Stingers pull off "Miracle on 92nd Street"

Stingers 6 Richmond Pioneers 6 (that's right, six-six!)

The last time Richmond Pioneers met the Stingers—at Minoru Oval stadium field—you may recall the teams were heckled by a lady with an apparent knowledge of the finer points of football, shouting from the stands "you guys are terrible" in Chinese. She'd have gone off the deep end if she'd witnessed the rematch this Sunday at Delview Park in Delta, for this was a game of epic comedic proportions, as the teams shared an incredible 12 goals, or to put it another way, 12 incredible goals.

The last scheduled league game before the three week Christmas break, it would turn out to be a memorable contest with a finale taken right out of a Hollywood screenplay, as the Stingers came back from 5-2 down with less than 20 minutes left, and 6-4 down with 5 minutes left, to clinch a 6-6 tie with the last kick of the game.

But in true movie fashion, lets travel back in time to the start of the game.

With conditions tricky on a half frozen field, both teams were tentative at the outset. The Stingers got any early gift—the first of many—when a Mike Mogul miscue—more accurately, an embarrassing 'air' clearance—left an appreciative Stinger forward the simple task of lobbing the ball over keeper Dave Valitas. (1-0 Stingers). The Pioneers pulled a goal back when a Jim Fitzgerald pass put Evgeni Kushnir through on goal, and he beautifully chipped the ball over the advancing Stingers keeper. (1-1).

The home team regained the lead with another gift, this time Fitzgerald went to sleep and left the ball for the same Stinger striker to run on to and score his second of the game (2-1 Stingers). The Pioneers tied the game up midway through the first half when Ken Johnston placed a nice shot into the corner. (2-2).

It soon became apparent that the Pioneers were having great problems with one of the most basic elements of the game of football: the goal kick. The traditional goal kick typically involves a hefty kick to the halfway line which can often initiate an offensive thrust, or at the very least serves to relieve pressure from the defensive third of the field. Missing the reliable boot of Ken Kan, Jim Fitzgerald took over the goal kick duties, adopting a more 'adventurous' approach, trying deft little chip shots, and other thinly disguised delicacies. The Stingers soon caught on to this, and—I kid you not—they were intentionally shooting high and wide just to give the Pioneers a goal kick! Despite appeals from a certain Pioneer midfielder to "just kick the #*%& thing!" Fitzgerald's goal kicks remained an entertaining but nerve-racking sideshow throughout the game.

But back to the game. When the Pioneers (finally) managed to get the ball over the halfway line, they always looked threatening against a ponderous Stingers back line. Before the first half ended, Kushnir did well to win the ball, and his cross from the right wing was forcefully headed into the net, unfortunately for the Stingers, by one of their own players. (Sorry Rocket, you don't get credit for that one) (3-2 Pioneers at the half).

The Pioneers took control in the second half. From his left wing position, Dennis Luk attempted to cross the ball to John Tsang. The Stinger keeper looked to have it covered but made a complete hash of it, dropping the ball at the feet of Tsang, and Johnny-on-the-spot had the simplest of tasks to tap the ball over the line. (4-2 Pioneers, or two gift goals per team at this juncture). The visitors added a fifth midway through the second half when Luk sneaked in at the far post to tuck home a cross from the right wing. (5-2 Pioneers).

At this point in the game, the Pioneers were cruising to a comfortable victory, and the Stingers body language indicated there was no coming back from their three goal deficit. But the game was about to take a crazy about-turn.

And as if the Pioneer and Stinger defensive 'elves' had not gift wrapped enough presents already in this game, enter Santa Claus himself, aka Gary Byrne. The Pioneer goalkeeper, who replaced Dave Valitas at half time, was about to take centre stage in a wild finale that will go down in Pioneer (and Stinger) folklore.

To get the madness underway, a Stinger free kick from 35 yards out looked like a routine tip over the bar for Byrne, but he somehow missed the ball completely and it was now a 5-3 game. Stingers made it 5-4 when hesitation in the Pioneer defense let the Stinger forward in to shoot past Byrne, who could do nothing about this one.

Stingers were now sensing an unlikely comeback, but with less than 10 minutes to go, the Pioneers added a sixth when a Denis Harvington cross was fortuitously deflected onto the waiting head of Evgeni Kushnir. (6-4 Pioneers).

The Pioneers breathed a sigh of relief, sensing the sixth goal had killed the Stingers' comeback. But the goalfest was not over yet. A long range shot from the Stingers floated unerringly towards the top corner of the Pioneer goal, but no problem, Byrne has it covered, right?....of course he has...I think...oops...guess not. (6-5 Pioneers).

With just minutes remaining, the Stingers were now believing in a 'Miracle On 92nd Street' finale. (OK, so Delview Park is on 92nd AVENUE, work with me on this!). Their game plan was now clearly to get within 'field goal' range and just shoot on sight. The Pioneers worked hard to keep them in their own half, and Kushnir should have sealed the victory when he was through with just the keeper to beat, but his disappointing finish was easily saved.

But with literally seconds remaining, the Stingers got over the half way line and into field goal range and, right on cue, they lofted one last desperate 'Hail Mary' shot towards Kris Kringle. What unfolded was a surrealistic movie moment played out in slow motion as everyone stood motionless watching in a dreamlike state as the ball seemed to float ever so slowly straight at Byrne. It was like watching the final scene of every Hollywood sports movie ever made. But this is not Hollywood, it's Delta, and surely Gary's got this one covered, there's no way he'll let this one through...he's got it, he's got it...aaahh shit!

And that was it. Last kick of the game. 6-6.

On the positive side, the Pioneers got their goalscoring touch back. And back in the pub, all was forgiven, and Gary was man enough to admit, "I really cooked a Christmas goose out there!"

Next Sunday: A friendly at Hamilton against Ben United (10:00am)

		contact the webmaster