Monday Night Football Match Report - 15th Feb 2021

A trophy secured and another oh-so-nearly season although it didn't look like it early on!

We welcomed new free agent Cal Nash @TheMuggySpud . Highly surprised to snap up the cool and calculated Irish dynamo all for a promise to buy him a Chicken Burger and a Sprite at the next big FG meet up. The first game of Monday Night Football we expected to use as watm-ups but needing 3 points from 2 games for the Division 4 title, it spurred everyone on to battle hard and comprehensively beat a strong Nuttin 2 Suttin side 2-0 at the first attempt. Another trophy in the bag!!

When it came to starting the Division 3 attack, the team took a while to settle in to the night - precisely 5 games actually 😬 - with people like @GazzaGarratt having internet problems and the usual strikeforce misfiring up top. Apart from a glorious 3-0 win, we took some heavy beatings, with a few of them being a little harsh but there wasn't much FGFC could do about some very good sides and defence splitting balls in which there was no way we could defend them, even if we had 110 Pace. Those through ball killer passes are a nightmare for flat footed defenders.

We needed something to stop the rot and to get out of our Baguette Blues we were having. Firstly, we'd spent a number of weeks trying some extra formations out from what we started out with for many seasons. A suggestion was put up to go back to the infamous 4-1-2-1-2 formation. Difficulty was that the ridiculous Pro Clubs mode has a bug that doesn't change the formation on screen but does in game. So for the first 17 minutes of the game, Gary Goals @LordBaguette  has to spend time switching people into the correct positions. Not ideal but it came just in time. The game against Royal Accademys ended up to be a balls to the wall, defending masterclass by all involved. The back 4 of Torpedo Tony @TonyAE86 , Sensual Chocolate @jordie1892 , Club Tropicana @GazzaGarratt and AI defender Jordan Prickford, were helped hugely with the concentration skills of Gin Tronic @tronic44 at CDM and the rest of the team. A winner from debutant Cal @TheMuggySpud , made the 1-0 win even more sweeter. No need to explain the rest, role the tape.

This gave the whole team new renowned hope for the rest of the night as FGFC before that were speeding for the relegation zone again. The 1-0 win was a catalyst for FGFC to obliterate their next opponents 6-0. A late inclusion jumping online straight into the back line was Roberto Barlos @Findmartin  immediately grabbed a clean sheet, the Assist King @Macca89  back on form with a Man of the Match performance and Rodman @Lurch back to his best with a hat-trick. James continued to show how amazing his alternate tall Striker really is ending the night top of the goals again, and more than double than anyone else.

A closer fought battle followed straight after but another strong defensive show proved useful yet again as Torpedo Tony shined through with some crunching tackles, one of which started the first goal where Maccanohairman crossed to the glorious heed of Rodman. The same show struck late on in the game too, even though I think we have to thank Jordie the Mindreader after Rodman had his pen saved 🤣

Just as there was a freak glimmer of promotion out of nowhere, it was quickly ended with 3-1 defeat to end Season 52, however remaining in Division 3 felt like a good result by the end of the night.

We're getting close, incredibly close, to the top two divisions and I think thats hugely commendable given the difference in experience everyone in FGFC has. So good to see some cracking teamwork yet again.

GGFG @Lurch  @JamaicanSteve  @jordie1892  @LordBaguette  @TheMuggySpud  @Macca89  @TonyAE86  @Findmartin  @tronic44 @GazzaGarratt