The day before the game, visiting manager Andy Burton was in top form at the pre-match press conference. His comments about the treatment suffered by defender Adam Reardon seemed a little strange considering the player was sold earlier in the week. Mr Burton claimed the sale was necessary to strengthen the side for the end of season run in. In complete opposite, David Newell was his usual dry self in his press conference and gave very little away ahead of the game.

A sold out 30,000 crowd were in good voice to greet the two Premier Division sides and bright sunshine made a big chance from the almost incessant rain of previous weeks. The sun shone and it initially worked wonders for the home side. Tormenta Advertencia looked to be totally focused on getting a result and after a couple of long range efforts in the first ten minutes they really clicked into top gear.

Mariano Lasa won a tackle of the half way line and drove forward with purpose. As Imanol Erlings looked to force him wide he quickly flicked the ball inside to Sherlock Merrison just inside the area. The Welsh youngster looked to have badly controlled the ball as it rose high into the air. Defenders closed rapidly, but Merrison launched himself into a classic bicycle kick and connected sweetly. The ball flew towards goal and despite fingertips from Monfred Gabel it went in off the post to give Advertencia an early lead.

ELA Elementals looked stunned and from the resulting kick-off they quickly lost possession when the usually reliable Jj Valoy Cuesta over hit a long ball by some distance. The goal kick was quickly taken by Esaie Esau Ade who played the ball square to Vita Gornostayev. The Russian then smashed one his trademark long balls up towards the forwards, where Rubi Valentino got his head to the ball, directing it into the the path of Merrison. A quick touch to bring the ball under control was followed by a rasping drive past Gabel to give Advertencia and Merrison their second goal in three minutes. Mr Newell was even seen to briefly smile on the touchline – a rare event indeed.

Elementals needed to get into the game somehow and slowly they did manage to see more of the ball. Albeit with little end product initially. The visitors were now dominating possession and starting to look for the goal that would get them back into the game. They got their break just before the half hour mark when a Yuma Encinitas clearance smashed into the chest of Marcelo Meier and fell invitingly for Burton Wragg to pick his spot from ten yards. A lucky goal but it was probably deserved as the sides went into half time 2-1.

Half Time: 2-1

The second half began with Elementals having the majority of possession again. Their adventurous approach paid benefits for Elementals when five minutes after the restart Dagfinn Emil finished calmly from eight yards out after a corner was not cleared. Again slightly fortuitous but the scores were level and Mr Burton was screaming orders to his charges, urging them to press on for a winner. However, they had to be aware of Advertencia’s striker Merrison and the lively Valentino who both looked like they could score given any sight of goal. In fact the next period of the game fact saw the best efforts of Meier and Wragg come up fruitless, while Merrison hit the post and had a long range effort well saved by Gabel.

Finally as the hour mark was passed Meier finally found his shooting boots. He controlled a cross from Wragg neatly on the edge of the box and after shifting the ball to the left he smashed a drive low through Grayson Cantrell’s legs and past Esaie Esau Ade. The accuracy of the shot was wonderful and may have been goal of the week most weeks if not for Merrison’s opener.

After seeing their two goal lead turn into a deficit, the home side found new strength and rallied well. Mariano Lasa started to get more of the ball and it was his one-two with Valentino that saw him drive into the area. Beating another challenge he fired a low shot to Gabel’s left only to see it pushed onto the post. All was not lost as the quickest to react was Merrison, who clipped the ball over the keeper with great skill to level the scores once more.

Both sides started to feel the pace and it looked the sudden death extra-time was inevitable. Neither side created too much and when the impressive Merrison just failed to stretch out a leg to sub Bobby Briggs’ cross with four minutes on the clock, both managers looked resigned to giving another team talk. However, Wragg had other ideas and his speculative long range effort look a wild deflection to leave Ade stranded as the ball trickled over for a sure-fire winner with a couple of minutes remaining. Luck was certainly on the side of the ageing English striker.

Clearly frustrated, Advertencia manager David Newell appealed for a last ditch effort from his side, but they could not create anything worthwhile and were left to concentrate on the remainder of their league campaign. The only positive at the end of the day was the performance of Man of the Match Sherlock Merrison; his hat-trick was top draw and he could and maybe should have had more. The young man from the heart of rugby mad Wales is one of the brightest starts in Einnek One.

Full Time: 3-4

North Bank Guns’ manager Rich Burge went into the game hoping to carry on their impressive home form of late and push towards a promotion place. A win today would move them ahead of visitors FC Cosmos. Mr Burge selected the same eleven that played in last week’s Friendly Challenge, while Joseph Burridge sprang a surprise with a switch of formation. Tobikuma Zero and Kerrea Ridler selected ahead of Mateus Jacomossi and Kutukutu Tamarama in what was a more attacking looking side.

The inclement weather of recent days had left the pitch very wet, but with dark grey clouds over Armoury Stadium, the game started on time in front of a crowd of just under 40, 000. The early play was very cautious as both sides tried to feel each other out. The pitch played its part and Brazilian referee Romualdo Arppi did well to try and let the game flow. Christopher Nations had a good chance after twelve minutes, but saw his drive from the edge of the box clip the bar and sail high into the travelling Cosmos fans, much to the relief of Redding Fairfax who watched the shot fly past him.

An even game was getting bogged down in midfield and with both defences looking comfortable, it was going to need some inspiration to open the game up. Cosmos’ midfielder Tychon Vanderflore provided the spark that lit things up. His wonderful cross-field pass released rampaging Pablo Lopez who crossed first time to Thor Johansson. The Swede reacted quickly to flick a header that looked bound for the top corner before Hieronim Gusty stuck out his left hand and somehow got enough on the ball to send it past the left hand upright. The resulting corner lead to the deadlock being broken. Ardaz Nelz rising highest to plant a bullet header downwards past Gusty and into the net. This was the big Brazilian’s first goal for over a year and his Samba style celebrations were greeted with glee but the Cosmos’ fans.

They say you are at your most venerable right after you have scored and yet again the old premise was proved correct. Straight from the kick-off Lombardo Martinez beat two hapless challenges before flicking the ball to Nations. The American striker cut inside another weak tackle from Zero and curled a wonderful 30 yard effort just inside Fairfax’s far post to restore parity less than a minute after going behind.

Both sides were now in the mood for a game and it was classic end-to-end stuff for the remainder of the first half. Half chances falling to Nations, Vasco Di Corbacho and Montegho but their efforts all proved fruitless. Di Corbacho found his way into the referee’s notebook 5 minutes before the break when his protests for a penalty after he thought he had been fouled by Chuco Pena became a little too vocal.

Half Time: 1-1

Rain greeted the players when the came out to start the second half. This would make an already soggy pitch even more difficult and some feared the game may be abandoned as large pools of water appeared in a couple of places.

The North Bank Guns players slowly started to get a bit of control of the game and despite even possession they had the best chances to take the lead. Nelz was commanding in defence for Cosmos and somehow he was always in the right place to sweep up, make a tackle or clear the ball. His goal line clearance on 72 minutes after Manuel Meier’s snap shot was top class as he threw his body in the way of the goal bound effort. Replays showed just how well he did to get to the ball and not handle it; something Meier was convinced he did and his complaints saw him become the second player booked for dissent.

A long Martinez ball over the back four of FC Cosmos towards the run of Vanderflore looked very dangerous but Fairfax came quickly out of his goal to dive on the ball. His momentum in the wet conditions saw him slide outside the area, however and a free-kick was rightly given for handball. Mr Arppi only produced a yellow card despite the protests of the home players and fans alike – probably the correct decision under the circumstances. The free-kick was wasted by Philippe Pauchard who was soon substituted after a disappointing all round display.

The game appeared to be heading for a draw as FC Cosmos sides struggled to overcome the elements and the Guns could find no way past the excellent Nelz. Nations, however had other ideas and it was his run past two players followed by a neat one-two with Martinez that saw him fire a shot from the penalty spot goal wards. Fairfax looked to have is covered but a lunge from sub Ximi Zubizarreta in trying to block only succeeded in diverting the ball just enough to wrong foot the young English keeper and give the home side a vital win.

Nelz’s display on the losing side was the only real compensation for a disappointed Mr Burridge. The defender rightly winning the league Player of the Week award and proving he is the man Brazil should look to in order to restore past glories.

Full Time: 2-1

After their win last week, Ditton Shooters travelled to the Mills Recreational Ground hoping to continue their revival against a struggling Corton Wanderers side who had lost their two league games. Nikki Wigg gave defensive debuts to new signings Jaden Caldicott and Cromwell Denny as Wanderers beefed up their side, while Korey Weissmeyer and Stig Zettesberg moved up to the starting Shooters eleven from the bench last week.

After a slow start with both sides miss placing passes and wild long balls, the game burst into life when Zane Rivers picked up a loose pass from Korey Weissmeyer. The Aussie international played the ball sharply to Maurice Hooqadew who controlled the bouncing pass quickly before playing a neat ball between two defenders for Rivers to run on and coolly slot the ball past a stationary Alvares Adriano. The goal was a real shock for the visitors who struggled to come to terms with the home sides new found confidence. Adriano in goal, made a couple of smart saves from the lively Rivers as the Australian could have had a hat-trick inside the first fifteen minutes with a bit more composure in front of goal.

Finally Shooters started to make headway and secured their first corner when Noble Yanti did well to block a dipping 25 year effort from Boris Gnaehrich. Looking to level the scores, the defenders pushed forward for the corner. Zeljko Trebarjevo’s dead ball was well directed, but as Finn Rosenzweig jumped, he looked to be blocked off by Shensuke Miura. The ball skimmed off the tall defender’s forehead and all the attacking players appealed as one for a penalty. Malaysian official Oei Poh Hwa waved away their claims and play continued. Adriano threw the ball long to the waiting Rivers, who sped off down the left wing. He cut inside Baltazar Fyodorov and as everyone expected him to shott he cleverly squared the ball for Lodewijk Bartholomeus who had sprinted the length of the field to tap the ball home and double the lead.

A furious Mr Price was warned to calm down by the ref and the taunting of Rivers to the travelling fans did not help his mood one bit. Soon after the restart Rivers got himself needlessly booked as he clipped Rosenzweig’s with a stray arm as he tried to shake off the defender’s attentions. The away fans were screaming for a red card, but again the officials did not heed to their calls.

With a two goal deficit, Gnaehrich was pushed forward and started to find space behind the strikers. His mere presence seemed to ruffle the home side’s defensive plans and on 27 minutes a pull back to the edge of the box was smashed home by the German midfielder with a shot so hard the net nearly burst. The celebrations were prolonged and Baltazar Fyodorov was cautioned for taking them just a bit too far as he leapt into the travelling supporters section.

Things were getting heated now as both sides seemed more intent on embarrassing each other than securing victory. Jaden Caldicott and Bartholomeus were both booked for wild tackles before the interval. However, between the two cautions was another goal for Rivers, his jinking run finished with a shot curled low past Adriano.

Half Time: 3-1

The second half needed a big improvement from Ditton Shooters and whatever Mr Price said in the dressing room worked wonders. Right from the kick-off, they looked to reduce the deficit and after hitting the bar on 47 minutes, Jerrell Kubasch struck a goal of typical quality. The young Australian sensation somehow managing to curl the ball in from a tight angle when it looked impossible to score.

Little did we know that this would be the end of the scoring for the day. Ditton had some very good chances to get the equaliser and a share of the spoils, but either shot wide, high or straight at keeper Yanti. Altough the scoring was over we were treated to a virtuoso performance from the little Malaysian in black. A fifteen minute period after the second Shooters goal saw some of the most mysterious decisions made on a football pitch in a short time. Weissmeyer was booked for a trip on Bartholomeus when the Dutch striker clearly dived. Zettesberg then saw the yellow card for a wild lunge that could well have been red on another day. His victim Cuthbeorht Hansard also booked for his reaction as he left the field for treatment. Finally in this spell of madness, Mohinder Jalion was cautioned for the third time this season presumably for something he said, but no one was quite sure.

The last highlight of the game… is highlight the right word?… came in the 77th minute. Baltazar Fyodorov went up for a corner as Shooters looked to level things up. The usual jostling in the area got more heated than usual and the Russian’s attempts to get some space were thwarted by Bartholomeus. The referee whistled and gave both players a lecture before trying to take the corner again. A repeat of the pushing and pulling between the two quickly re-started and a shrill blast on the whistle, saw both cautioned for a second time. Comically the referee dealt with each player separately, Fyodorov dismissed to the delight of the home crowd only to be followed by his “shadow” once he was clear of the pitch. Another strange performance and inconsistent by Oei Poh Hwa, who continues to be the referee all managers dread seeing in charge of their match.

Full Time 3-2

David Jeffery took his Oakland Park Angels side to Moss Road hoping to continue their recent fine form. With three wins and a draw in their last five games, Mr Jeffery was keen to push for a promotion spot. Meanwhile, Allan Moss was looking for a much needed victory from his side after only taking goal scoring bonus points recently.

German keeper Jens Janusk was again the only non-South African in the LittletonRovers team. His command of Afrikaans is improving every week and slowly the side is getting a more solid look with defenders able to communicate with the talk German international. OPA made one change to their starting eleven with Jhersson Zea replacing the now retired American stalwart Josh Heartland.

Playing in cold, wet conditions, the game started quietly. With both sides looking very tentative, the early action was dominated by the respective defences who managed easily with all the long balls played towards their penalty areas. The 36,000 crowd were beginning to get restless has the half hour mark approached when the most lively player on the field, Moses Karoo literally took off his gloves and started to play. One second he tossed his woolen gloves into the crowd, the next he won an beautiful sliding tackle before hitting a long range drive which beat Diego Lopez Garcia only to crash off the post before being cleared by Aztec Escondido.

Following the example of Karoo, Rovers started a period of lengthy pressure which as OPA penned back for the remainder of the first half. Dante Kruger missed two relatively simple chances to open the scoring in the space of five minutes. While, Cedric Ba saw a looping header from a corner cleared off the line by the impressive Cristian Lucà. The half ended with Lucà making a last ditch challenge to stop Karoo breaking through after a clever chip pass from Gabriel Ba. The crowd were convinced the young Italian committed a foul and while both players received treatment the pressure was firmly on referee Youssef Mohammed. His decision to award OPA a free-kick was met with almost silence, the Egyptian official indicating Karoo deliberately handled the ball as he fell. Half-time TV replays proved him 100% correct.

Half Time: 0-0

The second half started in driving rain and this coupled with the break seemed to take the edge off the Littleton game plan. Slowly, Washington Beagle & Alexandr Voinov started to take control of the game and a succession of half chances fell to OPA’s attackers. Finally, the possession advantage for Oakland produced the opening goal. Voinov latched onto a clever through ball from Lucà and using his strength to hold off the challenge of Kopano Thandiwe, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner.

With the lead, Angels continued to have the majority of the ball. Not wanting to risk conceding an equaliser, they were content to try pot shots from long range which caused the Littleton defence no real problems. Showing their frustration at the lack of possession, the Littleton players were on three occasions lucky not to see yellow for clumsy tackles.

The game was meandering to an end when Man of the Match Karoo managed to beat two players before being up-ended on the edge of the area. The resulting free-kick taken by Karoo appeared to be harmless but Lee Peterson’s wild clearance went straight up in the air. As the ball was coming down to earth, Peterson in his haste to made amends clearly blocked off Marty Kearns and the ref pointed to the spot. To make matters worse, the experienced Swede was booked. It was no real surprise that Karoo stepped up blast the ball past Garcia to level the scores.

A lengthy goal celebration followed with the referee pointing to his watch clearly indicating he was adding the time on. As the Littleton payers jogged back to their own half a scuffle broke out as sand sub Kites Hardwick was suddenly on the ground clutching his face. Replays showed he clearly said something to Peterson as the two players passed each other, exactly what could not be made out, but the resulting shove from the Swedish forward was enough to see him earn a red card.

Littleton saw their chance to press for an unlikely winner in the final few minutes and probably deserved to get their goal. Karoo again hit the woodwork from 20 yards with a stunning drive and Garcia made three smart saves to earn the visitors of draw.

Full Time 1-1