Ray Stevens steals the show...
It was another cold day and quite surprising that play was actually taking place as many grass field were closed due to frost. Thanks must go to MIke Deeley who spent many hours demolishing snowmen (and dodging snowballs from infuriated children) before shovelling the whole of the field to make it playable. Due to a mix-up with the league fixtures, the Classics were playing the same team that had travelled to James Hill Park in the last game played, in such severe weather, by both teams - the league was unaware that the last game, one month to the day, had been played! The Classics were short on playing staff so recruited three rookies from the youth team to make up the numbers for the day.

The game began on the bouncy pitch with the Classics first real chance coming in the first ten minutes from an unlikely source. Gordie Macklin found himself at the bye line with Dave Moore in back-up. Macklin passed the ball to Moore who hit the ball on target but it was deflected back into play by a good body block from a Stingers defender. Minutes later Tony Nebert was unlucky with a shot which came back off the intersection of the crossbar and the far post. Macklin released Nebert with a neat back-heel in the 20th minute and he took full advantage by stroking the ball home, low to the left of the keeper.

At this stage came the comedic moment of the game - the Classics encountered their first ever streaker at a game. Everyone hollered, "Don't Look Ethel... but too late, everybody looked!" The incident was uncharacteristic and, technically, the game should have been stopped by the referee. He had held his whistle to his lips but he then realised that the streaker was actually one of the Classics players! The player set off, hot in pursuit of an attacking Stingers winger. After several minutes the player, who shall remain nameless, put his shirt back on and switched to the other full back position where David Breen had been covering for him. It was quite embarrassing and prompted Trevor Johnson to say, "I have been playing football for 46 years and have never witnessed anything like that before, or as funny." The incident was soon forgotten though and wasn't even mentioned after the game.

Macklin was 'chipping in' again in the 28th minute but it went over the bar and in the 34th a long range effort from Deeley went wide of the right post. With five minutes of the half remaining a long throw in on the left from Johnson bounced over to Macklin at the back post who scooped the ball into the top right hand corner of the net. Macklin was involved again just minutes later when his centre fell to Pat O'Krane who hit the ball goalwards. The ball looked to be going into the net but Deeley was on hand to make sure and he prodded it home to complete the 'relay.' Jason Clegg was brought into the action just on the stroke of half time when he had to be alert enough to dive high to his left to keep the Stingers first real effort of the half out. The score at half time was 3-0 to the visitors.

The second half followed the same pattern with the Classics controlling possession of the ball. Fraser Corbould was a rock in the middle with a convincing debut at the heart of defence. Johnson got the fourth goal with a fine strike to the right of the keeper. Macklin was at it again with his chips as he got the fifth goal in similar fashion to his first - this one came with dips. The clinching goal came from Deeley who ran almost from the half way line unopposed to calmly round the keeper and plant the ball home. Macklin summed up the game by selecting Willie Dixon's scissor kick as the highlight of the game as he brought a great save out of the home keeper (other than the pervert at the elementary school).

Stats
MWG: A.N.Other
Crap Award: Not awarded