Mt. Albert-Ponsonby v. Three Kings United 15/07/09

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Ten-Man Three Kings Sink Injury-Hit MAP

by Jeremy Ruane

In a match which had a little bit of everything, ten-man Three Kings United produced a stirring second half performance to overturn a half-time 2-1 deficit and emphatically overpower Mt. Albert-Ponsonby 6-2 at Albie Turner Field on July 15, in their rescheduled Lotto Northern League First Division fixture.

MAP were good value for their half-time lead, but an unsavoury 52nd minute incident, which saw Stuart Hogg red-carded for a nasty tackle which resulted in MAP goalkeeper Matt Johnson being taken to hospital by ambulance, transformed the match, United's ten men coming home with a wet sail in the final half-hour to maintain their unbeaten record in 2009.

As Central Auckland derbies go, this was top-shelf material! A rip-roaring affair, which bristled with energy throughout, almost enjoyed the most sensational of starts as MAP tore United's defence to shreds with a splendid five-man move. Chris Gage failed to cap it off in the desired manner, however, his sliced shot careering out of play for a throw-in less than ninety seconds into the contest.

With the John Beeney Memorial Trophy - an honour recognising a past stalwart of both clubs - at stake as well as the three points, there was passion aplenty in evidence in some of the early challenges, a handful of which gave United dead-ball specialist Luiz Del Monte the chance to choose from his repertoire.

None proved fruitful, however, unlike the ninth minute raid which saw MAP open the scoring. Daniel Rowlands conceded possession in MAP's half, with Gage taking over and sparking a counter-attack with his pass inside to Jared Colligan.

Jon McGrinder's angled run typified the home team's off-the-ball movement which had already caught the eye, and when Colligan played a pass to suit, the midfielder was through with just Greg Walters to beat, a task he accomplished with aplomb.

United regrouped, and slowly but surely got back into the game after this early setback. Alejandro Blanco linked with Tavis Gravatt to send Hogg spearing through the inside-left channel, from where he unleashed an eighteenth minute shot which Johnson saved at the second attempt.

The `keeper wasn't so fortunate two minutes later, as the league leaders levelled the scores. United's off-the-ball movement was every bit as eye-catching as that exhibited by MAP, and when they combined it with some one-touch passing …

Between Rowlands, Nick Keown-Robson and Sam Mathews the ball sped, before the last-mentioned sent a delightfully weighted ball inside Jon Bodman for Del Monte to dash onto.

The diminutive number seven was being afforded far too much space by MAP, and he made them pay on this occasion, fizzing a low cross to the far post where the unmarked Jacob Mathews was on hand to thrash home the equaliser high into the net.

1-1 then, with Colligan only prevented from restoring MAP's lead straight from the kick-off by Walters saving at his feet after Andre Sherard's clearance had ricocheted off Jesse Van Kekem into the striker's path.

The balance of power swung back and forth over the next fifteen minutes, with neither team truly threatening to break the deadlock. But the sight of Johnson tipping a dipping Del Monte free-kick over the crossbar ten minutes before half-time saw caution thrown to the wind by MAP, who regained the lead with their next attack.

There had been a few clumsy and needless fouls so far in this battle, and referee Wayne Scott had used a combination of sensible man-management and yellow-hued cards to contain matters to this point.

Blanco, having already been spoken to, rightly found his name added to the growing list in the official's notebook after a crude foul curtailed the lively figure of Colin Murphy. But the punishment Jared Colligan extracted was far more significant, a gem of a twenty-five yard free-kick which curled low round the wall and arrowed into the bottom left-hand corner of United's net, beyond Walters' despairing dive.

Three Kings sought a swift riposte, with Sam Mathews' raking cross-field ball picking out Del Monte. He evaded Bodman's clutches before wriggling through a couple more challenges inside the penalty, prior to thrashing a ten-yard effort which saw Johnson produce a fine reaction save to ensure his team went to the dressing rooms a goal to the good.

Seconds after the resumption, United stormed downfield, the Mathews brothers combining with Blanco to send Hogg storming through the inside-left channel. Confronted by the advancing figure of Johnson, the striker squared the ball across the

penalty area, but behind the fast-arriving figure of Del Monte.

Back came MAP, Murphy swooping on Van Kekem's defensive error and dashing into the penalty area, where the recovering defender combined with the covering figure of Sherard to dispossess the home team's most potent attacking option.

Seven minutes into the second half, the game came to a shuddering halt, with the 180-odd present spellbound by the events which unfolded before them. Some more neat inter-play by United around half-way sent Hogg scurrying through once more, this time in pursuit of a ball which wasn't going to reach the MAP penalty area of its own volition.

Recognising this, Johnson hurtled out of goal and looked to clear his lines just outside the eighteen-yard box. The collision which followed left Hogg prone inside the penalty area, but it was the sight and sound of Johnson writhing in agony and crying out in pain as he clutched at his right ankle which captured everyone's attention.

It certainly wasn`t a pretty sight, and some of the MAP players, Kayne Storey particularly, were incensed at what they had witnessed, and weren't afraid to express their displeasure. Hogg, by now recovered, was a picture of innocence, though far from an innocent party, despite attempts by some of his team-mates to play down his role in the incident.

There was no doubt what had happened in the mind of the man who matters in such situation, however. The sort of tackle which left Johnson facing a night in hospital is widely regarded as one of the game's darker arts, and as soon as he had assessed the injured player, referee Scott made a bee-line for Hogg and unhesitatingly meted out the only punishment which fits this particular crime - the red card. Off!

Cue pandemonium! Three Kings players fruitlessly protesting the decision, angry MAP players taking umbrage at their opponents' response, and all this while a concerned group gathered around the prone figure of Johnson and did what they could to temporarily ease the injured man's plight.

The unruly gathering of the clans attracted players and management from all directions, but with the assistance of his assistants, and one loud and long blast on his whistle, referee Scott swiftly took control of the situation.

The teams were separated, those from the benches sent back from whence they came, and the respective captains called out to cop an earful on behalf of their teams. Scott then gathered his assistants together a wee way from the warring factions, and for two minutes, they discussed matters among themselves while allowing frayed tempers to calm and goalkeeper Johnson to be carried from the park to await an ambulance.

After this, the principle offenders - Storey and Del Monte - were called out and their names taken by the referee, whose calm demeanour throughout and all-round handling of this situation reflected very favourably on his man-management skills in particular.

With reserve custodian Jordan Earl having entered the fray in place of the unfortunate Johnson, play resumed some five minutes later, with MAP keen to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

McGrinder thumped a fifteen-yarder against the post following fine work by Murphy down the right on the hour, while a Gage corner was spilled by Walters at his near post seconds later, as the ten men struggled to get to grips with their rivals.

A timely substitution by coach Paul Marshall at this juncture changed United's shape, but it was the Mathews brothers who combined to change the game. Sam Mathews' through ball sent Jacob scurrying past Jason Conquer in the 62nd minute, and his calm equalising finish past Earl, who hadn't yet touched the ball, was greeted with wild delight by United's bench.

MAP responded with a flurry of raids which had taking the lead for a third time as their objective. A left-flank foray featuring Gage saw him work an opening with McGrinder which culminated in a cross flashing across the face of goal, just too far in front of the incoming Jared Colligan to capitalise upon.

The last-mentioned forced a sound save from Walters in the 67th minute, with the goalkeeper's resulting clearance, allied to Jacob Mathews' willingness to chase a seemingly lost cause, putting Earl under pressure seconds later. He sliced his clearance to Nick Keown-Robson, who was thwarted by a timely tackle from Conquer.

The resulting corner proved to be the beginning of the end for MAP. Del Monte's delivery picked out Van Kekem rising above all-comers, and from close-range, his towering downward header was simply

unstoppable. Again, United's bench exploded with delight, this time with extra gusto - for the first time in the match, the visitors were in front, with 69 minutes on the clock.

But could the ten men retain their hard-earned advantage? MAP launched another furious onslaught straight from the kick-off, only for Sherard to clear McGrinder's cross at the death. Brad Harden's resulting corner picked out the head of Storey - the ball crept inches past the far post.

Three minutes later, Storey and McGrinder combined to send Colligan careering through once more, this time through the inside-right channel. He swept into the penalty area before whipping in a low cross which screamed across the face of goal and beyond the incoming figure of Gage.

United cleared their lines, but MAP regained possession, and were developing another enterprising raid when disaster struck. More accurately, Blanco intercepted a pass on half-way and sent Del Monte racing through, but with plenty to do - Harden and James Colligan stood between him and the penalty area, and Earl also had to be beaten.

The solution Del Monte contrived was most impressive, the midfielder checking his run at the precise moment when the two defenders were in positions obscuring Earl's line of sight. Cue a curling effort which arced past all three opponents and into the net behind them - 4-2, and yet more wild celebrations, along with a fairly pertinent one.

The father of MAP`s Colligan boys, the ever-ebullient Jimmy, had been deriding Del Monte whenever he was within earshot throughout the first half, and the scorer took great delight in answering this criticism via his on-field deeds.

What's more, he made a point of heading towards the stand after his goal, pointing at the offending spectator, and putting his finger to his lips. Rare indeed is the sight of a gob-smacked Scouser - a glowering Colligan had no comeback this time!

And nor did MAP. For, three minutes later, United went nap. Substitute Maksim Manko tackled Jared Colligan inside his own penalty area, and Jacob Mathews picked up the pieces and accelerated away.

Downfield he raced, taking on three opponents before getting to the edge of the penalty area and rolling the ball inside for brother Sam, who swept past a challenger before completely wrong-footing Earl and stroking the ball inside his near post.

5-2 became 6-2 six minutes from time, as United hit MAP with another counter-attacking goal of high quality. Substitute Jesse Scott foiled an attack inside his own half, looked up and spotted Del Monte starting a run from inside the centre circle.

It took him through the offside trap and through the home team's rearguard as he took on in his stride a superbly flighted forty-yard pass. Earl was all that stood between Del Monte and his second goal of the game, and he duly swept past the beleaguered goalkeeper before walking the ball into the net, much to United's undisguised joy.

Sam Mathews was thwarted by James Colligan's challenge late on as Three Kings sought a seventh goal, while the side-netting denied Blanco after he had worked a one-two with Del Monte on receipt of a pass from Daniel Eisenhut in stoppage time.

The ball did find the net again before the full-time whistle, but Tim Menday's headed effort was ruled out for an infringement by the MAP defender as he looked to capitalise on Gage's corner to the far post.

United were delighted with their three-point haul, the return they wanted from their final match prior to their Chatham Cup quarter-final clash at Caversham in ten days' time. They will miss Hogg's services for at least that match, although it must be said the visitors were a far more entertaining and, particularly, enterprising combination once their numbers were reduced.

MAP, however, were flattened by the loss of their goalkeeper, and it's to be hoped Johnson's injury isn't as bad as is feared. Until this incident occurred, they were good value for their hard-earned advantage, but as their goalkeeper left the field on a stretcher, the legendary MAP spirit appeared to hitch a ride with him, and once United equalised again, there was only ever going to be one winner - emphatically so, as it turned out.

MAP: Johnson (Earl, 56); Harden (booked, 7), Menday, James Colligan (booked, 22), Bodman; McGrinder, Murphy, Conquer, Storey (booked, 56) (Brown, 74), Gage; Jared Colligan (Rainey, 84)

TKU: Walters; Rowlands, Sherard, Van Kekem, Gravatt (Manko, 61); Del Monte (booked, 56), Blanco (booked, 36), S. Mathews (booked, 72), J. Mathews (Eisenhut, 79); Keown-Robson (Scott, 77), Hogg (sent off, 52)

Referee: Wayne Scott

Northern League