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Roger posted on June 03, 2007 18:28
The half time talk was simple - play controlled football, run your guts out and never give in! A physical match started taking its toll in the second half, two Suburbs player retired injured (one with a broken arm) and the Maroons lost Andrew to a vicious boot in the thigh. A clash of two Suburbs players and even their 15 player squad looked a little depleted!
Despite several near misses Pukekohe couldn't score and a last second thundering shot from Thomas that rattled the crossbar ( and saw Peter on the side line tearing his hair out - I mean clasping his bald head) summed up the day for the team. A depleted Pukekohe going down 1-0 against a full strength Suburbs.
A number of Pukekohe players almost crawled off the field. Lets give out the accolades:
Gary - non stop running up front again, several shots, several gasps from the crowd. Alec asked to play up front and mid field, ran hard-tackled hard and had shots on goal. Vaughn (the late arrival) the ever ready bunny up front until a powerful hit in the face slowed him up. Jag and Thomas, asked to fill a depleted midfield and gave it their all. Jesse and Michael (who also played defender) on the flanks battled all day.The back line again showed they could match the thin red line at Waterloo - backs to the line they came out hard every time. Mathew with a series of three slide tackles in a row, the last from his knees - Ben with endlessly frustrating tackles on strikers who thought they were away. Cameron and Andrew who tackled evrything that moved and cleared the ball safely out wide. Nekoda with some brilliant reflex saves in goal that kept Pukekohe in the match. This was a side who were gallant in defeat and left the field with their heads high.
Players of the day were Cameron and Michael - for sheer bloody mindedness, determination and fearlessness in their defence.Watch out Suburbs - Pukekohe at full strength at home are looking for payback!