Langy gets Cross, as Sunshine take the points
Posted: 1 May, 2008
| Sunshine George Cross | 3 | — | 0 | Langwarrin |
Round 4: Sunshine George Cross v Langwarrin — 26 April, 2008
Langy travelled over to take on Sunshine George Cross who were sitting on top with 3 wins and have yet to concede a goal, so Langy knew that this was going to be a very tough game. Out of the Squad was David Breslin with a knee injury, Thomas Ahmadzai also with a knee injury and Simon O'Donnell who was overseas on work commitments. This meant that Gus McLeod had to bring into the squad Ben Caffrey, Kevin McAlister, Adam Ahmadzai and Luke Burgess. The last 3 players all being under 18 years of age. Into the starting line up came Ben Cullen, starting his first game for Langwarrin and Jamie O'Donahue who would be playing up front.
The game got off to a hectic pace on a very windy and bumpy ground, which was recently sold to allow Sunshine to move to a new complex. Both teams were finding it hard to take control in the trying conditions especially, in the middle of the park where Adam Poole, Stuart Craig, Caleb Nichols and Barry Tulloch were working very hard as they were not getting a minute to settle on the ball. Langy had a couple of half chances with some great break away work by Jamie Heard and Jamie O'Donahue but unfortunately these didn't really worry the Georgies keeper. At the other end the defence of Chris Quinn, Ben Cullen and Karl Cochrane was holding firm and making life for Chris Jones fairly easy as he only had to deal with a couple of crosses and half chances. So at half time it was 0-0 and both sides would have been happy with there efforts even though both goalkeepers were rarely troubled, but you could put that down to the conditions.
Into the second half and Langy had no changes as they looked to keep the Georgies out who were being aided by the wind that had picked up during the interval. Once again it was a midfield battle and scrap with no team really winning the battle as honours were even. The Georgies tried to force the issue by making there 3 subs over a 15min period in the second half as they tried to up the tempo and score that elusive goal, but the Langy defence was holding strong and with 15mins to go the game appeared to be heading for a draw but an unusual incident changed all that. The Georgies won a free kick right on the right hand touch line, The Georgies player swung in a great cross and as the players jostled to head the ball an outstretched arm from Stuart Craig was raised and struck the ball, which resulted in the ref with no hesitation pointing to the spot, penalty. Up stepped the Georgies player and he put it to the left of Jones even though he guessed the same way it hit the back of the net. So the score was 1-0 with 75mins on the clock played.
Langy made there first substitution taken off the hard working Jamie O'Donahue and replacing him with Ben Caffrey. To make matters even harder for Langy the wind had picked up and the rain was pelting down. The goal had given the Georgies a lift and seemed to suck the life out of Langy as it was all one way traffic now. 4mins later it was 2-0 as Langy had won a free kick in there half and took it quickly but possession was quickly lost and The Georges midfield took it down the ground before slipping it out wide left to another Georgies player who crossed it to the striker waiting he hit the shot and it as deflected of a Langy defender and went past Chris Jones into the back of the net. So 2-0 now to the Georgies.
The scoring was not finished there and 5mins later it was 3-0 when once again the Georgies played it down the left hand side and this time they sent over an early cross, it looked like it would be cleared by Ben Cullen but as the ball approached him it bounced and skidded of the wet turf and as he tried to chest it, it missed his chest and struck his hand and the ref had no hesitation in awarding the Georgies their 2nd penalty of the day. This time the Georgies penalty taker struck the ball down the middle as Chris Jones dived to his left and increased the score line to 3-0.
To the Langy players credit they kept battling away and still managed to create a couple of chances firstly from Ben Caffrey he received the ball inside the box and managed to twist and turn 3 defenders before getting a shot that was blocked by the defenders. In the next attack the ball was crossed over from the left by Barry Tulloch and as it was partially cleared by the defenders it was picked up by Shane Tagliaferro who took one touch and blasted the ball goal ward bound , only to see the shot brilliantly saved by the Georgies Keeper.
So that's how it finished 3-0 to Sunshine George Cross, with them getting the goals in a devastating ten minute spell in the 75min mark of the game. Very disappointing for the lads and for the Langy faithful who had made the journey out to Chaplin Reserve. The result meant that Langy have suffered 2 defeats in a row and are now sitting in a very disappointing 10th Position and the games don't get an easier with a tough home encounter with Bentleigh Greens. It will be a massive game for Langy as they look to get there season back on track, but as they say in the classics a week is a long time in football and form and fortunes can be changed around very quickly.
So hopefully we can have a great big crown at Lawton park this Saturday and see Langy get back to winning ways.
Team: Jones, Cochrane, Quinn, Cullen, Poole, Heard, Craig (McAlister 82), Tagliaferro, Tulloch, O'Donahue(Caffrey 77), Nicholes
Unused Sub: Skelly, Adam Admadzai, Burgess
