Round 4

1 draw, 1 close game and 3 blowouts is the order of the day for Round 4 of the GISL Div 3 Championship. With a lot of teams playing Cup games this week things could be interesting next week as well. We also see a player get a double hatrick. Most deserving I feel. :^)

Houston Odyssey 1 - 1 Nitro FC
P_Corn (nit) 26'
Melita (hou) 88' pen

Houston came into this game after thumping Spartak last week 3-0 and Nitro had gone down 2-1 to Saskatoon. Nitro started well when Corn took his side ahead in the 26th minute and for over an hour it looked like Houston were on their way to their 2nd loss of the season. With just 2 minutes of normal time to go Houston were awarded a penalty and were given a chance to salvage a point. Somewhat amazingly the Midfielder Melita was given the task of saving Houston. The home fans initially cried out their dismay when they saw who was to take the spot kick but that soon changed to jubilation when he wrong footed the Nitro keeper Zaza and made sure Houston got something from the game.

It was one of those weeks that Nitro would rather forget after losing their manager early in the season they squander a chance to improve their table position. To ad insult to injury they lost their defender Knecht for 3 weeks and their goal scorer Corn got a minor tweaking from the SM™.

Saskatoon Wanderers 6 - 2 Pasmaters
Maelwys (sas) 8'
B_Bong (sas) 15'
Alfalfio (sas) 26'
Alfalfio (sas) 43'
B_Bong (sas) 82'
Alfalfio (sas) 84'
Roy (pas) 86'
Roy (pas) 88'

Pasmaters have been going great guns so far this season unbeaten in their first 3 game of the season and sitting on the top of the div 3 ladder. Saskatoon have been doing pretty well as well just dropping the 1 game so far, so this should have been a pretty close entertaining game. Well as it turned out it was an entertaining game for the Saskatoon fans, 6-0 up with just 6 minutes left to go and the Saskatoon boys were cruising. They then seemed to go to sleep and Pasmaters woke up allowing the Div 3 top scorer Roy to bang in 2 last minute goals to … well, I was going to say respectability to the score but they can only really be called consolation goals. I don't know what happened to Pasmaters but Cagri is not going to be pleased.

It may have been great on the field for Saskatoon but it was definitely a mixed bag off field. Maelwys managed a correct SL increase however it will be 3 weeks before he can show off his new skill as he was injured during the game. Saskatoon also lose the services of the talented Defender Grommel for 1 week when he earned the ire of the referee once to often. When shit happens it all seems to happen at once. Not only do they leak goals like a sieve, Pasmaters also lose defender Babbel for 3 weeks when he had to come off injured during the game. The only bright news for Pasmaters is the return of Delphi which should go a long way to see them stop any more goal haemorrhages, at least that is what Cagri is going to hope.

Spartak Haifa 6 - 1 Aussie Man Utd
J_Hopoate (hai) 4'
J_Hopoate (hai) 14'
J_Hopoate (hai) 50' pen
J_Hopoate (hai) 57' pen
J_Hopoate (hai) 58'
J_Hopoate (hai) 79'
D_Webber (amu) 87' pen

These two teams came into this game with vastly different last game results. Spartak copped a 3-0 beating from Houston while AMU gave it to Api 5-3. Ian must have gone into this game with a fair bit of confidence, unfortunately for him the brown fingered Hoppa was in a baaaad mood racking up a double hattrick and writes a new record for Spartak. Both teams played a physical game but unfortunately for AMU 2 of their 5 fouls were in the penalty box, although to be fair one of them was a bit dubious. Spartak Manager Lidstone continued his off field antics and has received a warning for unsporting behaviour when he started painting his fingers brown one by one after each of Hoppas goals and waved them insultingly at the AMU bench. He was asked about his teams amazing turn around after the game where he said "I think I fingered the problem." He then started laughing hysterically. We think he should not take up comedy as a career. AMU Manager Ian Soul was less kind in his appraisal of Lidstone, "arsehole" was one of the less offensive terms used.

Things didn't get any better for AMU off field as they lost Stam for week when he had to be taken off the field after 17 minutes and Hoppa filling in for the SM™ (who was busy elsewhere), gave Roche a brief rectal examination. After dealing with the AMU defender Hopoate decided he was on a roll and gave his team mate Lotov the business as well. He was then jumped on by the rest of his team before he could work on Monday as well.

Eastern FC 1 - 4 Besiktas
C_Laudrup (eas) 8'
Apijinho (bes) 42'
Nouma (bes) 61'
Nouma (bes) 71'
Mehmet (bes) 77'

Besiktas Manager Cagri has really turned his sides performances around after a bad start to the season and even came back from 1-0 down to easily deal with the out of sorts Eastern. Last years Manager of the year has started to make his team more than competitive so far and if this run of form continues could be in with a chance for promotion. Easterns Manager Frank Chiu must be getting worried as this is their second loss on the trot and they are leaking goals at an alarming rate. 9 goals in 2 games is a real worry and things don't get much better next week when they have to face Api and the very dangerous Smegovic. Besiktas get a real test next game when they have to face the Div 3 leaders Saskatoon. Should be a cracker of a game.

Remember what I said about the Shit happening all at once, well for Eastern it is no exception as they lose both Cheung and Man (both defenders) for the next game due to suspension. Meanwhile for Besiktas the news is all good as Khlestov the utilty comes back from injury.

Apijarevoleada APR 1 - 0 Barnsley Tykes
Y_Harps (api) 55'

With both these teams losing last week it was important for them to give this game their best shot. Api was in the best position as they at least had won a game before this while Barnsley was yet to post a 3 pointer. Unfortunately for Barnsley their run of bad form continued when the Api defender Harps (of all people) managed to sneak the winning goal just after halftime. Barnsley will hope to improve against a pumped up Spartak next week and they will really need a win to try and avoid an already bad start to the season from getting worse. Api on the other hand while perhaps not ecstatic about the result will be happy to get back to winning, and have a great chance to improve their position next week when they take on an Eastern side with some real defensive problems.

Apis goal scorer Harps tempted fate this week and so called down the wrath of the Shaft Monkey™ who was eager to protect his job after Hopoates enthusiastic efforts in the earlier game. He proved that skill over enthusiasm will win every time as Harps was left a gibbering wreck and it will take all of the man management skills of the Api Manager Jesus to get him right for their next game. Westerveld the veteran keeper had no such worries as he is SM™ immune and was seen laughing at his team mates discomfort. Barnsley welcome back both Elmoor and Hendric back from injury which should strengthen their midfield.

Pl   Team                   P    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1    Saskatoon_Wanderers   4    3   0   1     9    4    5     9
2    Houston_Odyssey       4    2   1   1     5    3    2     7
3    Pasmaters             4    2   1   1    10    9    1     7
4    Apijarevoleada_APR    4    2   1   1     7    6    1     7
5    Besiktas              4    2   0   2     8    5    3     6
6    Aussie_Man_Utd        4    2   0   2     9   13   -4     6
7    Spartak_Haifa         4    1   2   1     8    6    2     5
8    Nitro_FC              4    1   2   1     7    5    2     5
9    Eastern_FC            4    1   0   3     6   13   -7     3
10   Barnsley_Tykes        4    0   1   3     0    5   -5     1

Pos  Name                         Gm      Gls
1    Roy (pas)                     6       12
2    J_Hopoate (hai)               4        8
3    D_Webber (amu)                5        8
4    Nouma (bes)                   6        7
5    B_Bong (sas)                  6        6
6    Alfalfio (sas)                6        5
7    P_Vendelboe (nit)             4        4
8    E_Yorke (amu)                 5        4
9    P_Smegovic (api)              4        3
10   R_Cheng (eas)                 4        3

Pos  Name                         Gm      Ass
1    K_Diehard (pas)               6        4
2    E_Beckham (amu)               4        3
3    Q_Scholes (amu)               5        3
4    K_Do (sas)                    6        3
5    M_Coat (sas)                  1        2
6    A_Rounder (bes)               2        2
7    D_Prosinecki (api)            4        2
8    G_Hendrix (hai)               4        2
9    S_Keane (amu)                 4        2
10   Ieja (sas)                    6        2

Pos  Name                         Gm       Dp
1    KH_Man (eas)                  4       14
2    Z_Phillips (eas)              2       10
3    S_Cheung (eas)                3       10
4    Q_Delpi (pas)                 5       10
5    C_Jensen (pas)                5       10
6    A_Gommel (sas)                6       10
7    A_Nboma (bes)                 2        8
8    TT_Vonn (bes)                 4        8
9    J_Citroen (nit)               4        8
10   R_Alvarez (hou)               5        8

Pos  Name                         Gm    P.Pts
1    Roy (pas)                     6      136
2    D_Webber (amu)                5      103
3    K_Diehard (pas)               6      102
4    Nouma (bes)                   6      101
5    M_Close (sas)                 6      100
6    J_Hopoate (hai)               4       94
7    Ieja (sas)                    6       92
8    J_Agpensa (api)               4       87
9    KH_Man (eas)                  4       83
10   P_Corn (nit)                  4       81