Roller Coaster Victory

After failing to score the first goal of the game for the first time this season, Man & Woman City build a match winning lead from two goals down, only to see their blushes saved with a goal line clearance with less than two minutes to play.

The absence of a Punton on the team sheet was the only change as the blues arrived

confident from their 22 goal demolition job of the whites last week, although a quick glance at tonight's opposition revealed more muscular and male rivals. Any concerns were well founded as after surviving some early pressure the team in yellow managed to stab home the game's opening goal. The blues' problems doubled shortly afterwards with a mix up between Demarchi and injured goalkeeper Weaver gifting the yellows a two goal cushion.

Incidentally, the term yellow is applied loosely, as even the most liberal interpretations of the spectrum could not have construed the black and green adornments of some of City's foes as remotely in tune with their peers. What was in tune however was a blue comeback, as City refused to panic, building their play with deliberate passing. Their patience was rewarded as Hirt and Robin's attacking influence grew and Demarchi kept up his fine run of scoring, delivering four unanswered goals to reverse the two goal margin to their favour at half time.

Demarchi scores the Blues' fifth

Their competitors scored an early goal in the second half, igniting furious celebrations. So fired up were they that following a quick City reply they scored a goal from the kick off. A bucket of cold water came in the form of a goal kick awarded by the referee who explained that as no one else had touched the ball, the goal did not count!

The blues were struggling to maintain their passing supremacy and were often confused by their opponent's runs.

The structure which had seen them excel in the previous two weeks was deserting them, but that didn't stop their USA international robbing her mark, dribbling from inside her own half and finishing with aplomb. A quick brace from her husband had seemingly killed off the game at 8-3, but in a bizarre end to the match the blues almost threw away a certain victory.

Laura Jackson celebrates her brilliant solo goal, City's sixth

One yellow goal rekindled comeback belief and quickly two became three and then, in a calamitous display of defending Kevin Jackson failed left his mark unchecked to side foot past Weaver from two yards. At 8-7, the Yellows then had two minutes in which to salvage a draw or even snatch an unlikely victory. The blues, now looking desperately tired defended doggedly, blocking chances and forcing free kicks.

It appeared that their moment had arrived to equalize, but with the defense unlocked and goalkeeper beaten, Kevin Jackson tracked back to turn a goal bound drive off the line for a corner. They were to come no closer, as Weaver then threw forward and Demarchi, Robin and Laura Jackson ensured the ball stayed in attacking territory.

"It feels like a loss" lamented Jackson post game. "To have such a commanding lead and concede so many goals at the end... still, a win's a win." Weaver was kind to his defense, who in contrast had not done him many favours. "It's pretty hard to stop them from four metres out" he observed charitably.

Asked how he felt after the match, City's leading goal scorer admitted to being "exhausted". Rumours that Demarchi was following in the footsteps of his countryman Robinho were dismissed by his agent as "rubbish". The Brazilian's exhaustion comes from working late nights, setting an off-field example that Robinho would do well to emulate.

Hirt was typically modest at the games' end, humbly accepting praise for his stellar performance. Robin was still unsatisfied with her finishing, rueing a couple of missed chances. Laura Jackson put her magnificent solo effort down to anger. "They would take it off me and make me look like an idiot, so I got mad." Given that her madness resulted in one of the highlights of the match, City supporters could be forgiven for hoping that future teams invoke her ire. In all, a well earned victory for the blues that lacked polish.