The much anticipated first game of the season ended in a
thrilling 3-3 draw at Rectory Park. We promised entertainment, and the boys certainly
delivered in their season opener.
DKOS started slowly in truth and had to defend well to
withstand early Streetly pressure. Man of the match Alex Diego, who put in a
colossal performance at centre half al game, marshalled the backline superbly
in the opening exchanges. After the boys settled and shook off various
hangovers, they were able to get the ball on the ground and play some nice
football. The front three looked lively with Gregory’s boundless energy, Dines
pulling out some of the many tricks in his arsenal, and Burke producing touches
so filthy that our games may have to be rated 18+ in the future.
There was plenty of soap opera style drama for the fans in
the first half, as Streetly could’ve found themselves down to ten if the
referee had made good on his promise to send off a Streetly player after a
tirade of dissent that had already seen him earn a booking.
Eventually, DKOS’ improvement in the game was rewarded.
Diego stepped out of defence and played a nice one-two with Gregory before the
latter was hacked down on the corner of the box. Up stepped Matt Dines, who’s
free kick took a slight deflection on its way to the top corner. During pre-season,
Dines was so adamant that he would be the one to go into the history books as DKOS’s
first ever goalscorer, and he duly delivered on his promise.
Streetly almost drew level before half time, but a long-range
effort hit the crossbar and bounced on the goal line before it was cleared. Not
over. On. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it. after the break, Streetly
drew level in controversial circumstances. The Streetly striker appeared to
handle the ball before racing through and placing the ball in the bottom
corner. The referee waved away appeals (despite the linesman flagging) and the
goal stood.
The game wouldn’t stay level for long. As Gregory picked up
the ball from just over 20 yards out, you could hear a Streetly defender shout ‘he
doesn’t want it on his left’. Right on cue, in a most brilliant act of
defiance, Gregory shifted the ball onto his left foot before unleashing a
piledriver into the top corner. It’s almost as if he wanted it on his left the
entire time.
The home side could’ve added another soon after, but Bo
McGrail couldn’t quite turn the ball in at the back post from a Dines corner. There
was an appeal for a penalty in the same move, but the referee again paid no
notice.
The away side grew into the game more in the second half as
DKOS legs started to tire. They pulled the game back to Desmond after a cross
was whipped along the six-yard box and turned in at the back stick. The momentum
swung in favour of Streetly and they started to put more pressure on the DKOS goal.
They would’ve made it 3-2 if not for a wonderful goal-saving block from Charlie
Madden. The pressure eventually told as Streetly went ahead for the first time
in the game, making it 3-2.
Tempers flared on the side-lines in the latter stages of the
game, as a Streetly sub decided to square up to Diego. His teammates, realising
that he done fucked up, pulled their man away from the situation for his own
safety. Wise move.
With less than 5 minutes on the clock, Gregory won another
free kick on the edge of the box. Bishop stepped up, and another slight deflection
wrong-footed the keeper, sending the ball into the back of the net. Absolute limbs
from the fans in attendance as the vice-captain netted the equaliser.
DKOS held on for a much deserved and hard-earned point to
start the season. The boys really had to dig in and work hard for each other, especially
during the last half an hour which they played with no subs. The technical term
for getting a point by scoring two deflected free-kicks is ‘shithousing’, but
we couldn’t care less. We didn’t lose. We don’t know how to give up. We are
DKOS.
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