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Philippine Eagles V Hong Kong Dragons Oct 2004
The day we had all been
waiting for finally arrived last Saturday October 30,
2004 at the Manila Polo Club with the Smart International
Trophy being played out by the debutants to the Asian
football circuit the Philippine Eagles, and the 2004 Asian
Champions, the Hong Kong Dragons. The weather was perfect
for this highly anticipated battle and the East Field
at the Manila Polo Club, coming off a month of preventative
maintenance, was in a condition to rival the hallowed
turf of the MCG. A record crowd of over 140 spectators
gathered for the event and the succulent after match BBQ
supplied by the Iseya Hotel.
The Teams were:
|
PHILIPPINE
EAGLES |
HONG
KONG DRAGONS |
| Aaron Holbrook
(Captain) |
Craig Francis (Stand
in Captain) |
| Andrew
Cope |
Justin
Faulkner |
| Andrew
Lindsay |
Michael
Robertson |
| Brett Marshall |
Duncan
Schieb |
| Derek Ackary |
Ian McDonald |
| Iain Lamb |
Paul Mallia |
| Winner
“Da Kid”Santos |
Ben Hunt |
| James Young |
Tony Teres |
| Manoli
Loukas |
Gavin Parry |
| Mark Snowden
|
Dave Rial |
| Paul “Torty”
Cleeman |
Garry Smith |
| Paul Griffiths |
Sean Diamond |
| Peter Lawrence |
David Rosner |
| Philip
Davis |
Will Hamilton
(Coach) |
| Richie
Amurao |
|
| Russell
Frettingham |
|
| MajorCraig
Kingston (Coach) |
|
| Mike Edge
(Assistant Coach) |
|
|
| MATCH OFFICIALS: |
| Field
Umpire: |
Michael Templeton |
| Goal
Umpires: |
Brett Tolhurst, Peter Dolinsky |
| Boundary
Umpires: |
John Green, Ben Casey |
| Scoreboard
Operator: |
John Green |
| Statistician:
|
Gavin Read |
| Her Excellency Ruth Pearce, Australian Ambassador,
tossed the 5 peso coin for the rival captains with
the result favouring the Dragons. Without the benefit
of local knowledge, the Dragons elected to kick
with what they perceived to be the direction of
the breeze not anticipating a later change that
would turn out to be more forceful than the Fremantle
Doctor. |
FIRST QUARTER
|
| Despite the perfect condition of the ground, Umpire Templeton opted to throw the ball up to get the game underway. In a tense first couple of minutes, both teams signalled their intention of being hard at the ball. The first goal of the match to the Dragons came as a result of a 50 metre penalty paid for a very technical indiscretion by the Eagles. After the first goal, the Dragons appeared to settle the better of the two teams and proceeded to put on another couple of quick goals leaving the Eagles on the back foot. Under this extreme pressure, the Eagles bounced back with Frettingham slotting through their first goal on the run, followed by another seconds before the quarter-time siren. The teams went into the quarter time huddles with a slender 2 point advantage to the Dragons. |
SECOND QUARTER
|
The Eagles were quick
out of the blocks at the start of the second quarter.
Loukas led deep to the centre of the ground and
goaled to put the Eagles in front for the first
time, followed by a superb goal on the run from
Lindsay. The term was proving to be a very physical
encounter as the Eagles stepped up a gear in their
intensity at the ball. This was made evident as
Marshall, with the back up of Holbrook, ran the
ball into the Eagles forward arc which had been
left deserted by Loukas whose reduced lung capacity
had prevented him returning to his position after
an unsuccessful lead up the ground. With the Eagles
forward arc wide open, desperate Dragons players
sensed an open goal and were penalized by Umpire
Templeton for a late tackle in their attempt to
prevent the Eagles from scoring. The resultant free-kick
to the Eagles Captain was converted truly.
Bluey Lawrence was standing tall in defence and
was easily in contention for B.O.G honours, until
what could go down as the year’s “softest”
injury brought on by the basic motion of walking
back to take his kick after a great mark. It was
a damned shame, but Bluey’s forced removal
from the ground inspired the Eagles as the running
players in Lindsay and Griffiths continued strongly,
and the centres in Frettingham, Winner and Copey
winning the hard ball at the bottom of the packs
to create further options for the Eagles forwards.
The Eagles finished off the quarter with great goals
to Lindsay and Griffiths as the Eagles returned
5 goals to 1 for the quarter giving them a handy
21 point lead at the main break as the aroma of
the boundary-side BBQ started to waft across the
ground.
|
THIRD QUARTER
|
The Dragons were not about the lay down as they started the third quarter in great fashion and it was a combination of inaccurate kicking and desperate defence by the likes of Snowden, Lamb and Richie that prevented them from pegging back the Eagles lead. The Dragons had the first 3 scoring shots of the quarter but were only able to manage one goal and two behinds as the Eagles arrested the early onslaught with a great running goal by Griffiths after a strong mark. Going into the three quarter time huddle with a 33 point lead, the Eagles could sense that they may be on the way to an historical win on debut.
|
FOURTH QUARTER
|
The Dragons with their
years of experience at international level, came
out at the start of the final quarter with a never
say die attitude. With two early goals, they threatened
to break back into the match, and only errant kicking
into the strong breeze prevented them from capitalising
on their momentum. After a dubious metre 50 metre
penalty, the Dragons found themselves in a position
to make it three straight goals but the kick drifted
across the face of goal for a behind.
Bluey Lawrence determined to stamp his name on the
game, came back on for the last quarter but was
assisted from the ground soon after for the second
time in the match after being sandwiched in a strong
collision following a gutsy contested mark. This
fired up the Eagles again as Copey helped himself
to an inspirational goal with a glorious left foot
snap even though he was virtually playing on one
leg, with Manoli goaling soon after from a strong
mark putting the lead out of reach of the Dragons.
When the final siren sounded, the Eagles celebrated
a 26 point victory in their first international
encounter. |
| Final Scores: |
| Eagles:
|
2.5 |
7.6 |
10.8 |
12.10 |
(82) |
| Dragons:
|
3.1 |
4.3 |
5.5 |
8.8 |
(56) |
|
| Goal Kickers: |
| Eagles:
|
Lindsay
4 |
Griffiths |
Frettingham |
Loukas
2 |
Cope |
Holbrook
1 |
| Dragons:
|
Loose 5 |
Winesy
and the other 2 goals???? |
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