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LEAGUE MATCH

19th SEPT 2004 - PNU

Won Shot Wanderers FC (2 - 1) PSV Busan

The Won Shot Wanderers faced the mighty force that is PSV Busan.  The Won Shot Wanderers knew that this game was going to be a challenge.  PSV had won the previous league and had beaten Real Busan, a team that had raped the Won Shot Wanderers of three points in the first game of the season.

The Won Shot Wanderers started strong and remained strong throughout the first half.  A number of missed chances at the front by their strikers resulted in the first half ending 0-0.  (Shea McCarthy standing on a hard to gather ball, Alan Thornton shooting wide three times, and a great save from PSV Busans’ keeper which almost resulted in him having to limp off the pitch injured).

During the first half PSV Busan did try to bring the game of football to the Won Shot Wanderers but never really looked threatening. The Won Shot Wanderers centre full backs (Niall McGovern and Paul Campbell) made sure that nothing got through.

The Won Shot Wanderers defence played a game that PSV Busans’ strikers had never really expected.  It would have been easier for PSV’s strikers to thread a needle at a hundred yards whilst using a pair of chop sticks.  This was the first of the frustrations that PSV started to feel.

HALFTIME 0-0

The start of the second half was explosive. 

Within two minutes of the whistle the Won Shot Wanderers made PSV pay for holding the score at 0-0 in the first half.  A wonderful display of football resulted in the Won Shot Wanderers going ahead with true football genius.  Four touches from defence, through midfield and onto the rampant Alan Thornton, who only had to cover 30 yards of field unchallenged to put a well placed ball past the hard to negotiate PSV Keeper. 1-0 to the Won Shots.

The Won Shot Wanderers buoyed by a goal early on in the second half continued to press PSV Busan.  A number of saved shots by the PSV Keeper made sure that PSV stayed in the game.  But a team cannot survive on the lone merits of its keeper for too long.

Hence, Alan Thornton struck again only ten minutes later.

A beautifully placed ball by Owen Pearson (left wing) found Alan Thornton in space in the middle of the pitch. A well timed run and shot resulted in the inevitable second goal for the Won Shots.  Alan's second was indeed a real beauty, involving slick fluent passing between our midfielders and attackers. Overall this was a cohesive, controlled and spirited performance.

A number of missed chances by the Won Shots saw PSV reeling from the obvious pressure that was being presented to them.  Again the Wonshots spurned quite an amount of scoring possession which allowed PSV in for a rather late and easy goal.  The ugly head of the Won Shot Indicisive Monster - the WSIM (was him) raised its ugly head again as seen in the two previous matches.   Nonetheless this was a top class performance from the Won Shots.

The one sad note of this win was that it was James Morgan's last game for Wonshot Wanderers. He played a true captains part in leading us to victory and also was so damn close to scoring twice so near the end. It would have been some cherry on the cake. James you have given Wonshots stoic service over the last year and a half. We'll never forget it.

MATCH REPORTER: Gareth Copley

THE WON SHOT WANDERERS FC 2005