Match Report By Gary Collins

A cast of thousands pulled on the blue shirt for Saints on the opening day of the 2009 Masters Division One season as Melville City made the short trip to the Tompkins Park Field of Fear.

Melville took to the field wearing Brazil replica shirts, but the reality was that they had more in common with the nut than the country’s footballing pedigree as Saints reduced their local rivals to nothing more than onlookers for most of the match.

Despite a ninth minute opening goal from the prolific Graham Cameron – after some fine work by Ewald Ringer – the Saints looked disjointed and spluttered through the first third of the game without troubling Melville’s agile, athletic and statuesque keeper.

Things changed in the 30th minute and the Saints gave the spectators (outnumbered by the Saints subs bench), something to cheer about when Andy Thorburn chipped the ball over the giant Melville goalkeeper after a fine run from deep in defence by Iain Deans.

Thorburn’s goal was the first of five in an eleven minute spell as Zoran Barovic (32nd and 41st minute), Nigel Mann (35th minute) and Mel Brown (40th minute) piled on the agony for Melville.  A complete contrast to the first thirty minutes of the game as Barovic in particular, teased and taunted the nuts with his weaving runs and precise passing. 

A 6-0 score line at half-time in favour of the home team and little concern for coach Ross Greer at the break.

Both team’s changed their goalkeepers at half-time.  Robbie Zabica handed over his duties to The Cat after an arduous and physically demanding first half and the Melville colossus handed over the gloves to his Grandad. 

The break and change of ends seemed to upset the Rhythm of the Saints (Paul Simon, 1990 – not a patch on Graceland) and as with the first half the home team struggled to show their true class.

The first twenty minutes of the second half provided Melville with its best phase of the game and they came close on two occasions to breaking their duck.

Again as with the first half, after a stuttering start the Saints eased into their work and their seventh goal came after Iain Deans repelled a Melville attack and fed the ball to Cameron who, after a typical mazey run, set up Robbie Dunn to score from close range in the 67th minute.

Within seconds of the re-start, Dunn capitalised on a Melville defensive error to score his second of the game.

8-0 ahead with twenty minutes to go and the Saints thoughts seemed to turn to the after-game cold beer as their game slowly deteriorated into series of misdirected passes and the frequent turn over of possession. 

A final goal to Cameron in the last minute as he teased the giant’s Grandad in the Melville goal and the Saints work was done for the day.

A positive opening to the 2009 season, but Coach Greer will know that there will be tougher opposition than the Brazil nuts to come for the Saints and he may need to delve deep into his enormous squad to get some of the poise, calmness and steadying influence that was missing for long periods of this game.

Coaches Best: Barovic, Mann and Deans.

And now for something completely different.......................................That's a football team!.

May 5, 2009