AFF Ladies Div 2

AFF Ladies Div 2

I think Mt Albert-Ponsonby have a pretty good chance of winning the league this year. We've got an almost brand new defensive line and our star striker is unavailable for most of the season, but our midfield are strong and fast and playing a great passing game in pre-season. We almost pulled off a shock victory over Metro's Div 1 team yesterday. I got kicked in the back of the head, but I'm much better now.

If there's any interest in my gallant goalkeeping career, I can start blogging the ups and down of MAP Ladies 1st team here.

Always keen for some stories of goalkeeping greatness. Lord knows we aren't going to get them from me!

Dunno about greatness. I had a good game yesterday mainly because Metro's attack was mainly about putting high balls into the box and then putting physical pressure on the defenders/keeper, and I'm very good in the air and pretty impervious to physical pressure, if I do say so myself and I just did.

We were up 1-0 at half time, but Metro knocked one in from a one-on-one and then sealed the result with a brilliant chip over my head.

Will have a gander at this from time to time. Good luck Doloras from a fellow keeper.

Will be a better read than the NRFL Forum 

Buffon: aren't you from Birkenhead? I think we've got a friendly against one of your women's teams next Sunday, if so.

Jag: The NRFL forum is insane. The most insane thing about it is that half the posters are players themselves or their mates trying to rile each other up with totally impenetrable injokes. Imagine if - for example - Minijudas Rojas were to come on here and get stuck into the flame wars. Aside from that, I don't even know what the whole Ellerslie v. Fencibles drama is about.

(I post there very occasionally but under a completely different name. A chocolate fish if you guess any of my posts.)

Yep, I am indeed from the mighty Birko. Where are you playing them? If it's down at Birko i might come have a gander.

Don't know venue yet. Will PM you if it's up your way.

OMGWTFBBQ? Our friendly against Birko is set for 9:30 Sunday in the am? Some of our players won't even have gotten to bed yet! This is what it's like trying to find grounds for the womenfolks to play on.

(Sorry, Buffon, it's south of the bridge.)

I'm sure AJ13 would think you lot are actually fortunate to be playing on Sunday am (if at all).

Mt Albert 4 - Birkenhead 2

It's weird and uncomfortable playing a team, some of whom have clearly never set foot on a serious business football field before, others are of pretty damn fine quality. One of the latter was doing to us for most of the game what Minjudas Rojas did to Pondeljak in that one game. At one point she rounded me and our bacon was only saved by our excellent right-back clearing; another time I saved with the tip of my boot. I have a habit of running out too far in the one-on-one situations and I'll have to correct that.

First game of the proper season over on Waiheke next Sunday. Hopefully our team will be able to find their inner mongrel and compete for the ball more effectively.

.. and by Waiheke I mean "Tuakau". Some people call it the wops, but no, the wops are closer to town.

Tuakau 2 - Mt Albert-Ponsonby 3

I'm glad to announce that all of MAP's senior teams won on the first weekend of the competition - apparently our first team went through Cambridge for a short-cut, and our 3rd team won away to Pukekohe's 1st team (sorry Jag). But me, I had to bundle into a car for a huge trip out into the vast, untapped potato fields to the south. It's not even Auckland any more out there.

Tuakau were a very strong feisty team, but whose game plan was kind of one-dimensional - long balls down the centre into the box, "route 1 football". Luckily this meant that I really didn't have much to do, because our backs were usually fast enough to cover. I think I had to make one actual save all game, but quite a few times I had to run out of my box to clear. At my level you don't get many keepers who come off their line, let alone leave the penalty area, so I see myself as kind of a "secret weapon" in that regard.

1-0 to us at half time, and 3-0 soon afterwards. Our passing game down the middle was great and our wings were knocking them in with precision. And then we ran out of puff, and the farmgirls managed to get two back. The first one they finally managed to beat our backs and put it past me from the edge of the area; the second one, unmarked header from a corner. I admit I was terrified for the last ten. It didn't help that apparently there is nothing better to do in Tuakau of a Sunday afternoon than watch women's football, so they had a loud and rowdy fan base doing their best to get under your narrator's skin. I must admit the final whistle was a relief.

Best thing about coming to Tuakau - the feed afterwards. South Auckland and Franklin girls always put on a good spread, as opposed to certain rich inner city suburb clubs where you'd be happy to see a bag of chips after the game. And one of the opposition spontaneously came up to me at the aftermatch to say "good game". I don't think anything's better than that.

Next game: Ellerslie at home.

Nice.

No need to apologise! I didn't see all of the Championship game yesterday, just the 2nd half. That was basically all one way traffic with our keeper hardly touching the ball, but I don't know if MAP had decided to shut up shop as they were 2 up at the break. If that's the MAP team that won it last year, then our mob should certainly be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

Mt Albert Ponsonby 1 - 0 Ellerslie

Wow. That was heartstopping. Ellerslie are a fine team, but apparently they haven't had any preseason game and they are still ramping themselves up to proper match fitness.

Our big issue was we are just not clinical enough in front of goal. We were making lovely triangles and passing crisply through the midfield... only to be denied at the other end by a lack of certainty with our shooting. And by a fantastic effort by my Ellerslie opposite number. That chick was red hot, plucking balls out of the air, going on runs out of her box to clear, etc. We could have been 3-0 up at the break if not for her work.

Me, I didn't have that much to do, because the Ellerslie forwards could not quite get past our defence. At one point I had to dive at full-length forward to try to get to a low cross on the 6-yard line. I don't even know whether I got a hand to it or not, but it was cleared.

Eventually the stalemate was broken when our red-hot right wing was brought down just inside of the box. Ellerslie claimed it was shoulder to shoulder - the ref disagreed, and our lady slotted it coolly. I hate the last 10 minutes of a game where we're 1-0 up. I didn't have much to do, again, apart from gathering a few long balls and then sending it back down the pitch. But that makes it worse. If I can't work off the tension by running around, I work it off by yelling. Until my own team are telling me to simmer down because I'm hurting their eardrums.

Onehunga Sports 0 - 1 Mt Albert Ponsonby

Gaaah! I'm not sure how many of these 1-goal victories I can handle. Okay, better than draws or losses, but still... Actually, a draw or a loss would have been fair enough today. We weren't on the field for the first half. We weren't calling, we weren't challenging for the ball, and - most damagingly - we were letting OSport's very aggressive playing style piss us off. We were yelling at one another and put off our natural game.

Thankfully we have a coach who knows how to calm a team down and build up their enthusiasm with their team talks. In the second half, we settled down and put some combinations together, and we finally clinched it with a 25-yard volley which bounced straight down off the crossbar, and before their keeper could get to it, our striker had pretty much fallen over on it to make sure it went in! OSports didn't give up, though. They made some great breaks past our backline, but I think the big issue is that their brilliant striker kept trying to dribble it all the way in, rather than take her shots. She was 1-on-1 with me at least five times in the second half and every time I could get to the ball first. I definitely got a far better work-out than I did against Ellerslie - they were very good at dropping it just short of the box and making me run out, and their crosses were dead straight. So, an escape from jail there.

At the aftermatch - great feed by the way, guys - their striker especially mentioned that Mt Albert-Ponsonby's keeper had had a great game and she looked forward to getting one past me in the return feature. There is no truer and more valuable compliment than one from an opponent.

So, that leaves us 3 wins from 3 games so far. A good start. A break for Easter, then away to Lynn Avon, newly come down from Div 1.
Doloras2011-04-17 18:33:25

... and since our nearest competitors Beachlands drew on the weekend, that leaves us top of the table after 3 games. All we have to do is win another 10-12 games on the trot and we'd be pretty much assured of promotion. If our team wants to be promoted. I do but there may be doubters.

2 clean sheets in a row. What i'd give for that. Well played Doloras

I managed 9 cleans last year out of 17 games last year, and here's something odd for the trainspotters, the only games we won were clean sheets. Ever game we conceded a goal, we drew or lost.

Lynn Avon 1 - MAP 2

Accch. Another 1-goal win to scare the keeper to death. Not much to say about this fixture, except: we were ordinary, they were worse. Still, a positive is that we came from behind to win. We were all over them in the first half, until they scored against the run of play (just chipping it past our defence); then we got two back. They got their act together much better in the second half, and forced me to do serious work, while our midfield struggled to keep up with their changes in position. But we toughed it out.

Next game: Papatoetoe, at home.

Mt Albert-Ponsonby 1 - 1 Papatoetoe

Er... okay. First time I've ever been in a football game where someone got sent off. And it's me. >_<

Background: once again our team were really not on the pitch. Our touch was off, our calling was non-existent, only our fantastic sweeper was keeping us in the game against a tough, physical team. A terrible goalmouth scramble lead to their top striker putting a ball straight past my head into the goal. We got our act together in the last 5 minutes of the half, but then got the goalkicking yips something awful and pissed away some clear chances.

Second half, we came out and we were much better, knew what we were doing, were covering and passing, but still no goal for our efforts. About ten minutes to go, the opposition put a long ball clean between two of our defenders. Their main striker has the ball down the left wing, about ten metres outside the area, gaining fast, no defender within coo-ee. Nothing for it - I have to run out of my area to tackle because no-one else can.

Those watching don't think it was a fierce tackle, but I did collect her, and she was clever enough to go down like a sack of spuds. But then I turn around, and the ref is coming and putting his hand into his pocket and it's a freakin' red. I am so incredibly embarrassed. Obviously he thinks it's a "clear shot on goal" opportunity, but she was all the way over on the left hand side so that (my team assure me afterwards) is very dodgy reasoning. But I'm handing my shirt over to our midfielder and walking off very upset.

As it turns out, our midfielder does what is required in goal, and our flash winger scores the equaliser 5 minutes from time. I wasn't watching very closely at that stage, I was still a bit upset. I talk to the Pap striker after the game and she bears no ill will at all, which makes me think that she was kind of milking the opportunity, but never mind.

So. Unless we can pull strings with AFF, that's probably me suspended for Waiheke away. But that will mean I can get drunk before the game.

Still topping the table tho?

Waiting on one more result this round to find that out. We might have gone second on GD.

ETA: ... and that's precisely what's happened. We're not really scoring a truckload of goals this season and have relied on our agile defence and our frankly superhuman keeper to eke out wins, she said modestly.Doloras2011-05-09 20:13:38

I reffed a Div. 2 game yesterday. Tuakau v Onehunga. Tuakau went down 6 - 0

Surprised by that blowout. Tuakau are tough at home, and OSports rely more or less on a couple of players. But still, Beachlands and 3 Kings are the big threats in our division.

Accch, confirmed, 1 match suspension, which means the report on Waiheke vs MAP will come to you from the sidelines. Actually, since Waiheke are bottom of the league, a bit of a break will be good for me (as will the opportunity to have a few drinks on a Saturday night for the first time in ages).

Plenty of time to knit something nice eh Dolorasovitch?

I've got plenty of wool if you need some.

- Geordie BeenJunior822011-05-14 16:07:46

Waiheke 1 - 4 MAP

Well, that was frustrating, pacing the sidelines like a common coach and yelling, instead of pacing around the penalty area and yelling as I usually am. But it was a good week to have off. Waiheke were a fine side last season but they've lost about half their team and are still seriously rebuilding, and it showed. We out-passed and out-ran them through the game. I took my replacement aside before the game and gave her some hints and warmups, and they seem to have worked. My coach suggested that my starting spot is now in danger, but I think he was teasing.

Official news is only 1 week off, so that's fine. I am still insulted that the ref's report cited me for "reckless and total disregard of the other player's safety", but I suppose he had to make it sound justified somehow. Oh well. Back for next week - top of the table clash with Beachlands-Maraetai, at home.

Comisseration to our Men's NRFL team for being pushed out of the Chatham Cup after extra time.

Sorry to say but your men's team is crap and couldn't put away the worst Glenfield side in the last 15 years.

Good result for your own team though.

Oi! We're owning Div 2.

Not after tonight's display.

Eh, the lads are allowed one off night. Anyway:

Mt Albert-Ponsonby 1 - 0 Beachlands Maraetai

A top of the table clash to be relished! I was back from suspension but our two fast centre-backs / holding mids were away for personal reasons, so we had to repurpose our fast winger. We expected it to be a tough, hard match, but in the first 20 minutes we made it look easy. We had been guilty of not waking up for the first 5 minutes in previous games, but our passing game today was fine from the get go. For the first time in ages, the other keeper got all the exercise in the first twenty minutes. And then our left back curled in an absolutely stunning corner which went past everyone and into the net. This we did not expect.

They got a bit fierce after that. Like many teams in our league, their game plan seemed to be simple: "through balls to our Star Striker" at every opportunity. I was kind of dreading how our ladies would shut down the Star Striker, but despite giving away a yard of pace and three boatloads of ANGRY, they stuck with her throughout the game.

Which is not to say I had an easy life. In fact, I think my game sucked. I had to come on runs to the edge of the area, or even out of it, on a regular occasion, but my feet just couldn't be persuaded to clear the ball properly. Thankfully the opposition couldn't take advantage - even the one time I had to run all the way out of my area and then jockey with an opposition striker, she couldn't put the ball past me straight. Coach gave me the hard word at half time to JUST DIVE ON IT.

They had a fine deadball specialist, but I managed to keep her out. I palmed a pretty fierce header over the bar just before half time. Soon after half-time, they got a free kick on the edge of the box. It went over the wall, and then dipped suddenly so it bounced right in front of me. I flailed at it, somehow got a glove to it, and once again it got over the bar.

The chatter got rowdier as the game went on - clearly the Beachlands ladies, who had been pretty much owning the league up until now, were not used to being behind. And it wasn't just us who copped it - they really were not best pleased with the reffing. Their Star Striker and our Tough Defender had a few words at one point, and I caught the tail end of the conversation...

SS: (something about what a sh*t team we are)
TD: Remind me what the score is again?
SS: Lucky goal!

Yeah, and I'll admit I had a couple of lucky saves, and a couple of lucky escapes from shocking clearances. And our team had clearly not been pushed that hard in a while, and we were not fit. We owned the first twenty minutes, and then it took all our luck and doggedness to keep them out for the next sixty. Thankfully, their one plan of through balls to the Star Striker couldn't work when their through balls were being intercepted and their Star Striker was marked out of the game.

So... I don't think I've been so amazed and relieved to hear a final whistle before. We are now 6 points clear at the top of the league (although Beachlands will have a game in hand). Can we hold it out until the end of the season and get promoted? Does my team really want to play in Div 1? We'll find out.

Next week: v Manukau City at home. Manukau City were until two weeks ago playing in Div 4, where their record read: played 5, won 5, 63 goals for, 2 against. Including one 24-0 win. Someone clearly f**ked up the grading the first time.

Great report Doloras.

Keep up those lucky saves and MAP could very well be my coal face team.
- Geordie Been (not a plastic glory hunter...much)

You only play 80 minutes?

Goalie.

Need to make allowances...

Yup. They do. I think only the AFF Championship (or whatever they call it) and Div 1 women play 90.

I was at Tuakau again today.

Really? Any idea why may I ask?

(not anything to do about having time to whip up a batch of scones afterwards I hope)

Refereeing. Women's Div 2. Tuakau 0 Lynn Avon 1. (HT 0 - 1). Tuakau keeper saves a penalty with less than 10 to go to keep them in it, then they miss a hatfull of chances late on . Quite entertaining.

 

Or did you mean why do they only play 80 minutes?  I haven't the faintest idea!