Melee 5 – 3 The Reducers

Is this the Championship winning match?!

Another good performance from the Melee boys in the humid weather last night was just what was required to keep up hopes of taking the Division 1 Championship in only the second season. With one game to go only goal difference can now cost Melee the title.

http://www.pitch-invasion.com/players/results-and-fixtures/league-table

With a squad crisis due to absentees and sickness a last minute ringer was pulled in called Spike who works with my mrs, which was good enough for me. Having not seen him play this was a big gamble for the game but proved to be critical as he stole the show with a hat-trick on debut.

The game started well for Melee with numerous shots peppering the goal. It should have been 1 or 2 but for the bar and post denying shots for Pils and Spike. Then against the run of play a breakaway goal and a miscommunication caused the visitors to take an early lead. Melee then raised their game and first half goals from Spike and Kev took a 2-1 advantage into the break.

After half time Melee had a short spell of domination, crisp passing in the midfield between Pils and Selwan lead to goals being set up for Spike and Kev, to take a 4-1 lead. Upon taken the three goal advantage Melee took the foot right of the gas and let the opposition right back into the game. Two goals from the opposition led to some panicking defending and if wasn’t for ‘The Cat’ Josh Featherby in goal the scores would have been even worse after making some great saves to keep us in the lead.

With 1min 30 to go it was getting nerve racking at 4-3 but after a long clearance Spike ran through to slot home a lovely finish which rounded of the game with his debut hat-trick and a win for Melee.

The final scores could have been much more but as they say in footy, ‘it’s the result that counts’. With three points clear and one game to play, only goal difference can stop the new Melee taking home that Championship medal.

Goals
Spike 3
Kev 2

New Player Profile

Melee's newest recruit made the big money signing at the end of last season and has already secured a spot in the first team. Netting 5 goals in 6 games and many more assists from that sweet left foot and Chris' unselfish contributions in the midfield have proved to be crucial. His entry into the team has been the catalyst that has seen Melee win four of the last six games. Hopefully the future will continue to be bright and he will sign that long term contract that is on the table.

Name: Chris Pilsbury

Nickname: Pils

Position: Midfield/Defence

Age: 27

Height: 6"2

Foot: Cultured Left

Other Teams: Cleveland Steamers

Favourite Team: Man United

Seasons: 2

Games: 6

Melee Goals: 5

Skills: Creativity, Positioning, Passing, Technique

The New Melee

Well well well, it has been such a long time since I posted anything on here - 4 years to be exact!

For all of those interested the next generation of the Melee team have gone back to where it all it began and signed up to a Pitch Invasion league in London. Melee are currently sitting 4th in Division 1 - link http://www.pitch-invasion.com/players/results-and-fixtures/league-table

Tonight's game saw the start of a new Melee with a team line up containing some old members - Kev, Justyn and Chris O'Neill and some new Chris Pilsbury and Selwan Al-Amin (player profiles to follow in posts at some point soon). The game was probably the best performance in the Portuguese strip which resulted in a 6-1 demolishon of The Punishers.

The game started very tightly with some quick passing from both sides but Melee broke the deadlock with some little one-two triangles. The opposition hit back with numerous chances but all kept out by the super keeper Justyn on the night. Another goal followed in the first half and Melee took a 2-0 lead into the second half.

in the second half Melee started to bully the opposition with superior strength and guile. More beautiful passing from Chris P, one two's and some lovely finishing made the score jump to 5-0 and Justyn finished it off with a lovely sweeping move with Chris O providing the clinical final pass.

Superb team effort and high work rate especially from Selwan proved to make this the best performance in 10 games. only a late consolation goal was the only negative even though the game ended really heated as the opposition couldn't handle the majestic performance that Melee put on them.

A great start with the new team, with other players to come back in and some new players to start, Melee are definitely heading in the right direction.

Goals (I think) :

Kev 2

O'Neill 2

Pils 1

Justyn 1