Toppled Ballstars Still Win League The night belonged to the talented young lads from The Academy but the season is owned by the Brazilian Ballstars. A more dramatic final round to the Wanaka Futsal League of Champions could not have been scripted. Read on… The story was pitched before the first ball of the evening was kicked, that the Brazilian Ballstars required a draw or win against the Academy to secure the league title. If things didn’t go to plan for the old boys from the Ballstars, whose average age is 40, then they had to rely on the talents of the enigmatic WPC team and keep fingers and toes crossed that they could win the league on their behalf by beating or drawing against The A Team later on in the evening. The action began however with the lovable Misfits taking on the boys from Treble Cone, otherwise known as, Your Mums Athletic. At half time with the scores deadlocked at six each, there was a sense of an upset. All season the Misfits have scored just 12 goals and here they were, playing composed and classy futsal, trading blow with blow against a slightly bewildered looking, YMA. However, normal service was to return in the second half when the legs of the Misfits, who were without spare players on the side line, began to tire, YMA pushing clear and beyond to a final score line of 12-6. Meanwhile, a big crowd had gathered in the gods to watch the gigantic showdown of the night, The Academy against the league leaders, the Brazilian Ballstars. They were about to witness the game of season. The atmosphere was electric, the air was tense, the players focussed. A job had to be done. Both sides arrived with a plan. The Ballstars dropped three into defence with a sole attacker in an attempt to shield their goals from the anticipated potent attack of the team in white. The Academy played a more conventional diamond shaped set up, relying on their speed down the flanks. Shots were taken and saved at both ends but as the players walked off at half time, the buttons on the scoreboard had not been used. In the end it was the Ballstars who broke the dead lock about 3 minutes into the second half but this lead was short-lived as a casual clearance from their defence fell to the feet of one of the youngsters who took pleasure in nailing the ball into the back of the net to collect the equaliser. High drama was to then to follow when only seconds later Ballstars keeper Kerry Lang was judged to have pushed one of the Academy players in the back and a penalty was awarded and duly converted. 2-1. The Academy seemed in control and in a matter of minutes had kicked on and scored again giving them a cushion of two goals. But the Ballstars were not done with and they brought the score-line back to a nail-biting 3-2 with just a few lonely minutes on the clock. Their comeback goal, came as the Academy players were singing in chorus about the referees judgement call regarding a kick in. The rule, don’t stop competing until you’ve heard the referee’s whistle, is the one of the first rules you should learn in sport. Luckily for the Academy lads, on this occasion, although it cost them composure for a few minutes it didn’t cost them the game and when the final whistle blew, they had hung on for a win by the narrowest of margins. The fate of the Ballstar’s season now fell into the hands of a WPC performance, whilst the A Team, only had a secure a win to claim the title. It was always going to a blinder of a game, title on the line or not. Both sides famously play a physical game and no change was being given throughout this encounter as the referee had to warm both sides about their conduct. With fire in their bellies, it was WPC who scored first. The A Team retaliated by peppering the WPC goal with shot after shot, most of the efforts from distance, most of them wayward. It was desperate stuff. However, when the equaliser came, no one could say it wasn’t deserved and when the A Team scored again to take the lead with just over two minutes remaining, with them seemingly, finally, beginning to dominate play, it looked like their dream was about to be realised. However, WPC were back at them at a furious pace and within seconds they had equalised. The last minute of the match was played at frenetic pace. The Ballstars team members, who could bear to watch proceedings, clung to the sides of their seats, praying WPC could hold on……which they did. The final score line of 2-2 meant the Ballstars had won the league, and that certain members of their squad owed WPC a few beers for a job well done. The A Team had gone out fighting (literally) but it was not enough. However, they can take great satisfaction out of the fact that no team has scored as many goals as they have or had as fewer goals scored against them. The final game of the evening was rendered a 3-0 victory for the Ordinary Joes as the Cape Horn Kings were unable to field a side. Next week is the FA Cup Final, where the MAC Gym will host the The Ballstars against The Academy in an eagerly anticipated rematch of this week’s mammoth encounter. Can the Ballstars land a revengeful blow and take out the coveted League/Cup double? In runners up tournaments we see; the A Team play Cape Horn Kings (3rd &4th), Misfits play WPC (5th & 6th) and Ordinary Joes take on YMA (7th and 8th).
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 03:14:10 +0000
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