| Date | 18 January 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competition | DSL Vets Summer League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Venue | Balfour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Match | Balfour F C - Panorama F.C. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Final Result | 2 - 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goals |
2 Gary Thornton 1 David Harris 1 Marco Almeida 1 Andrea De Leo |
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| Assist |
2 Olaf Olgiati 1 Stoyan Stoychev 1 Rushin Lewis |
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| Yellow Cards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Red Cards |
1 Mike Robson |
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| Match Report |
Panorama continued 2017 with yet another win in a tricky game played in the far (far) away land of Balfour Alexandra. Kelly decided to start with a solid 4-4-2, deploying Olgiati with Thornton, and using De Leo and Lewis on the wings. The returning Stoychev, after a succesful european love tour, found a place on the bench, ready to get in at any time. Panorama dominated from the early exchanges. Adopting a very high pressure line, it was only a matter of time before Balfour capituolated, and it happened in a suicidal manner, after their left back, under pressure from Olgiati and Lewis, passed the ball in the middle of the area in no-one land. Thornton took advantage of the situation and with cat-like reflexes got the ball and beat the keeper with one touch. Few minutes later Panorama doubled the lead when Olgiati worked the ball on the right, and then found the overlapping De Leo in the area. De Leo stopped, controlled and beat the keeper with a precise shot. Balfour found little space in the midfield, where the rotating trio of Harris, Almeida and Atkinson offered a combination of tackling and precise movements in order to cope with what (little) Balfour had to offer. But just when Panorama was coasting, Balfour found a glimmer of hope when, from a long ball from the back, their wing managed to control the ball and beat Jeanes. At the start of the second half Robson got a controversial red card when he stopped the ball with his chest, but the referee misjudged the call and harshly sent Robson off after some heated exchanges. Down one goal but with the advantage of one player, Balfour could have tried to control the game and beat Panorama with some patience, but Panorama decided to keep attacking, instead of sitting in the back. Balfour started relying on long balls that were easily controlled by Smith, and Panorama engaged their superior speed on the counter attack to kill the game in the space of 20 minutes. First it was Harris that found the 3-1 with a cross/shot that was slighlty touched by their defender after good work on the left wing. Then, after 631 days of wait, Almeida finally managed to score a goal, justifying Kelly's selection, after he beat the keeper with a precise shot just inside the area. The look of relief on Almeida's face said it all. There was still time for another goal when Olgiati found Thornton in the area with a cross that Thornton first hit on the post and then slotted home on the rebound, confirming his excellent goal scoring form of the last period. Balfour found a consolation goal towards the end of the game, with Panorama once again relaxing, but it was very little, too late. Thanks to Joburg Buffers' defeat, Panorama opened a gap with the 4th place, staying in the top three and offering some alternative to the usual duopoly of Mzansi and Masters. |
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