With the result of the Planet game not going our way earlier on Saturday, it was imperative that GAS keep up the pressure on their Pattaya rivals with a much needed 3 points on Sunday afternoon. After coming away with nothing from the previous game, despite doing enough to clinch the game, a win was all that mattered from this game.
Deploying the usual 4-4-1-1 tactic with a somewhat reshuffled front back, GAS came flying out of the traps immediately pushing their opponents back with the high press and forcing a number of errors early on. It was a big of magic, however, that opened the scoring from the ever-reliable left boot of the ever-reliable Julian who take aim from the right-hand corner of the box and bent in a curling left footed effort into the top left-hand corner. Not long after, it should really have been 2-0 as a deep cross from Julian was allowed to bounce in the box and John cut in from the right to nod in just outside the 6-yard box, only to be denied by a controversial late flag.
It didn’t take long for the second to arrive however as the ever-influential Julian somehow managed to dig out an inch-perfect cross from close to the corner flag which dropped right on to Thomas’ head at the back post which even he couldn’t miss. Much to the frustration of the Sportsman back line. It was clear that sportsman had no answers to the high press applied by the GAS forward line and this tactic came to the fore again as the ball was one back on the right and John slipped Julian in who took the ball to the goal line and sent the Sportsman LB for a sandwich as he slalomed his way into the box and curled home the 3rd.
There were a few chances to add more gloss to the score line before HT with Tommy Almond having some of the better opportunities to hit the back of the net, but it wasn’t to be. I think all of us here at GAS were just pleased to see him make it to HT without calling for the wheelchair.
HT – GAS 3 – 0 Sportsman
One of the more positive HT team talks Coach Lush has been able to give for a while after the emphatic first half performance, but it was Sportsman who scored the first goal of the 2nd half after a foul near the edge of the box by the GAS defender. Up stepped the Sportsman forward and despite a great attempt by stand in GK Gerd, the ball was struck well into the bottom corner.
The Sportsman goal didn’t give the GAS boys the wake up call it should have as their opponents set up a tense finish with their 2nd of the game to take the scores to 3-2 with little over 10 minutes remaining.
GAS had a couple of chances to widen the gap but had it not been for some poor finishing from Sportsman and some goalkeeping heroics from Gerd, who was showing everyone that brewing Thailand’s 2nd best beer was not his only thing he could do with his hands, the scores could have ended very differently.
Fortunately the whistle blew with the final scores at GAS 3 – 2 Sportsman and a much needed 3 points for GAS before the crucial Semi Final on the weekend.
MOM – Gerd Baur