Result:  St Michaels 4 - Lindfield 4
Goal Scorers:  Mathew Middleton & Scott Goodman

Chapter 1

The ball was chipped, the flight deceiving almost every one - everything started happening, in almost slow motion, the ball stayed up in the air for what seemed like eternity. The goal keeper rushing out of his line to try to make yet another one of his valiant saves - he was brilliant today. Alas, the ball hit the balding united nations # 1 player on his head and continued on with its flight, as if on a mission of its own towards the goal - to help one team celebrate, and another - the other team - to lament on what could have been.....

97 minutes earlier....chapter 2

Amidst smiles and almost disbelief that they were going to play after the bucketing Sydney received over the previous three days, the St Michaels (SM) players started rolling in. The pitch appeared perfect - it was an afternoon like any other afternoon, and yet perfect amongst afternoons. These conditions precisely why soccer was invented - a soft and lush ground with sporadic soggy patches, overcast with the threat of the sky opening anytime, yet again.

Nervous light banter could be heard in small circles, the nervousness perhaps arising due to the impending game against Lindfield coupled with the last minute news that Versace Rick would be replaced by some other less qualified officials for the big game - the judge and juror was being replaced and not one SM player knew how they would be able to motivate themselves without the pre kick off speech (or was it preach) from Versace Rick!!

Upon closer inspection however, it became quite clear what the nervousness was all about, "do you think he really brought them shit beer?" was heard in small whispers.

All and any nervousness was soon quickly forgotten and a brilliant set of passes between Bowdy, Blakey, Hughsey and Scotty challenged the Lindfield defence almost immediately after kick off. Lindfield managed to clear the ball out of danger but only so far as Greggy, who, using all the time available to him, sent a perfectly flighted cross towards Scotty who, surprising even himself, out jumped the tall and lanky Lindfield defenders, and headed the ball into the nets!!!

"Steroids", the VB lover who had just arrived (fashionably late even when all junior sports had been called off that particular day) said.....the VB lover perhaps afraid that the Steroid Man may overtake his goal tally...more on that later.

First minute, 9 SM touches, 1 Lindfield touch - SM 1 vs Lindfield 0.

This was going to be a great day!!!

Some great soccer followed from there on primarily by the young SM team. The passes were crisp and the midfield made up of Hughsey, Bowdy, Steve, R-O-H-I-T, Blakey, stu, R-O-H-I-T, Grantham and (did I mention R-O-H-I-T?), controlled the game amicably. Alas, what had been feared before the game occurred, Blakey tore yet another muscle somewhere along his leg ("surely he would have none left to tear" had been uttered along the sideline - ah, the supporters, they can be cruel at times) and he limped off to join his fellow soft comrades in Sandy and Jock!!

Lindfield had a few good players who they relied on to take them forward. A mistake perhaps right at the outset by the SM strategists not to have recognised this but hindsight is a great thing to have. SM had made mistakes before and had given any and every offender another chance - "where would the VB lover have been if he would have been castigated after that hand of GOD incident at the grand final in 2006!! That's what makes this team such a great cohesive unit - we always forgive.... but never forget", uttered Scotty a few months ago when providing an induction to the new boys, Blakey and Baker, the latter avoiding a harsher penalty for his indiscretions by using his wife as an excuse...."Ahh, what could have been if Baker had been with us today", Scotty lamented after a sip of what's considered to be one of the best beers in the world today, Steinlager.

Back to the game, the Lindfield's United Nations kept pressing and the SM defence held on, admirably until mid way through the first half, when the Lindfield United Nations # 2 found the ball at his feet in front of goal, and cheekily kicked it past Sayley!!

SM 1 - Lindfield 1

"What a difference a goal makes", Les always used to say on the UN channel SBS. If one believed that, by pure logical deduction, one would have to assume that 2 goals would make a bigger difference. However, in this instance, the game kept being played in the middle of the ground by the same brilliant sportsmen mentioned earlier, and that spark, meant to have come from the two goals, had not arrived - what was needed was a miracle, "Blakey may have been able to produce that but he really did not have any more un-torn muscles left in him..", Bowdy said after the game.

Half time and locked at 1 a piece. Marky, as always, had lots to say but the SM players interviewed after the game acknowledged that because their minds were so focussed on the half ahead, all they heard was "bang, bang, bang" at half time a few times.

Second half started much the same way as the first finished. Some great passes, some lost opportunities until a master stroke substitution by Marky - R-O-H-I-T sent in, his presence simply destabilising the Lindfield defence. A mistake by their last man and the VB lover pounding on the loose ball cleaverly placed the ball at the back of the nets that only an hour ago was sitting in a box and would still have been had it not been for the steroid man, sayley and a few other volunteers who put them up (thank you!!).

SM 2 - lindfield 1, surely!!

More argy bargy, more crisp passes, some sticking some not, more cleaver substitutions, enough to confuse the judiciary at Baker's hearing let alone Lindfield, and the Steroid man headed the ball in for a 3 to 1 lead over Lindfield - surely!!!

Soft Jock at this time had indicated that this would be it and left congratulating each and everyone he could find on the sideline. The man walking his dog looked a bit confused but understood and smiled after he saw the Jock limping away after jock congratulated the man and his dog....

Kiss of death - perhaps......

Another great move and the Steroid man scores again - after scoring his hat trick, the steroid man runs faster back to the SM side of the ground than ever seen before, adrenalin? Emotion? Passion? Elation, TXT messages, diaratrics, STEROIDS? - no one would ever know!!!!!

SM 4 - Losers 1 - SURELY!!!!

Lindfeld kept pressing however and they would have scored at least twice, nay, thrice (is there such a word?) Had it not been for brilliant saves by Sayley. He indeed was on fire.

Ps - I think the lack of oxygen here is not good at all. I might have some more Shiraz - Miss, miss, Miss ohhh Miss, oh sorry sir.....

Lindfileds danger man UN # 2 gets the ball and slots one in - 4 - 2 Surely

Lindfield get a corner with 10 minutes to go and somehow they score. 4-3 - surely

One min to go......

PRESENT TIME

The ball was chipped, the flight deceiving almost every one - everything started happening in almost slow motion, the ball stayed up in the air for what seemed like eternity. The goal keeper rushing out of his line to try to make yet another one of his valiant saves - he was brilliant today. Alas, the ball hit the balding united nations # 1 player on his head and continued on with its flight, as if on a mission of its own towards the goal - to help one team celebrate, and another, the other team, to lament on what could have been.....