Arcari brace sinks Peace Arch......
The Classics travelled to South Surrey to face bogey team Peace Arch. The Classics opted to play with the fierce wind at their backs for the first half and took an early lead in the 10th. minute after a fine through ball from Mike Snow set Chris Arcari on a run into the box. Arcari placed his right foot shot low and into the corner of the net for the opener.

It could have been 0-2 when Chuck McGill finished off a move in powerful style but he was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball before putting it away and a free kick for Peace Arch was the unfortunate result. The Classics midfield were playing well as a unit and most of the play was in the Peace Arch end of the field. Peace Arch were limited to long range efforts which Tony Short had little difficulty in dealing with.

The tide turned 15 minutes from the end of the first half when a break-away from defence let an attacker beat the offside trap. He took the ball past Dave Moore and headed into the penalty box with Rick Geary hot in pursuit. Geary leaned on the player and he went down like a ‘sack of spuds’ with the referee having no hesitation in awarding a penalty. The strike was well placed to the left of Short who got a hand to it but the power was enough to put the game level.

Five minutes later it was 2-1 for Peace Arch after a mix-up in the Classics defence and alarm bells started to ring. Could the Peace Arch jinx strike again? The lead was however, short lived. One minute later it was a case of “Da Do Run, Ron, Ron, Da Do Run, Ron” as Ron Jennings run after a fine through ball from Snow and calmly placed a side footer into the net for the levelling goal. Jennings was having his best game for the Classics and was putting in a tremendous work rate. The score remained at 2-2 at the half as the teams left the field.

The second half saw a more dominant Classics effort. Alfie Deglan and Rick Geary had to retire through injury so there was some shuffling of personnel but the team continued to dominate the game. The next goal was to be the eventual match winner and it came from an unfamiliar source. Larry Thorlakson received the ball some 35 yards from goal and obviously he had been listening to his coaches. With his head down he unleashed a speculative shot cum centre which sailed high into the White Rock air. It must have gathered a coating of ice during it’s circumnavigation of the White Rock Peninsular as the Peace Arch keeper found it too difficult to hold and the ball dropped through his hands to nestle safely in the back of the net to put the Classics ahead again. It was only Larry’s fourth goal for the team and proved that he should wear his daughter Katie’s boots more often!

With their tails up now, the Classics continued to pile on the pressure. Ten minutes from the end of the game they were awarded an indirect free kick to the right of the penalty area. Jennings laid the ball to Jim Eden who sent over a perfect centre for Arcari (pictured) who was waiting unmarked at the far post. Arcari rose well and powered a header into the back of the net for the insurance goal. This act killed the game and it was a just a case of playing out the time which the Classics accomplished without any trouble.

The after game events were a different story though. Fisher Crockett and McGill were ‘chefs of the week’ and they treated the team to the most exquisite frozen Chinese food imaginable. At Betty’s Barbeque the spring rolls were described more as winter rolls and Geary was using them instead of ice in his mixers. Come back Budgie, all is forgiven!

Stats:
Penalty conceded: R. Geary
"You Were Crap" award: A. Deglan