2006 SEASON - saasl division 2

A TEAM MATCH REPORT

ROUND 18
MODBURY VISTA vs INGLE FARM
RICHARDSON RESERVE
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd, 2006

Ingle Farm fought back from being 1-0 down at half time to emphatically defeat Modbury Vista 8-1 as Farm were crowned Division 2 Champions for the first time in the club's history.

The astonishing 8-1 victory over its local rivals prompted celebrations long into the night at the Farm. The club sang and danced till the wee hours as the fruits of a long hard season were reaped in magnificent fashion.

However it wasn't all smooth sailing for Farm against Vista at Wynn Vale.

After a nervous opening, Vista took the lead after 30 minutes in controversial circumstances. The ball was cut back from the by-line to another Vista player who smacked the ball into the net from five yards. Farm's defenders pleaded with the linesman to flag the ball out, however Farm's protests were waved away. 1-0 to Vista.

Marty Lara, Mario Staltari, Chris Ennis, Leon Hannessen, Colin Smith and Anthony Staltari were all playing well for Farm during the first half, however the visitors were unable to pull a goal back before the break as Vista held their lead until half time.

Halftime: Modbury Vista 1 Farm 0.

Coach Paul Simpson made a tactical change at half time bringing on another striker for a midfielder as unlucky Anthony Ragazzo was substituted for Alby Lynn.

In the 55th minute Farm were awarded a free kick 25 yards out from goal. After several squandered opportunities during the first half from free kicks, big Chris Ennis stepped up to take the kick. Ennis impressively drove the ball into the bottom corner of the net for Farm that sent the pensive green and white army into rapture. 1-1.

In the 60th minute Farm's Torsten Rutter went on a crusading run when he broke away from Vista's defence before being brought down with just the keeper to beat. The Vista defender was shown a straight red card for his efforts.

Two minutes later, the green and white army went wild as Farm took the lead. Good work from Alby Lynn set up Rutter who laid the ball off for David Ennis who scored from 10 yards. 2-1 to Farm.

Farm were now well on top. Three minutes later evergreen midfielder Ricky Simpson made a determined solo run past a defender then cut the ball back brilliantly to find well positioned Fernando Lara who made no mistake from 5 yards. 3-1 to Farm. The green and white army were now in hysterics on the far side of the pitch.

Simpson then set up the 4th in the 70th minute when his accurate corner kick found Alby Lynn who headed home from close range. 4-1 to Farm.

Vista were shell shocked. Relentless Farm refused to stop attacking. Under pressure the Vista keeper accepted a pass back from its defender minutes later, Farm awarded an indirect free kick just metres out. The resulting rebound lead to Alby Lynn knocking in his second for the half. 5-1 to Farm.

In a nice moment during the game, injured club captain Brendan Altus was substituted on for outstanding midfielder Leon Hannessen. Seasoned Farm player Anthony Martini was also brought on for equally impressive Fernando Lara.

In the 82nd minute Torsten Rutter finally got the goal he deserved. The striker shook off two defenders to be one-on-one with the keeper and finish impressively from 14 yards. 6-1.

In the 84th minute Altus made an immediate impact as his 20 yard shot was deflected into the net by Torsten Rutter for the strikers second goal in three minutes. 7-1.

Outgoing Farm keeper Colin Smith, playing in his last match for the first team, then capped off a fine career with one final outstanding save to deny Vista a goal from a free kick as he flicked the ball over the crossbar.

Alby Lynn then rubbed more salt into Vista's wounds by cheekily lobbing the ball over the Vista keeper in the 89th minute. Lynn's goal gave the big striker a second half hat trick as he dominated the forward lines after being brought on at half time. 8-1 to Farm!!

The referee blew the final whistle to bring the match to a close, which prompted celebrations on the park. Players, supporters, coaches and support staff embraced before pulling together for a bellowing rendition of "The Farm Go Marching In," under a shower of champagne in the middle of the pitch.

Congratulations to Farm coaches Paul Simpson and Alan Leadbeater on another wonderful season at the club. The players, you guys are a terrific bunch of lads and you deserve the success after the effort you all put in during the season. Job well done. You will all go down in Farm folklore as inaugural winners of Division 2 for the club.

Proud Farm Head Coach Paul Simpson said after the match "To all the players at the club, you get what you put in." Simpson also wanted to thank his support staff, Ron Sparks, Pop Newton, Ted Beck, Paul Lenny and Robbie Paterson. He also wished to thank linesman Sean O'Hara, George Mulvaney and Glen Cawthorne for their assistance during the year.

Final score: Modbury Vista 1, Ingle Farm 8.