Broome City Monkey Off Guantanamo Back

24/9/08

Racing Guantanamo finally cast off the Broome City curse as they finished the 2008 B-Liga season on a high in a sometimes controversial and heated match.

Influential defensive midfielder Tim O’Brien returned for the team, while Danny Pinchas again ruled himself out of the match with an ankle injury.

The Broome City curse was riding high in the minds of the Guantanamo players - the team in blue had always managed to put the team in orange to the sword by respectable margins – with their 9-0 drubbing of the Mighty Oranges at the start of the season still fresh in the minds of the Guantanamo faithful. In fact, the media had begun to refer to Broome City as the Guantanamo ‘bogey team’, with Guantanamo never coming close to getting a result.

With the pressure etched on the faces of the Mighty Oranges, it was the team in blue who managed to conjure up the first goal after seven minutes, and follow up ten minutes later with a second. It was starting to look like the curse had struck again, but this time the Mighty Oranges looked determined not to let it happen.

Joel Hamling burst down the wing and notched up the first goal to Guantanamo as the tide of the game looked to have turned. The Mighty Oranges were pushing for the equaliser, with the strong Tim O’Brien nearly coming close with a 30-yard drive which had to be parried round the post by the opposition goalkeeper.

Vice captain Tim Gray and Joe Tighe worked hard in midfield to shore up holes in the middle of the pitch, and the two seemed to develop a mutual understanding that was based on hard work and tenacity.

At the back, Chris Hingston and Andy Smyth were impressing, the big Scotsman looking unbeatable in the heart of the Guantanamo defence.

In fact it was Smyth who provided the equaliser, when he sent a beautifully weighted corner across the goal to meet the head of the diving Joe Tighe, who hammered it into the back of the net. The crowd on the sidelines, who were predominantly Guantanamo supporters, went wild as they sensed this was the time their team could shake the Broome City curse. In fact this was record attendance for a B-Liga game, and the crowd was the most vocal as well. Cheers of ‘Come on Racing Guantanamo’, sometimes mispronounced due to the young age of the supporters were welcomed by the orange players on the field.

As the whistle sounded for half time, captain Ryan Platten spoke of the need to tighten up around the centre of the park before sending the team back on the pitch for the second half.

It was a bad start to the second half however, with Guantanamo conceding another two cheap goals. Nevertheless, the team was not about the hit the panic button and they pushed forward to make a second comeback.

Adam Shanley looked desperate for a goal, but it was not the Scotsman’s night as shot after shot blazed wide and high. He did however look strong and creative in the attack, creating chances for Luke Turner and Joel Hamling to have a go.

Guantanamo then witnessed a miracle, with both Turner and Hamling firing to make it 4-4, and sending the Guantanamo fans on the sideline wild. Hard work by Josh Sibosado in defence and Jon Falconer in midfield made it hard for City to put together the flowing football they have been known for this season.

The Mighty Oranges, sensing a wounded Broome City was ripe for the kill pushed forward again, leaving the defence slightly open for counter attack. And counter-attack Broome City did. They did not however count on the presence and ability of ‘The Rock’ Francois Kruger in the Guantanamo goals.

The South African was again at his mesmerising best, tipping shots over the bar and blocking one on one situations to frustrate the City attack.

At the other end, Luke Turner finally hit the winning goal to make it 5-4, and the Guantanamo defence held tight at the other end to secure three more points for the Mighty Oranges and finish the season on a high.

Racing Guantanamo Matchday Squad
Ryan PLATTEN, Tim GRAY, Francois KRUGER, Andy SMYTH, Chris HINGSTON, Josh SIBOSADO, Tim O’BRIEN, Joe TIGHE, Joel HAMLING, Jon FALCONER, Luke TURNER, Adam SHANLEY

Final Score
Racing Guantanamo AFC 5 – 4 Broome City

Attendance
3 (Tim Gray’s dad and two kids who screamed for their team the entire match…well done girls!)