| Date | 12 September 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competition | DSL VETS Winter DIV 2 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Venue | Robertsham Callies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Match | Lenasia Old Boys FC - Panorama F.C. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Final Result | 1 - 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goals |
1 Olaf Olgiati 1 Greg Bezuidenhout 1 Ryan Smith |
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| Assist |
1 Mike Kelly 1 Andrea De Leo |
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| Yellow Cards |
1 Greg Bezuidenhout |
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| Red Cards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Match Report |
It was all down to this game to decide who was probably going to win the league. Two teams, even on points, with 2 games left. Similar goal difference (Lenesia with the advantage) and similar domination of this year's league. But, unlike Panorama, Lenesia already tasted defeat (twice, one in a crazy game against Panorama), while Panorama dropped points in epic encounters against Randburg and Sporting. After the last series of unavailabilities (Dixon, Lewis, Bailey, Harris and Vorster adding to long-term injured Meroni and Stoychev), this was supposed to be Lenesia's night. They were playing at home, with a full team, and coming after a series of convincing wins while Panorama, due to a crazy calendar, played only 3 times in the last 6 weeks. A draw would have been almost enough for Lenesia to win the league. with Panorama then being forced to win with a massive margin in their last game away at Marks Park. But Kelly's team had something else in mind. Kelly's mastestroke formation (a 4-5-1 that allowed Ryan Smith and Olgiati to pin their left/right backs in their own half, preventing from creating the sort of running that was problematic to Panorama in the first game) worked out a treat. Lenesia soon was relying on long balls instead of playing the passing game, and Clive Smith and Robson had zero problem winning every singl header. Atkinson and Kelly kept their position and took care of the few threats on the wings. The midfield center trio provided everything that Panorama needed: physicality with DeLeo, passing from Almeida and the running / tackling of an inspired Bezuidenhout, while Wills (and Jacobs) provided a solitary decoy up front. The solid defensive display confused Lenesia, who could not unlock the defense. Jeanes took care of keeping the goals unvioleted with a superb display the few times Lenesia. managed to shoot. With the tactics in place, and Lenesia arrogantly playing a high offside line. Panorama found themselves soon one up, when after a great decoy by Wills, Bezuidenhout run from the midfield chasing a long ball and was tackled in the area. He took the penalty, and scored with a powerful shot. Lenesia was shell-shocked and offered very little, and Almeida could have scored twice. First with a long distance shot from 30 meters that hit the post, and then, after Ryan Smith shot was blocked by the keeper (from an incredible cross field assist by Atkinson), by missing a sitter. In the second half it was more of the same. Lenesia still couldn't understand how to play against Panorama's 4-5-1, and Panorama simply relied on patience and counter attacks to provide some threat. Eventually Ryan Smith, unstoppable on the left, scored the 2-0 from a shot-cross from the left that the keeper completely misplaced. But it wasn't over. Panorama went for the jugular and the italian connection provided the final goal. DeLeo first-time passing over the defence landed on Olgiati's feet who controlled just inside the area, and unleashed a pile-driver on the opposite side of the keeper. Eventually Lenesia, needing at least 3 goals in 15 minutes to stay in contention, started playing with an upper tempo and scored from a penalty. There was some final drama when Bezuidenhout got a card towards the end but Panorama held the fort and in one of the most convincing displays ever won the most important game of the season! Some stats:
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