Olympique need someone ta Lyon were league leaders as game week 8 rolled around, and after coming off a disappointing 5-7 defeat the previous week A.C Panache were faced with the challenge of turning their season around or meekly limping into the obscurity that the vast wilderness of lower league positions offers.
The game started at a brisk pace, with A.C Panache determined to stick to their passing game plan, wrestle back their seasons destiny and step back from the edge of the abyss, but not long had the battle commenced before they suffered their first wounds.
Mick 'Spiderman" Brennan undertook the onerous task of playing in goals and was immediately rewarded with some porous defending that demanded more work than he may have anticipated, even allowing for some of the usual kamikaze defending displayed by A.C Panache.
Olympique Lyon took a commanding 0-2 lead as they played crisply and opened up A.C Panache. Both goals coming from pass and go movements as A.C Panache struggled to play as a unit. The early midfield engagements were ferocious and Jamie O'Driscoll and Tony Conroy, possibly an artistic footballing cousin of the painter Don, were making powerful challenges that helped turn the tide.
They were immediately rewarded as Csaba and Jamie combined to set up Tony for his customary opening goal for A.C Panache, which acted like a starters flag at a grand prix and signaled A.C Panache to rev up the engines.
The uptick in pace rocked Olympique Lyon and A.C Panache swarmed all over them winning possession in great positions. Tony won a great ball down the left wing and cut it inside to Jamie whose shot hit the keepers legs. This may have seemed unfortunate, but more will follow on this sub-plot.
Despite dominating play A.C Panache were hit with a quick counter attack goal to leave the score 1-3 with 8 minutes left in the half, but they responded well to the setback and continued to surge forward. Eamonn Kennedy set Brian Butler free down the right wing who cut the ball square as Jamie made a great run through the middle but kicked it straight off he keeper.
Moments later pressure by Brian, Jamie and Csaba forced an Olympique defender to square a ball across his own box and set Jamie up on the penalty spot all alone. He finished nicely into the bottom right corner, just where the goalie was standing.
A hectic last 5 minutes followed with A.C Panache scoring a goal through Brian Butler and Olympique Lyon grabbing one right before half-time to leave it 2-4 at the break.
After a good natured half time with Jamie "Kick the ball at the keeper" O'Driscoll blaming the wind, gravity, a witches curse on the bottom goals, a soft ball, open laces, a wet surface, a passing dog and his lunch, he finally resolved to try and not hit the keeper in the 2nd half.
A.C Panache flew out of traps in the 2nd half and completely dominated play while Mick "Spiderman" Brennan was playing superb as a sweeper keeper and not only thwarting chances but setting up attacking options as well with his right hand man Eamonn Kennedy marshaling defence, while Jamie finally struck!
His half time trash talk needed backing up and he made a great run through the middle, playing a neat one two with Csaba before rifling into the net. Moments later Mick sent a long ball to Brian Butler who only had to control it and finish into the net.
Suddenly the scoreline was 4-4 and A.C Panache were sucking diesel. Eamonn Kennedy who really admires a good diesel sucker, sent Tony free down the right wing and after some tidy control and dancing feet he left Csaba with a simple tap-in after putting the keeper on his arse.
And then there was Jamie 2.0 surging again through the middle after his able housemate Tom had cut out a pass and set him up. Once again he finished with aplomb and the ball nestled in the bottom corner. The witches curse was lifted, the laces tied, the lunch settled, the man on fire!
The score line was now 6-4 with 15 minutes remaining, but the efforts had taken their toll on A.C Panache and Olympique Lyon were overdue their purple patch, and it was during this phase that Mick Brennan played as if he had 8 arms, making some great saves and holding the walls against the stinging attacks of Olympique Lyon. But eventually even his heroic efforts could not stem the tide completely and Olympique pulled back a goal to make it 6-5, with all of 8 minutes left.
The pace and pressure of the game was now at its pinnacle as both teams fought hard for everything, and with 5 minutes left Olympique struck again with another goal coming from fractured play. Despite this A.C Panache rallied and stuck their noses ahead again with 3 minutes remaining after Mick Brennan set Brian Butler free again.
A nail biting last few minutes ensued, as A.C Panache hit the post and defended like tigers. Eamonn Kennedy making a number of crucial blocks with those long hair legs, Tony, Jamie and Csaba pressured every pass and Brian Butler chased every long ball to try and break out, but with just seconds remaining an Olympique Lyon shot took an unfortunate deflection and it took it past Mick Brennan in the corner.
Final score 7-7 as the referee blew up the game after tip off.
Scorers Brian Butler (3), Jamie (2), Tony, Csaba
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