FLYBOYS vs FAMILY GADONG

FLYBOYS 1

FAMILY GADONG 3



Here we are folks, the final game of the season. Flyboys assembled at the RBRC grandstand looking to round off the season with a good performance and positive result before the festive break. Opponents today are team Family Gadong, of which our defensive stalwart Hj. Hendra will line up with. Flyboys line up from the back was a bit more younger and inexperienced than usual without the presence of key defensive players Hj. Effendy and Nasrul who were not able to make it. So there was full debuts for newbiez Aslam and Zulkhair with Hanif taking a spot on the bench.

Rosli started in goal, R to L at the back was Zul-Amali, Zulkhair, Azman and Aslam. Midfield R to L Ismail, Irwanizam, Jiri and Syazwi. Upfront saw the return of fox-in-the-box Amir with strike partner Zul-Fadli.

The game kicked-off with Team Family Gadong sporting a yellow and black kit similar to the Flyboys 2nd kit. Early in the half, Flyboys were dealt a serious blow as Irwanizam, in his efforts to fend off a couple of opposing players fell awkwardly under a challenge and stayed down for sometime needing some treatment. This in fact was the end of his participation forcing the first change of the game to be made by Flyboys with the introduction of Julian taking up the void central midfield position.

Team FG stated their intent early on with a couple of lofted balls over the top to catch out a Flyboys defence lacking in menacing pace. Their strategy soon paid dividends as one such ball was unable to be intercepted by either Azman or Aslam and a senior Team FG player made a prospective attempt on goal which initially looked as if it was over, but dipped in under the bar at the wrong moment for Flyboys and beyond the reach of Rosli. 1-0 to Team FG.

Capt Amir made a commanders decision to switch Aslam and Julian. The change proved to be good as Aslam got more of the ball in midfield and Julian added some much needed pace to the backline. Soon flyboys started to take the initiative and push forward. There was a period where Flyboys were winning a succession of cornerkicks which were well delivered but Flyboys were unable to capitalize on.

However, the pace of team FG’s frontline continued to cause problems, as their goalie made a huge punt up the pitch, their striker was quickest to it making a run out wide, Zulkhair chased him down as Azman tracked back to catch his strike partner making a similar run to the far post. Goalie Rosli seemed to be in two minds whether or not to close the advancing striker down or stay on his line. It didn’t matter though as the striker whipped the ball across the goal to give his strike partner an easy tap in to double their lead.

Like a wounded beast, flyboys responded aggressively with positive forward play. The link-up between midfield and strikers was good. The best piece of play was when Amir found himself running wide right with the ball and making an excellent cross to pick out Zul-Fadli who rose well in front of his marker and diverted his header just above the crossbar. Not long after there was another glorious opportunity for Flyboys to peg one back, when Julian disguised his freekick to pass wide left to Syazwi who cut inside and lashed a deadly ball into the box but just behind several advancing Flyboys attackers. The half ended with the scoreline reading a sore 2-0.
2nd half

After the break, Flyboys switched to a 4-5-1 formation, Julian shifted inside to the heart of defence with Zulkhair moving to LB and Ismail playing in front of him on the left wing. Riduan who was late cause he was watching an ‘Orphan’ at the Mall slotted in at RM and Ali also came in to play CM. Flyboys continued to create openings in the 2nd half and there was a half-chance early on for Riduan when Julian delivered a long ball from a freekick, Rudy couldn’t make sufficient contact later saying that he wasn’t panas yet. Somewhat against the run of play though, Team FG added another.

Azman attempted to clear the ball but it fell kindly to an FG player who passed to his advancing teammate who looked as if he was offside, but it wasn’t given and despite Rosli coming out quickly to block the shot, it was 3-0. Flyboys kicked off and again responded by pressing forward. Once again our link up play between midfield and attack was good, as Jiri made a trademark mazy run thru the heart of the Team FG defence ignoring calls for him to pass the ball, he made a wonderful reverse pass to send Ali thru who made an equally excellent diagonal run from an onside position. Finding himself in a one v one position, Ali’s shot was just wide aiming for the bottom far post. When a goal did come for Flyboys, the move started from deep in our own half as Zul-Amali picked up a loose ball, he played a quick on-two with Azman and released the ball to Ali who unselfishly squared the ball to Amir. He took an instinctive but tame effort at goal which looked as if it was gonna roll softly into the warm hands of the FG goalie, but as if the ball had been sprayed with WD-40, it slipped thru his hands between his legs and crossed the goal line! And Flyboys pegged one back.

Hanif was introduced into the match replacing Zulkhair at RB who had a good 2nd half. He immediately found himself in action as Team FG started a few attacks from his side, but Julian was able to plug the gaps and Rosli came out when he was needed. Flyboys found themselves getting fouled on various occasions and were awarded a freekick just outside the box. Jiri stepped up to hit one and made an ambitious but affective lob which the goalie parried away for the corner.

As the match winded down, Flyboys started to leave gaps in the back leading to chances for Team FG but there was some good tracking back by Riduan to help out the defence. Towards the end of the match there was a corner kick and the lofted ball fell into the path of Syazwi who came back in, he took one touch to set himself up and just as he was about to pull the trigger the No.6 Team FG player came in ninja-kung-fu-style-two-footed and took away syazwi’s legs. Fearing the worst some Flyboys came to his aid only to be bemused by the sight of Syazwi rolling over in light laughter. The good news was that he was okay and the better news was that he had won us a late penalty.

Amir stepped up to take the ball and place it on the spot as in the distance a confident-looking Julian marched up wanting to try his luck at glory shouting out the words “Im not Hj. Effendy!!” in reference to the last penalty for the Flyboys which Capt Effendy shot wide.

Julian stepped up and wrote his name in the history books of Flyboys Football as the penalty smashed into the top corner with the keeper well and truly undeniably beaten....is what I would’ve liked to report, BUT he skied it high over the bar and ref Roslan blew his whistle to the relief of Team FG..


Man-Of-The-Match : Julian.. yes despite the inglorious pen miss which will live long in Flyboys history, his overall play was as usual excellent particularly when playing as makeshift centre back for the 2nd half away from his normal right back slot.

And so this ends our season thus-far as we break for the Holy month of Ramadhan. Once again a great thank you for those who participated and showed their support for Flyboys football whether you are putting on the boots and having a kick about or simply reading the blog and filling up 123.45MHz with your valued opinions. Hope to see a growing participation of players when we come back.

Please do accept my apologies for inconsistencies in reporting.
Have a happy and safe Ramadhan.

- FO Azman Hanif, B767 fleet.

NOTOC

Hopefully we'll have more players in this up coming game esp knowing
we all will be celebrating the fasting month a day or two after the game, which means there will be no game at least in the next 30 days.

The Scoreboard

Better luck next time guys... anyway thanks for coming.

FLYBOYS 0 PERUMAHAN 1

With the English Premier League just starting over the weekend, back in Brunei the Flyboys season is coming to an end (or short fasting/festive break) the 2^nd last game before Ramadhan was played against team Perumahan sporting a bright blue kit.

Once again flyboys numbers were lacking in the beginning, however this time we could afford the luxury of A sub, in the form of supersub/secret weapon : HocK .

The line up looked like this Goalkeeper : Capt Effendy seems to be enjoying his role as first choice goalkeeper these days,

Defence : RB Zul-Amali, LB Juliana, CB Wazien and Azman,

Midfield : RM Azrol, LM Shuk, CM Jiri and Sofian,

Strikers : Kenny and Zul-fadli

1^st Half :

The game had a bit of a cagey start as both teams tried to impose themselves. Flyboys struggled to create clear cut openings and at times found themselves on the backfoot on more than one occasion. Perumahan focused most their attacks down the flyboys right hand side, Zul-Amali had the impossible task of marking 2 players at a time. Fortunately though when they did break thru sweeper Wazien put his pace to good use mopping up the backline. Perumahan took several potshots at Flyboys goal from outside the box but not with enough quality to beat Hj. Effendy.

There was a succession of foul throws in the first half, mostly commited by Perumahan however one or two of the flyboys were also caught by the sharp eye of Ref Roslan. There were a couple of scary moments when the Flyboys backline was caught offguard and a Perumahan player found himself free in the box, Azman commited himself to a sliding tackle making no contact with the ball but neither with the player, who decided to go to ground. Shameful appeals for a penalty from the Perumahan players were justifiably waved away by the Ref. One moment also saw Julian coming across to cover the right side of the defence and the ball inadvertently made contact with a part of his arm, and again appeals were shunted. Quite quickly the first half came to a close with neither team looking close to breaking the deadlock.

2^nd Half

Some reshuffling was done as Nasrul arrived to take his place in the heart of defence along side Azman. Newestest Flyboys Rosli and Aslam were also to make appearances with Rosli taking the Goalkeepers gloves away from a relieved Hj. Effendy now free to take up his favoured position of central midfield maestro. Wazien shifted to RB, Shuk to striker partnering Kenny and supersub Hock was introduced to LM with Zul-Amali and Sofian making way.

Shuk’s positional change to free roaming Striker seemed to be a great move as he became a central figure in most of flyboys attacks. The most memorable moment was when Shukrina audaciously attempted to lob the goalkeeper from a range of almost 40 yards only for the ball to drop cruelly onto the crossbar with the goalie well and truly beaten... surely would’ve been a contender for goal of the season. As per usual these days flyboys reserved their best for the 2^nd half and quickly took control of proceedings. The introduction of Nasrul tightened whatever loose ends there were in the Flyboys backline and allowed the defence to hold a high line with Azman and Julian taking in turns to make short effective forays to support the midfield.

However, with things looking peachy for Flyboys, disaster struck 10 mins into the 2^nd half as a nothing ball forward was failed to be cleared on two occasions and a persistent Perumahan player lashed a venomous ball from distance aiming for the top corner of the net...Rosli having little to do before this was caught offguard as the vicious strike whisked thru his hands and flyboys were 1-0 down. Not to be deterred the flyboys mentality in these situations was simple...ATTACK!!!!

And Halfway thru the 2^nd half Kenny was given the best chance to break even as a glorious thru ball found him unmarked bursting thru the heart of the Perumahan defence, with only the keeper to beat, Kenny’s effort was disastrously saved by their plucky goalie. Flyboys continued to push forward strongly at every available opportunity crowding out the Perumahan penalty box with every set piece play. A freekick was won just on the outside righthand of Perumahan box, Hj. Effendy stepped up to whip a great ball into the area and Shuk rose the highest but his header was high.

Azrol also followed up with a diving far-post header from a searching deep cross by left back/winger Julian. One of the last clear chances came courtesy of a corner kick for Flyboys, lofted into the area, Perumahan failed to clear their lines and Azman tried with a trademark overhead kick which fell tamely into the hands of the Perumahan goalie.

With the many advances of Flyboys team, major gaps opened up for Perumahan to exploit on the counter. Far too often the Flyboys defence was caught against the odds in 3 v 2 situations but the defence remained solid under the watchful defending of Nasrul and Perumahan failed to capitilise in situations that favoured them. The last kick of the game was an overhead pass from hj. Effendy to release fast runner Wazien but the whistle blew before he could get to it and so the result ended in a disappointing but spirited 1-0 defeat to flyboys.

Once again flyboys didn’t get the result that the performance merited, but so long as everyone had a good run out and enjoyed themselves, the Flyboys spirit shall remain strong. Last game will be on Thursday 20^th. For those who are unable to make this, thank you for participating and hope to see you again after festive break.

Man-Of-The-Match : Shukrimin...had a quiet first half on the Left midfield slot, but became Flyboys central attacking figure in the 2^nd half, unfortunate not to score wonder goal.

Please accept my apologies for any discrepancies in reporting.

- FO Azman Hanif, B767 Fleet.

NOTOC

Hopefully we will see more players turning up for the match as it could be a
testimonial match for Julian, who will be leaving us for UK to start his flying school.
( Farewell party right after the match, kan Julian )

FlyBoys vs Traffic Services

After two weeks away from the beautiful game, match day is once again upon us. FlyBoys turn up 13 men strong, braving the haze and the appalling air quality.
To begin the game, FlyBoys has to make do with 11 players. Not to be perturbed, Hj Effendy organises the team to maximise the limited resources.

1st Half Formation:
Goalkeeper: Hj Effendy
Defence: A changeup defensively with Wazien playing as sweeper and Hendra just ahead of him. Julian down the right back position and local import Izzat playing as left back
Midfield: The familiar matchup of Jerry and Hafiizh in the middle with Sofian (returning from injury) and Riduan supporting down the left and right flanks respectively
Striker: Syazwi and Ali were tasked with the goal scoring

The whistle blows
Donning their familiar bright yellow kit, FlyBoys try to set the pace early in the game. However the opposition midfield is working just as hard to the same end. Much of the first half sees the opposition racing down the left and right flanks or attempt cheeky chips over the head of the last defender. The FlyBoys defence however are equal to these multiple attempts and stand strong.
The midfield partnership of Jerry and Hafiizh give the opposition midfielders a run for their money, releasing balls for both wingers as well as the strikers. A different approach is taken to get to goal; with the speed of Ismail lacking up front, the strikers receive balls to their feet and try to hold it up while support gallop upfield. To mix it up, Ali and Syazwi take on the opposition defence getting as far as the penalty box but get crowded out by the backtracking opposition defence and are unable to pull the trigger.
The opposition find themselves in good shooting positions just outside the FlyBoys penalty box and when the defence are not able to close the attacker down quick enough Hj Effendy comfortably handles the shots and in one particular incident he palms the ball up in the air and proceeds to kung fu kick it as it comes down (dust in his eyes he claims).
Controversy rears its ugly head; the opposition claiming two handballs committed inside the FlyBoys penalty box but referee Roslan ruling in favour of FlyBoys in each occasion.
Izzat and Julian are galloping up the lines supporting the attacks and in one attack Julian, put through by Sofian (still niggling with his long overdue hamstring) finds himself one on one with a defender. A feint and short sprint later Julian is barrelling towards goal with two defenders nipping at his heels, he shoots for the near post but the goalkeeper manages to react fast enough to palm the ball away for a corner kick.
FlyBoys find themselves with corner kicks galore but still unable to convert the chances in the air or the plentiful scrambles inside the penalty box.

Goal! FlyBoys 1 – 0 Traffic Services
30 minutes into the game, Hafiizh wins a free kick for the team by managing to pressure the opposition defender into committing a handball. FlyBoys players flood the penalty box seeking the elusive first goal. Hafiizh curls the ball towards the far post and manages to find Jerry who unselfishly passes it to Riduan. At this point there is a big mass of bodies in between Riduan and the goal but by some stroke of genius/luck/skill he manages to find a gap and curl the ball into the bottom left corner of goal. First blood FlyBoys.
Despite the goal, Flyboys continue to look for the second. The opposition tear apart the defence with lightning quick runs from their midfielders but FlyBoys stand their ground and are able to squash the attacks.

Half Time
A collective sigh of relief sounds as Azman and Ismail appear from the car park. Lacking the bountiful cool box of Zulafiq and the ever optimistic rants of Amir doesn’t seem to deter the team as they hydrate and scheme new ways of penetrating the opposition defence. Another changeup in the formation with 4-5-1 touted to be the formation to contain the opposition midfield. New arrivals Azman and Ismail make an appearance as well as imports Salleh (MCC) and Fakhri (Cabin crew). Hendra bows out due to work commitments in the evening.

2nd Half Formation:
Goalkeeper: Hj Effendy
Defence: Wazien remains as sweeper with Azman playing his super effective free roaming stopper position. Julian on the right and goal scorer Riduan playing on the left.
Midfield: The fabulous five with Izzat plying his trade on the left flank; Salleh, Jerry and Fakhri flooding the centre of the park and Hafiizh playing on the right.
Striker: Ismail finds himself all on his lonesome up front

It Begins:
The second half sees a revitalised FlyBoys side; the formation effectively quashing the opposition midfield, with Salleh and Fakhri standing strong in the centre and Jerry rushing up to support Ismail.
The opposition defence find themselves sitting deeper and under more pressure. FlyBoys find themselves in opportune positions, Fakhri managing to find space on the edge of the box to pull the trigger. He unleashes a stinger of a shot but the goalie is equal to it.
Under constant pressure, Civilian traffic find they are unable to run with the ball from a defensive position into a more attacking one and resort to hoofing balls up the length of the field in hopes of a striker latching onto them. Azman finds himself dealing with these with ease, not only managing to head them away but also to find teammates.
In one sequence of play Julian loses possession as he tries to run up the flank with the ball, leaving a gaping hole in the right back position. The opposition midfield slots the ball through the gap and an attacker manages to latch onto it. With 3 defenders bearing down on him he takes the shot early, curling it high in hopes of looping it over the goalkeeper. The ball soars high above Hj Effendy and hits the crossbar and bounces out. FlyBoys find themselves lucky to still be ahead.

The penalty:
Halfway through the second half, Jerry is put through on goal by persons unknown. He runs goal wards shielding the defender away with his body, just as he’s about to shoot the defender sweeps him off his feet from behind. Referee Roslan stops play and calls a penalty, at this point there are grins all around. Goalkeeper Hj Effendy trots all the way from the other end of the field to take the penalty. FlyBoys are feeling smug up until Hj Effendy winds up, boots the ball towards the bottom left corner and misses. He turns around and offers and apologetic grin. In a post match interview Hj Effendy says,
“..even the best of players miss sometimes...”
Being one goal up isn’t the best time to rest on their laurels and FlyBoys continue pushing for their second goal only to be denied only by the incredible efforts of the opposing goalkeeper. Ismail finding that playing on his own up front equates to a lot of space he has to exploit. Throughout the half he runs zigzags to confound the defenders, which it did.
Another scare for FlyBoys after a counter attack finds the defence outnumbered and out of position. The attacking winger flies down the left wing and cuts the ball back. The striker then passes the ball to the far side of the penalty box to an open teammate who swings at the ball as it arrives. The shot is true and hits the left FlyBoys post bounces and flies across the goal line into the right post and then into Hj Effendys’ arms.
A few minutes after the major scare, FlyBoys still probing for the second goal to put the game out of reach and referee Roslan blows the final whistle. Game set and match, FlyBoys.

End of:
Despite lacking numbers, the team showed great spirit and determination playing a team that was faster and had more subs than they knew what to do with. A number of foul throws but we’ll put that down to being rusty after the two week hiatus. Two more games until the season takes a break for Ramadhan, one on 17 and another either 20 or 21. Hopefully more players are available for these games.
In the absence of our usual match day reporter, apologies for inaccuracies of events but to quote him:

“Majulah Sukan, Brunei Yakin and Mission Possible!!! Apakan."