Aces trumped.....
It was back to action for the Classics and, with the league restructuring, they faced their first game in the Southern Section of the league with a trip to Aldergrove. The first match was at old foes Langley Aces on a day that wasn't fit to turn dogs out in. The match started briskly enough and in the fifth minute a right wing break by Will Dixon was finished with a cut into the box and a shot on the keeper. The goalie parried the shot out to Gordie Macklin who was on hand to hammer the ball home (apparently at his third attempt) for the opening goal of the new season. Then Alan Massender hit the ball wide, across the face of the goal, from a good opportunity in the 13th. minute. Pat O'Krane threaded a great through ball in the 16th. minute which set Jimmy Butler off on a one-on-one run against the keeper. Uncharacteristically, his shot was a tame one which the keeper pushed away. Unfortunately for the Aces, the ball fell at Macklin's feet and he did a repeat of his first goal to put the Classics 2-0 in the lead.

The first comedic moment of the season arrived soon afterwards when Randy Hosler took the worst-ever foul throw-in ever seen at any level of football. He fell to his knees as if praying for help and meekly lifted the ball up to his head before throwing the ball groundwards as if he was in a Keystone Cops movie. The first effort of note from the opposition came in the 26th. minute when a long range shot whistled over the bar. Larry Thorlakson won the ball in the 31st. minute and fed Gino Nonni, who went on to try a shot on goal but it went fractionally wide. Two minutes later a left wing corner by the Aces was drilled low into the box. An attacker met the ball and redirected it slowly goalwards and it evaded Judd Boxtart as well as the despairing attempt by Thorlakson on the line, who was rehearsing for an upcoming production of the Goh Ballet. Boxtart was particularly downhearted with the result as it spoilt the joint-shutout record.

O'Krane was off on another forward forage in the 39th. minute after a superb through ball from Gene Crowley put him clear. He finished the move with the ball in the net, but it was disallowed by the referee for a hand ball, which was harsh as it bounced up and couldn't have been avoided. There was no excuse two minutes later though when O'Krane blasted a shot massively over the bar - remember Pat, always keep your head over the ball! That's how play ended at the half way mark. David Breen had had an outstanding half with some excellent defending.

Play restared with Dixon making another penetrating run down the left. He centred to O'Krane who hit the ball over the bar, but this time it was from a deflection. The 49th. minute brought a great effort from Warren Crowley which the keeper, once again, had to push back out. This time it fell at the feet of Nonni who hammered the ball home past the unprotected last man to make the score 3-1 in favour of the Classics. The W. Crowley/Nonni partnership almost brought dividends two minutes later but this time Nonni scraped the ball agonisingly wide. Nonni was rampant now as, one minute later, he let rasp a rising shot across the goalmouth which left the crossbar rattling and also left a two foot dirty mark where the ball had contacted it. Another through ball from W. Crowley, who was playing out of his skin, found O'Krane who blasted the ball over the bar (is there is a trend here?). Nonni hit a ball at the keeper which rebounded back out in the 56th. minute. but somehow went for a corner kick. The resultant kick brought the fourth goal. O'Krane took the kick, a short one back to Thorlakson, who received it back from a one touch with the defender. O'Krane unleashed a pile driver from outside the penalty box which rose across the face of the goal and finished in the far top corner of the net. It was the goal of the game which would have graced any stadium as it came from an almost impossible angle. At 4-1 Butler left early with his bottom lip shaking as he hadn't got on the scoring list. Let's hope it's not another dry spell for the usually reliable striker!

A left wing run in the 67th. minute by Nonni finished with a delightful ball across the face of the keeper and W. Crowley had simple taks of tapping the ball over the line. With 15 minutes remaining Daryl Lawrie stooped to head the ball over the line but the referee ruled him off-side. It was a contentious call as Macklin had pulled the ball back for the centre so it must have been on-side. Dixon put the icing on the cake with ten minutes remaining with a solo goal which was slotted to the left of the keeper after a devastating piece of wing play.

The after-match talk centred round the search for the missing runners, once owned by Chris Arcari. Poor Chris looked totally dejected as he traipsed away from the changing rooms on a mission to find the rogue runners. See the photo that shows the dejection as he walked away.

Stats
GK: D. Moore (0-0) then J. Boxtart
MWG: G. Macklin
Crap Award: P. O'Krane