A game of two halves...
The Classics got off to a poor start with the news that Danny Jensen was unfit to play and Robbie Keam was unable to make the line-up. Likewise, the game began at a slow pace. The first bit of action came in the eighth minute when Chris Arcari was cautioned for an overexuberant tackle near the edge of the box. More bad news was to befall as the other twin, Lorenzo, hobbled off the field through injury minutes later. Port Moody made a good break through in the 26th. minute and an effort was chipped over the advancing Judd Boxtart but, unfortunately for the visitors, it also went over the bar. Moody controlled the majority of the first half with the Classics putting is such a lethargic half that they didn't even have an effort on goal. The half ended with a disappointing 0-0 scoreline.

If the first half was poor, the second half was like comparing beef dripping to caviar. The Classics took the lead as early as the first minute of the half after catching Port Moody flat-footed. It came from a cross-cum-shot from Jimmy Butler which totally deceived the opposition keeper and went in at the back post. Pat Rohla observed, "It was a wind shot, assisted by Butler." It was originally thought that Daryl Lawrie had got his head to the cross but it went in, unassisted, via the back post. In the 51st. minute a right wing corner from Randy Hosler was headed narrowly over the bar by Alan Massender. A through ball from Rohla was then chased down by Butler but he would have had to have been a rabbit to have caught it so it drifted wide to safety.

In the 58th. minute a short low corner from Moody tested Boxtart who instinctively saved with his legs/knees. Lawrie and Willie 'lick your kneecaps' Dixon were doing lots of intelligent running which kept the opposition on their toes. They were so impressive that the club are considering entering both players into next years Grand National. David Breen was lucky (and the team) to get away unpunished when he did what looked like a slide tackle in the box but the referee waved play on and awarded the resulting corner. Boxtart made a comfortable save in the 61st. minute when the ball was hammered directly into his body. Massender was another player who had top leave the field through injury when his ham-string went. The effects are very painful as the photo on the left will testify. It then got to desperation when coach Jim Eden was forced to tell Dave Moore to get his kit on as all the substitutes looked like the walking wounded.

A controversial moment occurred with 15 minutes remaining when the referee punished the Classics by awarding an indirect free-kick on the six-yard-line for a slide tackle against C. Arcari. Arcari was already on the ground and scooped the ball away from an advancing attacker but the man in charge was adamant that it constituted such an award. When quizzed after the match ther official phoned the League for clarification and later admitted that he had made a mistake. However, the apology came too late to save Boxtart a shut-out (will he ever get another?) as Moody scored from the incident after squaring the ball to an unmarked player who struck it home through the ten man defensive wall. With eight minutes remaining it looked like Moody had picked the pockets of the Classics with a draw, but the Classics pulled another goal like a magician snatching a rabbit out of a hat. It began with a great run from Dixon who fed the ball to Gordie Macklin. Macklin sold a dummy and threaded a dangerous ball through to Butler who once again did what he gets paid for - he hammed the ball into the back of the net for the winner! Dean Herbert came out to spectate and was duly awarded his trophy from last season which was suitably attired with black 'insulting' tape neatly wrapped around the wonky left knee.

Stats
Yellow Card: C. Arcari
MWG: J. Butler
Crap Award: G. Macklin