June 22nd 2014 vs Tokoroa AFC Women’s B
The Green Green Grass Of Tok
Cruising up the driveway towards the Tokoroa Clubrooms, the supposedly perfect fields with actual grass loomed at us from the left.
While poor Tash was busy decorating the grass by the carpark after a long windy drive, we headed into the barrack-style changing rooms to get ready for what was going to be a tough game.
The first half was a battle of what looked like ping-pong soccer as the field was flooded with Tok and Unicol midfielders’ legs while the ball was being furiously pummelled around, not really going anywhere.
Unicol made a couple of breaks managing to get the ball up into the Tok goal box and had some amazing shots blocked by the Tok defence and Goalie.
Tok then got stuck in and worked their way up the crowded field and were awarded an indirect free kick.
The Unicol Wall of Terror wasn’t about to let a free kick turn into a goal and helped to make a great save for the Keeper.
The ball was kicked back up the field only to make its way back with a quick Tok forward who smashed a high ball into the box only to be deflected over the crossbar by a fully outstretched Unicol Keeper with arms like Inspector Gadget.
A corner was taken and with all the confusion, a sneaky unattended Tok player received the ball and sent the ball into the back of the net making the half-time score 1-nil.
The second half started out much like the first with the ball ping-ponging its way up the field.
Unicol was desperate to even the score, so the midfield took control, sending the ball out wide to our golden-footed girl Erin who weaved her way into the box and took a perfect snap-shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Tok was not overly impressed as Unicol jumped for joy at evening the score, and they were out for blood.
After what seemed like an intense slow-mo battle up the field, a Tok Attacker kicked the ball into a hard-working Ruth’s hand and were awarded a Penalty Shot in which they successfully scored, much to the disbelief of every one of the Unicol players.
Unicol held their heads high and vowed to get even again.
The midfielders distributed the ball successfully around the confused Tok players and up the field. Tok threw their all at us but were unsuccessful and had a free kick awarded against them.
Dark Horse Safari cracked a brilliant ball 35m from the goal and dropped it into the 18 yard box where it was bundled about the 6 yard box before it fell to Erin’s foot and she drove it perfectly into the back of the net from 5metres out.
2-all and 10minutes to go, the green green grass of Tok’s football pitch looked more like a beaten up rugby field, as the Unicol girls were not ready to give Tok the satisfaction of scoring again.
After some pushy and yellow-card deserving play from some of the Tok midfielders, the ball was belted into the 18 yard box where Unicol was giving it their all, refusing to let that ball through.
The ball unfortunately bounced out of the kerfuffle onto the foot of Tok’s Captain who both Captain Robz and the Keeper took turns at diving at, only to just miss the ball that shot into the back of the net, making the final score 3-2.
Needless to say there were some sore bodies after an absolutely gut-wrenching game played against a talented team who hosted an epic after match feed. Crack out the deep heat and bring on the next game!
Thanks Russell
