The Scoreboard

PLAYERS

1st Half:

GK - Hero Zul-Afiq

DF - Azmi, Nasrul, Azman, Hafizh

MID - Hj Effendy, Aziri, Sofian, Ismail.

FWD - Amir, Dzulfadli.

Last game of November and Flyboys season is coming to an end. Since the Hari Raya break, Flyboys have been on an unbeaten run in the last 6 games with goals coming from the strikers and also the midfield. 

 

The loss of the uber-reliable wing-back Julian to Cadet Flying School has been minimal as a few new players have resurfaced in the form of Aiman, Akip and Afif. All three who will soon be dispatched to the Airbus fleet.

The game started with Flyboys on the backfoot. The Vanquish football team had a few new faces in their squad but still maintaining the core group. They started the game by releasing their wingers down both flanks which had both Hafizh and Azman working quite hard in the 1st half. Both Flyboy's centreback were also busy with Nasrul 'The Rock' and Azmi making last minute sliding tackles to prevent Vanquish from scoring. Effendy Gerrard and Aziri Carrick in the centre of the park were having a titanic battle with the midfield opponents. It wasn't an easy game for them and they found it hard to boss the midfield.

Flyboys had a few chances too with Sofian and Dzulfadli shooting in the box but it wasn't easy with the opposition defender's surrounding them and their shots were left flying skywards to the RBA GC parking lot. Ismail on the left wing made a couple of good runs and some fine crosses but unfortunately their goalie, Jossrie was on form and had his penalty box covered. 

 

Aziri also had a chance on goal and also Hafizh did a Julian by running down the flank and made a few passes and crosses.

 

But the best chance of the half went to Flyboy's seasoned striker, Amir when a superb pass by strike partner Dzul had him through one on one with the goalie but he took too many touches with the hope of rounding up the keeper. So because Amir was shit, he took himself off and was replaced by Syazwi.

 

Honestly, i wasn't paying attention to the build-up but i think someone took a pot shot at the Vanquish keeper and it bounced off his hands and Super-Sub Syazwi Serudin, evil twin and Strike Partner to Shaolin Soccer Specialist Simon, latched on to the rebound and scored. GOOOAAALLLL!!!!!!

FLYBOYS 1 - VANQUISH 0

Durng the goal, keeper Jossrie of Vanquish injured his hand so had to be substituted but he would later play another part in the game.

2ND HALF

GK - Rosli Rasit

DEF - Hafizh, Nasrul, Azmi, Azman 

MID - Akip(Ismail), Aziri, Aiman, Afif(Sofian)

FWD - Simon Newn(Amir), Syazwi S(Dzul).

Fresh blood was injected into the team during the interval. Not literally blood like those vampires in New Moon which i must say was an okay movie as the wife is a big fan and so i had to accompany her to watch it. Given the circumstances i think i'd root for Jacob because he gets to be a wolf with big teeth rather than Edward who's always pale and moody but finally i chose Bella because she's a babe and hot eventhough i hated it when she used Jacob to forget about Edward. Did i mention that Bella's hot? 

Oh ok, moving on.

The first move was to bring our seasoned striker, the above-mentioned Shaolin Soccer Specialist Simon Newn who's always been a good sport and always says he'll play 15 minutes but comes off after 10 minutes. The man may be over 50 but he can still play a bit and it showed when he made some pretty cool flicks on the build-up to the 2nd goal.

But before we had time to score it, Vanquish scored the equaliser with yes, Jossrie who was now a striker sliding the goal into the net from the left. Confound you Jossrie!

FLYBOYS 1 - VANQUISH 1

So okay, here comes the 2nd goal. And it was Simon i tell you, he ran what i think would be half the length of the pitch and then flicked the ball up and tried to use his head to get the ball(eventhough his head was waist-high at the time, so brave our B767 Fleet Manager, last thing we need is for him to be injured and have him answer to himself in the office) and this very complicated football technique by Simon had the defence confused. So confused that it enabled Syazwi to pounce like the wolf in the New Moon movie which is now playing in cinemas nationwide and using his left foot, he unleashed a shot to the bottom left of the net. GOOOOOAALLLLLL!!!!!!!

FLYBOYS 2 - VANQUISH 1 

 

And just when we thought it was all over, Vanquish scored the equalizer when a wayward cross into the penalty box had their midfield player head the ball into the net. 

FLYBOYS 2- VANQUISH 2

Oh man, end to end stuff here. This is like ESPN, no better, this is like Winning Eleven. With that in mind, the old guard of Sofian, Dzul, Amir and Ismail were brought in to put order in the chaos.

Sofian who is 85 years young took this opportunity to do what he often did in the days of his youth and that was to dribble pass a gazillion players. And this he did when he ghosted past the last line of defence in the box and had only the goalie to beat and this he did if it weren't for those darn nosey kids. I meant if it weren't for the goalie's last minute leg which prevented the winner. That should have gone in, man! What a dribble, what a shot, what a save!

Okay guys, this story is coming to a close. And this was when the evergreen Sofian from the half-way line released Amir, the other evergreen striker. But this time he started running like Victoria was chasing him and she's that evil Vampire from New Moon who is a hot redhead but Amir doesn't want to be bitten which is why he was legging it. He ran with the ball and this time, he refused to zig-zag the keeper. No, he's going direct to the waypoint and that was goal. No more insults from his fellow FlyBoys. A touch or two, a low show past the goalie and ladies and gentlemen, we had a winner.

GOOOOOALLLLLLLL!!!!!!   

And of course, he had to give his trademark pose, finger to the horizon and the other to his left nipple. Don't ask me why but he must think he's Alan Shearer or something.

 

FLYBOYS 3 - VANQUISH 2

So that's the match report. Well done to everyone especially to the defence who did very well in keeping the attack at bay, to both keeper Zul-Afiq & Rosli, to the evergreen squad, to Syazwi who scored 2 and to everyone lah. 

Next game is on the 1st December 2009 against RBRC members who are mostly expats i think. 

Till then, majulah sukan, don't get injured, who's julian, where's my bonus & increment and when's the B777 coming.

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.

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."

Match 2 of 3

Torrential rain nearly drowned the pitch in the early afternoon.

Many brave men looked out the window at about 3.30 and said "forget it" and watched Powder Puff Girls on Cartoon Network instead.

The tragedy of this was that as the time for action drew near, only eleven good men and true were on the pitch. A couple of players came with notes from their Mothers excusing them from playing due to 'sore leg' ,'forgot my kit' and 'my children have been missing me'. All pretty weak excuses, but the Flyboys are a tough bunch and we came to the decision that we could take on the smarties from UBD without any substitutes.

And so the referee summoned us on to the arena of glory.

Starting the game in goal for us was the mighty Zul-Afiq who keeps getting phone calls from some Scottish guy from Manchester asking him to replace Edwin Van Der Saar. ZulAfiq has been told by Aainaa not to talk to strange men so he hangs up every time the Scottish guy calls.

Our right back was Speedy Gonzales, a.k.a. Julian. Julian started the game by running very fast and winning every ball. Clearly he intended to set the standard of play.

Our two centre backs were Malek and some other guy who used to like being called Veron but now goes by the name Hj Effendy. You could tell them apart by their boots. Malek's were white, Hj Effendy's were stationary.

Left back (left back in the changing rooms) was Haydn. Haydn was nervous before the game started and was extremely relieved to know that his father would be just ahead of him on the pitch to guide him and tell him what to do. Anyone who knows teenagers will know that this is complete rubbish. Teenagers NEVER listen to their parents.

Our player with a sense of fashion was playing right midfield. The famous Hock, still basking in the glory of his goal on Monday, was the only player to turn up with the wrong colour shorts.

"It's a fashion statement", he said.

"Don't lie, you just forgot them didn't you", said Amir.

The team's two mighty power houses Hafizh and Azman took up their usual positions in the centre mid field and an overweight overaged Allan settled down to his usual spot on the left half / left wing.

Our ever potent strikeforce of Ismail and Syazwi were up front.

We had already noticed that UBD were all young and fit and could do something that some of us couldn't do. They could run. So our brilliant tactician Amir came up with a cunning plan, - Pass the ball. Make them do the running.

Guess what ? It worked !

1ST HALF:

The referee blew his whistle to start the match and battle was joined.

A smart man once said that,"Old age, wisdom and cunning will always defeat youth and enthusiasm" .

Because of this, I can now tell everyone that Amir is old, wise and cunning.

The UBD players ran and ran and ran.

The Flyboys passed the ball and for the most part kept possession. Flyboy's back four were solid in defence. Hj Effendy and Malek swapped positions as the situation demanded, while Julian and Haydn handled any fast attacks down the wings.

The wonderful thing to watch was the back four were thinking and making space and time with their tackles and passes.

No rushed kicks in just any direction.

They tackled, won possession and passed the ball in a way that gave us space and time to think. During this time the calling was constant and lots of lovely passes over the tops of the UBD back four were made for our strikers to run onto. Lots of lovely through - passes on the ground were also played. Flyboys were playing like a well oiled machine and a goal was just a matter of time.

UBD did have their chances and were always threatening a fast counter attack. We were lucky to have Hj Effendy, Julian and Haydn in our back four who were able to keep pace with the fast breaks and stop the threat becoming serious. Malek in the meantime handled the high balls with a solid heading ability that by itself, broke down many of the UBD attacks.

Our mid field boys were doing fine work. Most UBD attacks started from their goalkeeper's kick up field, but they were stopped by the brick wall that was Hafizh and Azman. The work rate of these two players cannot be over stated. They played hard and provided sterling service all game.

Allan and Hock played wide on the wings forcing the UBD defence to spread themselves out very thinly and make a breakthrough for Syazwi and Ismail more likely.

On one of UBD's few attacks, it came down to a one on one between the attacker and the goalie. Zul-Afiq dropped down quickly to his right and blocked a solid shot. He also fell into the mud puddle and got soaked.

By thirty minutes into the first half the game had settled into fast paced passing battle in the UBD half as Flyboys kept applying constant pressure. One of our raids forced a corner. As preparations for the corner were being made, Allan called Haydn to swap positions for the corner kick. As they passed each other, Allan said, "Get up there and score a goal".

A beautiful cross from the right corner caused mayhem in the 6 yard area. Eventually it fell to Haydn's left foot and he blasted it. Several players were between the ball and the goalie, so he saw the ball late.

Too late. It shot straight through his fingers. The net bulged.

Flyboys 1 - exUBD 0

As we ran back to the centre-circle, I said to Haydn, "See what happens when you do as your father says ?".

Haydn's answer was unprintable.

We now had the game by the scruff of the neck and we knew what we had to do. Only two minutes later another shot from our right midfield was blasted towards its target. Their goalie was only able to get his body in front of the ball but wasn't able to hold on to it.

It bounced off his chest into open play. Syazwi pounced like a leopard and slotted the ball neatly into the bottom far corner.

Flyboys 2 - exUBD 0

It seemed like this was going to be repeated several times over, but the smart boys from UBD knew how to play the offside trap. Several times our two forwards were stopped by the referee's whistle when they were offside by a good 5 meters.

Situational awareness is not just for the flight deck.

At this point in the game, Amir decided that a tactical substitution was in order. Hock was given a rest and Mahdini trotted onto the pitch to add fire to our attack.

Flyboys also played the offside trap well. But not well enough. On one occasion the UBD counter attack was a ball through our back line which was a long way up the pitch. A call for offside was ignored by the ref and Hj Effendy was left chasing their striker who had a 5 meter lead. Zul-Afiq moved out quickly to narrow the angles but the striker's aim was true.

Flyboys 2 - exUBD 1

Shortly after, the referee's whistle blew for half time.

A tired but delighted group of Flyboys left the field of play for a break.

Amir knew that he couldn't let the Flyboys relax. Complacency could let the UBD back into the game. So he made some masterly substitutions that kept the Flyboys buzzing. Off came Allan for a break. On went Simon to add some height and strength to the attack.

Also entering the battle was Salleh from MCC. His speed and determination was a welcome fillip to the hard work being done by Hafizh and Azman.

2ND HALF:

And so the game re started. UBD were determined to get the scores equal and their younger legs were beginning to outrun some of the older flyboys. Fortunately Julian, who has amazing dash speed was equal to their fastest on the right wing, and Haydn kept their attacks down the left wing from doing us any harm. And all the while, the power houses in the centre broke up attack after attack, then initiated our counter attacks.

One such counter attack brought forth a simple, yet stunningly effective run of play. The ball was passed out to the right. Simon collected it and took it deep and wide. Simon held the ball and forced the defender to commit to a tackle. Simon passed the ball off to Salleh who put over a superb cross that landed ever so sweetly on Ismail's head and rocketed into the goal.

Flyboys 3 - exUBD 1

The game now entered a period where the Flyboys endured attack after attack. Simon was rested when Allan returned to the fray. Haydn got a yellow card for bringing a drink (Tiger Beer) onto the field of play. After that he made a challenge that the referee considered illegal and resulted in a free kick to UBD just on the edge of our penalty area. The atmosphere was electric, but cool heads prevailed and the defence remained solid. The ball sailed harmlessly over the top of the goal.

Eventually the referee blew his whistle for the last time.

An exhausted but happy team of Flyboys retired from the arena of battle with a well earned victory.


- Written 2 hours after the game by 'Not just a hat-rack', Captain Allan Bradley.

(*Editors note: Any errors or omissions made in the report by Captain Bradley are unintentional. If there were any, forgive the man. Because we've already forgiven him for supporting Derby County. - Amir)

Photo-Slideshow from the match against Civilian Mindef

Match Day 1 of 3
Match day! The skies are gloomy and it looks like it’s going to start pouring any second. This doesn’t cause concern to team Flyboys. The fact that they don’t know if anyone is bringing drinks, does. MINDEF Civilians, the opponents for today show up in their fancy blue kits and look like they know what they’re doing. No matter, Flyboys have a pretty good idea how to go about this game too especially in their newly printed yellow kit.
Uncharacteristically Flyboys, the team rocks up just in time for kick-off. The players suit up with minimal limbering up, looks to be an exciting match.

Formation 1st Half
Goalkeeper: ZulAfiq (29)
Defence: Hj Effendy (18) and Nazrul (3) playing in the centre. Hendra (28) and Julian (4) plying their trade in the left and right back positions respectively.
Midfield: Jerry (25) and Azman (14) looking to make their presence felt in the middle. Young Hayden Bradley finds himself on the left wing and Wazien on the right.
Striker: Dzulfadli (10) and Amir (7) look to score plentiful goals.

It Begins
Flyboys have kickoff and straight off the bat begin a series of short passes between players, making the opposition team run in circles chasing after the ball.
The wingers, Hayden and Wazien are giving the opposition fullbacks a tough time with their penetrating run. The opposition made to go under more pressure when the attacks were bolstered by the Flyboys full backs rushing up the pitch in hopes of scoring.

10 minutes:
Very early in the game, Wazien finds himself put through on goal and he out sprints his marker to the ball. Just as he makes contact with the ball, the defender tackles from behind. He ended up sweeping Wazien off his feet, falling awkwardly and hurting his shoulder. While this is all happening, the ball flies goal bound and looks to be a pretty decent shot. The goalkeeper is forced to parry the ball away but unfortunately no Flyboys player was able to slot home the loose ball. Wazien writhes in pain before being assisted off the field for medical attention (ice from the cool box). Flyboys, no stranger to injury woes, quickly regroup by putting on Allan Bradley (22) to replace Wazien. Left footed Allan slots into the left wing position and Hayden switches to the right.

15 minutes:
At this point, it’s all Flyboys. The opposition team is barely able to make a substantive play. Julian receives the ball from Zulafiq from a goal kick and runs with the ball down the line, the Flyboys predatory natured strikers angle their bodies in anticipation of a long ball to run onto. Julian releases a diagonal long ball which falls straight into the path of striker Dzulfadli who manages to take it mid stride and make his way towards goal with the defenders hot on his heels. Dzulfadli pulls the trigger and feelings of joy momentarily flood through Flyboys hearts, only to be replaced with disappointment when the ball didn’t find the back of the net. No matter, with the amount of possession seen over the past quarter of an hour, more chances are sure to come!

20 minutes:
The performance of Hafiizh and Jerry in the centre of the park last week was quickly overshadowed when looking at the performance put up by the Jerry and Azman pairing. They quash opposition midfield plays with ease whether it be in the air or on the ground. With the ball, they tiptoe past opposing players with what some might even call ballet like grace.
Around this 20 minutes mark; Allan receives the ball from Hendra and passes it first time over the heads of the opposing defenders. Dzulfadli takes off at full sprint after the ball and manages to get control of the ball just outside of the penalty box. At this point the defenders have caught up and look to crowd Dzulfadli into making a mistake. He dribbles the ball deeper into the penalty box until he finds himself on the by-line with his path to goal blocked by a defender. Magically, he pulls a 180 degree turn with the ball which completely fools the defender who’s caught flat footed. Out of nothing, Dzulfadli crafted himself space just outside the 6-yard box, with time and space to shoot. At the same time, opportunist Amir comes rushing towards the penalty spot screaming for the ball to be squared. Dzulfadli, heeding his strikers’ instinct took a shot which sailed just agonizingly over the crossbar. Again MINDEF Civilians find themselves lucky not to be a goal behind.

28 minutes:
In another sequence of team passing, Flyboys were unfortunate to still find themselves not on the scoresheet. The move began from goalkeeper Zulafiq who passed it short to Hendra. Finding limited options ahead of him, Hendra turns and kicks the ball across the field to right back Julian. Turning with the ball, Julian quickly releases a low ball to the feet of striker Amir. Still feeling the effects of an injury sustained in a previous match, Amir opted to thread the ball through to midfield running machine Hayden before running into the penalty box. Hayden crosses the ball dangerously into enemy territory but is unable to connect with a team mate. However, he did manage to find Allan on the other side of the penalty box who had time to trap the ball and release another cross. In a feat of super athleticism Amir leaps high above all the defenders and connects with the ball but in true Flyboys fashion the ball sails over the crossbar for another miss.

30 minutes:
Midfielders Azman and Jerry are imposing themselves effectively in the centre of the park, looking quite organised when they take turns bolstering the attack and venturing high up into the opposing half. In multiple occasions they find themselves taking shots from range, none however managed to put the goalkeeper under any real pressure.
Around 35 minutes, Azman runs onto a through ball leaving the opposition backline in his wake as they had stopped running thinking he was offside. Feelings of joy again re-emerge. Azman makes a beeline with the ball straight for goal, the goalkeeper makes a move forward but then steps back again as he finds himself in two-minds. Azman is now at point blank range and all the players are screaming at him to pull the trigger. Instead, he decides to go around the goalkeeper which he manages to do. What he didn’t expect was the goalkeeper to barge into his lower body disrupting his balance. With the balance and grace of a ballerina, he manages to stay on his feet with just the ball and the empty net in front of him. He swings his foot, but gravity and momentum finally catch up and he finds himself falling backwards as he does so. What resulted was a weak toe punt which was intercepted and cleared off the line by defender. Tears and frustration all around!

35 minutes:
Hayden was made to run his socks off down the right flank and towards the end of the half Simon (99) comes on to replace him. At this point Flyboys were cruising despite still being level. The situation seems ripe for complacency.
A clearance from the MINDEF Civilians backline sails over the Flyboys defenders who give chase with the opposition strikers not too far behind. Julian, first onto the ball decides to pass the ball back to Zulafiq who looks ready and willing to take the ball under pressure. However, Julian kicks the ball with barely enough pace to make it all the way to the waiting goalkeeper and the distance gap makes it awkward for Zulafiq. The striker comes rushing in and Zulafiq clears the ball straight into his shins which bounces it forward right into the strikers’ path but by some measure of good luck he managed to miss the open goal. A collective sigh of relief ensues.

HALF TIME
Formation 2nd Half
Goalkeeper: ZulAfiq (29)
Defence: A slight change in the middle with Azmi (30) and Nazrul (3). Julian (4) and Hendra (28) remain in their same positions
Midfield: Hj Effendy (18) looks to shine with Jerry (25) in the middle of the park with Zainul (6) and Hock on their left and right respectively
Striker: Simon (99) and Sofian (23) look to break the deadlock

To victory!
Sofian makes an unexpected appearance, refusing to bow down to an injury picked up from the previous game. His shiny new white boots serves as a contributing factor to this. The game kicks off again much like the first half except this time the MINDEF Civillian players are marking much more closely, not letting the Flyboys players maraud about the pitch as they did in the first half. This doesn’t seem to affect Flyboys much and they still control the flow of the game.
Flyboys continue to push forward looking for the ever elusive goal. Sofian, Zainul and Simon finding good space but still unable to make the killer blow. The midfield pairing of Jerry and Hj Effendy is doing well, easily dissecting the opposition formation. However, lacking runners in the wider positions they were forced to run further into opposition territory with the ball.

GOAL! Flyboys 1 – 0 MINDEF Civilians
Halfway through the second half, Hj Effendy who incidentally is also rocking a brand spanking new pair of boots slots a through ball to forward rushing midfielder Jerry who finds himself all alone with just the ball, the goalkeeper and the net behind him up ahead; all too familiar circumstances. The opposition goalkeeper rushes out early and slides into Jerry as he’s about to pull the trigger. The two players collide with a great big bang and the ball trickles harmlessly towards goal. From nowhere, right winger Hock swoops down onto the loose ball and coolly slots home. The players are ecstatic and the fans are close to going berserk. Post game Hock even wants to make a t-shirt with “Wow!” printed on the front.
A string of substitutions follows. Sofian bows out due to his injury and Dzulfadli returns to the field as striker. Hock, feeling good about himself opts to take a rest and Roslie makes his debut game for Flyboys. Roslie slots into the right back position and Julian pushes up ahead of him in the right wing position.
Jerry struggling after picking up a slight injury from his run in with the goalkeeper limps out to be replaced by Ismail (12). Amir comes back on to replace Zainul and Simon gets substituted by Azman.
Flyboys look a rejuvenated team and spirits are flying high. Until...

GOAL! Flyboys 1 – 1 MINDEF Civilians
Desperate to look for an equaliser, the opposition midfield once again hoof a ball straight up the middle of the pitch. The ball looks decidedly unthreatening, until the centre-backs still find themselves at full sprint with their own goal fast approaching and 2 strikers nipping at their heels. Centre-back Nasrul makes the decision to go into a slide to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Zulafiq. A misunderstanding ensues and Zulafiq picks the ball up, to which referee Roslan stops play for an indirect free kick.
No worries. Easy way to overcome an indirect free kick in your own penalty box: line up all the players on the goal line and hope that somehow there’s enough mass to stop the ball from going in. Unfortunately this method was proven ineffective as the MINDEF Civilians player manages to slip the ball through the human barricade.

The comeback:
Soon after goalkeeper Zulafiq, having other commitments is substituted by running machine Hayden. Flyboys are pushing for that winning goal. The midfielders make use of Julian and make him run down the right flank into space, however his crosses frequently disappoint miserably and possession goes to waste.
On the left Ismail is making his trademark penetrating runs into space but to no avail. Azman and Hj Effendy rule the midfield; Azman fulfilling the holding role with Hj Effendy roaming around for space.

25 minutes:
A Flyboys player dribbles on the edge of the box (I don’t remember who it was, again) and gets mowed down by a tackled deemed illegal by referee Roslan. Hj Effendy, steps up to take the free kick from 25 metres. Anticipation is in the air. Flyboys players position themselves in front of goal both as distractions for opposing players as well as to sweep up any loose ball that might come their way. Hj Effendy winds up and sends in a curling right footed shot destined for the bottom right corner of the goal. Again, true to Flyboys fashion the ball barely misses its’ target by mere inches.

30 minutes:
Dzulfadli finds himself sprinting with the ball towards goal with the defenders left behind in his wake. The goalie moves forward to close the angle but he steps back again undecided putting himself in no-man’s land. Again; it’s just the ball, the goalie and the net ahead of the Flyboys striker. Dzulfadli adjusts his body orientation and takes a shot. Fans and players alike hold their collective breath. The ball soars high and wide and Dzulfadli falls to the ground pounding it with his fists in frustration.
Towards the end of the game the Flyboys attack is still unrelenting. Multiple corner kicks resulted in nothing more but goal kicks.

Last minute drama:
In the remaining few minutes of the half, an opposition outfield player finds himself sprinting down the Flyboys left flank before squaring the ball for his striker just inside the penalty box. The striker winds up and pulls the trigger. At this point if he scores, all would be lost but out of nowhere centre-back Azmi flies in and slide tackles the ball as it leaves the strikers boot, deflecting it out towards the corner flag. Hero! Even the striker concedes the awesomeness of the tackle.

Game Over
The sun has receded over the horizon and just before the call for prayers Roslan blows the final whistle, game over Flyboys 1 – 1 MINDEF Civilians.
Flyboys played well collectively, utilising the wingers and their abundant space and initiating moves from the defence. Unlucky goal to concede as the decision could have gone in either team’s direction. There were no foul throws for the first time which one would assume is thanks to the posted training video.
The defence was solid throughout, called into action sporadically but managing to come out on top on all occasions.
Tomorrow is match day 2 and tomorrow we will emerge victorious.

Ps: A big thank you to Zulafiq for providing the much needed drinks, Irwanizam (20) for being the designated photographer even though he had nice new shoes to play in too, Natasha for collecting the laundry money and Khalil for taking videos of our game while Sofian was on the pitch.

FLYBOYS vs MOE Curriculum Department

Date: Tue 16th June 2009
Time: 0500pm
Venue: RBA Field


1st Half:
GK: Suhaini,
DEF: Nasrul, Hendra, Malik, Julian,
MID: Shukrimin, Aziri(Syazwi B), Hj Effendy, Sofian,
FWD: Amir(Syazwi S), Kenny.

2nd Half:
GK: Zul-Afiq,
DEF: Nasrul, Azman, Julian, Hendra(Ismail),
MID: Mahdini(Kenny), Hafizh, Hock(Wazien), Azrol,
FWD: Suhaini(Syazwi S), Dzulfadli.


TO BE CONTINUED ........

Scoreboard

First Half :
Miles Hambly(Zul-Afiq 25), Nasrul, Hj Effendy, Azmi, Julian, Aziri, Mahdini, Amir(Syazwi 12), Shukrimin, Kenny, Sofian.

Second Half:
Zul-Afiq(Suhaini 67), Nasrul, Azman, Zul-Amali(Shukrimin 68), Riduan, Eng Hock(Ismail 67), Abdul Aziim(Aziri 77), Hafizh, Suhaini(Kenny Lim 76), Dzulfadli, Simon Newn(Khalidkhan 60 & Julian 80).


FULL-TIME REPORT:
As we speak, snot is trickling down my left nostril due to my cold. But i will provide you all with a graphic match report like no other because i know you all wait in anticipation for my world-class plagiarized(pronounced pley-juh-rahyz) writing.

The game started with Flyboys Older team attacking in waves with a delightful Messi-like header from Amir(that would be me, the Angkat Bakul writer) after Sofian's left-footed delivery from the left wing. Unfortunately their keeper saved it and prevented Amir from introducing to the world his brand new goal celebration which he's carefully perfected and orchestrated whenever he takes his shower or when he flies on those long day-return Perth trips.

A few minutes later, Amir substituted himself with Syazwi after a pulling his left hamstring and he also sprained his left ankle. Boo-hoo. Okay back to the game.
Another pass from Mahdini released Sofian through the defence and he sidefooted a volley over the keeper but alas, it hit the crossbar. This was looking to be another one of those days when nothing can go right for Flyboys.
Okay, for those of you who've never met Mahdini, he's an Airbus captain who made his debut yesterday. His nickname is Gus and he enjoys taking long walks on the beach and his favourite ice-cream is Vanilla. So to get a free sector from the Gus-man, all you need to offer him is a nice Pure Vanilla drink from Coffee Bean at the Singapore terminal.

Syazwi had a good chance saved when he turned in the penalty box and unleashed a left-footed shot but the keeper parried it off for a corner. Julian and Shukrimin were combining well in the left side when they did a one-two and Julian ran through to try and score but again his finishing had much to be desired and the weak shot was saved by the goalie.

Against the run of play, STPRI Knights converted one of their few chances of the 1st half and their striker scored in the box and the tame shot went through the usually sticky hands of Miles.

FlyBoys 0 - STPRI Knights 1

But Flyboys knew they could play their way into the game and with the middle of the park controlled by Aziri and Mahdini, they continued to look for a goal and it came when Sofian's shot was saved by the keeper and the rebound was poached by that giant of a striker(literally), none other than Kenny 'The King' Lim.

FlyBoys 1 - STPRI Knights 1

STPRI Knights were't making any headway in the FlyBoys defence with Team Captain Effendy, Nasrul aka The Rock, Azmi and Juliana minding the back line. With 5 minutes to half-time, Who-Killed-Kenny made a powerful run from the midfield and ran past the last man and from an acute angle, he produced a powerful low shot into the back of the net. GOAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The crowd went wild! Yes, all 14 of them; my boy Iman, the missus, Aainaa, Netty and Persian cat included.

FlyBoys 2 - STPRI Knights 1

The 2nd half introduced the Flyboys Younger team into action. The only player still on the pitch was Nasrul as he needed the exercise.

Again the half started well with Dzul and Suhaini combining well. Suhaini made an excellent run on the left side of midfield stretching the all-girl's school faculty defence. Shaolin soccer specialist, Simon Newn also played a part when he released a sublime pass on to the right side to the popular Eng Hock. The crowd chanted his name but STPRI's left-back forced the ball out for a throw-in.

With Ismail introduced as sub, he made some good runs down the right wing and Dzul also producing his usual predatory skills. Julian who came in late as a sub also tried to score but again, the crossbar prevented FlyBoys from extending the scoreline.

Kenny came in again as a sub to complete his hat-trick and he did get his chance but with only the keeper and defender to beat, he pulled his shot wide. No match-ball today but still well done Kenny! He's proven to us he's not just a hat-rack!

Hafizh(i think i'm spelling his name right this time) and Abdul Aziim were patrolling the midfield and combining well with the other players. Zul-Amali's play was growing in confidence when he made some dribbling moves to fool the STPRI's strikers. Those 17 hills serving him well.

Eventhough he's unfamiliar with the left-back position, Riduan played superbly and ran and ran and ran. Also playing well was Azman who is showing that he can also defend as well as pass.

GK Zul-afiq was doing nothing all day except when he had to leave to pick up his sibling and Suhaini took over the mantle as goalie. To date, we have no fixed goalie. We have Suhaini, Zul-Afiq, Hafizh, Irwanizam, Miles Hambly, Hj Effendy and of course, Yanni who can play in goal.
A truly versatile team!


Well done again FlyBoys and looking forward to playing with you all next week on Tuesday, 16th June 09. That is if i recover from my ankle and muscle injury.

Till then children, remember to brush your teeth, eat your greens, pay your phone bills and know that your Attitude = Altitude! Apakan.

- Amir, your man with the gas-guzzling minivan!

FLYBOYS vs BERNAZ

Lost 4-1. Sabirin scored our solitary goal. His second goal in two games. We played to the best of our abilities but we were outplayed, outpassed and outran.

Still a good work-out for Brunei's creme de la creme. No pictures this time because our official photographer Sofian was away in Jeddah eating lamb and Al-Baik chicken.

FLYBOYS classic match against RBA Engineering

Our 1st match against RBA Engineering for the year. Below are the individual reports for the players:

Goalkeeper:
SFO Yanni
- Crucial saves produced throughout the match by Yanni. Especially liked the one where he threw his body to the ground ala Schmeichel, Van Der Sar, Wardun etc.

Yanni back in action

Defence:

a.) SFO Nasrul
- Our defensive rock played another superb game intercepting passes and runs from Engineering's dangerous attackers. Was extremely busy in the 1st half when swarmed by the strong Engineering team.
b.) SFO Malek
- The former Air Force maverick again showing fine form eventhough he's just recovered from injury. Played only the first half due to personal commitment.

Malek clear the ball away

c.) FO Hendra
- Was solid as left-back and ever since his unlucky own goal against ex-SPA, he's redeemed himself to the team by being extremely reliable and played well with Hafidz and Nasrul in defence. But you still owe us all a teh tarek.
d.) FO Riduan
- Was uncomfortable at right-back but showed good spirit and stamina. Played central midfield in the 2nd half and showed why his natural position is in midfield with his incisive passing and dangerous dribbling.
e.) Cadet Julian
- Nearly scored an own-goal with his nose when Nasrul cleared the ball off the penalty box. Thankfully the clearance deflected towards Yanni. Made a fine solo run from defence but was intercepted American Football style by 3 defenders.
f.) FO Hafidz
- Showed that he can play in almost all positions from keeper on the last match to midfielder and defender in this game. Not bad from the current highest-paid office boy in Borneo.

Midfield:
a.) FO Azman
- Recently recovered from his hand injury. His Lampard-like movement and Beckham-like passing produced some attacking movement in the 1st half. Shame he's an Arsenal fan.
b.) SFO Irwanizam
- Our midfield general. His lack of running doesn't mean he's not effective. Played the Makelele role well against Engineering's army of midfield runners. What baffles me is how high this man can jump.
c.) Capt Clement
- Goldenball only played in the 1st half but used the 45 minutes well with his typical British-like runs. Released the pass on the left wing for Suhaini to score the first goal.
d.) Capt Khalidkhan
- Our SVP showed that he doesn't just attack but also helped with the defence. Good inter-play passing with Dzul in the 2nd half. I think he even managed a shot at goal.

Khalid about to deliver his cross

e.) Capt Amir
- Came on as a substitute in the 2nd half and scored the equaliser with his first kick. A side-foot volley in the box after Engineering's defence failed to clear the ball. Leather Nike boots rock.

Amir celebrates his goal

f.) Ismail

- His usual Torres-like running stirred the opposing defenders but lacked the final pass to hurt Engineering's defence.
g.) Capt Sofian
- Our FlyBoys vice-captain and blog administrator inititated a lot of the attack playing behind the 2 strikers in the 2nd half. If you're reading this in Jeddah, upload the pictures please and bring me home some dates.

Forwards:
a) FO Syazwi
- Gave 100% and defended from the front line. Good passing inter-change with Suhaini in the 1st half.
b) FO Wazien
- Brief cameo from his secondment at Logan Air in Scotland.
c) SFO Kenny
- King Kenny's huge presence had the opposing defenders working hard. Was a whisker away from scoring the equalizer in the 2nd half.
d) SFO Dzulfadli
- Played upfront with Kenny in the 2nd half and had a few shots on goal. Excellent passing movement with Simon on the right side and looked sharp.
e) Capt Simon Newn
- Our full-time Shaolin Soccer specialist and part-time Boeing FM played well in the 2nd half. No Kung-fu kicks today but proper passing and running by Simon stretched the Engineering's rightback.

Simon and Dzul split the engineering defenders

f) Capt Suhaini
- Boeing's DFM was given the freedom of the left side of the field in the 1st half. This deservedly gave him the chance to draw first blood as he ran, dribbled past a defender and finally toe-poked with his right foot into the net. Awesome!

Hj Daud scored the opening goal

g) Capt Sabirin
- In only his first game of the year, he was able to injure himself after only 7 minutes in the 1st half, come in as a sub in the 2nd half, only to be substituted again because his car was blocking Kenny's car.

Came on his 3rd substitution and in dramatic fashion, a corner kick went over the crowd in the penalty box, controlled with his left foot, shifted the ball to his right and in an acute angle and with no visible shot at goal, he was able to unleash the winner to the top right hand corner of the goal.1st Half Formation

2nd Half Formation

FLYBOYS 3 - RBA Engineering 2

Well done boys and thank you to all our colleagues and supporters who participated. See you again this Saturday 30th May at 4pm.

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

- Amir, a happy Flyboy but also a very unhappy United supporter.

FLYBOYS GRAB A POINT

This is Sunday's full-time match report against Ahmad FC held at RBA field at 1700hrs.

1st HALF:
1st min:
Kick-off. Flyboys in red and Ahmad FC in white ala Real Madrid. It's 33 degrees and and i've just come back from Perth with Nasrul. All the way from Mount Mulu down to the coast of Brunei, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Haze everywhere. And that's what the Flyboys seem to be experiencing because they weren't sharp at all from kick-off.

3rd min:
Ahmad FC are keeping possession and are passing around like they're on home ground. We should've chosen the other side of the pitch for the 1st half because the sun is in our eyes.

5th min:
This is looking dangerous. One of their players is taking a pot shot on goal. It's not a screamer but with the sun in Hafidz eyes(our goalie), it might as well have been one. GOAL!
FLYBOYS 0 - 1 Ahmad FC

15th min:
Kenny is asking for the ball but we can't seem to pass it to him. Their midfield is overpowering us. Their midfield player looks familiar. He's actually our own team captain Hj Effendy who's on loan for Real Madrid ie Ahmad FC. The pressure is non-stop and this is getting ridiculous. At the heart of defence, Nasrul and Malek are doing their best to hold off the dam from breaking. Zul-Amali and Julian are also working overtime with them on the right and left back position.

23rdmin:
A run by Kenny has their defence fooled. Their last man is blocking their keeper's view and Ismael takes a tame right-footed shot to fool the goalie.
GOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!
Well done Miller. Takes after his uncle, Kenny. Not Lim but Kenny Miller of Glasgow Rangers.
FLYBOYS 1 - 1 Ahmad FC

Ismael Celebrates His Goal

25th min:
Flyboys right midfielder, Nathaniel Panter aka Kitten is injured. He's pulled a muscle and can no longer play. In comes that handsome dashing striker, Amir. Phewittt. You beauty.

28th min:
Allan Bradley is running up the left wing and has found some space. He crosses the ball and it floats to the penalty box. Kenny leaps high but is a yard ahead and misplaces the header.
The ball goes out to Allan again and with that sweet left foot he crosses, Kenny controls the ball but the defender has him covered and kicks it for a corner. Kenny is taken out with him and lays flat on his arse. Oh Kenny Kenny Kenny.

Kenny brought down

33rd min:

Julian hooves the ball to the centre of the pitch and Aziri maks a fantastic run from midfield beating the defence. But the defender is on to him and he tries a cute side foot volley to goal but is well-handled by their keeper.

37th min:
Their midfield and forwards have us on the backfoot as they attack in waves. Aziim and Aziri are doing their best but to no avail. One of their forwards take anothe long-range shot and it floats over our goalie and into the net. GOAL!
FLYBOYS 1 - 2 Ahmad FC.
It's HALF-TIME and Flyboys have been outpassed and outplayed. The players look tired and slow as they head back to the dressing-room(which is really a worn-out bench a few yards from the touch-line).
It's going to be a big ask to get back into the game but we'll see what the coach and manager has to say to them and see if their spirits can be lifted.

45th min:
Real Madrid, no sorry, Ahmad FC are kicking off and they pass towards their keeper. But it's a poor backpass as Flyboy's dashing striker/writer/treasurer (not to mention foul-mouthed and overly passionate) Amir has latched onto the ball. He's one on one with the goalie who takes the form of Hj Effendy(he's everywhere, maybe there are 11 of him on that team) but a defender closes him down and it's enough to put off Amir from hitting a solid shot. A good save by Ahmad FC's keeper. The crowd of 9 including the neighbourhood cat applaud Amir's efforts.

51st min:
Julian, who's now in the right wingback position is flying down the wings ala Ashley Cole. Sofian passes the ball through and young Juju unleashes a screamer of a shot towards goal. Saved by the keeper and is out for a corner.

57th min:
Flyboys are looking sharper and hungrier. Ahmad FC are looking tired and weary as Riduan runs towards goal and unleashes a shot from the left wing. It goes wide but things are looking encouraging for the team.

62nd min:
Hafidz and Aziri are really controlling the middle of the park and looking the real deal. In fact, the whole team looks invigorated. It must've been the half-time drinks. Red Bull kali.
Sofian on the right wing alongside Julian are stretching Ahmad FC's tired defenders whilst Riduan, who came on the 2nd half, is combining well with Ismael.

65th min:
Omagad Who Killed Kenny has come on for Ismael. And what a substitution. He's tearing down the defense with his persistent running. It helps that he's twice the size of the defenders.
Sofian releases Kenny down the right wing and he runs with the ball. He looks up and sees Amir running in the middle of the park and crosses. Amir shoots first-time and the ball curls powerfully towards the top left-hand corner of the goal.
Ooooooh, that's just yards wide. Handsome is that Amir! Must be his new authentic leather boots.

71st min:
One of the few attacks from Ahmad FC in the 2nd half is easily contained by the defence. and Nasrul and Azmi are minding the defence with ex-DPMM FC(College) goalie Irwanizam aka Chomel. But he doesn't look cute today because he's taken up the form of a brick wall in goal. Flyboys don't look like they'll concede any goals in the 2nd half with Irwanizam as goalie.

73rd min:
Sofian makes a solo run towards goal but 3 defenders are closing him down. 5 years ago he would've beaten all 3. Ok lah, maybe 10 years ago but now with 2 kids and another on the way, he's lost a few yards and gained a few pounds.

75th min:
Great pass down the middle from Hafidz to Kenny and at first he looks like he wont be able to control the ball. But no wait, this is King Kenny and he goes past the defender and shoots a low shot to the bottom corner. GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The players can't believe it. They all run to Kenny. Ok not all of them but Amir, Sofian and Hafidz are and they celebrate like girls. That is really a bad celebration because the high-fives aren't really connecting but who bloody cares because that is a great effing come-back.
FLYBOYS 2 - 2 Ahmad FC

78th min:
Amir is substituted as Ismael re-enters the field. Flyboys can smell blood and are looking for the winner. Even Hendra, the left-back is drifting up as an auxiliary striker.

82nd min:
Aziri has the ball in the midfield and releases a sublime trick pass used commonly by that Red Devil Ronaldo. Pass of the season i tell you. It's so good even the opposition are applauding it. Ok that's an exaggeration but it was an exquisite pass. We will now call that the Jiri pass. Tommorow we go to court and have it patented and trademarked.
Riduan receives the pass but is unable to go towards goal.

85nd min:
Kenny the King runs with the ball into the penalty box. The defender tackles him but gets his feet instead and chops him down like a tree. PENALTY!!!!!!!!! No, says the ref.
Referee are you blind?!? The defender never touched the ball. Flyboys are fuming. The match must be fixed.

Sofian resisting the ref decision

88th min:
Ahmad FC's striker is running towards goal and is brought down just outside the penalty box by Sofian. A very dangerous free-kick here from Ahmad FC. But thank goodness, Becks has left Real for Milan because that wasn't going anywhere near goal.
ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR !!!
That means it's sunset which means the match is over. It's a draw.
A game of 2 halves. Flyboys could've snatched a win if it wasn't for Ahmad FC's keeper.
Next match, Capt Effendy will be playing in goal cos he's sooooo good !!! ;p

Well done to all who participated and see you on Wednesday 27th against our RBA Engineering. We've proved that we can stare adversity in the face and say up yours buddy. What an awesome 2nd half. Now all we have to do is play awesome in both halves.

Majulah Sukan, Go Flyboys, If you're not first, you're last! Apakan.

- Amir, unbiased writer/striker/treasurer/father/golfer/United supporter.

ps. See you in Rome!