It was the day everyone involved had been waiting for, the return of Saturday football and the crunch top of the table clash with the high-flying Scans (not to mention the BBQ to follow!)
After a good couple of training sessions the last 2 weeks to work off the Christmas pounds, the GAS boys arrived in good spirits with their attention focused on sending a message to the rest of the league and making a statement in the first game back, 100% focus and commitment was required.
All the early pressure came from the boys in gold who were pressing from the off and playing some cracking stuff down both flanks. The first goal eventually arrived after the ball was won back in midfield and Dominic was played down the line and drilled a lovely low ball across the box when Yan arrived at the back post to put GAS in front. It wasn’t long after the first went in that after some lovely play from Tommy, including a nutmeg on the centre back and a sliderule left footed finish, that GAS went 2-0 and Tommy celebrated National Ginger Day with his first of the game.
The rest of the half was more of a midfield battle with not many chances either way as the half finished 2-0 GAS.
The half time message was clear, this game was far from over and GAS needed to get back to the way they were playing in the first 20 minutes. That messaged seemed to hit home and shortly after the break, it was 3-0 after a sublime effort from midfield man Michael who couldn’t have hit his volley sweeter was flicked in brilliantly by Dominic with his head. This goal seemed to open the floodgates as GAS then went 4-0 up through Yan’s second of the game. Michael finally got the goal we all knew he had in him after a mazy run through the Scans defence and a powerful shot from outside the box hit the left hand post and for what must’ve felt like an eternity eventually rolled in to he right side of the net.
5-0 soon become 6-0 which soon became 7-0 after a goal each from Dominic and Tommy made it a 3-way race for the first hattrick of the game. The next goal came from everyone’s favourite Scan as Anders headed in a cross shot from Dominic, much to the amusement of the watching GAS fans. Yan became the first member of the team to collect his hattrick after a lovely shot/assist from Julian to make it 9.
GAS eventually reached double figures through another own goal from a Scans defender and the game finished 11-0 as Tommy Almond also got his hattrick (although he doesn’t like to talk about it) sneaking in at the near post to divert home a cross from the left.
All in all a highly satisfying result for top of the table GAS who started the year in fantastic fashion with a remarkable 11-0 victory against their 2nd in the league opposition….. second in the league!
What better way to celebrate such a victory than with plenty of beer and a BBQ served up by Madrid’s finest chef, Ivan, big thanks to him as always for putting that together!
MOM – Michael Hoette with his first goal of many!