Sunday League 4th January 2004 Hassag Lions 6 Malt Shovel FC 6 Oak Road Ground by Mo

Hassag Lions Team list
John from the Daily Mail lines the lads up.	Manager - Billal. 1 Hamas Aliharaz 2 Mohamad Wafa 3 Addhela Bashir 4 Hasan Azad (3 goals) 5 Seabd Kamaren 6 Rahman Ako (1 goal) 7 Mohammad Kaiwan (2 goals) 8 Mohamad Manas 9 Omar Hogar. 10 Kadir Mariwan 11 Ahao Kalid 12 Karwan

This week's match produced a bounty of goals for both sides along with a fair share of controversy and terrific spirited action. I met up with the Hassag Lions lads as usual in Pearson Park at 10 am, to be given the news that a Hull Daily Mail journalist and photographer were due to come along and write a piece on them.

To everyone's surprise we even had our own referee for the game, a Mr Tom Overrill from Beverley who referees for Humber Premier League. This was a home game at the Oak Road Ground, a wide open space with brilliant sunshine, not too cold despite the traditional easterly that usually freezes my hands to the video camera.

Probably like many referees Tom, originally from Sevenoaks used to play, until a knee injury kept him out of the game for a year. We chatted whilst he changed into his kit in the wind (along with everyone else).

I introduced myself to John the contract photographer for the Hull Daily Mail and it wasn't long before he was sharing some valuable tricks of the trade with me, lining up the team for their newspaper photos (I think the story's out Thursday evening).

Malt Shovel FC (a pub) lie second in this league and a quick word to their manager revealed they have reached the semi finals of the Super Cup (scheduled for the 25th January) and have big hopes of reaching the final at the end of the season.

Malt changed into red and black hoops, which meant the home side (red and black stripes) had another quick windy change of kit.

The Lions away kit were the colours of their homeland Kurdistan, yellow and green (yes, Brazil National colours!).

Hardly time to splutter the team's names into my dictaphone and load the old £150 Minolta with fresh batteries before the action starts and the Malt Shovel team begin a relentless attack on the bedazzled Lions. Led by 'Blacky', a lanky redhead (yes, I wondered that too) two goals in the first ten minutes from Malt FC made it clear who was ahead in the League.

'Blacky' or Shaun Blagdon who was wearing the number 0 (maybe the 1 came off?) on his back, in central midfield, was not being picked up by the Lions. Consequently he was ruling play, given the choices of running with the ball or feeding either wing to maintain pressure. Shaun looked as if he belonged in a different league. And he did, he was a Saturday player, who brilliantly acted as the link man between defence and attack for the Malt Shovel FC team.

Malt basically made mincemeat of the Lions defence with some strong dominant play from 'Steve' their number 9, who I'm told usually gets the 'Man of the Match' award. Maybe insignificant, but his dad is the team manager.

With it's defence in disarray the Lions bravely struggled on against a dominant Malt FC team to claw back a goal through a breakaway from Aco (9) only 15 minutes into this first half making the score 2 to 1. Goals from Malt's Steve Lewis and Dave Lorty extended their lead as I changed my batteries and strolled over to inspect John's (the Daily Mail photographer) photograph of Lions captain (10) sidestepping a defender to reply for the Lions. With the ball, action and faces all in the same shot, cool photo, I hope he prints that one for you.

The first half ended in a 5-3 scoreline and the Lions retreated to Billal their manager looking decidedly concerned. continued below

Sunday League 4th January 2004 Hassag Lions 6 Malt Shovel FC 6 continued Oak Road Ground by Mo

'It's a game of two halves' (Alan Hansen) and sure enough the second half saw the tables turn and fortune smile on the Lions. A half time pep talk was all they needed to get the confidence back and believe in themselves.

They duly took over control of midfield and enabled their terrific attacking skills to maximum effect. This immediately paid off with two goals that had the Lions tied for the game and willing themselves onto a victory. The Malt FC side are fighting hard but simply out played by this Kurdish team, as I hear a "Come on Shovel, keep it tight" nervous yell from one of their supporters.

The surprise sixth goal from the Lions has really jolted the Malt team confidence and results in their regrouping to consolidate play.

After a spectacular overhead scissor kick from Steve Malt (9) goes wide of the post they again find enough spirit to break away and collect a final equalizing goal to the thrill of the small crowd of onlookers. Next match is on 11 January away at Orchard Park against Orion FC

Match Video download.	Dialup 38 Kbps	ISDN 48Kbps	Broadband 150Kbs	Broadband 340Kbs
Corner (11 sec)	92Kb	113Kb	329Kb	740Kb
Two Down (48 sec)	309Kb	383Kb	1,139Kb	2,590Kb
Lions Goal (27 sec)	149Kb	183Kb	532Kb	1,245Kb
Malt Goal (16 sec)	107Kb	132Kb	389Kb	826Kb
Lions Goal 1 (30 sec)	165Kb	206Kb	621Kb	1,408Kb

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