Karori Boomers 0-1 Stokes Valley

Wakefield at night is becoming a familiar picture to the Boomers who were there again to ply their trade, this week against a ruthless Stokes Valley side playing on the back of a massive 8-1. 

The Boomers were without Jesse Halford, Owen Gibson and Raiko Shareef for this game but welcomed in John Huss Mortimer and Alie Novak for their first appearances of the season. Stokes Valley contain several goalscoring threats and the loss of defensive rock Halford would surely hurt the Boomers. 

The Boomers went for a four-four-two formation for the first time this season with Handley dropping to centre back to cover for the missing Halford. Bascand got the nod in goal ahead of Drew Delany who was unlucky not to retain the gloves after a magnificent performance last week against the University Accies. McSweeny was the other centre back while Sammy Clark and Cam Holm completed the back four. 

Tadhg Delany was removed from the playground that is playing in the whole and was asked to knuckle down in the centre of the park with engine-room Alex Rothman. Today Ollie Carr took up a spot on the left wing after a good shift against the Accies, but he is likely to face competition for the spot if John Huss Mortimer can turn up to more games. Although it's rare for the Boomers to have two players with that level of fitness fighting for one position, it sets the bar for the team and no Boomers player dare lower their intensity, in fear of losing their spot. Jess Strafford was wide on the right while Abraham and Jones double-barrelled up top.

The game started with both teams committing to tackles at a high intensity. The Boomers have kept no secrets about their particular hatred towards Stokes Valley. The Boomers first chance fell to Darryl Jones who half-volleyed a shot that was saved by the keeper. The game continued on as both sides exchanged blows. It appeared Stokes had a bit more dominance on the ball and had better opportunities going forward during the first half. When a Boomers clearance went a wry, a Stokes Valley player was in a fortunate position to pick the ball up unmarked in the box with just Bascand to beat. A good save from Bascand led to a comedy of deflections falling to another fortunately placed Stokes Valley player to tap home. It was an unlucky goal to concede and the feeling it was the kind of goal that decided gritty fixtures like this began to dwell on the Boomers.

The Boomers pressed with nothing but long shots for the rest of the half. During the break the Boomers pointed out key issues but mainly it was about keeping the ball and not panicking when in possession. The Boomers missed their chance to come out and try and set a precedent from the beginning of the first half and in hindsight this was a huge moment in the game. The longer the half pressed on the less it looked like the Boomers could equilise let alone bag the three points. Some notable Boomers performances were Jesse Strafford who tackled hard and got involved in some good play down the right. The ever tackling Alex Handley was superb at the back but his ball winning and distribution skills were missed in the midfield. Tadhg and Rothman played well in bursts for the Boomers but failed to control the midfield enough to then create real goalscoring chances.

Michael Candy came on for Sammy Clark, Huss for Ollie and Alie Novak made his debut coming on for Abraham. Within moments of coming on, Novak was presented with a golden opportunity to equilise but scuffed the moment. More long shots ensued with no result, and following some nervous meddling on the ball at the back the Boomers were lucky it only ended 1-0. A special note for Drew Delany, who despite last weeks heroics and a show at training didn't get on the field. Jesse Strafford had clearly planned for Delany's back up vocals in She Drives Me Crazy later that night and didn't want anything bad happening to him.

A great man once said "You have to beat Mince." After denying a goal to the Mince, Stokes Valley left Wakefield knowing that theory was very much the truth. 

Victoria University Accies 2-6 Karori Boomers

It was another late fixture at Wakefield park for the Boomers who were looking to pick up back to back wins for the start of the season. This week's opponents were to be donning the green and gold of Victoria University and went by the unusual name of the Accies.

There were many changes to the starting line up and this revolving door policy looks like it will be repeated with game times being so inconsistent this year. Notable absentees were Jimmy Bascand and Michael Candy, which meant new boy Drew Delany slipped the gloves on in his first start of the season. Cam Holm also made his official debut as a Boomer at right back, with McSweeny, Halford and Sammy Clark finishing off the back four. Midfield included Ollie Carr on the left, Strafford on the right and Tadhg, Handley and Rothman in the middle. An undisciplined late arrival from Owen Gibson and Darryl Jones meant, despite the hairy man's hat-trick last week, Blaine Abraham started up front.

The Boomers started sloppily with possession, often being caught in their own half or with misguided passes. That was just how the first goal came about when the ball was given away in the midfield, and a through ball to one of Joseph Fritzl's offspring up front set up a one-on-one where Drew was beaten at the near post. The celebrations before hand were possibly the worst Capital Football have ever seen. McSweeny was languid at the back in the first half and the Boomers were lucky not to concede twice more after he failed to track his man. Drew was having a fine game in goal, acting as Boomers' informal sweeper, coming and cleaning up any thing that penetrated the back four. Both of the Accies strikers were lucky not to be put in hospital after some bone-crunching hits from the unorthodox goalkeeper. Ollie Carr was making his presence felt on the left, winning a lot of possession and also testing the keeper with a looping strike. The former University player looked like he had something to prove to the old guard.

A dubious long ball from Handley managed to pierce the Accies back four and Tadhg Delany latched onto it and finished in a one-on-one. The next goal came in a very similar manner, with Tadhg finishing after an awkward through ball from brother in goal, Drew. Drew made up for his brother's humble celebrations and was seen flailing and screaming in his box. Boomers led 2-1 and their heads were up now. Captain Jesse Strafford came excruciatingly close to bagging his first ever Boomers goal when he sent a bouncing header towards goal only for the man on the post to head the ball straight back into the path of Abraham who monstered in a header that could not be stopped. It was 3-1 and all of a sudden the Boomers were marching on.

Fritzl Jr. had already taken several tumbles and the subsequent screams for cards and free kicks were firing the Boomers up. Cam Holm and Jesse Halford both dished out carnivorous looks and exotic language towards the Austrian. The complaints rained down when the Austrian was awarded a dubious penalty after taking a very loud tumble when he was hustled by defender Halford in the box. The stand-in referee made the call, despite being 30 metres away from the action. Halford grappled with the Austrian to try and win the ball back and only when Drew came out to snaffle it, did the frontman fall and start shouting for the red card. He was ignored. However the penalty stood and despite Drew's best efforts in getting a hand to the ball, it was converted. It was an undeserved second goal conceded that fired the Boomers up.

Half time.

The Boomers came out in the second half with a desire to take control of the game and did so from the start.
Rothman and Handley began to control the middle of the park and the back four began to look more confident with chances for the Accies becoming rare. Darryl Jones and Owen Gibbo Gibson were brought on for Blaine Abraham and Jesse Strafford. The Boomers top scorer was quick to stamp his mark heading in from the edge of the box to maintain his clinical goal scoring record. Handley then pounced on a square ball in the box after great work from Tadhg to beat several defenders in the box and the man from Wanganui was able to double his season tally for the Boomers after his shot was tipped onto the inside of the post and in. The Darryl Jones School for Clinical Finishing is taking winter enrolments and the prices have boomed after he bagged his 5th goal in only 135 minutes of football to finish the scoring.

The game dragged on with the last ten feeling like an eternity. Halford was lucky not to be booked after a body check on Fritzl Jr that nobody on the field apart from the Austrian was upset about. The Boomers stayed fierce in defence with Cam Holm and Rothman both defending with a passion and desire that will see the side go far this season. Man of the match went to A Handley for a dominant and physical performance in the middle of the park with mentions to Holm and Drew in goal.

6-2 on the day and the Victoria University Accies will feel the scoreline does not reflect the match, but they were bullied in the key moments and a clinical Boomers team were hungry for goals. Another one bites the dust.

*Despite the great result, the Boomers dropped down to third on the table on goal difference, and face a mouthwatering encounter with second placed Stokes Valley this Friday night.

BNU Palace 1-5 Karori Boomers

On a weekend where many capital football managers were cursing fixtures during public holidays, the mighty Karori Boomers approached their match, against Brooklyn Northern United Palace, with anxious anticipation. It was the first game of a season many players are hoping will lead to promotion into the upper echelons of capital football, that being Capital 4 for 2013. The untimely nature of the fixture meant the Boomers were short from the get-go with many players committing to time with families and friends over the Easter break. Blaine Abraham, Cam Holm, Alie Novak, John Huss Mortimer were all unavailable for the fixture due to other commitments.

A pre-match surprise was the news that David Williams may only be out for as little as two weeks after his surgery went better than expected. Whether Williams will follow the doctors instructions is unclear, but the Boomers depth for their 2012 championship campaign is only growing.

The first eleven for the game heralded several new moves. The first being the introduction of a back four that could be one of the most miserly in Boomers history, including Candy at right back, McSweeny and Halford in the middle and Sammy Clark at left back. This is a back four who have looked confident and strong in pre-season and will be key if the Boomers want to achieve their goal of becoming champions in 2012.

The selection headache of Jesse Strafford, Alex Handley and Alex Rothman all being available in the middle of the park was solved with Strafford moving to right midfield and Handley and Rothman filling the central positions. Ollie Carr was on the left of midfield. Tadhg Delany played in the hole behind the striker, who, despite not featuring there once in pre season, was Darryl Jones. The move raised eyebrows from some, but Darryl's ability to strike a ball was never in question.

From the get-go the Boomers contained possession confidently and knocked it around well. The combo of Handley and Rothman will compete with the best in the league this year. Combined with Delany in front of them and McSweeny and Halford behind them, the Boomers are looking very strong through the middle of the park this year. Good interplay between Rothman and Strafford down the right set Jones on a good early move only to be denied by Brooklyns centre half who looked sharp early on despite giving up the corner.

The first Boomers chance fell, surprisingly to centre half McSweeny. A corner was cleared out to McSweeny, who, on the edge of the box, beat an on-rushing defender and sent a vicious grass cutter towards the bottom corner, only to be denied by the keeper. The Boomers pressed forward, and, after a poor clearance by the Brooklyn keeper was met by the gangly shin of Michael Candy, the ball fell beautifully for Darryl Jones. Jones then beat the keeper in a one-on-one to slot home and score the Boomers first goal of 2012. Celebration: average.

The Boomers second goal was set up again by Michael Candy. After he was switched over to left back when Raiko came on for the injured Sammy Clark, whipped in a wonder ball to the forehead of Darryl Jones, who glanced in his second. Notable performances of the first half were that of Michael Candy and his marauding runs from fullback, Darryl for his clinical finishes and Rothman who controlled the game as if he was the conductor of an orchestra.

Darryl soon completed his hattrick soon after the half time break, after good work from Tadhg down the byline. Brooklyn soon hit back with a wonder strike from about 30 yards, when McSweeny was unable to close down the striker quick enough. Handley bagged his first Boomers goal, glancing a header off the throw-in. Ironically before the game, Handley was heard detesting Stoke City and their style of football. It was of no surprise to anyone apart from the man himself that his goal came in such a manor. Playmaker Tadhg Delany completed the rout soon after with a clinical finish as the Boomers started their 2012 season with confidence, determination and aplomb.

They came out with an almost righteous desire for the three points and thoroughly deserved it. Jimmy Bascand was solid in goal, only beaten by a wonder strike. Halford led the back four with authority and great leadership. Raiko Shareef, Drew Delany and Gibbo Gibson came on in tricky circumstances but adapted brilliantly and were key to the Boomers controlling the game throughout the whole 90 minutes. Michael Candy was brilliant, playing under a bit of doubt about his starting position he has certainly put that to bed and is almost guaranteed a start next week The two Alexes in midfield look to be key for the Boomers success this season, Handley providing the hard-tackling graft needed, Rothman providing the Xavi-esque ability to control the flow and distribute. Darryl Jones looks like the out-and-out goalscorer the Boomers have so badly needed in previous years and Blaine Abraham will need to seriously work for his place if he wants it.

Wow, what a start Boomers. A message has been sent to the league, the Karori Boomers are here to win it and the form of the second half of last season was only a pre-emptive warning. Manager Jesse Strafford could be serenading the trophy with 'Feel So Close' by Calvin Harris on the back of this performance, but it's more likely he's serenading next week's game with Pharoahe Monch's 'Simon Says.' 

So once again the Boomers kick off the season with a win