PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND ONE
TEMPLE FORTUNE A 3 BOCA JEWNIORS 1
A makeshift Temple Fortune A had too much for Division Three strugglers Boca at the Hive, with two goals from Shai Davidi key to the outcome.
Missing several players through injury and unavailability, Davidi, who was excellent throughout, scored two well-taken goals, with Kane Gilbery finishing the job.
Boca Jewniors went into this match as huge underdogs, even the bookies in Las Vegas were not taking bets on this match. The only bet going was if Temple Fortune were going to get into double figures.
The signs looked bad early on as Fortune forged ahead, as the Boca defence let Davidi shoot unopposed in the area.
Ladbrokes were already paying out on a double-figure victory. But from then on the Boca defence held on strong to contain Fortune at half time.
New signing Parys Hammond was rock solid at the centre of defence, and as per usual keeper Ryan Monk puled off some great saves.
The second half saw a change in formation and Jamie Weinrich set up a simple 4-4-2. This allowed Boca to come out of their shell and create a few efforts on goal, including a goal ruled out for offside, as a free-kick was swung in which Handelaar swept towards goal. The ball beat the keeper and was rolling in, but Hammond kicked it in on the goalline, not realising he was in an offside position.
This woke Fortune up, and they laid siege on the Boca goal, but Monk was in fine form as the shots came in, pulling off a couple of one on one stops and a a great double save. But Fortune finally managed a second and the third was not too long in coming either, both one on ones.
From the restart, Boca player-manager Jamie Weinrich, saw stand-in Fortune keeper Lee Fegan off his line and struck the ball as sweet as a nut Beckham against Wimbledon style" and it flew in. The crowd of the man his dog went wild!
Fortune at the end tried to score more goals, but found Hammond in defence in defiant mood, and Monk puled off save after save.
The full-time whistle blew and the Boca players came off the pitch, they Weinrich was proud his men had held their own against what he described as "a very good side," and proved the doubters wrong. This was no walkover.
Fortune manager Lee Fegan said: "After a horrible week, there was a massive improvement in our discipline. We held the ball well and had 90 per cent possession. We had a lot of players out through injury and unavailability but the team was never in any real trouble against lower opponents who fought well enough.
"Their keeper made some great saves. But a win is a win and we have to take one game at a time."
Man of the Match: Ryan Monk (Boca) - Once again, hero of the Boca team, with pulling off wonder saves at will
