Seventh Heaven for RDCM

These Charming Men responded to their humiliation last time out with a 7-0 home victory over Norfolk N Chance FC. In fairness this was the perfect opportunity for them to bounce back after that result and they were soon on the front foot with efforts from Chano Delgado and Stuart Cooksey threatening the goal. The opening goal duly arrived on 35 minutes as Gerard Caffrey shot powerfully home from range to send a sense of relief round the stadium. Norfolk bravely tried to hit back through Evgeny Kuryanov but he couldn’t direct his shot on target and they would go in a goal behind. TCM opened up after the break and Jordi Rodri quickly made it 2-0 with an excellently taken lob. Caffrey hit a carbon-copy of his opening goal on 57 minutes to make it 3-0 but couldn’t make it four with a similar effort on the hour. Cooksey saw a header saved by the always busy Olausson but the fourth goal did arrive from a free-kick by Tord Jakobson. Caffrey once more found the back of the net on 75 minutes but his joy was short-lived as the goal was disallowed for handball. Cooksey did head home the fifth on 79 minutes and Chano Delgado made it 6-0 with an impressive strike from a tight angle a minute later. The rout was completed when Rodri hit a well-placed shot beyond Olausson just before time and you could sense the whole club was happy just to put last Friday’s performance behind them. RDCM said with a smile that his side had got their ‘goal difference back’ but he will also know they are well in the title hunt as the season enters phase two. Howemiester will be pleased to see the back of the first-half of the campaign but will know the second part may hold much of the same for his side.

The top of the table tightened up due to Internazionale being put to the sword 4-0 at Futsal FC. There was a fortunate element to Futsal’s opening goal as Rick Tuttle mishit a shot beyond Mantua but from that point on their performance was dominant. With their second chance they were unlucky not to go 2-0 ahead as Graeme Haynes hit the woodwork with a clever flicked header. This would prove the last chance before the half-time whistle but Futsal would play some tremendous stuff after the break. Tuttle made it 2-0 with a precise header as Inter kept up their uncharacteristic display. Rowley Forrester missed the target with a free-kick while Freddy Kennedy’s header was tipped over by Mantua as the pressure began to build. Forrester struck gold with his next free-kick effort as he smashed a strike in for 3-0. Haynes would then miss a header before Freddy Kennedy made it 4-0 courtesy of a penalty-kick. This proved the last insult of a depressing day for the league leaders who couldn’t create a single opening at the other end. Inter News simply asked ‘what the heck was that??’ as the performance met with puzzled looks everywhere but GarethLloyd will be keen to stress that his side are still top of the table and in prime position. Jake has every reason to be delighted with his side’s performance and more like this and the Futsal faithful will be rubbing their hands in anticipation of coming seasons.

Charlottenburg FC remained in second place but had to settle for a point in a 2-2 draw at Los Samgeles Kings. The title chasers got off to an excellent start as Shmuel Peha lobbed home following a Paul Scholes pass after just five minutes. Peha proved a handful for the home defence all afternoon but couldn’t direct his second effort of the evening on target and Los Samgeles escaped going two behind. Robbie Fowler did find the net with an excellent chip on 40 minutes but a dubious offside call by the assistant referee chalked the goal off. Los Samgeles were a much improved side after the break and managed to equalise with their first chance as Ladislav Nagy lobbed over Abels. It would then be LSK’s turn to suffer from a doubtful offside decision as Nagy’s curled effort was disallowed a minute later. Fowler had Charlottenburg on the front foot again moments later but his header was repelled and the score remained level. The Kings were looking dangerous, though, and nearly had a helping hand as Sol Campbell narrowly avoided heading into his own net on 66 minutes. They would hit the lead just six minutes later as Michal Handzus netted from the spot. However, referee Tony Nolan soon levelled up the penalty count and Luke Butler took advantage by equalising for the visitors. Butler nearly won the game in injury-time but his header struck a post and the sides went home with a point each. Charlottenburg’s fans will be happy with Wazza’s start and hope that he can build on this in the coming matches. Stripy, meanwhile, will be buoyed by an important point but will realise that it’s wins which will get his side out of their current predicament.

White Hawk FC were also held as Real Madrid picked up a point in a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu. Hawk had the first effort on goal but Ryan Dharmsingh couldn’t keep his side-footed shot down. Madrid would capitalise on this miss by opening the scoring on 13 minutes as Ashod Marderosian dived in to meet a cross by Mortanian with a super header. Hawk might have equalised but Byron Somaroe’s well-placed shot was saved by the legs of Nersesian. Dankoi equalled his opposite numbers' efforts at the other end by producing a similar save from an Aren Garabedian strike. The second-half would see Hawk equalise with their first effort; Dharmsingh toe-poking a cheeky effort home after he reacted quickest in the area. Madrid surged forward in an effort to win the game but Davit Ohanesian couldn't direct a free-kick on target while Mortanian also hit a powerful shot wide of the goal. Hooraymee has his side within two points of Inter at the top of the table and will be confident of staying close in the second-half of the season. Meanwhile, FredRizzo still has his side in touch but will need to translate draws into wins to make a run.

Juventus edged out Cressex by the odd goal in seven in an incredible game at Stadio Miramare. Juventus took an early lead as Jacobo Chacros powered in a long range shot on eight minutes. Chacros forced Stoker into a save on 18 minutes and the ‘keeper was also alert enough to deny Orlan Canito on the half-hour. Cressex would put their first attack together on 34 minutes but Tryggvi Valsson wasn’t accurate enough with his shot and they remained behind. Douglas Wallberg would lob over in the early stages of the second-half as the home side searched for an equaliser. However, they were to find themselves 2-0 behind moments later as Raf Tudisco lobbed in an excellent finish over Fuentes. Chacros might have made Cressex’s task even greater but Stoker denied the striker first from a header and then a powerful shot. A diving header by Douglas Wallberg halved the deficit on 62 minutes and Pietro Grimaldi narrowly failed levelling matters with a header which went wide. The equaliser did arrive, though, as Lauro Poggi headed in powerfully to give renewed hope to the home fans. Despite looking good going forward Cressex still appeared fragile at the back and as such they went behind again when Tudisco produced a stunning volley on 75 minutes. The drama continued in the final ten minutes when the home side brought themselves level at 3-3 with another super header this time from Grimaldi. However, it seemed on this day they were destined to go away with nothing and Canito had the final say when he headed in a Morante cross just a minute later to give Juve a 4-3 win. SuperJuve has his side upwardly mobile following this entertaining win and he will be focusing on making it back-to-back wins against Cressex when they meet again on Friday. Villan_RAS’s side have slipped down the table and are just one point above the drop zone meaning the next few games take on added importance for the destination of their season.

The Lone Wanderers had a successful trip to Kroklund Kings as they came away with a 2-0 win in a game of few chances. It would be 34 minutes before the first effort however the Wanderers would make it count as Niall Hedges headed in with some ease. Rowan Atlee narrowly avoided the ignominy of scoring an own-goal as his deflection was saved and the visitors would go in with their one-goal lead intact. The second-half saw the Wanderers go close with a flick header from Mart Rosbottom before they sealed the win. Rosbottom showed a deftness of touch to lob the ball in on 77 minutes and there was to be no way back for the home side. Despite this win taking the Wanderers to within a point of the top three HH still claimed that his side ‘weren’t aiming for it’ although he did offer hope to the ambitions of the fans by saying ‘maybe you will get a different answer’ in a couple of games. Bossebong will be more concerned with the bottom three at the moment as his side slip into eighth and only three points above Futsal. He will be hoping for a positive response in the return at the end of the week.