Match Report By Ben Fitzpatrick

The Saints Premier recorded their first league victory of the season at the third attempt with a hard fought 2-1 win over Brooklands at Tompkins Park.

The three points brought much needed relief to the squad after an opening day loss to Forrestfield United and 8-0 hammering to Canning City, both teams which finished top two last season.

Numbers were again low with a string of absentees due to work, injury or general no shows giving the Saints the bare 11 with Rob Zabica and Tony Doody agreeing to sit on the bench.

It was a fairly even start to the game and the visitors should have taken the lead after 15 minutes when a long throw found its way to the ginger striker at the back post who somehow shinned the ball away from the open goal in what a Saints defender told him seconds later was one of the misses of the season.

The Brooklands number 9 was by this stage annoying all and sundry with constant rants at the referee and was subsequently booked minutes later when he attempted a lunge at a Saints midfielder.

Another player began to make some enquiries about the Saints propping up the bottom of the ladder when he was matter of factly asked what league Brooklands were in last season.

The boys in blue took the lead when a lightening counter attack saw David Murray storm forward down the right and whip in a low cross that was dummied beautifully by Frankie Ferreira for Scott Fletcher to curl home despite the best efforts of the keeper.

Fletcher had come out of a one week retirement to help the side get 11 men on the park however his future plans are still unclear.

The Saints were forcing a succession of corners and despite some fantastic delivery from Fletcher, couldn’t force the ball goal wards to trouble the keeper.

The Irishman had a chance to make it 2-0 when he weaved past four defenders and was left with just the keeper to beat but saw his low shot blocked.

Brooklands hit back with an equaliser after another long throw into the box found the striker to jump highest and head home from six yards.

Five minutes before half time the game was to change when a ball over the top to Murray, who was now on the left wing saw the midfielder race clear. The keeper sensing the danger sprinted off his line and clattered Murray on the touch line 30 yards from his goal. The referee immediately reached for his red card and sent the keeper off.

The Saints controlled the early stages of the second half and pushed forward in numbers to stretch the visitors defence. Fletcher rolled one chance just wide of the post when put through but Ferreira made no mistake minutes later when excellently played through by the Irishman to send a low effort under the keeper.
Brooklands immediately moved men forward to find a way back into the match and thought they had found an equaliser in bizarre circumstances after a goal keeper howler from Justin Forbes.

An innocuous ball into the box headed towards the byline and with Forbes told to pick it up sprinted to the ball and stopped it in his tracks but also ran past the ball leaving it in play. An opportunistic striker swooped on the crumbs, played the ball across the box and was tapped home from three yards with defenders still scrambling back. With hands in heads all round, the frenzied celebrations of Brooklands were cut short by an unseen flag from the linesman who said the original ball into the box had gone out of play before being touched by Forbes.

Minutes later and stand in coach Dom Hodnett withdrew Forbes, who had otherwise been strong for the majority of the match, for the imposing figure of ex Australian keeper Rob Zabica for the final 20 minutes. The big Zaba was not best pleased with the decision.

Brooklands thought they had another equaliser five minutes later when a long throw into the box was headed home although the referee blew early for a push on Zabica.

The visitors had their reserve keeper sent off 10 minutes from the end when he came out of his box to thwart a one on one chance and handled the ball, leaving his side with nine men.

Despite the numerical advantage the Saints squandered possession all too easily in the final minutes but held out for a vital win to restore confidence to the team and club. The song was sung with gusto and the Saints will look to carry on this form in the next few weeks.

 

May 13, 2009