JC MSFL DIVISION FOUR
SPEC FC 3 FC Team C 2
SPEC FC kept their promotion hopes alive after a gutsy 3-2 victory against a vibrant FC Team C side at the Cinderella Hairena on Mother's Day.
Centre back Laurence Rosenthal nodded the hosts in front, rising highest from a Burns free-kick early in the first half. The giant defender used every inch of his 7”3 (reference needed) frame to give the Bananas the mother of all starts.
FC Team responded positively, playing some brilliant football without making stand-in keeper Bookatz work too much. When they did get through on goal, the keeper manager to (s)mother their best efforts in what was an entertaining first half for the neutral.
SPEC upped their game in the second half, spurred on by the influence of the holy trinity in centre midfield, Burns, R.Lawrence and Hecht. In defence, Adam ‘Bulldog’ Wilson’s endeavours epitomised SPEC's desire.
It was somewhat baffling then that the Banana’s found themselves 2-1 down with 10 minutes left on the clock. FC Team showed lightning pace on the counter-attack to equalise before again catching the SPEC defence out on the break to take the lead after a fine curling lob from tricky frontman David Cohen.
Manage Laurence Conway showed why the Banana faithful have been calling for him to sign a contact extension with yet another piece of tactical wizardry. Noticing Adam ‘deep heat’ Lenz’s muscles had dropped below the necessary 98 degrees needed for optimum performance, Conway replaced the striker with enigmatic target-man Ashley Lawrence. And after Ricky Lawrence played his brother through on goal, Ashley showed more care than Mother Teresa to roll home nonchalantly to make it 2-2.
With only a few minutes left on the clock, SPEC pushed forward in search of delivering the foetal blow. Craig Cohen whipped in an inviting corner for Ashley Burns to powerfully head home. This sparked wild celebrations as the Bananas held out for a famous 3-2 victory in a performance that some are calling more remarkable than that of Brendan Fraser in ‘The Mummy Returns’.
In a day that is all about family, Valerie Burns (mother of captain Ashley and husband of club chairman Stuart) is sure to have received the greatest Mother's Day gift of all… three points*
*Having been interviewed later on in the day, Valerie Burns said she would have preferred flowers.
To get more from Life, click here to sign up for our free Life newsletter.