Moreland City v Hume City, 28/04/12

Moreland City will be up against it (SL2 v VPL) but this is what cup-ties are all about. I'll blog the game, which starts at Campbell Reserve at 2pm.

Club histories

• MCFC
• HCFC

Turned up at 1.15. Got talking to Alistair Walker, an ex-president of Moreland city. For the past 20 years he has lived just outside of Glasgow but visits Australia regularly. He told me that the pitch used to run north-south and that he redesigned the club crest to include the national flowers of the 'home' countries with a kangaroo in the middle. It has since been redesigned. BTW the shamrock is intended to represent the whole of Ireland and not just the British north.

Latest Moreland City logo. Note the Shamrock. Thistle, Leek and Rose, flowers of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England respectively. Not sure what the electrical pylons represent but the good old Southern Cross signifies that this is an Australian club.

Had to laugh when one of the Moreland players warming up asked for a shovel and a plastic bag to "clean up the dog shit!" on the field.

Difference in class showing in the warm up. Hume, professional and thorough; Moreland, ragtag and cheerful.

It occurs to me that this game has more Anzac credentials than most of the sporting contests given the 'right'; an Aussie team that has recruited many people from the British isles against a Turkish team - the difference being that the Turks are the 'invaders' today.

Moreland goalkeeping coach really firing up his two keepers!

1.32. The man with the shovel arrives.

Oh no! Outed already. Maurice Bisetto, Moreland coach, comes up to me and asks, "Are you the blogger?" Better be careful!

Socceroo, Ted smith and photographer, John Punshon arrive. All we need is
Paul Mavroudis and we have a history committee quorum.

Ted took me into the clubrooms to have a look at the club photographs. I took snaps of the two framed shots below.

Top, Moreland's Dockerty Cup winning team from 1957.
Below, 1956 Australian Olympic Football team. Ted Smith in both photographs.
Second from right in second row in Australian team.

The Match

2.05. Hume kick off. Running to the clubhouse end.

2.08. Successive corners to Moreland.

2.10. Hume looking good but Moreland defend well.

2.11. Tough tackle by Moreland. Yellow.

2.15. Good combination by Hume but Moreland cope.

2.16. Good cut back by Hegarty from Hume. Shot wide.

Moreland fighting well. Hume not yet hitting their straps.

2.23. Moreland free kick. Misdirected out right.

Gulf in class not yet apparent. Fairly even ATM.

2.29. Hume free kick deflected behind for corner. Foul called as header hits bar.

2.32. Maurice complains to ref after a nasty Hume foul: "That's kickboxing, farken!"

2.33. Moreland bench very animated over subsequent tackle.

2.35. Good period of possession for Moreland. But little sense of going forward with it.

2.37. Good free kick put behind for Moreland corner.

2.39. Another very high ball. But one that leads to an opportunity and corner. Moreland cross nearly met for goal.

2.40. Another Moreland free kick. Not converting dominance into a goal.

2.43. Bought 4 tickets in scotch raffle. And yet another Moreland free kick. And another. Kicks are not penetrating and are being easily defused.

2.45. Hume corner. Chaos. Defender deflects on to own post. Hume should have scored.

2.48. Moreland player clipped Hume player's head.

2.49. Handbags melee. Hume yellow.

2.51. Half time.

Strange half. If anything Moreland tended to dominate possession but Hume looked better with what ball they had. Maybe they have been put off by the narrow bumpy ground. 0-0 seems about right. We can surely expect Hume to come out strong in the second half.

Ref called half time early. Possibly to defuse the growing tension between teams.

3.05. Net being repaired holing up start of second half.

3.06. Second half starts.

3.07. Bad Hume tackle. Yellow for #22.

3.09. Free kick for Moreland on right near area. Header on target but straight at keeper.

3.12. Good lead up work by Moreland. Nearly producing penalty for handball. Cleared. Same sequence repeated.

3.14. Hume still withstanding pressure. Free kick.

Put behind for corner. Good corner punched by keeper. Results in yet another free kick to Moreland. Cleared. 

3.18. Going for something to eat. No doubt something will happen.

3.25. That's better. Nothing happened. Collision between Moreland keeper and Hume forward looks serious for second but both ok.

Hume still not looking dangerous though an open header was put wide from about 8 metres.

3.29. Weak shot from Hume.

3.30. Hume break defused.

3.32. Smart free kick on left by Moreland. Not anticipated by forward. Goes behind.

3.33. Another Hume yellow.

3.35. Weak moreland shot easily held by keeper.

3.36. Hume free kick headed behind for corner.

3.37. Moreland free kick. Headed at keeper. Player hurt.

3.39. Another free kick to Moreland produces another weak shot and save.

3.41. Soft free kick to Moreland. On right. Low, nodded on. Beautifully gathered and cleared by Hume #5.

3.43. Close call. Very nearly Moreland goal. Keeper save.

3.44. Corner earned by Moreland. Well grabbed by keeper.

3.46. It's as if Hume can't get into third gear. Another Moreland free kick right channel. Well held by keeper.

3.48. Hume free kick. Amounts to nothing.

Moreland might pinch this if they can be cooler when shooting but Hume should win if it goes to ET.

3.51. Hume shoots wide.

3.52. Another Hume opportunity across goal and cleared.

3.53. Hume getting forward now with a lot of good possession.

3.54. Hume free kick gathered by keeper.

3.57. 90 mins + 6 (for what we don't know).

ET.

4.00. Underway. Moreland nearly score. Keeper tips over. Resulting corner amounts to nothing.

4.03. Moreland pressure. Hume hacks away for throw.

Moreland seem in control.

4.05. Moreland free kick.

4.07. Good lead up down right wing. Good cross. Poor finish by moreland.

4.08. Good Moreland break. Offside.

4.10. Hume goal. Good shot on right. Met with utter silence. 0-1.

4.11. Good chance for Moreland. Last ditch defending blocks shot. Should have laid off in any case.

4.16. End of first period of extra time.

Moreland dominated possession and field position. Hume's class starting to show when they need to lift.

4.17. Second period underway.

4.19. Hume free kick near corner right. Cleared.

4.21. Hume free kick on right. Headed clear.

4.22. Hume free kick left corner. Went through. And out for throw.

4.24. Moreland have run out of ideas. Long balls being pumped in now.

4.26. Moreland free kick on edge of area. Blocked. Second shot blazed over.

4.28. 4 to go.

4.29. 3 to go.

4.30 Hume one-on-one. Blazed wide.

4.31. Moreland free kick on edge of area. Curled just over.

4.32. It's all over.

Hume probably deserved to win but didn't set the world on fire. Their no. 5 looked classy and the keeper 'safe as houses'. Moreland worked hard but couldn't create the penetration required.

Cvevapci not bad for a Scottish Club!