curled past the wall. Twinkle Toes Tim looking more like Rubber Man stretched and pushed the ball over the bar for a great save.

The final whistle went soon after and a new sense of belief is starting to build. This week’s game again without Wong, will be a tough test. Lining up against second place Caulfield Grammer, AC need only look to NZ and the All Whites for inspiration.


AC Malvern 4 – 1 Eagles
Marty 2, Henderson, Phillips


Mannie’s man of the match: Tim Nolan
WAG’s man of the match: Rich Owen

News in brief:
- The AC Malvern Blog has reach a milestone; 1,000 hits. Regular visitors feature from near and far. The UK, Ireland, USA, Span, Russia and of course Australia.

42 minutes of fun, then done.......the end is nigh!

The Stadium of Sh*t this week played host to the final match before the season break and a well earned rest for the lads in red and black. AC would line up against the only team below them; Old Scotch.

Scotch College is a school that promotes itself as the incubator of our nation’s future leaders. A testament to their tag line is a distinguished list of alumni that includes no less than; three Governer-Generals, one Prime Minister, four Justices of the High Court, eight State Premiers and one cast member of the highly successful Channel Ten series; House. Would we be lucky enough to see a little Johnny Howard or even a Kevin07 amongst them today? Only time would tell.

I said last week that AC plays like champions against the leagues elite and dogs against the cellar dwellers, or something like that. Well, this week would be no different.

Lining up for yet another match where we encounter another kit clash and the resultant sea of red, AC were confident of a win. The ref quickly established a way to tell the difference between the teams. Instead of the traditional shirts and skins, it was a case of collars popped and not.
The match started with much of the possession controlled by AC who strung passes together and managed to force turnovers at will. As has been the case for most of the season AC lacked the potency in the final third; missing many opportunities to gain ascendancy on the scoreboard.

A beautiful piece of work that started with Hendy snatching the ball from an OS opponent and delivering to Captain Cresswell before channelling the ball through to Coults, then Tim and back to Captain Cresswell. A fantastic build up and an illustration of the domination and control through the midfield; however the lobbed through ball found no one running into the space and an easy clearance from the future leaders. AC was playing true AFC football, or in golfing terms they were driving for show, but not able to putt for the dough.

Ralpha was next to step up and try drive one into the back of the net. A free kick outside the box ; this is the big mans bread and butter, but today he cleared the wall and landed it plum in the hands of the goal keeper.

Scotch weren’t without their chances, but a cat like Wong was up for the task making a few good saves. It seems that the mid week training session with club legend and former goalkeeper Jack paid huge dividends. So much so, that the entire team will be embarking on mid week training for here on in. Very un-AC like!

Attacking runs from Flemo, Coults and the debutant QV were causing problems, but it wasn’t until the 39th minute that things would change. Captain Cresswell played the ball beautifully along the ground from a free kick attempting to find Hendy. First to pounce on this occasion was Marty Monster with his back to gaols. Marty shimmied left, then dropped the shoulder and spun right before unleashing from outside the box and finding the bottom left corner. 1-0

Of course AC would try hold out until half time with a lead, and of course this would not happen. The lead was surrendered in the 43 minutes from an OS corner. The ball floated in and confused defenders lost sight of it until it was sliding into the back of the net. 1-1

HALF TIME

Something happened in the rooms at half time. What it was exactly is more mysterious than Rafa’s half time speech in the 2005 Champions League final. Unfortunately, unlike that day in May 2005 the result would be the polar opposite. AC started the second half looking like a team of under tens, ball chasing.

All fluency and control from the first half had disappeared and the boys were content with lobbing long balls forward to no one in particular. OS were starting to take over proceedings and didn’t their supporters love it.

The ref took time out from his busy schedule of overseeing the match to acquaint himself with the Old Scotch supporters (pictured). All were dressed splendidly in Ralph Lauren polo’s with collars “popped”. The smug bunch was standing by sipping Verve and eating Caviar that their servants had prepared earlier and weren’t ready for what happened next. The Ref clearly not understanding their status in society, reprimanded them suggesting that “such indulgence had no place on the sidelines of football match. It would be more at home on the Polo fields of Portsea”. The upset bunch put away the booze and returned to supporting their beloved Old Scotch.

This is a public service announcement: The only, and I mean only person who looks cool with their collar popped is Eric Cantona (pictured) after slotting home a winner.

Back to the match: A despondent and lost Malvern dropped their bundle and despite numerous tactical changes by Rafa Dennis, OS managed to slot home two goals to lead 3-1.

A few late chances came about, the highlight being a run down the left wing from QV who crossed back into the centre of the box, but without result.

Today was a dirty day for Malvern on the pitch and they go into the break with the unenviable label of bottom placed team; staring down the barrel of relegation. One can only hope that the boys rally and revisit the form of last year where last place at the break they then ended up with a forth place finish and promotion.

AC Malvern 1 – 3 Scotch Collars
Marty


Mannie’s man of the match: Marty Matthews
WAG’s man of the match: Steve Cresswell

News in brief:
- Coach Rafa Dennis is in discussion with AC management to negaotiate the terms of the early payout of his contract.

If only games were 37.9 minutes

The lads from AC finally picked themselves up off the canvas after a draining battle against the boys from Bayside. The game had taken its toll; in fact the season was starting to take its toll on the ageing elite. Discussion at the selection table this week would be short and sweet. “Who has two legs and a heartbeat? They’re in and do they have friends?”

Coming up against the might of South Yarra this week AC had an injury list longer than Tommy Lee’s swollen appendage. Missing from the line up was; Henderson (groin), Coulter (groin), Nolan (groin), Brien (probably groin), Dennis (who on earth knows why, but we’ll say groin), Damo (hung over from Kiwi’s win over Serbia), Mota (GIANT laceration across the cranium) and who could forget Pricey who was off on a romantic smoke free weekend (so is likely to be out with next week with a groin).

The day provided a few challenges even before kick off. Arriving to mark the pitch pre-game the lads found a deficiency of paint in the cobweb riddled cupboards and with the ref threatening to call off the game, it was panic stations. Never fear though, Sparky Coulter resorted back to line marking methods from yesteryear rolling out a wheelbarrow full of chalk around the park. After hand painting the pitch Pro Hart style he looked like an Olympic gymnast with obsessive compulsive disorder (pictured).

The final challenge at the Stadium of Sh*te, apart from toppling the second placed team, was South Yarra’s inability to provide an away strip causing a ridiculous kit clash.

Finally we are ready for kick off and would reputation count for anything? If so, South Yarra would waltz to a double digit win today.

What I love about good ol’ AC is their ability to lift for games like this and take it to the higher placed teams. Of course the inverse is true as the play terrible against the lower placed teams. That aside, SY kicked off proceedings with the intensely strong wind and they looked rattled against a determined AC. Now I’m not certain if it was the kit clash, or a very determined AC, but SY just couldn’t keep the ball.

AC looked poise, polished and uncharacteristically controlled over the ball. The first heart fluttering moment came in the sixth minute. A ball into the box had SY clambering to clear, but with panic evident the result was a hand ball just outside the box. Ralpha, salivating at the chance stepped up and curled the ball past the wall and out of reach of the diving keeper, finding the top right corner. Goal, 1-0 could this be an upset in the making?

Three minutes later, against the run of play, SY shimmied forward before unleashing a cracking shot at goal only to have a fully out stretched Wong push the ball over the crossbar.

What followed was a half where AC dominated possession as well as physical intimidation of the yappy SY snipers. The AC newbies; Ted, Dave and Matt all playing well and with Pete and Marty dominating the wings, and Owen and Pinkney directing defence, things were looking good for a shock result if they could hold out.

AC nearly held out, but 38 minutes in their luck ran out. A dubious handball call inside the SY box warranted the ref to blow his whistle and point to the spot. Rubbing salt into the wound the SY keeper stepped up to take the kick and duly slotted home; 1-1.

HALF TIME

The second half started with AC trying to dominate with the wind at their backs; however cracks were showing in their fitness. SY were starting to get back into the game and use the ball wisely. An arm wrestle ensued in tandem with a physical and verbal battle. AC was winning the physical and verbal, but that doesn’t affect the scoreboard, with SY managing to slot home a goal. 1-2

AC’s chance to redeem came via a free kick outside the box with Jay taking over free kick duties. The plucky Irish lad put his right Copa Mundial boot through the ball and rocketed it goal-ward. The thunderous strike smashed the crossbar and upright before heading wide. No goal and no luck.

South Yarra would pile on two more goals as the boys ran out of steam and the injury count grew further. The question wasn’t what would the result be, but who would still be standing for next week’s game?

With 90 minutes gone and five goals into the nets a deflated AC walked off only to have to listen to a less than humble SY chant their club song. An echoing sound which more at home in the terraces in London. Who on earth does that at this level? So very, very under 12’s.

Another “honourable” loss for AC and the path ahead leads to a bottom of the table clash against the fiscal elite of Old Scotch. Ac need look no further than this little peach for inspiration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq_cwwWcyqQ

AC Malvern 1 – 4 Under 12 choir boys

Ralpha

Mannie's Man of the match: Rich Owen

WAG's Man of the match: Ted

News in brief:

The WAG’s were beside themselves with laughter this week. They now think that they have found an unbeatable candidate for the worst haircut of season 2010. South Yarra’s “Rat Boy” has taken the title with his shaved head and sh*tlocks

Rumour is rife of an early return for Hendy marking the bottom of the table shoot out this week as the most likely return

Useless stat:

45.5% of goals this season have come from set pieces