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| 14th August 2010, KO 11.30am, Stanley Sports Ho Centre |
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| Team: Mike Dorian, Ken Abela, Tony Bratsanos (c), Emmerson, Andy Bratsanos, Freddie Schipp, Destiny, Udeh Collins, Wes Ng, Chris Wharton, Ah Wah, Richie McKeown, Jason Li and Dave Oh |
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| Match report by Dave Oh |
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For more pictures from this game click HERE
For pictures from other HK Reds games visit our Gallery page HERE |
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So it was to be Dave Oh’s farewell game as Hong Kong Reds coach. Or was it? The original opposition - Rangers Supporters’ Club - pulled out due to the fact that all their lads were on a beach somewhere in sunny Scotland. Or probably just down the Canny Man in Wanchai getting drunk. Spartans Veterans stepped in as the replacements. The over-35 years olds!
It was one of the hottest days of the summer, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees. The team were left to wonder why Dave picked the hottest time slot to play. Maybe he thought the veterans would tire in the heat. It was decided that the game would be played in three 20 minute periods to avoid dehydration and burnout.
This was a strong looking Hong Kong Reds team and it had an international flava to it! Ian Agass was due to play but pulled out because he was "loved up" with his new missus! Apparently he wore an 80s cardigan and sang "Last Christmas" all day long. In August. Ian McAlan got frightened and didn’t even put forward his name for the squad!
Team News
Tony Bratsanos, captain on the day, partnered Emerson, the first ever Brazilian to play for the Hong Kong Reds. With his silky samba skills he certainly made things look easy at the back. There were debuts for Destiny, our Nigerian winger who, for a small fella, was extremely strong and loves to eat Ogbono Soup. Scouser Richie McKeown was new to Hong Kong and the experience of playing in 35 degree heat. Chris Wharton was the new kid on the block who just likes to run, run, run - he had already done an 11k run prior to the game!
Mike "The Cat" Dorian kept the No1 shirt but he was more interested in posing for the H&M catalogue during the warm-up. Wes Ng was trying to impress his girlfriend on the touchline by doing stomach crunches. Ah Wah, a Hong Kong policeman, was brought in to keep things orderly. Freddie Schipp, our Dutch spice boy, is the new pin-up of the Hong Kong Reds...all the old ladies love him. Udeh Collins, our Nigerian veteran, never loses the ball when running at full speed. Andy Bratsanos possesses the skinniest pair of matchstick legs anyone has ever seen. Literally. Mr Ken Abela overslept and forgot to meet Dave, Mike and Richie at Queens Road West after organising said meet-up the night before - good job he is getting married in October. And finally there was father of three Jason Li who, Roberto Carlos aside, has the biggest calves ever seen on a footballer!
And so to the game...
It was cagey start from both sides but as the game wore on HK Reds began to settle. The first goal-scoring chance of the game fell to Andy Bratsanos. After a neat one-two with Freddie he was through on goal but somehow side-footed it wide of the post.
Freddie “The Dutch Spice Boy” was pulling the strings in the centre of midfield and Destiny was giving the Spartans’ full-back a torrid time down the right. The back four of Richie, Tony, Emerson and Ken were seemingly comfortable. Then a breakaway on the right found Wes Ng, who delivered a wonderful ball into the path of Freddie Schipp who nonchalantly lobbed it over the keeper. 1-0 to the HK Reds. Wes immediately had great opportunity to make it 2-0 but took an extra touch and the chance was gone. The heat was unbearable and it was burning the feet of the players, so when the first 20mins was over it was a relief.
The second 20 minutes started with more pressure from the HK Reds and more chances came and went - particularly when Destiny had a one-on-one with their full back. After beating his man Destiny was then fouled in the penalty area, but like a true professional he stayed on his feet. During an attack from Spartans Vets, their midfielder struck a shot which hit the arm/hand of a HK Red player. Ball to hand or hand to ball? Pleas for a free kick were ignored by the referee, Billy “Long Hair” Lai, and the HK Reds went down the other end and duly scored with a cleanly struck shot from Udeh Collins. Harsh on the Spartans Vets but on balance of play a deserved 2-0 lead. Jason Li at this point was being shouted at for being crap as a holding striker!
It seemed pretty comfortable then for the HK Reds. But a moment’s hesitation outside the box allowed a Spartans Vets striker to shoot from 25 yards, a shot which flew into the top right hand corner. Mike “The Cat” Dorian was more like Mike “The Mouse” Dorian. He blamed Ken Abela for not closing the player down but Ken told him to ’talk to the hand’. 2-1.
Suddenly, it was game on. The HK Reds were feeling uncomfortable and a rare lapse from Tony Bratsanos, losing possession at the back, let in a Spartans Vets striker. With only the keeper to beat he blazed over - just before the whistle blew for the end of the 2nd period. Phew.
Richie McKeown looked exhausted - life at the top level is tough and playing for Dynamo is a step down! Subs were made and everyone got a chance to impress. Dave Oh was under pressure to play a cameo role but he resisted, insisting that he had played his last game the January before.
With legs tiring in the heat and mistakes from both teams becoming increasingly frequent, some tactical changes were made. Emerson moved to left midfield, Destiny went to centre back, Chris Wharton switched to right midfield and Ah Wah played right back.
So the final period began and action packed it was. The crowd shouted, “Udeh! Udeh! Udeh!” from the stands and he duly delivered, beating two players and then chipping the ball into the net. That’s five goals in two games for the HK Reds from Udeh - we think he eats a lot of Fufu and Jolluf rice to keep him going! 3-1.
Spartans immediately pulled a goal back. Their goalscorer rounded the keeper and then did one of those school boy finishes - you know, stop the ball on the line and head it in from 1 yard. Ken Abela was heard to mumble under his breath, “You f%#$%$# twat”. 3-2.
To the last 10 minutes of the game. Andy Bratsanos had to come off due to blisters on his feet and so Dave Oh bowed to peer pressure and came on to play the holding striker role. And what an entrance he made! Freddie Schipp broke down the left and put in the perfect cross. Without hesitation, Dave delivered a sweet left foot strike which flew into the bottom right hand corner. It was his first touch of the game! 4-2. Game over, surely?
To their credit, Spartans Vets kept coming at the HK Reds and Dave Oh went from hero to villain in a matter of moments. Finding himself playing in the centre of defence, Dave scored an own goal in bizarre fashion. A Spartans striker stroked the ball straight at Mike Dorian. He parried it but the rebound hit Dave on the legs and bounced into the goal. 4-3. Now what? Could Spartans Vets snatch an equalizer?
With the blistering heat, the number of substitutes and people playing out of position, the shape of the team was lost and only a last-ditch tackle by Dave Oh saved a certain goal.
In the last minute of the match, Jason Li popped up on the left hand side of the area. Instead of curling the shot into the right hand corner he decided to shoot with his weaker left foot and the ball squirmed underneath the keeper. Jammy. 5-3.
There was still time for Chris Wharton to add a sixth, but through on goal and with only the keeper to beat his shot got deflected for a corner. What a memorable debut that would have been!
So the game finished 5-3 and it was played in a good spirit. The HK Reds are off to a winning start for the 2010-11 season. And all that talk of Dave Oh retiring? He may just reconsider after his cameo performance...
Man of the Match award: Two goals from Udeh Collins in a standout performance or Dave Oh’s action packed 10 minute cameo - we’ll let you decide who deserves this... |
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