Surrey Classics FC v Cliff Senior
Denny Ross
4th. October 2009

Weather: warm and sunny
Classics send the opposition over the Cliff........
The Classics entertained Cliff Senior in their third consecutive game at Denny Ross on a bright and sunny day in Murrayville. The game got underway with a cautious start by Cliff which allowed the home side to secure an early grip on the game. Several early chances fell to the Classics but it took until the 15th. minute before they finally got the crucial break through. It came as a result of an initial right wing corner by Pat Rohla which was returned into the danger area of the box. Dave Moore had put himself about in the box and he jumped to confuse the Cliff keeper who didn't notice Alan Massender ghost in behind Moore to head the most delicate of touches which eluded the keeper and put the home side into a deserved lead. On the half hour, a fine left wing cross from Doug Rosenlund somehow hit Chris Arcari on the back of the head and stole past the keeper to make the score 2-0. The Classics held the two goal lead until the half time whistle.

After some confusion with the Classics taking the kick-off for the second half (as they did in the first half) Cliff eventually kicked the ball off for the second half to commence. It took less than 60 seconds for the Classics to increase their lead. Larry Thorlakson concluded some sterling work on the right and released Rosenlund down the wing. He found Gordie Macklin who stood on no ceremony and he hammered home a powerful shot which gave the bewildered visiting keeper no chance. 3-0 to the home side!

Massender increased the lead to four when he bent a curler around the minder of the opposing nets. With such a commanding lead, Moore left the field to be replaced at centre-back by Rosenlund but the defence capitulated and within two minutes the visitors had pulled a goal back. Danny Jensen, who had been having a storming game, admitted responsibility for the slip up but it was of little consolation to Garry Hackel who was very disgruntled that his shut-out had been jeopardised.

    

With fifteen minutes left on the clock the Classics again took the upper hand with a contentious goal. Macklin was the scorer and the ball was struck with such ferocity that it cannoned back into the field of play off the back stanchion. As the referee was unsighted he begged the honesty of the Cliff goalkeeper. The keeper showed his true worth and admitted that the shot was indeed a goal, unlike the opposing midfielder who had started on a jinking run down the left wing. Much kudos for the integrity of the visiting keeper.

Chuck McGill had been hustling and bustling for the majority of the game and had been unlucky on a couple of occasions (in other words he missed two sitters) and with time running out it looked like the big striker was going to lose his 'goal a game' tag. With five minutes remaining, Macklin sent Rohla on one of his right wing jaunts who centred a low ball through for McGill which left him with his back to goal. McGill turned, much like the Titanic, and stroked home the sixth goal to put the icing on the cake.

If the sixth goal was the icing, the cherry on top came with two minutes remaining. Rosenlund sent Jim Eden on a left wing run and the quick thinking Eden stroked a low cross field ball through to McGill who was lurking on the right side of the penalty box. In a scoring position with a one on one with the keeper, McGill unselfishly laid off the ball to Macklin who was unmarked in the centre of goal. Macklin deceived the keeper with a high shot to his right which rifled into the roof of the net. The goal not only made the score a convincing 7-1 but it also completed a personal hat-trick for the striker. The score was a fitting result which put to rest the haunting of the last meeting of the teams which ended in an unconvincing win for Cliff on that eventful day when the 'Hand of Pat' had such an influence on the final result. Oh! Almost forgot ---- Gene Crowley said he assisted on six of the seven goals.

Final Score 7-1 (2-0)

Stats:
MWG: C. Arcari
Hat Trick: G. Macklin
You were Crap award: G. Hackel (on behalf of the defence)