The Mighty Shane continued their great run of form this season with an impressive win over Japanese FC. In a tightly contested game, it was Shane’s resolute defense and fluid attacking that made the difference.
The 3:00 kickoff saw some of the warmest weather of the season so far, and it was clear early on that Shane were well up for the occasion. Right from the start, Shane dominated possession and pressed high up the pitch, causing all sorts of problems for the opposition. The early dominance was quickly rewarded, as Pat intercepted a woeful JFC back pass and guided the ball clinically into the back of the net.
Galvanized by the early goal, Shane continued to push on and control the game. A number of other gilt-edged chances fell their way over the course of the first half, but they were unfortunately squandered by some wasteful finishing.
After an explosive opening 35 minutes, the tireless running of the Shane eleven caught up with them as they slowed and relinquished some control of the game. Despite the drop in performance, the boys in white went into halftime one nil up.
Shane came out in the second half the better side once more, but JFC slowly grew into the game. Their newfound grasp on the game bore fruit when a long-range free kick found its way past the Shane keeper and into the back of the net. At 1-1, the game was turned on its head, and the match became a bit scrappy.
The Mighty Shane boys, however, found a breakthrough when goal scorer Pat flicked a header into the path of Zach, who found himself in a one on one with goalkeeper. He made no mistake with his shot, and cheekily dinked the ball into the far side of the net.
Not long after the go-ahead goal, a goal kick from James was deflected off the head of a JFC defender for Zach to once again run onto. This time, he rounded the keeper and pushed his shot calmly into the bottom corner to complete his brace.
At 3-1, the game was all but over as a contest, but the Mighty Shane did have a late scare as new-boy Jack was harshly judged to have fouled his man inside his own penalty box. The resulting penalty was smashed into the post however, and Shane could once again play to see the game out.
The match finished 3-1, with the Mighty Shane more than deserving winners of the contest. In truth, they should have scored two or three more, with many of our boys guilty of some wasteful finishing. The result was enough for Shane though, and it sees them extend their unbeaten run to seven games.
Man of the Match: Zach – it was ultimately his goals that made the difference, but his overall midfield play was positive and solid. Special mentions also go out to Pat, Cesar, Jamie, and James for excellent performances across the pitch.