Asterix Reds 1 KL Vikings 1

Andy Johnson we love you!!!!!!! The man came up trumps again with a superb equaliser at the death to save a point in this tough game of water polo at the AS.
The conditions were atrocious out there today. No doubt, the Alice Smith groundsman will be having kittens when he turns up for work on Monday and sees the state of the pitch. Indeed, the pitch did spoil a promising encounter between two good sides; two sides that are evenly matched in more ways than one. It was 0-0 at the break with both sides going close with shots hitting the bar and chances going a-begging. However, the deadlock was broken early in the second half when the No.7 for KLV, who had a great game, broke through and netted home. KLV then had a 20 minutes spell of putting us under pressure. However, the tables were turned in the last 20 minutes when they seemed to run of steam and we were able to put some good moves together. However, it was the big man in the middle who got the key goal with the final whistle beckoning and he gets my vote for the big MOM.
Penis of the week goes to .........hmmmmmm............... let me think..................
Have a great Xmas everyone and back for the New Year to try and win the league!

Asterix Reds 2 Mancis 1 (League)

There were some heroes out there today. Keith Stewart for starters. Brilliantly saving a penalty when it was 1 zip to us. Andy Johnston for his superb diving header into the far corner, one minute from time to win us the game for a sublime Bunmi cross. There was Bala and Jonesy who really did not put a foot wrong at the back and won absolutely everything. There was Steve Whitson, who slotted the first despite suffering from a hangover from the depths of hell, after a night out with Beelzebub himself. There was Terry, who is going to be sorely missed by the boys with his imminent move to HK, coming on and causing mayhem amongst the Mincis defence etc etc etc I could go on. I felt proud to be a member of the Reds today. After last weeks debarcle we struck back superbly. 2-1. Cum on!!!!!
Right, lets get down to the nitty gritty straight away with 'penis of the week'. There were a few candidates including a few nominations for myself. Then there was the ref. He was a baboon, a Neanderthal, a hammerhead. To quote Blackadder, 'there are amoeba on Saturn that could have reffed the game better than he did.' However, I am going to give the much coveted 'penis of the week' to the orangutan who filled in for the original linesman on the right side of the pitch.

Asterix Reds 2 Expert Klang 2 (League)

First half - OK for 20 mins. Rest - shite.
Stevie scores with a slice.

Second half - shite for most of it.
Bunmi scores with a toe poke.

Pitch was crap.

Need I say more.

Asterix Reds 2 Kepong Chinese 0 (League)

Penis of the week goes to the ref for making us play on a quagmire when there was a much better pitch being unused right next to it, all marked out and with the nets up. The game therefore was peppered with incidents of hilarity as the ball got stuck in puddles, people air kicked balls etc etc. It was not a pretty game and there is not much to write about. We went 1-0 as Paul Williams was felled in the box within a minute of the KO. Steve White slotted home the penalty. The second came from a long ball that Paul Williams got on the end of and netted with much coolness.
The second half saw even more comedy as the 'Carry On' team resumed their water polo match. It also saw the return of Stu after a long stint on the sidelines through injury. It also witnessed a classic miss from Mr. Adam 'Subbetto corner taker' Scott.
And that was that! 3 points taken but not much else. Bala gets the big MOTM for a sterling performance at the centre of defense.
Finally, I have been asked to point out from Mr. Johnston that it was actually his cross and not that of Belfast Boy that provided one of the goals last week!

Asterix Reds 5 (Five) DHFC 1 (League)

I put the five in brackets as that what the vidiprinter used to do on World of Sport when teams like Forfar beat East Fife 5-0. Yes, 5-1, but this was after an early scare when DHFC went 1-0 up after the Reds had played like a bunch of methed up baboons for the first 20 minutes or so of the game. After we went a goal down, we actually started to put together some good moves. We equalised almost immediately. Paul Williams's header found the back of the onion bag after a beautiful Stevie Whitson cross. The second goal was curtsy of the DHFC goalkeeper who punched into his own net after a Whitson corner. What a penis!
2-1 at half time and a dressing down from El Presidente Houlahanio was no more than we deserved. Changes were made and the football began to flow. A much more impressive second half from the Reds was helped by the DHFC boys running out of steam. Goals from Stevie Whitson (2) made it 4-1, including a penalty after Steve White was cruelly denied by the hand of a DHFC defender who was sent off for his efforts. However, justice was done and emulating his hero Alan Shearer, Steve White composed himself at the edge of the box and curled a beauty into the top left hand corner of the goal. 5-1 the final score.
One final incident to mention. Anthony showed his capacity for entertaining the boys yet again. Last week it was his ninja moves in goal that amused. However, this week it was Wigan Casino 1978 all over again in defense. A through ball by the DHFC centre midfield and the ball comes through to him and as all the crowd thought an easy clearance must be made, Anthony obviously heard the sound of Wilson Pickett from somewhere and gave a beautiful Northern Soul high kick into thin air as the ball travelled through. Genius!
The big MOTM this week goes to Steve White again. I know I gave it to him last week but one goal, one that should have been and a great all round performance.

Our new vice captain is...

After two rounds of voting and a very close finish, polls are closed
and we have a new vice captain. He is....

Mark Williams.

It was indeed a close vote. Only 1 vote separated all three
candidates - Mark, Stu and Bala. Bala didn't help his cause by voting
for Stu! All 3 are clearly leaders among us and will be a massive
help on the field every week.

Congratulations to Mark. Mark, together with Andy and me, will pick
the team for each match.

Minutes of 2008 Annual General Meeting

Date: 26 October 2008

Venue: the SOCIAL, Bangsar

Present: Mark Williams, Paul Williams, Ian Quirk, Tom Sarginson, Anthony H, Mark Howland, Bunmi Sodiya + 3 young ladies!!!

(Note: Mark Jones, Terry Harris, Andy Johnston, Stu Cavens and Adam Scott were not present but did send me their views by email (several pages of emails in some instances!). I add their comments to the extensive notes I took last night.)

Agenda:

1)  Review of 2007/2008 season
2) Review of club finances
3)  Goals for 2008/2009 season
4)  Approach for 2008/2009 season
5) Confirmation of roles for 2008/2009 season

1) Review of 2007 / 2008 season

Enjoyed the football.  We were competitive but should have done better.  Social scene was better than previous season but after match drinks were rarely well attended.  Despite a big squad, we often struggled to get a strong squad to every fixture.  Only other issue was discipline (one major incident) which improved markedly in the second half of the season.

2) Review of club finances

Our esteemed Treasurer was absent from meeting with apologies so no detailed review took place.  My understanding is that our finances are healthy.  We've received sponsorship of RM9000 (RM4000 from the Social - thanks Mei, RM4000 from Roemex - thanks Kenny Woods, and RM1000 from Stu Cavens - thanks Stu).  We've spent some of this on new kits and league fees but will have some money left over to contribute to the costs a club tour.  

The treasurer has set fees for the coming season as follows:

RM200 Players registration fee

RM20 Match fee

3) Goals for 2008/2009 season

Win the lot!  Noting that to do so, we'll need to rely on the depth of our squad and should ensure that all subs get a fair crack of the whip.  We should all expect to spend some time on the side of the pitch at times this season.  

4) Approach for 2008 / 2009 season

Squad selection:

We agreed that we need to select the squad based on performances on the pitch.  There was some discussion about selecting players that are only rarely available.  Even though such a player might be a better player than a regular player, he mightn't contribute as well as a regular due to his unfamiliarity with the way we play.  This is noted and will be considered when we pick teams.  The selection criteria for the coming season are:

PRIMARY: Performances to date

SECONDARY: Clubmanship (in no particular order):

i) regularly available for matches

ii) reliability: shows up when selected and shows up on time

iii) attendance at training

iv) attends after match drinks and social events

The selection committee will pick a squad of 15 (when necessary).  The selection committee will be : Manager, Captain and Vice Captain

Substitutes:

Keeping a strong squad will be essential to doing well this season.  As such we need to keep all players motivated.  All subs should get a good run out if selected for a match.  As such, all players should expect to spend some time on the subs bench during matches.  

Mid-week friendly fixture:

We've been offered a mid-week friendly at the Club Aman league (thanks Shaun Sweeney of Expat Lions).  Games are friendlies which take place weekly on either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  We've agreed to take this slot.  In selecting this team, priority for selection and game time will go to:

1) So-called 'fringe' players who are not getting a lot of game time on the weekend

2) Alice Smith School teachers who want to play regular football but are not in our weekend squad 

Those players that play regularly in the weekend team will make up the numbers in this team.  

Training:

Positive comments on the new format.  But attendance has been very poor which has led to frequent cancellation.  Some people asked that we put the time earlier, i.e. back to 6:45PM.   The matter of changing nights was discussed, e.g. a Wednesday but the people at the meeting did not say that this was an issue.  So we'll stick with Thursday and try to get the time earlier.  

Discipline:

Maintaining good discipline is very important to us for a number reasons.  As such, any player not acting in a disciplined manner can be expect the shepherd's crook to come out and be taken off for a cool-down,  E.g. if you're having a go at the ref, getting involved in some argy bargy with opponents or slating your teammates expect to be taken off to cool down.

Tour: 

All seven people at the AGM confirmed their attendance on the tour!  Some discussion took place on the relative merits of Bangkok and Jakarta.  It was mentioned that Bangkok might be "too seedy".  This was met with derision from one member suggesting that the words "too" and "seedy" simply cannot be used together in this manner.     The club will pay for at least a part of the costs of the tour. Tour Organiser is Stu Cavens.  All requests on location and other matters to Stu.  

Proposal from the 3 young ladies present:

The 3 young ladies present proposed the following:

1) Our shorts are far too long and should be much shorter

2) Jerseys should be much tighter

3) Club colours should be changed to bright pink.

Those of you that played in the skin tight fuchsia ensemble that we wore last season will recall that the above 3 points closely describe last season's kit!  I told the girls that they are a year too late and suggest that they seek solace in reviewing the pictures from last season.

 

5) Confirmation of roles of 2008 / 2009 season

Three changes here:

Club Captain:  Ian Quirk - after 3 seasons wearing the armband  - is standing down as Club Captain.  The club has progressed immensely under his captaincy, as evidenced by our recent win in the Expat Cup.   We can all thank Ian for his leadership as a captain and contributions as a player.  We expect the latter to continue with abundance in the coming season.  Andy Johnston was nominated as Club Captain and this was accepted.

Match reporter:  Mark Williams has agreed to take on this high profile job and attempt to delight us with his literary brilliance.  So far his cryptic ramblings have proven only to be a effective remedy for insomnia.  We can only hope he improves.  zzzzzzzz.....

Vice-captain:  Due to his impending departure from KL (although the word on the street has it that this may not happen until mid-2009!) Terry Harris will stand down as Vice Captain.  As Club Captain was the manager's choice, I'd like Vice Captain to be the player's choice and will organise a vote for a new VC.  

All other roles remain as per last season (sorry Ad, I tried to find someone to take the kit but to no avail.  As you've done a fantastic job in ensuring our kit smells as fresh as springtime but mainly because you're the only player that parks his car no more 5 paces from a laundry the consensus was that you should continue your wonderful work in this role.)

The roles for the coming season are hence:

Manager: Organise player availability; deal with league matters; pick team - Anthony

Captain: Lead the team on the field, pick team - Andy

Vice-captain: Lead the team on the field, pick team - TBD

Match reporter 1: Write match report on blog - Mark Williams

Match reporter 2: Complete league match report form (players, cards, scorers) and fax/email into league - Mark Jones

Treasurer: Collect subs; pay league; issue refunds to others who incur expenses. Mark Jones

Equipment: Buy new kits and bring kit, balls etc to match each week - Adam

Drinks: Bring drinks to matches each week - Mark Jones

Pitches Ensure home pitch availability and readiness - Ian Quirk

Tour manager: Organise a tour Stu

Social sec: Organize and encourage high attendance at regular social activities - Stu

Fixture sec: Organize friendlies when we don't have a competitive match - Andy

League liaison: Do a role on the SSLKL Committee - Stu and Andy

The forenamed form a committee and will be consulted to collectively take major decisions on behalf of all players at the club.

Asterix Reds V Mancis 1-1 (Friendly)

After finally kicking off at twenty to three in the morning, the charismatic Mancis boys found themselves one down to an early Peter Pan goal. The first twenty minutes saw the Reds firmly in control but Mancis, being a good, organised side, maintained their discipline and structure and got a deserved equaliser on the half hour spot. A good shot and one that even Anthony's practiced ninja move in goal could not stop. 1-1 at the break and after some shuffling of the pack the Reds had a good second half with Gary, Paul and Tom going close. The Mancis boys shut shop in the last 15 minutes, so much so that even the mild mannered janitors that are the two Williams boys found themselves throwing their toys. (We are not related by the way) 1-1 at the end and good performances from a number of the boys. It is a shame that Shaun Sweeney will not be one of the boys this year as he is a great player and a good lad. Man of the Match for me goes to Steve White at the back who commanded the back line like Rommel in Libya.
It was all back to the Social for the AGM and we were all lucky to get a seat at this well attended annual event that I have penciled into my diary for next year. After we finally got rid of the numbers of people turned away at the door, some minor issues were discussed and the more important matters of drinking and watching Liverpool beat Chelsea were then attended to.

KLSSL 7-a-side Tournament (Quarter Finalists)

The term rhymes with 'clucking bell'. What could have been and what should have been. Out in the Quarter Finals on pens.
The day started slowly. After our warm up which reminded all of an audition for dancers at Club Rectum, we eeked out a 0-0 draw with the mighty Socceroos. After Tom's miss in the dying seconds, it was rumoured that Mr. Kipling was trying to get hold of him. We played much better football after that and went on to record four straight wins on the bounce. 3-1 versus the colossal UK Rovers, 1-0 versus the immense Wolves, 1-0 versus the vast Fusion and then 1-0 against the stupendous MMFC with Paul Williams' corker being the goal of the tournament for the Asterix boys.
However, it was down to the QF and we faced the much improved Red Star, a team we had a great battle with in the 11-a-side game 3 weeks ago and are definitely a force to be reckoned with this coming year. Although, it would be fair to say we had the better of the game, you have to take your chances in this version of the game and this we did not do, so it was down to penalties. After locked at 5-5 on penalties with confident pens being slotted home by Georgie B, Mr Kipling, Anthony, MC Johnson and Scotty, up stepped the unconfident Williams. However, he hit a beauty into the top left hand corner only for the keeper to make an unbelievable save that Mr Fantastic would have been proud of, to literally fingertip it round the post.
Well, player of the tournament in my mind was Paul Williams who took his chances brilliantly. Until next week and the Mancis.

Asterix Reds 3 - 2 KL Vikings (Expat Cup)

CHAMPIONS!!! A 3-2 win over Vikings earns us a 100% record in the
pre-season Expat Cup and saw us pick up our first piece of silverware
for the season (officially, there's no trophy, but we won so I'm
going to buy us one!). We were below par in the first half and came
in at half time a goal down. An early goal in the second half from
Andy Johnston got us level and two goals in the last 10 minutes -
one from Paul Williams and another from Andy Johnston - gave us a two
goal cushion. We shipped a soft goal at the end to make the final
score 3-2 but were worthy winners.

The Vikings scored almost directly from the kick off. A ball down
the centre avoided our defenders and their striker got a decisive
touch to give the Vikings a very early lead. We didn't play well in
the first half: we looked off the pace of the game and our passing
was dreadful. We gave the ball away cheaply far too often and only
rarely put a few good moves together. Nonetheless, we did create a
couple of good chances. A free header at the back post from Bunmi
was hit so hard into the ground, it bounced up eight feet off the
floor and eventually settled in the 'keepers hands. Andy and Adam
conspired with an air shot and a miss over the bar from six yards in
the other clear chance we created. So we came in at half time at 0-1.

A good chat at half time helped us start the second half in the way
we wanted to continue. From the kick off, we passed the ball around
well in the midfield and at the back. Moved it up the right flank
and put a good ball into the box. Nothing came of it but it was our
most fluid moment of the match thus far and I think help us settle
down a bit. We continued to pass the ball better and got our
breakthrough from Andy Johnston after about 10 minutes of the second
half. Andy collected the ball outside the box and drove forward at
the defender. He faked to shoot with his left, brought it back onto
his right and buried a right foot drive past the 'keepers right hand
and into the back of the net. From this point on there really looked
like there was going to be one winner.

We had more of the ball than the Vikings but didn't get our goal.
The Vikings were always a threat on the break but fortunately our
defenders and 'keeper combined well to keep our back door shut. And
eight minutes from the end, we got the second goal our possession
deserved. We won the ball in midfield and released Adam who carried
the ball into the box. Adam went down under a heavy challenge and
the ball broke wide. A pass inside gave Bunmi the opportunity to
test the 'keeper from distance. His shot was parried into the path
of Paul Williams who steadied himself and unleashed a right foot
drive. As is Paul's tendency when shooting, his shot went straight
at the 'keeper who appeared to have stopped it. But the linesman and
referee ruled that the ball had crossed the line and we took a
deserved 2-1 lead.

If there was some controversy surrounding the first goal, there could
be none about our third and Andy's second. Andy picked up the ball
just outside the box on the left. He ran into the box, evaded a few
challenges from defenders before getting himself the half a yard of
space he needed to fashion a right foot curler which found it's way
just inside the far right post. It was goal of the day and saw us
take a 3-1 lead with just a couple of minutes left.

We let Vikings get one back with what was almost the last kick of the
game and 3-2 is how it ended. Man of the match : Andy Johnston.

This wasn't our best performance. In fact, it was probably our worst
in the four game Expat Cup tournament. Nonetheless, we stuck to our
task and turned around what would have been a very disappointing
defeat into what is a very satisfying victory. All good teams know
how to win ugly and this was us today.

For the record, our results in the Expat Cup were as follows:
Asterix Reds 5 - 0 Expat Lions
Asterix Reds 3 - 0 BM
Asterix Reds 5 - 3 Red Star
Asterix Reds 3 - 2 Vikings

I'm not happy that we've shipped five goals in the last two games and
we need to tighten our defence for the regular season. What is
pleasing is our performance in front of goal. 16 goals in 4 games is
a great return. Credit to the strikers and midfielders for making
our chances pay.

This is just a pre-season tournament and nothing to get too excited
about. Nonetheless, we've won it comfortably and we should celebrate
that. Of the top four teams in last years league table, three played
in this and we beat them all. Let's celebrate this success and take
this winning habit into the regular season which starts on the 1
November.

Asterix Reds F.C. 5 - 3 Red Star (Expat Cup)

We beat Red Star 5-3 in an eagerly contested encounter, our third game
in the Expat Cup. Even though we led from the start, Red Star had
plenty of the ball and, at times, put us under some pressure. Some
good work in front of goal by our strikers ensured we snapped up all 3
points to make it three wins out of three in the Expat Cup. Stevie
Whitson bagged a brace, Terry got one from the penalty spot with the
others coming from Andy and Bunmi.

Red Star started the stronger team, dominating the midfield. And,
whilst they didn't create any clear cut chances, our back four had to
work hard to keep it that way. We held firm and our break came after
around 20 minutes when we got the opener against the run of play.
Terry Harris did well down the left and floated a delightful ball into
the box. Stevie Whitson, our Georgie Best look-a-like and play-a-
like, guided the ball into the corner for a one nil lead. Our second
came shortly after.

A quickly taken free kick allowed Andy to pick out Bunmi on the back
stick. The leggy Nigerian tucked it away nicely to give us a 2-goal
cushion. We had a chance for a third shortly after. After some great
interchange from the middle to the left, Stevie Whitson's cross picked
out Andy Johnston about 10 yards out. Andy rose like the proverbial
salmon but his powerful header struck the bar and bounced to safety.

We then let Red Star back in the game with a soft goal before half-
time. Both our central defenders failed to connect with a routine
cross which their striker slotted home unmarked at the back post. 2-1
at half time.

We made some changes to strengthen the midfield in the second half and
immediately got a stronger grip on the game. We were fortunate to get
our third after the ref gave us a soft pen, Terry Harris making no
mistake from the spot.

We added a fourth after Paul Williams made a good run down the right
and put a ball into the corridor of uncertainty. The 'keeper could
only parry the ball on to the right breast of Andy Johnson which made
no mistake.

The ref then evened out the soft pen score by giving Red Star one of
their own. 4-2. This was followed by a minor altercation that had
threatened throughout the game. One of their strikers had barged Mark
Williams into the drain behind the goal line as he shepherded the ball
out for a goal kick. It was a gutless act that only a complete coward
would do and a shame to see such behavior between two SSLKL teams. Later, one of the Red Star players took exception to a
hard challenge and threatened to hit one of our players. Fortunately,
we all kept our cool and avoided any problems. I would have liked to
have seen the ref take some firmer action, but it was not to be.

Good football soon prevailed as Stevie Whitson, got his second with
some silky skill. He was released down the inside left channel from
the midfield. He ran at the defender, and as he stepped inside the
box, faked one way dragged the ball behind his other foot.
This gave him the space he needed to fashion a curling right foot shot
which found its way neatly into the bottom of the far corner. A
lovely bit of skill and a great way to complete our scoring.

Red Star got one back after our defence went to sleep. We missed a
few very good chances to add to account later in the game and 5-3 is
how it ended.

Red Star gave us the best game we've had for a few weeks and credit
for the team for getting the three points. The strikers did well
throughout, taking the chances that mattered. Terry Harris helped to
provide some steel in the midfield in the second half which allowed us
to play some better football. Commitment was high throughout the team
and Red Star made us work hard for the win.  We were not as solid at
the back as we have been in recent weeks. Albeit we were missing a few
of our regular defenders but we did give them two soft goals and a
pen. Let's get our defence back to higher standards we've played at for the next game. Again,
credit to the strikers for getting 5 at the other end which provided
us with the cushion we needed.

My picks for Man of the Match were Stevie Whitson - who was a handful
throughout and scored a cracking second goal - and Terry Harris for
doing a great job in shoring up the centre of midfield in the second half. I
can't separate them so this week it goes to them both. Mug of the
Day? Well, I'll leave that to the readers comment!

That gives us three wins out of three out of three in the Expat Cup.
One more versus Vikings will see us bag the Expat Cup. Let's make
sure we're up for it.

Asterix Reds 2 - 1 Wednesday (Friendly)

After being a goal down at the break, second half goals from Stevie
Whitson and Terry Harris gave us this win over a useful Wednesday FC.

We started well and had the bulk of possession and chances in the
first 20 minutes. We didn't take the chances we created however and
were punished when Wednesday hit us on the break after 30 minutes.

In the second half we settled ourselves down and played some better
football. Terry Harris proved to be a focal point up front and helped
link the forwards and midfielders. We used the space created well and
had a fair few chances to score. A few too many went begging but
credit to Stevie and Tel for getting the goals that mattered.

Next week, we're back in action in the Expat Cup where we take on Red
Star. We're currently top of the Expat Cup league with two wins out
of two. A win versus Red Star would put us in good shape.

Asterix Reds F.C. 3 - 0 BMFC (Expat Cup)

We maintained our 100% record in the pre-season Expat Cup tournament with a comfortable win over BM.  A goal in the first half from Bunmi Sodiya and 2 in the second from Andy Johnston and Adam Scott were enough to secure the win.

We started at a high tempo and created chances from the get-go.  We pinned BM into their own half and put loads of balls into the box but didn't get the goal we were looking for.  And, it wasn't until mid-way through the first half that our breakthrough came.  Bunmi was put clean through by Steve and outstripped the defenders to get one on one with the 'keeper.  He needed a second bite of the cherry but ultimately rolled the ball into the back of the net.  BM sat deep for the rest of the half and although the game was played in their half of the pitch we didn't create any more clear cut chances.  Adam Scott went close with a couple of headers, but 1-0 at half time it was.

We started the second half on top but BM clawed their way back into the game securing themselves more of the ball than in the opening 40 minutes.  We continued to pass and move well but only created half chances.   As the game wore on, space opened up and we scored 2 more to settle it.  1 each from Andy Johnston and Adam Scott.  We played out the game comfortably and recorded our second win and clean sheet in two weeks.  

This was a good performance.  The movement up top, passing and running off the ball by the attacking players was superb.  It was great to see Stevie and Adam linking well as they begin to form an understanding.  The wide players - Ian Quirk and Bunmi - got forward and interchanged passes with the strikers which helped us get behind the defence regularly.  Mark Williams made his customary marauding runs up the right wing and was a constant problem for their defenders.  Andy Johnston put his usual long shift in the middle and was tireless in winning possession.  The back four was solid throughout.  Mark Jones won everything in the air and Bala made won every challenge he made.  Keith Stewart made his debut in goal and didn't have a lot to do, but dealt very comfortably with everything that came his way.  Most important he kept a clean sheet.  Despite some strong performances all round, Bala wins my vote for Man of the Match.  His winning of possession stifled any chances BM had of getting into our box and created a solid platform from which we could attack.  Well done, Bala. 

Overall, we dominated possession but did struggle to create chances when BM sat deep.  We move forward very well at a high tempo but we also need to learn to be able to change our game so that we can play at a slower speed when teams sit deep.  When teams are sitting deep, we need to be a little more patient and pass the ball across the middle and between the midfielders and defenders to encourage their defending players to move up the park.  This will create space for our strikers.  Then we turn up the gas and go a them at full pace.   Something to work on in our next game.  

BM were missing a few players and should be stronger when the league season starts.    Nonetheless, it was an encouraging and comfortable win.  We also have several people to come back in to the team which bodes well for us this season.  

We're now top of the Expat Cup table, having played two, won two, scored 8 and conceded 0.  Let's take that form forward into our next game which is a friendly versus Mancis, the team that has won our league for the past 4 or 5 seasons.  This should be a good test.  

Asterix Reds F.C. 5 - 0 Expat Lions (Expat Cup)

We won our first game of the pre-season 'Expat Cup' tournament, with a
comfortable 5-0 victory over Expat Lions.

We started the game well and worked hard to keep possession of the
ball. This paid dividends as we created a hatful of chances
throughout the first half. Goals from Adam Scott and and Stevie
Whitson saw us go into half-time 2 goals to the good.

We slowed a bit in the second half and didn't keep the ball as well.
To their credit Expat Lions came out with a bit of fight and made us
work harder. Our lack of match fitness showed and we struggled to
maintain the high tempo of the first half. Nonetheless, we scored 3
goals from Adam Scott, Stevie Whitson and Paul Williams.

All in all this was a better performance than our previous ones in the
pre-season. Our passing, movement, work rate and decision making were
much improved, particularly in the first half. Had we finished more
of the chances we created we could have easily doubled our goal
tally. Our lack of fitness showed in the second half. Use that as a
reason to get yourselves down to training this Thursday.

Asterix Reds FC 0 - 5 African Select XI (Friendly)

I have often been accused of bias in my match reports; making
statements about Asterix dominating opponents in all aspects of the
game (which I honestly feel we do) in most matches. There's no chance
of that happening in this match report. Playing a team of African
exiles we were royally humped in this encounter.

To be fair, the African's did have an edge on us. I believe that just
about all of them have played in the Malaysian league or other pro
leagues in Asia and the Middle East. Several of them have represented
Nigeria at youth and under-21 level. In short, they were bigger,
fitter, faster, stronger and more talented than us. Apart from that,
the game was ours to lose. Half time saw us 3-0 down after the
African tsumani launched wave after wave of attacks on our goal. We
set ourselves to task in the second half and battled hard. We shared
possession and created a few chances of our own, which their 'keeper
(another pro...) did well to save. The African's added two the total.

We can walk away with some pride. We were up against opponents who
are playing at few levels above us. We were also far from full
strength with a few of our better players absent. Several of our
players put in some good performances. Most noteworthy was Mark
Williams. Making his debut at right wing back he was always full of
energy, demanding possession, using it well and doing a great job in
fulfilling his defensive duties too. A great debut and we look
forward to more sterling performances during the season.

We've agreed to play them again in a few weeks time, when we've
hopefully got a full squad available, are fitter and better
organised. We should expect to compete and make a better game of it.

We need to work on our fitness. We have a chance to compete for the
league this year. Last season, we were just four points off the
leaders having dropped points when we shouldn't have. We can't always
control what happens on the pitch, but we can control how we prepare.
Our fitness is a big part of that. And, if we're going to be
competitive this season, we need to get fitter. Andy is organising a
session for us this week. Make sure you get yourself along.

Asterix Reds FC 1 - 0 Kepong (Friendly)

Despite being a little ring rusty, having a bare XI (which later
became a bare X) and struggling in some wet and difficult conditions,
we picked up a victory in our first game of the season. An early goal
by debutant, Stevie Whitson proved to be decisive.

We created a few chances from the start and it wasn't long before
Stevie found himself one-on-one with the 'keeper. He pushed the ball
past the 'keeper and finished neatly from a tight angle to score.
Despite the conditions and our rustiness, we played some nice football
at times and created a few good chances. Once or twice the movement
and passing was very easy on the eye. The linesman and a lack of
composure in front of goal prevented us from adding to our lead. At
the other end, Kepong got clean through on the 'keeper midway through
the half but wasted their chance by pushing it wide. They later
forced a save from close range but that was it. On balance of play
and chances, going in a goal to the good was probably fair.

Kepong came at us in the second half and put our defence under
pressure at times. Our back four held firm, limiting them to one half
chance which was easily saved. Dave Agar impressed in the centre of
defence in his first game for a while. Andy Johnston put in a
tireless effort which also helped to keep their attacks at bay. We
didn't have any luck breaking the offside trap at the other end and
didn't add to our total. We played the last 15 minutes with 10 men
after Bunmi and later Steve went off with injuries. But still held
firm. 1-0 was how it finished.

Lots to work on as we continue the pre-season, but a win is win.

Asterix Reds 4 - 5 Wednesday FC (Friendly)

Having just secured a coaching role in The Maldives, Roy Schofield - the alleged former pro with Partick Thistle - returned from sunshine of The Maldives for this friendly with Wednesday FC.  It was to be a gloomy afternoon for Roy however.  His two own goals (yes, two own goals) provided Wednesday with the decisive goals they needed to turn around a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 win.  

We started the game knocking the ball around quite nicely but didn't hold the ball well up top or create many opportunities to score.  As the game wore on, our patience shortened and we reverted to looking for the killer ball all too often and gave possession to Wednesday too often.  To their credit, they used it well and exploited the space afforded by our 3 man defence to take a 3 goal lead after about 30 minutes.  We then reverted to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation which shored up our defence and gave us a better platform from which to attack.  This changed the game and two goals before half time by Adam Scott brought us back to 2-3.  

We continued to create chances in the second half and held firm at the back.  Two very good goals by Andy Johnston and Bunmi Soldiya gave us a 4-3 advantage and we looked like adding more.  A couple of good chances went begging but I felt we were in good shape to add to our total and win comfortably.    Then the curse of the White Feather struck.  A corner to the near post should have been easily dealt with.  However, Roy - shall I say - drifted off his post only to see his attempt to clear the ball deflect off his shin and into the net.  4-4, but I still felt we could score to restore our lead.   However, I didn't expect what was to come next.  The Wednesday wide man delivered a cross to no-one into our box.  With plenty of time, we all felt that Roy would deal comfortably with the ball.  But, one bounce, Roy leans forward into the ball,  meets the ball with his head and sends a perfectly timed header rocketing off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net.  It would have been a finish any centre forward would have been proud off.  Such a shame it was in the wrong end.  

Iit kept a couple of good stops from Tom 'The New Cat' Sarginson to prevent the scoreline worsening as we pushed forward looking for an equaliser.  4-5 was how it ended.  

The season that was...

So let me review the season that was.   And for my review I'm not going to talk about the football this year (seriously, what do I know about football?) but instead our players - the people of Asterix Reds Football Club - and in particular I would like to honour those that have left us this season and - more importantly -  those that have joined us. 

Our squad was big this year (we signed a total of 33 players) and to be frank we've had more people come and go than a whore house during Ramadan.  

So let me first honour those that left us this season.  

First out the door this season was Tony Prove.  Tony was an absolute legend having won Player of the Year two years running.  He was a rock at the back and a true gentleman and mate to boot.  A fairer or more dinkum Aussie would be hard to find.  But despite a great start to the season, Tony was silently suffering from acute withdrawal symptoms due to the unavailability of Bundaberg Rum in the Klang Valley.  And it was out of medical necessity that Tony Prove repatriated to Queensland to secure his supply of the rusty nectare.  Sales of Bundaberg Rum have reported increased significantly since his return.  His liver has perhaps not fared quite so well.  Let's all raise a glass for Tony Prove.  

And in January, the Godfather of the Asterix Reds Football Club - Alan Boden - moved on.  Without Alan's efforts over the years, Asterix Reds would have likely perished.  Alan left us for China after a 10-years+ career and a incalculable contribution to the Asterix Reds.  The word is that he's back in the summer and the Asterix Reds board has been secretly tapping him up for the manager's role  This may be my last piece of work as manager of the Asterix Reds so I'll make the most of it.  

Then it was Stef Lammert who decided to march his family up to Beijing.   He did so without the usual German efficiency.  His departure date changed weekly and and his move was "on and off" more than a sex-tourist in Bangkok.  Nonetheless, after more false starts than an steroid infused sprinter he eventually made it to Beijng in February.  His belongings are due to arrive there in November.  

Next to leave us was Tom Howell.  Enough said.  

And just last month, our infamous and interminable sufferer of CLT, althzemiers and other myriad physical and mental diseases, Roy Schofield left us for The Maldives.  He's apparently there to catch fish - but we expect he will likely catch just as many new diseases.  We look forward to the stories as the latest chapter of 'Confessions of a Fish Farmer' unfolds.  

All of these players will be sorely missed. In Roy's case, literally.   

So, who would fill the sizable shoes of these fine souls?  Coming in, we were blessed with a plethora of sad bastards - sorry, I mean, fast athletes - who signed up for the cause with the Asterix Reds.

Andy Johnston rejoined us.  Despite possessing the facial hair of man twice his age - or should I say a man living in the decade before Andy was born - Andy was sadly ruled "too young to play" in our league.   But to his credit he agreed to ply his trade on the touchlines as coach of Asterix Reds.  And a fine job he did too.  However, we shouldn't forget that despite his ineligibility Andy did make make one notable appearance on the pitch in a league game.  Sadly this was the game versus Sang Chuan where Andy's contribution was to put a couple of straight rights into their players faces after a mass brawl had broken out.  Andy goes down in history as the first person to receive a touchline ban from Asterix Reds games.

Another returnee was David Jones. Dave came back to us after a five year absence losing none of his youthful zeal and desire to play.   (Dave used to be professional footballer you know; it's a fact that often seems to be forgotten by some people. Yawn....)  Actually, Dave is so old that we petitioned the league to offset some of Dave's years and use them as credit so that Andy could play.  Sadly, our request was refused.  Apparently the league chairman's calculator didn't have enough zeros to properly calculate how old Dave actually is.  Dave put in a fine season in midfield scoring a candidate for goal of the season in the process.  Dave also brought a flashy new camera with him and thanks to his handy work, we have a fine set of photos on display on our blog.

Aidil Sulaiman joined as a close season signing but after a promising start Aidil's season was interrupted by injury.  Aidil tore his ankle ligaments in a friendly - that should teach him to get stuck into a tackle - and this led to a 4 month absence.  But most disappointing for Aidil was that the mass brawl with Sang Chuan occurred whilst he was out with injury and he missed all the action.  He did try his best to start a fight two weeks ago by kicking one of the BM players in the back (thoroughly deserved of course) but nonetheless rues the missed opportunity to take part in the brawl.  Don't worry Aidil, we'll arrange a friendly with Sang Chuan in the summer, just for you.

Tom Sarginson ditched his rugby career for the beautiful game of Association Football.  And when Tom's not charging people RM200 an hour to hit a golf ball repeatedly at a wall he turns out for the reds with much pride.  A fine first season, Tom.

Kisho Jayalingam also joined us.  Kisho's most notable contribution has been the addition of the Alice Band to the Asterix Reds match day apparel.  He also made a mark - quite literally - for colliding with Roy at full pelt during a cup game.  I'll never forget the sound of the body slam, the prolonged scream and the sight of Roy and Kisho writhing in agony on the floor while the match continued.  

So, with 'The Cat' in Beijing and the 'keeper's gloves up for grabs (no pun intended) we threw them to Sugu.  And he dropped them.  But, in the absence of any other contenders, Sugu got the nod anyway and put in some fine performances between the sticks.  There were several games where his interventions at key moments kept us in matches that we'd eventually go on to win.  The seven stitches he received in the cup semi are testament to his commitment in goal and only slightly mar his Bollywood movie star good looks.  

Bunmi Sodiya, made the long trip from Africa to sign up for Asterix Reds.  Despite Nigeria's lax laws on polygamy, Bunmi brought just one wife with him but has already reportedly amassed several more.  At this rate, Bunmi's genes may be responsible for permanent darkening of the Malaysian complexion in future generations.  We look forward to more goals and excitement from the leggy Nigerian next season.  

Danny Bukhard and Paul Williams provided us with the athleticism, strength and steel of the All Blacks from New Zealand.  And like the Kiwi's, despite showing much promise, they failed to win anything this season.  

Ghani Malik joined us after a professional career and quickly established himself as a rock at the back.  He was compared to a lion for his big hearted performance in the cup semi-final.  He certainly came in and took over where Tony Prove left off.  Despite playing only the second half of the season, I believe, Ghani put in a strong shout for player of the season.  We'll here more about that later and look forward for to more from Ghani The Lionheart next season.  

Marcelo Paniago joined us and promised to deliver samba but only delivered sick notes.   We hope that Marcelo can join us in more games next year.

It's been my first year running a football team (not that you would have noticed of course!) but I must say that I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  We didn't meet the goals we set ourselves and as manager I take full and complete responsibility for that (I believe that's what Steve McClaren said when England failed to quality for the Euros, and we all know what happened to him) .  Nonetheless, we were in with a genuine chance of winning both the league and the cup until only a few games from the end of the season.  Had a few results gone our way, who knows what might have happened.  There is no doubt that Asterix Reds have progressed as a team this year: belief, confidence, footballing ability, desire to win and team spirit are all as high as I've seen in my three seasons with the Asterix Reds.  I'd like to thank you all for the effort you've put in this  year.  We've taken a step forward together as a team and should enter next season with a firm aim - and more importantly, a genuine belief - that we can win the league and cup.  Bring it on.  

Astaka 0 - 1 Asterix Reds (SSLKL Premier Division)

This was a game for which we were given an extra incentive to win.
Only a few weeks back, Astaka demanded that the league deduct 3 points
from our total because we showed up to the wrong pitch for the fixture
with them. Not very nice behaviour, some might say. And before the
match, we weren't looking favourites to reclaim our 3 points. We only
had ten for the warm-up and it wasn't until Shashi showed up (having
declared himself unavailable through injury only one hour earlier)
that we were able to get a bare XI to start the match. It was match
in which we were on top for most of the time, although Astaka did have
a good 20 minute spell before half time. We created a lot of chances
second half and it was fitting that Adam Scott was to get the winner.
This was Adam's 11th goal of the season making him top scorer in the
Premier division. But credit goes to the eleven lads that put a hard
afternoon's graft in today. Many of those on the field haven't been
regular starters for the Asterix Reds this season but nonetheless
everyone came through with aplomb demonstrating the depth we have in
our squad. A fitting end to the season.

With both teams having nothing but pride to play for, the game started
in a relaxed manner. In the first 20 minutes our movement and passing
was good and enabled us to create some decent chances. To his credit,
the Astaka keeper dealt with them all very comfortably. As the half
wore on, Astaka began to get the upper hand in the middle of the park
and secured the lion's share of possession. Whilst they never created
a clear cut chance they were asking questions of our defence which
dealt well with the pressure. In turn, we had very few chances in the
20 minutes prior to half time. The half ended scoreless, but we knew
we needed to up our game in the second half to secure the 3 points.

With no subs to call on, we relieved Bala of the 'keeper's gloves and
put him to work on the right flank. He made an immediate impact
providing us with a much needed outlet from defence and a cutting edge
up front. This extra attacking dimension helped us get behind the
defence more often and balls from the right helped us to create some
of our best openings. And it was a ball from the right - after about
20 minutes - which provided the decisive goal. A ball from the
'keeper found Mages at right back. He released Bala down the line who
in turn found Bumni. Some neat interchange between Terry and Bunmi
resulted in a ball into the 'corridor of uncertainty' with which Adam
made no mistake burying the ball into the corner. 1-0 it was.

We continued to create chances and held firm at the back. Astaka
didn't force a save in second half which is a credit to our back four
who were duly supported by the midfield who retained the shape very
well. Our strikers and midfielders will perhaps be a tad disappointed
not to have grabbed a few more goals for themselves, but the fact is
that one goal was enough to get us the 3 points. And at the end of
the day, that's what matters.

It's worth mentioning a few people who put in some very creditable
performances today. At the back, Mark Jones put in a very solid
performance, winning everything that came his way and showing a
willingness to get forward at every opportunity. Ragu was resolute in
defence and frequently a catalyst for turning defence into attack.
Mages was rock solid a right back, winning all his tackles and picking
the percentage ball to feet every time. Dave Jones was very
comfortable in the centre of midfield, distributing the ball
flawlessly throughout the game and going close with a long range
effort in the first half. Bunmi was his usual energetic self, always
a problem for the opponent and with a little luck could have had a
goal or two to his name. Shashi deserves special mention. Despite
being injured, he strapped the boots on and put in a very valuable
performance at right midfield. Clearly, he was struggling and could
have opted not to play. But the fact he did play - and play well at
that - gave us eleven men and might have been the decisive reason we
got a win. On the other flank, Bala did a sterling job, always
wanting the ball and using well every time. Again, his second half
performance on the right was a key reason we were able to win. Up
front Terry Harris won everything came his way, played others into the
game and unlucky not to get a goal or two for himslef. And Adam was
always a problem for the defenders, burying the one chance that
matters to give us the 3 points and getting himself the accolade of
Premier Division top scorer for the 2007 / 2008 season.

And that's it for the 2007 / 2008 season. We finished in third
position with 26 points, 4 points behind the winners. The six points
we had deducted puts back down into fourth. I'll write a longer
message with some concluding thoughts for the season, but for now,
suffice to say, we've done well this year and grown as a squad. We
all know that a couple of below par performances in a few key games
cost us a chance of glory. But let's put that behind us, consolidate
what we've learnt this season and push for a league and cup double in
2008 / 2009. Asterix Reds boleh!

Asterix Reds 3 - 1 BM (SSLKL Premier Division)

Another comfortable win sealed a season 'double' over BM.  Despite us missing a few more players than last week, the lads that came in did the job and played some good football.  This week's scorers were Ghani Malik, Aidil Sulaiman and Bunmi Sodiya.  

We started out this game looking very unsettled and not really up for it. In the first 5 minutes we were really under pressure and could have gone a goal down. However, when Aidil reacted to a bad challenge on him after about 10 minutes we kicked into life. Ghani took the resulting free kick from just inside their half and placed one into the roof of the net, via a hole in the keepers hands. 

At 1-0 we settled into our game and started knocking the ball around really well. BMFC started complaining to the referee but we stayed well out of any such arguments and concentrated on our football. I have to say I think we have got a lot better at doing this as the season has gone on. Right on the stroke of half-time Bunmi climbed well at the back post to direct his header into the back of the net. The celebration that followed was the only thing there was time for, 2-0 at the break.

We spoke a bit at half-time about tightening up our back four as their only threat was their pace up front. We controlled this much better in the second half and reduced them to speculative long shots, all of which were blazed high and wide with a ball that was clearly too hard.

Mid-way through the half a good ball was knocked into Terry who did well to hold off his man and lay the ball back to Aidil. Aidil calmly slotted the ball through the same hole in the keepers hands that Ghani had found earlier. 3-0. After this unselfish act Terry turned to more important things – scoring for himself. 

We pushed on feeling there was more goals in it, and there probably would have been if Terry had passed the ball! Instead he was determined to score, but all attempts were greeted with shouts of 'time wasting' from the opposition as the ball flew past the goal.

We got a bit sloppy towards the end and conceded a needless goal. All in all though a very satisfying win and a solid performance.  

We have one game left in our season next Saturday Vs Astaka. Lets get a good squad available and finish on a high note. Do your best to get down to training on Thursday!!

BM 1 - 4 Asterix Reds (SSLKL Premier Division)

Ahhh....the sweet taste of victory over our old rivals. This victory
was made even sweeter by BM's insistence that Asterix Reds be deducted
3 points because we weren't able to field a team for our rearranged
fixture 2 weeks ago. They even tried to claim the points for
themselves believing they still had a chance of winning the league.
Those fading hopes were resolutely stamped out yesterday after we
demolished them at their home ground. 2 headers from Adam Scott, a
long-range effort from Dave Jones and an Aidil Sulaiman penalty were
more than enough to get our 3 points back!

We started the brighter team. From the kick-off, Tom Sarginson began
the afternoon as it was to continue, by tearing their left back to
shreds. We moved well up front and created a couple of half chances
early on. But it was BM who were to score first. After we gave the
ball away, a cross to the far post was met by their wide midfielder
who finished neatly to make it 1-0. A goal against the run of play
and it wasn't long before parity was restored. Only minutes later,
Ghani Malik delivered an inch perfect ball to Terry Harris who had
peeled off his marker at the back post. His header across goal was
met by Adam Scott who bravely buried the ball in the net. Adam took a
kick in the face for his trouble and had to go off to be taped up. He
later received "5 stitches and a big bill".

Only minutes later, Dave Jones made it 2-1. After keeping possession
in their third of the field, Roy Schofield squared the ball to Dave
Jones, about 25 yards out in a central position. One touch, quick
glance up, wiggle of hips and Dave unleashed a right foot dipping
drive into the top corner. The 'keeper had no chance and Dave walked
away holding his index finger in the air confirming that this was
indeed his "one goal per season". And what a beauty it was.

We continued to dominate and after about 30 minutes we won a penalty.
Tom Sarginson had been putting the BM defenders into a spin all game
as he ran at them and jinked in and out of tackles. It was only a
matter time before he scored or won a penalty. And the BM defender
duly obliged by tripping Tom as he skipped past him inside the box.
Really, it was just a matter of time. Aidil Sulaiman - on for Adam
Scott - stepped up and slotted the spot kick neatly home to give us
the comfort of a 2 goal cushion.

We had dominated the first half and moved well off the ball and passed
the ball well. In goal, Mark Jones, had little to do but did put in
a neat and tidy performance holding everything that came his way and
coming off his line once to make a vital stop when the score was 2-1.
We did finish the last 10 minutes of the half a little scrappy and the
talk at half time was to settle ourselves down, work hard off the ball
and keep hold of the football.

As it occurred, we coasted through the second half and had a hatful of
chances to score as we hit the post, the keeper made a couple of good
saves and a few good chances went begging. We played the game almost
entirely in the opponents half and made full use of the wide Linatex
pitch and relatively lush surface to keep possession and create
chances a plenty. Our midfield and front two did all the running and
dominated the middle of the park. Aidil Sulaiman, playing up front
was always a problem and moved well off Terry Harris to get himself
into space. Terry Harris, playing his first game back after a hernia
operation, was the rock solid target man we needed. Everything we
sent his way was won, put on the deck and played to the feet of a team
mate. An outstanding come back performance. The back four had little
to do, restricting BM to a couple of scuffed shots from distance. Our
stand in 'keeper - Mark Jones - had nothing to do other than retrieve the ball for a goal kick 5 or 6 times.  

Adam Scott came back on all bandaged up and looking
like a off duty Sikh. He was rock solid in midfield and it was
fitting that he was to get the final goal with his head after a good
cross from the right touchline. The ref blew up shortly after to
confirm a very comfortable win over what must be said was a rather
lackluster BM.

This win puts us on 20 points and into fourth position, one point
behind behind Vikings and BM, who have played one more game than us.
If we can win our remaining two games we can finish in second place in
the league.

On a sour note, I've recently been informed by the league that we'll
be deducted a total of 6 points. The first 3 are due to BM's refusal
to postpone our game two weeks ago when we only had 6 players. The
second 3 are at Astaka's insistence after our team went to the wrong
ground last week. In a friendly league it's disappointing when teams
behave in this manner. Clearly, with 6 points deducted, we can't
finish second in the table. However, I'd encourage you all to forget
about the 6 points and play like we still should finish in second
place. It's important that we finish this season strong. Fittingly,
our final two games are versus BM and Astaka, the two teams that have
have caused us the points deductions. Let's make sure we get our
points back and take them both to the sword in the next two weeks.
Next week, we play BM and EP on Sunday.

Asterix Reds 2 - 3 Kepong Chinese (SSLKL Cup Semi-final)

Cup Run Ends in Bitter Disappointment

 

Our usual intrepid reporter remains too emotionally scarred to write this weeks report.  So, asked that the report be written by Terry Harris this week.  In a game played on a hard and firm pitch at Uniten A, Asterix Reds went down 3-2 to Kepong Chinese from Division 1.  Congratulations to Kepong, but this scoreline was a bitter disappointment for the lads.  Perhaps most upsetting was that Kepong deserved their win, giving a performance where their commitment and courage to play football despite being underdogs could not be questioned.  For our part, too many of our lads just did not play to the high standards they have displayed this season. 

 

We went down to a goal after about 20 minutes when a through ball saw us stop and look for an offside decision.  A calm finish saw us 1 - 0 down.  However, we bounced back fairly quickly, when Shashi who had just come on the park picked up the ball and fed Bumni who was carreering through the middle, dealt with the bouncing ball well to lob into the roof of the net.  At this point, the game was fairly even, but we did not take advantage of the impetus of the goal to grab control of the game.  We begun to hampered with injuries and pulls.  Quirky went pulled up with a groin strain after 20 mins.  Bala (stomach), Marcello, Anthony went lame with a damaged heel, John McGachie with tight hamstrings, Ghani (back).  In between of of this, Kepong scored their second goal, a well constructed goal with a nigh inch perfect ball floated over our centre half, brought down on his instep by their forward and taken away from the covering Ghani and around our keeper with his next touch.  A calm roll of the foot saw us 2 - 1 down. 

 

Half time came with the first thing to be checked was who was fit to carry on!  The second half started badly for us.  We just did not have any shape, rhythm or urgency about our play. We conceded at third goal.  Then Kisho in a moment of madness kicked their full back and was sent off.  Down to 10 men.  Sugu, then had clashed with their centre forward and had to go off with a horrible gash above his eye.  This happened moments after Anthony had clashed heads and was dripping claret from his pate.  A patched up "mummy" looking Anthony went in goal.  We then proceeded with 10 men to play the best football played by either team for the last 20 minutes.  This was lead by Ghani who stepped up from centre half duties to the middle of the park and gave one of the best performances I have seen from our lads.  His drive pushed us on and he and the team was rewarded with a goal, a free kick with 10 minutes to go, curled firmly into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. 

 

So a grandstand finish was set up, with 10 man Asterix pushing for an equaliser that would take it to penalties.  We knew a chance would come.  Bala delivered the sweetest of free kicks from the edge of their box, the pace requiring only guiding into the net.  Shashi got on the end of it and connected too firmly.  The ball went screaming over the bar.  The chance had gone and so had our hopes of salvaging something from the game. 

 

Yes, it was disappointing, but this is the time when a teams strength is tested.  We will need to regroup for the weekend and pull together.  Look to get over this result and put it behind us.  I think that we should forget this game except for a couple of things.  The feelings of disappointment should never be forgotten so that the next time we are playing in such a game, we pull out all the stops to make sure we are winners.  Winners are Grinners and there were no Grinners on the Reds side after the game.  The other thing that should be remembered is Ghani's performance.  He is newest to our club, but displayed the desire to fight, win and influence the game which we all need to show in matches.  When I last checked, lions are not indigenous to Malaysia, but in Ghani I think I saw someone with the heart of a lion.  He only has to grow his hair a little bit more to have a full mane! Let us all try to match his great efforts.

Asterix Reds 3 - 1 Wira 13 (Friendly)

Asterix Reds achieved another comfortable win in a friendly with goals
from Andy Johnston (2) and Adam Scott.

Wira were a good side. Certainly the best team we've played in a
friendly this season and they would no doubt do very well in our
league. They were good on the ball, passed and moved it well and
created several good chances to score. Wira had a few chances early
on, producing a couple stops from Anthony in goal. We had a
penalty after 20 minutes which was acrobatically saved by the 'keeper
after Anthony Houlahan's solid strike just inside the right hand
upright. Ahem. We did get on the scoresheet shortly afterward, after
a strong strike on the follow up from Adam Scott. Andy Johnston then
made it two after a good run from midfield past the advanced defensive
line. Wira pulled a goal back just before the break to keep it
competitive.

We dominated in the second-half with Wira only occasionally getting
into our box. Andy Johnston put the game beyond reach with a neat
finish to make it 3-1.

All in all a good run out and great preparation for the cup semi-final
next weekend.  Thank you Aidil for organising the opponents; we'd certainly like to play them again.  

Asterix Reds 2 - 1 Liverpool Supporters Club Malaysia (SSLKL Cup Quarter Final)

Two first half goals from Bunmi Sodiya and Adam Scott helped Asterix
Reds to a comfortable victory over Liverpool Supporters Club. The win
puts in the last four of the competition with our semi-final opponents
coming from the match between BMFC and Keppong Chinese later today.

All the talk before the match was making sure we were mentally up for
this game. We knew if we wanted the win enough, we have the
footballing ability and quality in our side to get the result. We
started well, winning many of the 50/50's and playing much of the game
in the opponents half. We came close to scoring on a couple of
occasions but it was Liverpool who were to get the ball in the net
first. After about 20 minutes, the ref awarded and indirect free-kick
right on the edge of our box. The Liverpool player lifted the free-
kick over the wall and into our net...for a goal kick! Thanks very
much. We responded perfectly. Some good play gave Shashi space and
time on the right wing. His perfectly weighted slide-rule pass was
met first time by Bunmi who lifted the ball over the advancing 'keeper
and into the net. And we got our 2 goal cushion just before half-
time. The 'keeper saved well from a Bunmi Sodiya header and Adam
Scott did his customary poaching by collecting the loose ball and
slotting it into the corner from six yards out. 2-0 it was at the
break.

The second-half was well contested. Both teams had chances to score
but it was Liverpool who got a goal back with about 20 minutes to go.
But we held firm and looked the more likely team to score the next
goal. We defended resolutely and came home comfortable 2-1 winners.

This wasn't our prettiest display - the bumpy pitch at Uniten
prevented much culture - but we did dig deep, play with a lot of fight
and commitment. Ultimately, it was our desire to get the win which
was the decisive factor. There were great performances all-round. Up-
front John MacGachie was always a handful, his ability to win the
ball, hold it or flick it on, frequently got the Liverpool defence on
the back foot. Adam Scott was tireless up front and did some
fantastic work in winning the ball, retaining possession and
fashioning opportunities for himself and others. He deserved more
than his one goal for his skill and efforts. In the middle of the
park, Ian Quirk was like a terrier snapping at the heels of the
Liverpool opponents and pick-pocketing possession with the skill of
Oliver Twist. Bunmi Sodiya was always a threat in the centre, doing a
great job at turning mediocre ball into quality possession and keeping
us at their end of the park. At the back, Ghani Malik was 100%
committed in the centre of defence and let nothing past him all
afternoon; Ragu was outstanding in tucking in when the defence was
moved across the park and providing solid cover by winning absolutely
everything that came his way. In goal, Sugu was as brave as ever, coming off his line on several occasions to make some decisive stops.  I'm sure I've missed some others out,
but rest assured all 16 of us that featured yesterday made significant
contributions in what was a very spirited team performance.

Our next competitive match is the cup semi-final which will be with
BMFC or Keppong Chinese on the weekend of 10/11 May. We'll arrange a
friendly for next weekend; clearly those lads carrying injuries should
take a week off and those in need of match fitness should aim to
play. Your fitness will be important in the final games of the
season. Make sure you keep yourselves in good shape. Asterix for the
Cup!

Mancis 1 - 1 Asterix Reds (SSLKL Premier Division)

This was a game played on a typically sodden pitch at University Putra
Malaysia. Despite having the lion's share of possession and chances,
Asterix Reds did not do enough to put away Mancis; a fine Terry Harris
strike securing a point after Mancis had taken the lead against the
run of play.

Asterix Reds started this game playing some of the best football we've
played this season. We got the ball away from the soggy centre of the
pitch and to the flanks early. The strikers and wide midfielders
linked well to deliver some quality balls into the box.
Unfortunately, the ball never quite fell for us and we failed to
convert our dominance in the first 20 minutes into goals. Mancis
always looked like they could threaten us on the break and created a
couple of half-chances with fast counter attacks in the second 20
minutes. Neither team could break the deadlock and we came in at half-
time at 0-0 but confident that we would take the lead in the second
half.

But it was Mancis who were to break the deadlock. After about 10
minutes of the second half Mancis counterattacked and put a ball
across our box. An unlucky deflection off our defender's chest sent
the ball to the back post where the Mancis player was unmarked. He
made no mistake and finished to give Mancis a goal against the run of
play. This spurred the Asterix Reds back into life and we began a
period of dominance that quickly resulted in an equaliser. Danny
Burkahrd made a surging run from the back, collecting a square ball
from Ian Quirk, beating a couple of challenges before sliding the ball
through to Terry Harris in the right channel. Terry did well to beat
the defenders and get some space for himself inside the box. But with
an angle more acute that Roy's CLT cough to shoot into, we all thought
Tel would opt to square the ball across the box. But shoot he did and
the ball rocketed past the 'keeper into the back of the net. 1-1 and
it was game on.

We continued to press forward for the last 25 minutes and used our
possession to create some additional chances. Their keeper made a
superb stop from a Ghani Malik effort that was headed for the top
corner. We reverted to a 3-4-3 formation for the last 10 minutes in
an effort to take all 3 points and continued to threaten a winner.
John MacGachie - making his first appearance this season - was a
handful up-front and thought he'd scored the decisive goal only to be
perhaps harshly ruled offside. Terry Harris also had a chance to
score with a towering header from a corner late in the game, the ball
going just over the bar.

I know we didn't get the the result we wanted from the game yesterday, but
we have to take comfort from our performance. We were playing the
team that's won the league for the last 2 seasons and is top of the
league this season. We dominated the game in terms of possession and
chances, we restricted to Mancis to a couple of half-chances on the
break and just lacked that little bit of luck and ruthlessness in
front of goal that would have given us the victory.

The result moves us up into third position in the league (BMFC are 2nd and Mancis are top) and leaves us 6 points adrift of the leaders with a game in
hand.   To win the league we thus have to win all our 4 remaining fixtures - BMFC twice, Astaka and Sang Chuan (all games I am confident we can win) - and hope that Mancis slip up.   There's a good chance of this since Mancis' remaining three games are versus BMFC, Astaka and LSCM.

Even if Mancis don't slip up, wins in our remaining 4 games would guarantee us second place in the league, our best finish ever.  Frankly, I have a feeling that Mancis will drop points in one or more of their remaining games and that this title race is still very much alive.    

So, we need to put today's result behind us, maintain our focus and confidence and get
back to winning ways against Sang Chuan next weekend.  They're a good side and we'll need to play well to beat them; a win versus Sang Chuan next week, keeps us very much in the hunt for the title.  Let's make sure we retain our hunger and focus next week and do the business against Sang Chuan.

Stato's Corner

Welcome to the first edition of what should become a fairly regular slot called Stato’s Corner.  Stato will endeavour to inform, entertain and delight all you Asterix Reds fans with some amazing facts about our progress during the season.

Firstly a simple summary of all the games up to now with scorers and top scorer charts.  Also below are some very interesting facts!  One thing missing is the assists charts but Stuart is so far out in front in that there’s no point tracking it!

Competition Opponents Score Scorers

Fr Astaka 3 2 Stuart 2 Adam

Expat Redstar 1 1 Tom S

Expat BMFC 2 6 Adam Terry

Expat Vikings 1 1 Andy

Fr British Hish Comm 5 3 Adam 2 Andy 2 Stuart

Fr Mancis 1 1 Dave J

SSL PR Vikings 2 3 Terry Adam

Fr Maluri FC 5 1 Stuart Adam 2 Terry Andy

SSL PR Astaka 7 0 Terry Stuart Ian Q Adam 2 Tom S O.G

SSL PR Liverpool SC 1 1 Terry

SSL PR Barflies 2 1 Adam 2

SSL PR Mancis 0 1

Fr Conn FC 7 1 Aidil 2 Simon Ryan B Anil Andy Ian J

Cup Wolves 3 0 Adam Tom S Simon

Cup Astaka 1 1 Terry

Cup Barflies 4 0 Adam Stef Tom S Terry

Fr SR Rangers 3 2 Adam Paul Andy

SSL PR Sang Chuan 3 1 Adam 2 Terry

SSL PR Vikings 1 3 Adam

Cup DHFC 3 2 Adam 2 Terry

Fr Expat Lions 3 0 Paul Adam Bumni

Cup UK Rovers 4 2 Kisho 2 Adam Bumni

Fr KL Soccer Coaches 7 0 Shaun 3 Tom S Anthony Terry Stuart

SSL PR Liverpool SC 4 2 Terry 3 Anil

SSL PR Barflies 3 0 Ian Q 2 Bumni

Summary

Games Goals For Goals against

25 76 35

Won Drawn Lost

16 5 4

Scoring Charts

Scorers All League Cup Friendlies

Adam 21 8 5 8

Terry 13 7 3 3

Stuart 6 1 5

Andy 6 6

Tom S 5 1 2 2

Ian Q 3 3

Bumni 3 1 1 1

Shaun Sweeney 3 3

Kisho 2 2

Simon 2 1 1

Paul 2 2

Aidil 2 2

Anil 2 1 1

Stef 1 1

Ian J 1 1

Dave J 1 1

Ryan B 1 1

Anthony 1 1

OG 1 1

76

Interesting Facts!

We've only lost 4 games out of 25 but 3 of those losses have been in the league.

Last Saturday's win against Liverpool is our first win this season against a team that finished above us last year.

Vikings are our bogey team this year, having played them 3 times and we’re yet to register a victory.

We've drawn 5 times - strangely each time the score has been 1 all. 

We’re averaging just over 3 goals per game.

We lose 1.4 goals per game.

We've kept 6 clean sheets in all but only 2 in the league.

We've only failed to score once in 25 games, against last year's champions Mancis.

Best win of the season is 7-0 which we've done twice along with a 7-1 victory.

Our worst defeat came at the hands of our old rivals BMFC in the preseason expat cup - a shocking 6-2 defeat!

Adam is way ahead in the scoring charts for all goals but Terry is only 1 behind in the league goals after recent his hat trick against LSC.

Adam has banged in a brace in no fewer than 6 separate games but he's still awaiting that elusive hat trick.

Shaun Sweeney scored a hat trick on his debut and Terry has one hat trick this season.

We've had 18 separate goal scorers so far this year for our 75 goals.

Andy is joint 3rd top scorer despite only playing in friendlies.  Imagine what he’ll do next year when allowed to play!

We played in the only cup group to contain 3 Premier teams and comfortably topped out group undefeated. 

Terry is our only player to have had a newspaper article written about him….so far!