A pretty auspicious start to the evening with 15 or 20 supporters gathered at the Rainbow. It's improving - 2 the first game and half a dozen the second. Unfortunately the back room was booked for a private function so we gathered around the tables on the footpath and after a couple of pints Caxton Street was treated to a few numbers from the newly compiled STRIKERS' song book. The food was reasonable and cheap and it was very nice to walk to the ground singing - fair stirred the cockles of the heart.
No fireworks and no crappy pre match shinanigins on the pitch this time. Just as it should be, IMHO, but, considering that we could go top with a win the size of the crowd was/is a worry. I doubt there was any increase over the Spirit attendance despite the fact that we had played well and should have one that one. For once we singers were moreor less in one place and I'm thrilled to report to actually being hoarse by half time - a long time since that happened. There was nice variety to the songs and a few on the periphery were joining in before long, but not the great majority who still sit silent and bemused by this alien behaviour. I think my favourites for the night were -
Oh Peter Dwyer
Is Wonderful
Oh Peter Dwyer
Is Wonderful
He's not so bad for old Scottish Copper
Oh Peter Dwyer is wonderful
- and -
Just ` cause we're from Queensland
We're not farmers
Despite the fact we're dressed up like Bananas
We'll keep on rolling along
Singing a song
Side by side
-which could become our theme song and, after Jacob Burns did a few Ginolas - a chant of "Carpet Burns". The Power emerged to "Are you Sydney in disguise" and many references were made to the Sydney United connection throughout the night.
THe STRIKERS more or less took up from where they left off last week and came out aggressively and showed some good passing movements. The Mad Bull must have been spoken to by Kossie as he pretty well avoided those annoying "Farina" crosses and was much the more useful player for it. The first goal came at about 20 minutes after the Power keeper flapped somewhat and presented Dwyer with a nice chance to powerfully drive in a fierce left footer and the STRIKERS were deservedly ahead. The second came a little later and was scored from a very acute angle by Grierson, Kanu style.. Two more absolute sitters were missed before half time and there were a few mutterings about how 2 may not be enough and so on.
For the first half hour of the second half we were more or less over run. Power had latched onto the idea that we were playing very flat at the back and they had some speedy forwards who could out run our defenders - and they did. Several times in fact, and it wasn't the biggest shock when we were caught out, Sterjovski scored, and it was 2-1.
Shades of the previous week and I know that at lest one Spurs fan was on edge. If it hadn't been for his favourite player, Clint Bolton, it would have been a copy of the Spirit game. Bolton had the best game I have seen him play - better even than the Grand Final. He had sticky gloves in the air, came when he should, stayed when he should and made a couple of saves from point blank range to keep us in the lead. His distribution was just about perfect too. If he could maintain that form, then the article in the Wail earlier in the week suggesting he is Socceroo material would not be all that far off the mark.
Gradually the STRIKERS began to prise off the shackles and from a corner Bennett handled the ball and received his second card, and was sent off. The resulting penalty Foster duely stroked just under the bar. High risk technique, but unstoppable when it is done properly. That was that. The Power was switched off and the STRIKERS were top of the table clear by 2 points and it could have been 4 but for that goal the week before. It was good to be part of a group of demonstrative supporters and I hope this is portent for the future.
The players came and gave us a wave of appreciation which was nice. I came home and watched the replay I'd recorded on C7 to be struck again by the vast unoccupied spaces in the stand and the fact that all our singing which seemed quite loud could barely be heard on the telly. Still, it was for the players and not home viewers that we did it, and it may have had some benefit to the team which is starting to have an air of confidence and a style of play that is a pleasure to behold. Kossie said in the programme, which, BTW was very good after being diabolical last week, that this squad has a much better attitude than last year's and I think it shows.