Tri try again but the result is the same ......................................

It was the second trip of the season to Noel Booth for Tri City who last visited back in October. The play was fairly even in the opening stages of the game. After some back and forth cancelling out play, the Classics were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box in the 15th minute. The ball was placed for a shot but Dave Moore sneaked in to try an audacious attempt at a quick free kick which hit a defender and deflected for a corner which left everyone in raptures! The home side took the lead in the 25th minute after a penalty was awarded for a hand ball. Doug Rosenlund stepped up and cooly slipped the ball to the left of the keeper for the opening goal. Just two minutes later it should have been 2-0 after a great right wing center was met by the head of Lorenzo Arcari. Arcari did everything right by heading the ball downwards and in the direction of the goal but his timing was just too early and it bounced fractionally sooner than it should have done and deflected over the bar instead of under - so technically he didn't really do everything right!

More pressure from the Classics almost brought another goal in the 35th minute but the visiting keeper was adept enough to thwart the effort. Randy Hosler took an injury minutes later which was described by the players on the line as a hyper-extended knee. It's a new medical term for the team physio and not really knowing what to do he referred to the Rick Geary book of medical terminology and first aid. The medical book, which always gives the most practical of information, offered the following advice: Find as many plastic bags as you can out of the nearest garbage bin; wrap the bags round the wound and stick it on with any available masking tape, string, elastic bands, duct tape or electrical insulting tape; dance an Irish jig. The accompanying photo will show the expertise with which the operation was executed.

Warren Crowley was turning on the style and he sold a brilliant nut-meg to one of the opposition before a United attack almost caught out the Classics defence. A long range shot was dealt with capably by an agile Dean 'Trampoline' Herbert as he punched the ball away to safety. With three minutes of the half remaining a through ball was well missed by Pat Rohla and a defender nipped in to pass the ball back to the keeper. The goalie was unsure on his feet and he had to watch the ball roll slowly and agonisingly past him and over the line to make the score 2-0 to the hosts at the end of a fairly comfortable half. On the goal reconstruction it was decided to give the assist to Larry Thorlakson as it was noted that Rohla had merely fallen over.

Early in the second half a great move was started by Rosenlund who passed to Rohla who in turn headed the ball down to Alan Massender who ran the ball almost to the goal-line. He shot but it went across the goal and away to safety. Minutes later another long through ball from Rosenlund put Massender away again and this time his rasping shot rattled the top of the bar and went for a dead ball. The third goal came after another long ball from Rosenlund landed invitingly on the head of Rohla who stooped to head the ball down and past the keeper. Rosenlund assisted once again on the fourth goal after he passed a free kick squarely to Danny Jensen who calmy side footed a shot beyond the reach of the keeper from 20 yards to add another insurance goal.

Midway through the second half Jensen played a ball to L. Arcari down the line who crossed the ball to the back post where W. Crowley was on hand to head home the fifth goal. This was followed by another goal after Alfie Deglan switched the ball out to Alan Massender on the left flank who plunder on to the close post and fired the ball home at the back post. United pulled one back after a free kick was awarded after a hand ball from Moore. The shot looked to have been well saved by Herbert but it hit his trampoline and bounced out to a United forward who was following up who blasted it home. A funny incident minutes later witnessed Chuck McGill stop playing. He said he thought the whistle had gone but the rest of the team understood that he thought it was a Pro-D day and he didn't need to work. Another good effort by Massender was headed onto the crossbar and went away to safety. A further header by Massender went wide after good work from Jim Eden and Jensen. A defensive melee two minutes from the end of the game gave Tri City another goal and some respectability. Herbert did his best and got a hand to the shot but there was too much power for him to complete the save. Good work near the end from McGill released Daryl Lawrie who chipped the ball over the post. It was good to see the goals being shared out, the probable reason being that last weeks experience of Jimmy Butler buying a round encouraged players not to be so damn greedy!

Post match quotes:
"I asked Dean (the goalkeeper) how he felt before the game and he said to me 'My arms are numb and I've got tingling in my hands!'" - Chris Arcari
"When the guy was getting Warren from behind, Warren put in a request to the referee to come off the field so he could have a cigarette." - Danny Jensen
"I was surprised at the shot as Danny doesn't hit that many along the ground." - Randy Hosler
"Al Massender hit the bar twice but he couldn't find the bar on Friday night." - Dave Moore
"There were two players and 130 years on the left of the field" - Danny Jensen

Final Score: Classics 6 Tri city United 2 (2-0)

Stats
GK: Dean Herbert
Crap award: Larry Thorlakson