Shock and Awe

Game week 10, the final leg of the league format saw all of the teams try to finish in the best possible position for the cup competition to follow, and this week saw A.C Panache go toe-to-toe with the undefeated league leaders and unassailable champions The More Natural Disasters, who had previously dispatched A.C Panache with a clinical 3-10 defeat.

Revenge was far from the mindset as a wet a dismal day seemed to swallow players by the minute. Jim pulled out, Aaron pulled out, and Jamie didn't pull out as he injured his back trying some Karma Sutra positions at home.

With only 4 players available at 4pm, just three hours before kick-off, a call to arms was issued and before long it was easy to see what wearing the stylish sky blue and baby pink slim fit jerseys with a tapered neck line and double stitched hem means to those involved with this fashionably avant-garde  outfit.

James Slowey rallied to the call, followed by Tony "I hate goals" Conroy, Brian Gunning bravely dropped his post holiday cuddles and snuggles with a glass of wine on the couch plan to lend weight to the cause, and two surprising bosman signings were made. Alessando el Italiano and Mate d'Croatia.

What seemed like a dark, dismal and lonely task at 4pm was a blazing flame of team unity lighting up the skies of Cork by 7PM. The game began after A.C Panache had made a pact to play hard, pass well, run until they gasped for air, and rotated the keeper to Tony's satisfaction.

The immediate result of this though was to go 0-1 down from the kick off, a speculative shot from the kick-off hit Brian Butler's outstretched leg and went into the bottom left corner past Brian Gunning in goals who was zipping up his top. This quick slap to the face merely perked A.C Panache's lust for vengeance and they tore into the league leaders as Lions to Gazelles!

The More Natural Disasters tried to play their own game up against a solid wall of  A.C Panache pressure. Despite making some inroads, they were unable to make any clean breakthrough and A.C Panache broke quickly to test their keeper on a number of occasions. After 8 minutes of intense battling A.C Panache gained the upper hand and began to string passes together and put their stamp on the game.

Tony was linking play superbly in the centre of the park as Alessando and Csaba broke left and right to stretch play, while Eamonn once again acted as the last line of defence. It did not take long for the game plan to take effect and as The More Natural Disasters were pushed back on their own keeper their defending became more desperate but it could not halt the inevitable.

The opening goal came from a break down the left wing as Mate d'Croatia was sent free after James Slowey and Tony "The Artist" Conroy bamboozled the defenders, and as Mate bore down on goal he unleashed a ferociously struck shot into the top right corner. The power taking all aback and galvanizing A.C Panache's belief that they were superior this night!

The first half became a demonstration of all that A.C Panache could be, as time and again the pace and quality being set left The More Natural Disasters unable to contain them.
James Slowey had a number of chances, and his early luck seemed to have deserted him as a few last ditch tackles kept him scoreless despite running rings around the defence and linking well with his compadres Tony, Csaba and Alessandro.

But up stepped Tony with his usual early flourish and  he made it 2-1 after some great play through the centre. The pace quickened even further as Brian Butler and Brian Gunning swapped in goals and Csaba stepped back on after a break swapping with Eamonn.
The fresh legs of Csaba and Brian Gunning strangled The More Natural Disasters for 15 minutes and Brian Butler didn't even need to make a save during his 12 minutes in goals.

James then found the net getting just rewards for great efforts as he linked well with Brian Gunning and Alessandro to open his account, which has some more deposits still to follow. Alessandro also got in on the act, his tidy interplay and cool head bringing in those around him and it left him was a simple finish to put A.C Panache 4-1 ahead with 5 minutes left in the half.

The half time whistle came and with A.C Panache playing so positively and feeling good the half time was a happy affair as they took on some water and made some minor adjustments.

The 2nd half started much like the first as James Slowey terrorised the defence while Csaba, Tony and Brian Gunning swarmed forward in support of his excellent work. 15 minutes into the 2nd half and A.C Panache had opened up a 9-1 lead.  James Slowey was on fire during this period scoring two and setting up another.
By keeping the ball, pressing hard and maintaining cool heads they wore the More Natural Disasters down but this ended up causing some laxity in play and even though the were under the kosh, the league leaders are not that for no reason.

As soon as the laxity reared it's ugly head they pounced to score three goals in 8 minutes to make it 9-4 with 7 minutes left to play. This forced A.C Panache to cop on somewhat and up the pace and concentration.

The last few minutes saw their will to dominate the game completely resurface and two more goals followed and a number of chances were also squandered as it once again became one way traffic.

The final whistle sounded and it was clear from the drawn and traumatised look on the faces of the defeated opponents that the ferocity and pace they had been subjected to left them shocked and in awe of the terrible beauty that has been awakened.

Dealing the league leaders their first, and thoroughly comprehensive defeat of the season, A.C Panache swept to 2nd in the league last night and now march forward confidently to the championship in the knowledge that after a poor start to the season they have begun to gel as a team and came down the home straight of the league stronger than anyone else. 

The story shall continue next week when the all or nothing games begin!

Full-time 11-4

Scorers; Mate (3), James (3), Alessandro (2), Tony, Csaba, Brian Butler