Manchester prove a point in derby win

Manchester Futsal Club got their first win of the season in the FA Futsal Conference North when they produced a dominant performance that showcased glimpses of their potential for the season ahead. Last week’s disappointing result against Middlesbrough was put to bed with a comprehensive attacking display that served up an exciting spectacle for their fans that had turned out in their numbers to see this derby day clash. A great atmosphere greeted both teams at the Sugden Sports Centre where Liverpool had arrived hoping to add Manchester to the scalp of Sheffield that they had claimed last week.
The game saw Liverpool start as expected with their trio of England squad players, Obasi, Cook and Eames in the starting five. Manchester gave a debut to recent signing Radacio King in their starting line-up after showing his potential in training all week. The opening exchanges saw Manchester control the possession and signalled their intention through a fired up Ovechkin who unleashed a couple of early shots that Brown in the Liverpool goal pushed away.
Manchester Head Coach Rodrigo Freitas had stressed the importance of keeping possession and not forcing play in his team talk and he would have been disappointed that Manchester let Liverpool in following their threatening start. Obasi seized on a loose ball to break away, and saw his shot slip through Magalhaes’s hands and into the net. Manchester were piling the pressure on Brown and when he spilled another shot from Ovechkin, Richardson was on hand to tap the ball in from close range to the relief of the animated home bench.
The game had a great intensity as Manchester fought hard in the tackle, double teaming Liverpool into submission of the ball in all areas of the court. King was showing great confidence in holding off several Liverpool players and it was the debutant who fired Manchester back into a deserved lead when he slipped past a helpless Liverpool defender and slammed an unstoppable shot into the near post which Brown was unable to deal with. The lead was sacrificed again when Liverpool were gifted another equaliser following a soft goal conceded by Magalhaes. Back came Manchester again though and Martinez doubled his goal tally for the season when he slid in Manchester’s third. The game was now hotting up and Brand had to have a chat with Cook and Obasi as both took out their frustration on the Manchester players. Liverpool showed they are going to be a difficult team to beat this season and drew level for the third time following a controversial goal-line decision which referee Brand awarded despite Manchester’s appeals before the half-time buzzer went.
Both sides continued to battle away for most of the second half but it was Manchester who edged away with a string of comprehensive strikes which Liverpool could not come back from. Bond gave Manchester the lead for the fourth time when he whipped in a classy strike from Ovechkin’s searching pass. The lead was increased further when Schofield opened his Manchester account with the first of two exquisite strikes. Schofield even had time to dazzle the crowd when he turned Obasi inside out as Liverpool began to run out of options. Manchester were now confidently playing with the fly keeper and Liverpool failed to cope with the constant pressure that Manchester were putting them under. The presence of Sawae on court was also giving Manchester a physical edge. The big pivot drove home Manchester’s sixth of the game to leave the bench in raptures. Schofield notched his second and Manchester’s seventh with a sweet volley from Bond’s flick which flew into Brown’s goal.

Liverpool were again gifted a fourth goal when a misplaced pass left Magalhaes out of his goal and Cook made no mistake from long range.
Richardson capped a memorable display in which he showed composure and aggression to draw the foul and present Oveckin the opportunity to wrap up the game from the 10 yard mark. The tricky Russian made no mistake and drove his penalty high into the Liverpool net. Liverpool were dead and buried and their frustration boiled over when Eames was shown a straight red card for a foul on King when he was clean though on goal. Ovechkin failed to convert another free shot in the closing minutes but it didn’t matter as Manchester could relax and enjoy the satisfaction of a derby win and a classy performance in front of their home fans.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com