Week 5: AA 5 That’s Entertainment FC 1

Another week, another win…
Winning is a habit, or something, and Almaty have it pretty bad at the moment. This time, up against third placed “That’s Entertainment”, not even the concession of an early goal could stop the Almaty machine, as they brushed aside the challenge with a resounding 5-1 victory.
This week James “Tricks” Galvin was suffering from the drawbacks of being a dual-coder, inexplicably deciding to play with the egg chasers instead. Morgan “Axel” Foley, with ongoing hamstring trouble, was the other noticeable absentee. Jim “Djimi/Lamps” Butler and Billy “Dinny Irwin” Murphy were welcomed back into the fold after a week of “R&R” and Tadhg “Big Man” O’Connell also retained his place.
After it was pointed out that “these lads look a much better outfit than last week’s lot”, Almaty actually started tentatively. They were punished early when Jim “Djimi” Butler was caught dwelling on the ball at left back, conceding a needless corner. From the subsequent delivery, Almaty’s uncharacteristic inability to clear was punished with a fine finish.
Undeterred, Almaty grew into the game, and were level soon afterwards. Jim “Lamps” Butler, atoning for his earlier error, picked the ball up on the left and, from some distance, drove the ball high into the top right hand corner. An exceptional finish. From then until half time Almaty went on to play some of their best football of the season, with some sublime one and two touch stuff, with Alex “Ballack” O’Donovan as the pivot and Gav “Crouchy” Jeffery as the focal point up front. They were soon rewarded with fine finish from attacking right back Billy “Dinny Irwin” Murphy. Half time: 2-1 to Almaty.
The second half continued where the first had ended. Almaty took complete control as “That’s Entertainment”, reduced to speculative long ball tactics, wilted under the onslaught. Further goals from “Gaffer” Spratt, “Ballack” O’Donovan and Keith “JT” Espey gave Almaty an unassailable 5-1 lead. And it could have been more were it not for another handful of spurned chances, the most wasteful from “Crouchy” Jeffery, who somehow managed to head over an open goal from a couple of yards with the keeper no where in sight.
It’s now four wins on the bounce for Almaty and, with “JT” Espey marshalling a rock solid defense, “Ballack” O’Donovan providing the link in midfield and “Crouchy” continuing to offer magnet-like target up front, a title challenge is surely on the cards…