Stalemate ......................................
The proceedings were delayed due to dog muck being found on the field. Gordie Macklin donated his coffee cup to alleviate the problem. The match started with an experimental back four with both Willie Dixon and Alfie Deglan taking turns at playing at being a full back. The third minute saw a break away by Daryl Lawrie who was released one-on-one with the keeper but his shot was disappointing as it was more of a chip into the keepers hands. A minute later it was Lawrie again on a great right wing break. He tore down the wing like a gazelle and centred a dangerous ball which was kicked away for a corner by a defender. Warren Crowley headed low and wide from the resulting corner kick. In the seventh minute another good move, after a pass from Macklin, resulted in Lawrie creating another goalscoring opportunity but again the shot was straight at the keeper. Lawrie was seeing that much of the ball that it was quite possible that there were two Lawries on the pitch. Next into the action was Randy Hosler who sent the ball over from the wing to Lorenzo Arcari who headed wide. In the 10th. minute Alan Massender became the next player on the list to miss a goal when he blasted over from five yards after a good Macklin cross. Dixon made a long left wing run a minute later but again a chance went begging. It was all one way traffic.

Chris Arcari tried a long range shot which was deflected away for a corner on the quarter hour mark. W. Crowley sent a defence splitting pass through to Pat O'Krane, who's chipped effort was just over the crossbar. A pattern of misses was developing and even Stevie Wonder could see that that the Classics needed a striker in form to finish off all the excellent build up work which was going to waste. In a rare attack on the visitors goal, Hosler unceremoniousy upended an attacker on the edge of the penalty box which resulted in a direct free kick. Fortunately, the defensive wall blunted out the resultant shot. Macklin released O'Krane in the 23rd. minute but his shot was wide to the right of the post. Minutes later L. Arcari released Jimmy Butler and his effort brought another corner. In the 26th. minute a right wing run from Hosler was headed away for another corner. On the half hour, it appeared that the home side took the lead after another Hosler foul brought a free kick some 25 yards out. A United player hit the ball high over the defensive wall which was heading straight at Dean Herbert in goal. With Herbert busy swatting flies away from his head, the ball seemed to go straight through his hands and into the net. United ran back celebrating their goal but an alert C. Arcari questioned the referee as to the validity of the 'goal' as the free kick was indicated as an indirect free kick. The result was a dead ball kick to a very relieved Classics defence.

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With ten minutes of the half left Butler centred the ball for O'Krane who completed his hat-trick of misses by kicking the ball over the bar. The second half was much the same story with the Classics creating all the chances but failing to convert them. Not a lot of pleasure came out of this 0-0 draw with the players leaving the field disheartened - it was as if the Classics had lost the game. The last time that the Classics failed to score in a league match was on 8th. November 2009. That match was lost 1-0 at Polonia on a day when the team were decimated with injuries, and spectator Willie Dixon had to run home for his kit to bolster the squad. After today's game maybe Deglan now appreciates just how hard it is, and how much stamina is needed, to be a full back! The only good thing to come out of the match was that, for the third match running, the opposition were restricted to only ONE shot but this time it wasn't a goal.

Final Score: Tri-City United 0 Classics 0

Stats
Crap award: G. Macklin gained his first back-to-back award