Rosso Nero FC Rd 17 v Lallanas in Pyjamas

Round 17 saw us take on our arch rivals, Lallanas in Pyjamas, with a welcome boost to the line-up as Marcus returned to the squad. Unfortunately, for the second week running, our coach and cameraman was missing from the sidelines as he continues his stay in hospital.

The whole team is wishing him a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back out there soon.

From the opening whistle the boys looked switched on. High pressure, quick passing and great movement off the ball had us looking sharp early. Playing as a real unit, we moved the ball around confidently and didn’t allow our rivals any time to settle.

The fast start paid off within the first three minutes. After some slick team play, Dan finished clinically for the opening goal – a classic Dan strike and a perfect reward for the early pressure.

Our next attack nearly doubled the lead straight away, but their keeper pulled off a critical save to keep them in the contest. It didn’t matter for long though. On the very next attack, Gabe calmly tucked the ball under the keeper to make it 2–0.

With momentum on our side we continued to control the game, pressing high and enjoying our football. Gabe struck again soon after to make it 3–0, putting us firmly in control.

Lallanas finally created their first real opportunity, but our keeper stood strong with a good save. However, on their third clear-cut chance they managed to sneak one under the keeper to get themselves on the board.

We headed into half time with a solid 3–1 lead, and the message during the break was simple: keep the pressure on, stay organised, and track the runners.

The second half followed a similar pattern, although Lallanas grabbed a fortunate goal when a deflected pass fell kindly, leaving their attacker one-on-one with the keeper to make it 3–2.

Rather than panic, the team stepped up. We regained control and pushed forward again. Dan slipped a beautiful through ball to Nuno, who finished neatly to restore the two-goal cushion.

Five minutes later Gabe completed his hat-trick, putting the game beyond doubt at 5–2.

From there the team managed the game perfectly, controlling the tempo and possession while limiting Lallanas to no real clear chances. It was a composed and professional finish to an excellent performance.

A strong 5–2 win keeps Rosso Nero FC firmly in 3rd place on the ladder.

Unfortunately there are no YouTube highlights this week with the cameraman still sidelined.

A final message from the team to our coach/cameraman — get well soon, we’re all looking forward to having you back on the sidelines.

See you all next week.