Karori Park #2 was the setting. Upper Hutt RJ's were to be again, victims of a mighty booming.
Although my first sentence may foreshadow a good result for the Boomers the start was anything but. Striker Blaine Abraham turned up to the game drunk with one of the recent form players Vikram Jayawant not too far behind having woken up less then an hour before kickoff. Then to lose Jesse 'Chops' Halford in the warmup it seemed like the Boomers would have to pull everything together to get a result. After controversy in a midweek training that saw only seven turn up, pundits were picking an RJ's upset.
Life-long Boomers fan Rachael Landers said she was approaching this game with caution.
"We only beat them 2-0 last time and I've noticed they're about where we are on the table so they'll be up for it.
"I just hope the lads don't get too complacent."
As the referee, who bore a remarkable resemblance to left-back Samuel Clark, blew the whistle to begin the match it was all Boomers from the get go.
Playing a three man midfield with McSweeny man-marking the notorious no.14, Zak Meyers and Jesse Strafford dictated much of the play in the opening 20 minutes. Vikram Jayawant was struggling to hold on to Upper Hutt's reply to Robinho combined with twenty knee braces and reading glasses but he was doing enough to contain the mercurial winger down the left.
There was a shuffle between right-back and goalkeeper this week with Bascand and Candy swapping positions. An unfortunate niggle in the corner as Bascand and his man tussled for a ball looking likely to go out saw the hulky goalkeeper turned right back go tumbling. This was followed by screams from one person and giggles of laughter from everyone else.
A disgusting long ball was cleaned up around the thirty minute mark by once-makeshift-now-accomplished Raikon. The Maldivian international turned under pressure from the RJ's lone striker (I need to come back to this point) and lofted a clever pass to McSweeny who turned and sent Dave Williams on his way down the right flank towards the byline. Williams then sent in a scintillating cross that was jumped upon by Boomers striker Austin Burgess who slotted home beautifully. 1-0 to the Boomers from a slick return to a filthy long ball. A slap in the face for the RJ's and their poor style of football.
I say 'lone' striker with reluctance as this was something that happened due to the style and shape of their players. It was clear that although it seemed they had one 'slim' or quick striker who posed a bit of nift if you like, they had another who seemed to camouflage (definitely not literally) into a left winger. The Diego Maradona-esque striker would suddenly appear with the deftest of touches or make the smallest bursts to strike fear into Kris Shannon and Raikon's hearts. The RJ's call this formation the Fat Boy Slim formation or The Script (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9o1FAszdk).
The game went through quiet patches with both sides having shots at goal go wide and opportunities missed. The second half came and suddenly this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4smBwgYOCo took over as referee and the match turned to sh**ts.
It wasn't long before the RJ's were awarded an unjust penalty. Number 14 picked up the ball with a cocky arrogance and shot. To the amazement and joy of the Boomers it struck the upright and fell into the path of Maradona who was unable to finish. The game continued with sparring as shots were fired both ways. Boomers held on for a tense 1-0 and a third game unbeaten.
Sorry Maradona, I was a bit mean.
On to those burger-ringed Eastbourners.
