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."
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