Rowdy Rascals vs. Brian Munich – 28th July 2013, 6:15pm kick-off _________________________________________ The heat was on. Not only outside in the sweltering mid-summer sun, but also on the pitch as the Rascals were under pressure for more points following last Sunday’s emphatic triumph against Borussia Teeth. Indeed, the week’s weather was dazzling but nothing shone as brightly as the name first on the teamsheet prior to kick-off – Natty Shutler. Back for his second appearance of pre-season, his reintegration into the squad has been swift and smooth, with nicknames such as ‘traitor’ and ‘scumbag’ ultimately being lost in the wash. Along with him lined up Freddy Savage after a two week absence while Nash, Cottrell and Kent were all ruled out. The 17-4 friendly defeat by Brian Munich just a month ago left a bitter taste in the Rascals’ collective mouth, a taste that they so desperately wanted to refresh with the sweet tang of three points. And, right from the whistle, this looked achievable. While possession was generally dominated by Munich, the Rowdies were using the ball well when they had it. After just a few minutes, Shutler stole the ball in midfield and charged forward with the sole aim of burying the ball past Alfie Richardson. After a mazy run past the entire backline, that’s exactly what he did. An equaliser found its way past Taylor in goal following a hideously unfortunate deflection off Chambers, but luck was on the Rascals’ side for the next flurry of goals. Visa issues had left Savage stranded on international duty and it was unclear whether he would make it back in time for the game. To the astonishment of the crowd, though, he appeared on the sidelines midway through the half and came on to make an immediate impact with a classic Savage strike from the left. The momentum was now with the Rascals, and intricate play through the centre from Shutler concluded with a ball out to Clare. A dummy from the assist king followed by a pass back to Shutler gave his teammate the perfect opportunity to make it six goals in two games. As expected, he took his chance well and again netted with ease. Soon after, a quite stunning crossfield pass from Clare split the pitch in two and landed at the boots of the latecomer Savage with breath-taking precision. A clever touch and turn from the winger preceded another flawless finish into the corner to give the Rowdies the cushion they deserved. This was especially useful as Taylor conceded a second through his legs after good work from Toby Bennett. Thankfully for the Reds, though, Clare mimicked that goal with a nutmeg strike of his own at the other end to give his team a surprisingly solid 5-2 lead at the break. As in the first half, Brian Munich – playing in a changed yellow strip – took charge of possession and looked more determined to get back on level terms as the game wore on. Chambers and Clare were under more pressure than they had encountered in the first period and were increasingly outnumbered at the back. Josh Rawnsley was kept relatively quiet all game but Bennett continued to showcase his ability throughout. Taylor continued his improving form with some fine saves, but failed to stop three strikes finding the corner of the net to give the Yellows renewed hope. Hollands came close on several occasions, particularly with a shot from a tight angle on the left that nearly beat the unsuspecting goalkeeper in the dying minutes. His defensive efforts were also worthy of note as ever, but it was his teammate on the wing that managed to score next. Indeed, Savage finally dragged back some breathing space with a bafflingly casual finish from his usual position on the left to seal his hattrick, but the Reds couldn’t hold on to their advantage. With one minute to go, they found themselves 7-6 down and looking down the barrel of the cruellest of defeats. A quadriceps-shredding save from Taylor prevented the clincher being scored, and his roll outfield resulted in a foul on Clare. Chambers was lurking on the edge of the box but Clare - who took the free-kick himself - fooled everyone on the pitch with a cool finish into the corner with under thirty seconds remaining on the clock. After missing a pair of good chances earlier in the game, he made up for it with this crucial goal when all eyes were on him, and the point was wrapped up. Some may see the draw as a disappointing result after such a strong half-time lead. However, while the team was close to a win, it was even closer to raw, brutal defeat. After so many months of fruitless frustration, the Rascals cannot afford to be greedy and should be content with a well deserved point that they can proudly take into the new month. FINAL SCORE: Rowdy Rascals 7 Brian Munich 7
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:04:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015