MOF SEASON 6 DIVISION 2
ROUND 11
KAMIKAZE FC vs MAK HITAM
21st Dec 2014
11am Mayflower Secondary
It was all set to be a shambolic day in KKZ's history. On the day of what was to be a mega-important league match against tough opponents, where a win was vital to keep pace with the league leaders, Kamikaze saw only 8 players turn out for a 11am kickoff with several key players out due to unforseen circumstances. The lack of a goalkeeper saw Manager Victor kit up and take his place in between the posts to signal a premature return from injury.
It was not how the team envisioned going into a must-win clash, but the 9 had a duty to perform and what unfolded would provide a legendary topic for years to follow, as they carried out the ultimate smash and grab result against a revitalised Mak Hitam outfit who would have surely fancied their chances.
From the first whistle, Mak Hitam knew what they had to do as they kept playing the long diagonals to put whatever remained of the Kamikaze defence under pressure. But in Prem, Nesh and Jayraj, there were three of the most experienced defenders in Kamikaze history and they knew exactly what they had to do to hold on to a chance of winning.
The midfield saw, Gerard and Mohaan partnered by Pira and Doctor as their first priority was to give cover to the defence and hope that the inspirational Safar upfront could pull off a magic. The tactic of lying deep and relying on well-planned counter-attack paid dividends even as Mak Hitam scored first from a long throw set-piece.
A quick counter-attack saw Kamikaze break quickly, and a foul inside the penalty box saw them being awarded a penalty, from which Gerard made no mistake from.
Any hope of good luck shining their way was soon shaken as they saw two penalties awarded against them in the second half. But when the second-penalty was missed by a nervous Mak Hitam forward, Kamikaze began to believe that this might be their day after all. Their belief became stronger, when Mohaan ran close to 40 yards before finishing a move that drew the team level.
And just when it seemed that a draw might be the best they get, against the run of play, Doctor unleashed a scorcher that the Mak Hitam keeper could not hold on to, and it seemed that footballing gods were on KKZ's side after all.
Manager Victor was in no celebratory mood though,
"I am very proud of the 9 of us today. There will be no man-of-the match awarded as all 9 are man-of-the match, but there is nothing to be happy about really. To see a team like KKZ only have 9 players for a league match is unacceptable. There will be consequences internally, but for now the priority is to sew up the league. And the fact that we are still in with a shot is thanks to these Spartan 9 who deserve sincere plaudits from everyone associated with Kamikaze!"
Squad: Victor (GK), Jayaraj, Prem (c), Nesh, Pira, Gerard, Mohaan, Doctor, Safar
Manager of The Day: Victor
Goals: Gerard. Mohaan, Doctor
Assists: Safar (2), Pira
Final Score: Kamikaze FC 3 - 2 Mak Hitam
Man Of The Match: Spartan 9
No comments:
Post a Comment