Post by daveh on Oct 18, 2020 7:47:44 GMT 2
On a sunny but chilly afternoon in the shade the league season began at 4pm yesterday. A crowd of 37 watched a closely fought match. PAOK are no longer a youth side but a team of younger men with a couple older players; Sfakera played a slighgtly younger team than last week. The referee and linesmen were linked by radio contact but still got things wrong at times!! Sfakera played a sort of 4 4 1 1 formation. The visitors played with mixed up numbers; e.g. numbers 9 and 11 were central defence, No 2 played as a No 10, the goalkeeper was No 15 etc. A poser at fullback wore one red boot and one light blue boot!!!
I have no times as my mobile battery was flat! The visitors had the 1st shot punched by the goalie with the follow up effort wide. Then the first YC for the visitors for a late challenge. A corner to the visitors from which they scored; but the referee had already blown for a clear push by the centre forward as the ball came across. A sfakera defender was shown Yellow for some dissent. The visitors had a central free kick some 24m from goal; it was blazed well over (like all their following free kicks were). Sfakera finally had a attack but Andonis (making another debut following his return to the team) was fouled in the build up; the ball broke Sfakera shot wide but the ref never came back for the free kick as he should have done. Sfakera then had another shot, this time from wide right tbut it was easily saved. The visitors then had another free kick well over; were caught offside (the player showed clear dissent but was not cautioned!); they made a substitution and then the scored.....a header but a player in an offside position applied a finishing touch so it was disallowed for offside. Then following a throw in a Sfakera defender made a clearance; his foot after clearing the ball hit a late challenging visitor.....somehow the referee saw it as a foul and gave a Yellow card as well. The half finished with a shot by Sfakera that was part cleared and the follow up shot was also cleared. HT 0-0
The second half began with Sfakera making a substitution and the visitors 2 more. The visitors made a faster start to the half; attack but offside; good attack but goalkeeper catch the cross; attack break down but Sfakera player given harsh Yellow and they a 25m free kick in a central position....it was hit well over when they had 4 v 2 at the left side of the area!! Finally Sfakera broke out, the ball broke loose in midfield; a long shot went just wide. Another visitors sub comes on. Then the referee gives them a free kick for a handball that never was....this one blasted so 20 foot over the goal. In the next attack the visitors put a high ball into the box; the goalkeeper punched the ball but was flattened by a late challenge.....free kick but again no Yellow......such inconsistancy. In what was about the 65th minute the visitors had a corner; they got in a good header which was blocked but a follow up shot opened the scoring 0-1. Sfakera players moaned that it wasn't a corner but from where I was sat it clearly took a deflection for a corner. Sfakera then sought an equaliser and had a long free kick into the box; appeals for handball ignored and the ball was cleared to the centre circle where a SFakera player was foulded and the visitor shown Yellow. Bdefore the free kick was taken, 2 more subs buy the visitors. The free kick sailed through the penalty area unchallenged. Next the referee gave the visitors a free kick following an aeriel challenge....the visiting player jumped above 2 Sfakera players using his hands.....he was awarded the free kick. Few moans and ref, rightly so changed his mind and gave the free kick to Sfakera.....more moans and a Yellow to the visitors. Sfakera had a free kick following a poor chanllenge on Alex but they overhit it and the goalkeeper catch. Sfakera break; offside....a very close call but probably right. The visitors score but again were offside; there was a foul in the build up that should have given Sfakera a free kick that the referee ignored. Then a Yellow to someone on the Sfakera bench....next the referee makes the Sfakera goalie retake a free kick inside the penalty area saying it in wrong place. He was losing the plot!! Visitors corner.....ball headed back in, goalkeeper dives for ball but never gathers but it is cleared for another corner.....there was a clear foul on a Sfakera player ignored by the officials....the linesman had a very clear view. So instead of a free kick to Sfakera it is a corner from which the visitors head in to go 2-0 up and effectively win the game. Sfakera had a long shot saved easily; made a substitution as they tried to get back into the game. But the visitors were now in control and had another corner, cleared. Then a shot that the goalkeeper managed to push onto the post and gather the rebound. Then a long shot, the goalkeeper got his hand to it and the ball hit the bar and went over for a corner. The corner was cleared......ANdonis badly fouled and retailiated.....he was shown Yellow but not the visitor who fouled!. ANothe rYellow to Sfakera for kicking the ball away after a foul. As the game came to a close the referee made another shocking error....Jonathan clears the ball which is handled by the visitiing player.....the referee shows Jonathan a Yellow and gives the visitors a free kick.....unbelievable. The resultant shot was well over.
FT 0-2.
I have no times as my mobile battery was flat! The visitors had the 1st shot punched by the goalie with the follow up effort wide. Then the first YC for the visitors for a late challenge. A corner to the visitors from which they scored; but the referee had already blown for a clear push by the centre forward as the ball came across. A sfakera defender was shown Yellow for some dissent. The visitors had a central free kick some 24m from goal; it was blazed well over (like all their following free kicks were). Sfakera finally had a attack but Andonis (making another debut following his return to the team) was fouled in the build up; the ball broke Sfakera shot wide but the ref never came back for the free kick as he should have done. Sfakera then had another shot, this time from wide right tbut it was easily saved. The visitors then had another free kick well over; were caught offside (the player showed clear dissent but was not cautioned!); they made a substitution and then the scored.....a header but a player in an offside position applied a finishing touch so it was disallowed for offside. Then following a throw in a Sfakera defender made a clearance; his foot after clearing the ball hit a late challenging visitor.....somehow the referee saw it as a foul and gave a Yellow card as well. The half finished with a shot by Sfakera that was part cleared and the follow up shot was also cleared. HT 0-0
The second half began with Sfakera making a substitution and the visitors 2 more. The visitors made a faster start to the half; attack but offside; good attack but goalkeeper catch the cross; attack break down but Sfakera player given harsh Yellow and they a 25m free kick in a central position....it was hit well over when they had 4 v 2 at the left side of the area!! Finally Sfakera broke out, the ball broke loose in midfield; a long shot went just wide. Another visitors sub comes on. Then the referee gives them a free kick for a handball that never was....this one blasted so 20 foot over the goal. In the next attack the visitors put a high ball into the box; the goalkeeper punched the ball but was flattened by a late challenge.....free kick but again no Yellow......such inconsistancy. In what was about the 65th minute the visitors had a corner; they got in a good header which was blocked but a follow up shot opened the scoring 0-1. Sfakera players moaned that it wasn't a corner but from where I was sat it clearly took a deflection for a corner. Sfakera then sought an equaliser and had a long free kick into the box; appeals for handball ignored and the ball was cleared to the centre circle where a SFakera player was foulded and the visitor shown Yellow. Bdefore the free kick was taken, 2 more subs buy the visitors. The free kick sailed through the penalty area unchallenged. Next the referee gave the visitors a free kick following an aeriel challenge....the visiting player jumped above 2 Sfakera players using his hands.....he was awarded the free kick. Few moans and ref, rightly so changed his mind and gave the free kick to Sfakera.....more moans and a Yellow to the visitors. Sfakera had a free kick following a poor chanllenge on Alex but they overhit it and the goalkeeper catch. Sfakera break; offside....a very close call but probably right. The visitors score but again were offside; there was a foul in the build up that should have given Sfakera a free kick that the referee ignored. Then a Yellow to someone on the Sfakera bench....next the referee makes the Sfakera goalie retake a free kick inside the penalty area saying it in wrong place. He was losing the plot!! Visitors corner.....ball headed back in, goalkeeper dives for ball but never gathers but it is cleared for another corner.....there was a clear foul on a Sfakera player ignored by the officials....the linesman had a very clear view. So instead of a free kick to Sfakera it is a corner from which the visitors head in to go 2-0 up and effectively win the game. Sfakera had a long shot saved easily; made a substitution as they tried to get back into the game. But the visitors were now in control and had another corner, cleared. Then a shot that the goalkeeper managed to push onto the post and gather the rebound. Then a long shot, the goalkeeper got his hand to it and the ball hit the bar and went over for a corner. The corner was cleared......ANdonis badly fouled and retailiated.....he was shown Yellow but not the visitor who fouled!. ANothe rYellow to Sfakera for kicking the ball away after a foul. As the game came to a close the referee made another shocking error....Jonathan clears the ball which is handled by the visitiing player.....the referee shows Jonathan a Yellow and gives the visitors a free kick.....unbelievable. The resultant shot was well over.
FT 0-2.