Melchester Narrowly Avoid Slip In Merdeux

 
  

Faced with a waterlogged artificial pitch, some of the WAGs dug out their wellies to wade through the artificial mud

Having thrashed Merdeux on a wet pitch earlier in the season, the omens were good on Wednesday as Melchester lined up at a rain-soaked Chalabalova brimming with confidence.  However, despite a rampant opening in which our heroes surged forward time and time again, it wasn't until midway through the first half that the reds made their mark on the scoresheet.

But oh, in what style.  Having run the ball to the opponent's box, Davies cut back for Pagliaro, who threaded a pass through for professional asskoek Vegard Nordheim to drill low and hard between the helpless keeper's legs.

Another first-half chance goes begging    

However, although Rovers came in at the break having dominated the first half, they only had the one goal to show from a plethora of chances.  And as everyone knows, in Brněnský Svaz Malé Kopané Group 2(b) Of Death, a single goal is not to be sat on.  And so it proved, as Merdeux applied the pressure in the second half to earn an equaliser, much to Melchester's surprise.

Unperturbed, Nordheim charged forward from the restart and, having waited a while for the rest of Rovers' fronline to catch up, played in a cross to Davies, who slotted home another beauty to regain the lead for the hoops.

 

The diminutive Welshman celebrates with a message for a fellow Taff

Yet Merdeux still refused to lie down.  After a flurry of subsitutions, Melchester lost their shape and allowed the blues to come at them, and despite some crucial stops from debutant Keeperman Dave "these tracksuit bottoms haven't got any pockets for my tissues" Cleary, it wasn't long before another equaliser arrived.

Having created little in the 2nd half, finding another goal to take the lead for the 3rd time seemed a tall order.  Cue that man again, Mr Asskoek, Nordheim.  Now by far Rovers' top goalscorer, Vegard sealed the match with a typically classy flick past the Merdeux keeper, and after a hard fought contest, 3 points were in the bag.

 

After an unexpectedly tough win, exhausted Rovers manage to summon enough energy for the post-match handshakes and urine tests

All that remained was for fellow forward Golban to provide some amber nectar, and Melchester could celebrate yet another win to stay on the coat-tails of The Big Four.

   

An excited Roy Race is looking forward to the weekend's fixtures: "With Kaspari dropping down, we're now level with them on points - which means if we can win Saturday's match against INEX-SDA Srbska"B" by, say, 16 goals or more, we can break into the playoff positions.  We have to believe."

Merdeux 2-3 Melchester Rovers (0-1HT)

ClearyD, MestanekM, SmithM, KimbrellC, PagliaroJ, HollandP, Nordheim(2), DaviesR(1), GolbanN

Man of the Match - Vegard Nordheim 

MATCH REPORT - MERDEUX ON THE MELCHESTER EXPRESS

Merdeux 0 - Melchester Rovers 5


"The Cat's" eye view of the Rovers in action

Melchester Rovers extended their run of away victories last night as Petr "the Cat" Krupicek kept a clean sheet while the front line ran wild.

Rovers set out their stall early, when directly from the kick off top scorer Colin Kimbrell shot just wide from the centre spot. Having gone two games without scoring, New Orleans' most talented soccerguy was keen to find the net, and after a jittery start soon put the reds ahead with a mazy run leading to a shot in his favourite top 90. However, for much of the remainder of the first half the score remained at 1-0, as the trauma of the last two games seemed to discourage the Rovers from playing their usual free-flowing game.


No wonder the opposition were scared

Eventually scorer turned provider, as Kimbrell went on another run before laying on Veggard for an easy tap in. It was the 2nd half, however, which provided Melchester with a new goal hero as James Pagliaro, in only his 2nd game in the famous red and gold stripes, pounced on a poor clearance by Merdeux to sidefoot home the 3rd goal of the evening. Now brimming with confidence, "The Pagster" linked up with Christian Zschzachzch from a throw to head home his 2nd.



Midfield General Matt Smith negotiates a wet patch, not for the first time in his illustrious career

At the other end, a watertight defence, superb goalkeeping and a couple of horrendous misses by les bleus d'merde ensured complete shut out, and it was hard not to feel some pity for the plucky losers when Veggard completed his brace with a fierce low shot in the closing overs to take Rovers to mid table, but put Merdeux bottom.

After tearing up what appeared to be a job application for McDonald's, a delighted Roy Race enthused, "This is just the result Rovers needed. The narrow pitch, and the walls around the ground, meant we didn't have to run very far to get the ball, which perfectly suited our style of play. Oh, and the fact that Merdeux were rubbish."

Bizarrely, Roy Race opted to watch the game muzzled and hidden in a barbed wire cage

Rovers face another rubbish team (Palermo, played 4, lost 4) at the weekend, well aware that these are the kind of games they must win in order to avoid being the best team at being rubbish in Div 2.

'Mon the hoops!