Summary of 11-a-side ECA game on 10 May 2008

We had 20 at Tampines SAFRA on Saturday morning for our 11-a-side ECA game – Dennis, Collin, Boon Yick, Bret, Chris, Sam, Joel, Gilbert, Michael, Kearsley, Pascal, Swee Hoe, Amrish, Tim C, Mark C, John S, Sze Kuan, Nam, Yu Teik and me.

Damian couldn’t play, but was there, and brought the whole family along (talk about dedication!). Collin and Teik also brought their sons. There were a few other family members present, but I didn’t work out who they were.

Dennis, spoiled by the eager taxi drivers of Hong Kong, was late (Singapore taxi drivers apparently need a wake up call on a Saturdary morning), so Gilbert started in place of Dennis, otherwise, the starting 11 was as set out in my post on Friday.

As many of our starting 11 were literally meeting each other for the first time, our opponents in white (“Whites”) had a lot of the early ball, and were running right through us. Only a combination of Gilbert’s strength at the centre of defence and poor finishing on the part of Whites kept the score at 0-0.

As we gradually brought on a few more of our regular players, and Dennis, as substitutes, the team settled down, and we started creating chances, the best of which fell to Mark C, who put a close-range header just wide. However, Whites were still creating chances, and a combination of safe handling by Sze Kuan (with his new pair of gloves) and poor finishing kept the game goalless. However, we were starting to find space in Whites’ half, and it was not long before Collin ran onto a cross from the right to coolly pass the ball into the Whites’ net – 1-0 to FIOFAFI!

We held our lead to half time.

Early in the second half, a defensive mix up (Kearsley, the right back, somewhat out of position in the vicinity of our left goal post, confused the centre half, John S) allowed Whites to equalise.

Not entirely unsurprisingly, Dennis, unhappy with the referee’s performance, was booked for dissent.

Although Whites continued to dominate possession, we were holding our own, before Joey ran through the Whites’ defence and shot from the edge of the box – 2-1 to FIOFAFI!

We were well capable of holding on for a 2-1 win, but the one time Sze Kuan fumbled a shot, Whites’ No. 10 was on hand to knock the ball into our net. 2-2.

Like the other two big games in London and the north of England over the weekend, a late goal decided this game.

With literally the final kick of the game, Whites scored again to win 3-2. Heartbreak.

Before the game, we would have been overjoyed to lose only 2-3 to a team that play together regularly, and have only recently concluded their competitive games for the year, but having led 1-0, and then 2-1, it was a bit of a let down.

Dennis’ half-time talk, although excellent, obviously didn’t have the desired effect.

I believe everyone had a fair amount of time on the pitch and a good run out, and I trust everyone had a good time.

Teik has photos from Saturday morning on the FAFI Group on Facebook. Again, you have to be a member of Facebook to view the photos.

We were offered another 11-a-side game by a bystander, but I said maybe sometime in the next quarter. If there is sufficient interest, an 11-a-side game could be a regular bi-monthly or quarterly affair.