BASOM 1 - 4 Streets of London

After the triumphant win on Tuesday night the Streets of London were looking to improve their away form as well as their home performance and Thursday night's game would prove to be as satisfying for the fans as the match against the Germans.

BASOM started the game with a couple of players short and the Streets should have capitalized on the opportunity. But as is the normal course of action when faced with such a situation, the Streets failed to convince the home side they had more players.

The home side pushed back hard until their squad was at 100% - something that frustrated the visitors.

Although BASOM didn't have a real goal scoring opportunity in the opening minutes, they managed to prevent any real threat from the Streets being realized.

The game changed once both teams were up to 100% however. The Streets started to find good opportunities down both sides of the field. Jeffrey Goldsmith passed a ball through midfield to Jeffrey Martinez. Martinez put the ball wide out left to Ed Gatjen who was running into space.

Gatjen made it into the box but the keep pushed Gatjen off the ball and although Gatjen failed to go down, the referee was right in his decision to award a penalty to the visitors.

As screams of "don't let Fred take the penalty" echoed from the back of the field, Fred "the Fish" Farler calmly stepped up to take the spot kick.

With clean precision he waited for the keeper to almost fall over to Farler's right before he slotted the ball home in the left corner.

As with Tuesday night the Streets took the lead, but ths game was different. The Streets were making it hard for themselves to get ahead.

Shortly after the penalty BASOM broke through the midfield and got behind the Streets defense, the BASOM forward finishing the play by tucking the ball home past Donny Bradshaw.

The goal was what the Streets needed in order for them to get their act together. With 10 minutes to go before the half Mike Daley, yet to get on the score sheet for the season, picked up a bad back-pass by the BASOM midfield. Daley turned the last defender and beat the keeper to make it 2-1 to the Streets.

But Daley wasn't done with this half. With Kevin "the Guvner" O'Brien leading the teams highest goal scorer slot and O'Brien missing this game, Daley was eager to tuck home enough goals to retain the coveted golden plimsol.

Jon Taylor had been given the freedom to roam with Mike Lefebvre playing sweeper and although nobody really wanted Taylor to push so far forward, the result paid off.

Taylor out on the right wing put a ball over the back line. Daley broke through and ran on towards the keeper. Fortunately for Daley a sniper hiding in the brush behind the BASOM corner flag took out the keeper as Daley approached.

With the keeper going down so easily Daley couldn't really do anything but score.

Folsom police were dispatched quickly to the brush but, aside from a few shell casings which could have come from a hunting expedition, there was no evidence of the sniper to be found.

One of the BASOM fans had thought they saw some activity behind the Streets team bus before the game. "I saw this hooded guy approach Daley. They exchanged something. It could have been cash. Then the hooded guy walked away carrying a long narrow case. I don't know what it was but it would explain what happened". The BASOM fan wanted to remain anonymous.

The Streets went into the half 3-1 up and for the second time in 3 days looked to be in a very comfortable position.

The second half was better for the Streets. Some of the passing and fluidity that they played with Tuesday night returned to the side, but the performance wasn't quite as good.

There were few chances in the second half to find the back of the net from either side, although the Streets had more possession than the home team.

But there was one more goal left in the side from the most unlikely of sources.

A Streets corner dropped short to Farler who bungled his shot away from the goal. However, Andy Nelson was on hand to put the ball home in the far corner.

Slow motion replays revealed that Nelson actually had his hands over his eyes, was facing the opposite direction of the goal and the ball deflected off the back of his right heel. Still, a goal is a goal and we won't take anything away from the visitors fans who instantly started singing "Andy Nelson, Andy Nelson, Andy Andy Nelson, he's got no hair and we don't care, Andy, Andy Nelson..."

Although O'Brien was not at the match we did manage to text him for his post-match reaction.

"If you told me we had one I would have believed you. If you told me Daley scored two I would have believed you. The Fish scoring, yeah I could buy that. But I draw the line when one of our defenders scores a goal in the opposition's goal. We're used to them scoring in our own goal, but this all seems a bit far fetched now."

The win almost certainly guarantees the Streets remain in the second division as it has now boosted them to the mid-point in the table. On the other hand BASOM will need to do everything they can to climb out of the relegation zone.

The Streets now miss a week before their next game on November 24th at home to Sierra Stripping. Maybe they can add more players to their goal roster for the season as they are running a record 9 players on the score sheet.

The coveted Golden Plimsol is very much up for grabs with O'Brien leading the pack by 1 goal and three players hot on his heels with 2 goals each.

Streets of London 3 - 0 Turn Verein

One of the most anticipated games of the season so far didn't disappoint Tuesday night as the Streets of London hosted the German visitors Turn Verein.

The Streets of London commanded the evening with a convincing win against their fiercest rivals with a display of passing and control that had been a long time coming.

Although the likes of token German Vadim Winkler were absent from the Streets lineup, the squad was strong with old timer Chris Hayhoe making his season debut after a long absence from the side.

Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien was determined to see a win as he called the lineup but in a last moment twist left the Streets record holding goal-scorer Mike Daley on the sidelines as the game got underway.

From the moment the game began the Streets of London controlled the game. Most of the opening few minutes was spent deep in the Turn Verein half. Good clean passing prevented the visitors from seeing hardly any of the ball.

And an early goal from the home side would set the stadium on fire with noise.

With only 3 minutes on the clock Turn Verein conceded a corner. Ed Gatjen stepped up to put the ball into the box from the Streets right side. As it dropped to the far side of the box Sheikh Andy Wylie was on hand to step up and shoot the ball back across the box behind the keeper.

The crowd erupted as memories of the last time the Streets took an early lead against Turn Verein resulted in a rout of the German side.

After the kick off the Streets were again pressing on the Turn Verein back line.

But it would be at the back of the Streets side where the controversy would being. With a mere 8 minutes on the clock, Andy Nelson was substituted for the "new boy" on the team. Nelson, clearly disgusted with the decision took his time leaving the field.

The change would present the opportunity Turn Verein needed to find a path back through to the Streets goal and every attack they had made its way down the Steets right flank and through the right-back position.

With the back opened up Turn Verein had slightly more pace than the Streets back four and Donny Bradshaw was forced into some saves to prevent his side from slipping back to a level scoreline.

Fortunately for the home side the Streets midfield started to shut the door and put the Streets back in the driving seat.

Once again the passing became accurate and the Streets utilized the wings to get behind the German midfield and back-line. Once again the strategy of using the wings paid off.

Jeff Martinez was on hand to slide the ball through to O'Brien who made his way into the box on the left side of goal. O'Brien's resulting shot made it's way to the far post where the keeper palmed it into the back of his own net.

With the Streets 2-0 up going into the break their season of ties definitely appeared to be coming to an end.

The second half began as the first left off with the Streets firmly on top. Nelson resumed his position at the back right shoring up the hole that had been left in his wake.

Turn Verein did little to find a gap through the midfield and the Streets once again spent a fair chunk of time in the German half.

The passing through the midfield between Martinez, Dominic Pando, Mike Lefebvre and Jeffrey Goldsmith was fluid and efficient.

A slick move of this format of play was enough to setup Daley down the outside left. As he ran into the box his shot was saved by the keeper. Wade Mitchell following in picked up the rebound and after some three or four attempts managed to bundle the ball across the line for the Streets third.

A late corner saw Nelson head the ball over the bar for what could easily have been a fourth. With shouts of "open your eyes" and "you can't score unless you aim" ringing from the sideline, the home team was clearly in good spirits.

Turn Verein had nothing left and were able to hold the Streets off from scoring any more for the duration of the game.

After the game we caught up with O'Brien who ws in an euphoric mood. "We had a great game. The best we've played all season. I think the team really came together and passed the ball around well. We deserved the win and if we keep this level of play up we should be able to pull ourselves out of the rut we were in."

Although we tried to reach Sheikh Wylie for comment about his goal he had apparently already left eh stadium before the final whistle. An undisclosed insider told us the real reason why he left so soon.

"Yes the Sheikh left early but he has good reason. On each game he plays there are big bets placed in Vegas as to whether or not he will score. We're talking millions on each game. Why do you think we never see Sheih Baxter here? He's making the fortune for the two Sheiks while Wylie scores the goals. This week they even needed to recruit Vadim to help place bets. That's why he's not here either."

The Streets now face an away game to BASOM on Thursday. The Streets need another win to ensure their safety in the league against the only team that has beaten them so far this season.

Sierra Stripping 1 - 1 Streets of London

As winter began to move into the Sacramento region this week and temperatures started to fall, the Folsom league really began to heat up as top of the table Sierra Stripping took on bottom of the table visitors Streets of London.

The game was critical for the Streets of London who's season had started poorly. With one loss and two ties from the first three games, the Streets of London found themselves in the unusual position of being bottom of the table.

The home team came into the evening with three back-to-back wins and clearly looked the favorite to walk out of the stadium with all three points.

Felling the confidence the home team only just showed up in time for the game - the home fans not worried, but the visitors wondering if they might benefit from a forfeit.

It wasn't to be, however, and the Streets would need to play for the points that after 90 minutes of play they thoroughly deserved.

Prior to the game there was some doubt as to whether striker Mike Daley would make the kick-off due to a recurring injury. He was cleared as match fit an hour before the game and was joined by hair-care gurus Vadim Winkler and Ed Gatjen after their absences over the past few weeks.

In a surprise move defender Burk Knifeton made a return from his unexpected early retirement last season and the fans couldn't have been happier to have more options at the manager's disposal.

The tempo of the game was fast from the kick-off with the Streets pushing forward into the Sierra Stripping half and conceding little in the back third of the field. And the chances started to flow early on for the Streets of London.

Sierra Stripping made a few counter attacks to the Streets assault, but each was easily dealt with by the back line. Tom Hillesland was, as usual, a rock at the back as he cleared up in front of sweeper Jon Taylor.

There was some dissent at one point early on as Taylor started to sit deep in his own half. Jeff Goldsmith playing left back was frustrated playing so deeply and the inevitable argument between Taylor and his co-defender ensued.

The outcome was, however, beneficial as Taylor started to push up closer to the half-way line.

The Streets began to make good use of the wingers as Winkler utilized the right side and Gatjen the left. With relatively early crosses each time they were close to the home sides penalty box, the Streets began to frustrate Sierra Stripping.

The desire to prove the critics wrong was definitely driving the Streets of London on and the pressure would pay off mid-way through the first half.

Winkler made a run down the right side after picking up a midfield pass. As he approached the 18-yard box he crossed to the far post where an inbound Jeffrey Martinez made a perfectly placed diving header to push the ball past the Sierra Stripping keeper.

The Streets of London fans went crazy much to the displeasure of the home side.

Moments before the half-time whistle Sierra Stripping were unlucky to not have a penalty awarded after Taylor handled inside the box. Don Bradshaw was as convinced as the crowd that the penalty would be awarded and was lucky to see the end result of the attack bounce off the post before being put behind for a corner.

With the Streets going into the break one goal up, things looked positive for the team.

The second period was played much as the first with a lot of possession inside the Sierra Stripping half. But the Streets were become restless in their game.

An injured Steve Sims was called the substitutions and he relied heavily on one of his 5-a-side strategies of changing players every few minutes. This strategy disrupted the team flow and soon it was evident that Sierra Stripping would capitalize on the uneasiness of the team.

Finding himself in the back line, the first half goal-scorer for the Streets laid a short hospital pass off to Andy Nelson which was intercepted by a Sierra forward.

The striker, with only 25 or so yards between him and the goal made a clean break and slotted the ball past Bradshaw from 10-yards out.

Although against the run of play, it was the unsettling of the Streets that most likely contributed to the goal.

Two more missed opportunities could have sealed the game for the Streets before the closing whistle.

Nelson played a clean one-two with Winkler on the right side and found himself in space at the edge of the Sierra box. What looked to be an attempted cross turned out to be on of the closest shots of the second half. The ball curved into the area and dipped over the keeper but ended up bouncing off the top of the bar.

Shortly thereafter Fred "The Fish" Farler missed his opportunity - and the ball, in what could have been the winning goal.

Like a dying salmon making it's way up a river "The Fish" Farler dived for a cross. Unfortunately his timing was less than perfect (a lot less some would say) and "The Fish" found himself in the back of the net as the game continued playing around him.

Slow motion replays revealed that the ball had not entered the area from the cross when "The Fish" himself crossed the goal line.

With the game tied up at 1-1 the Streets had accomplished something no other team had done this season and that was stopping the march of Sierra Stripping. But they needed a win and although the tie would technically lift them off the bottom of the table on goal difference, they remain very much in the danger area.

After the game Kevin "The Guvnor" O'Brien summed up the nights performance. "I'm pleased we didn't drop 3 points, but we could have won the game. We played better than they did and on that performance we deserved a win. Our substitution policy was flawed and that definitely had an impact on the game. We won't be seeing that happen again."

When asked about the missed opportunity O'Brien added "the Fish was right to start diving early. It takes some momentum to get that kind of frame in the air, but his timing was... well there really wasn't any timing."

The Streets now face a double header week when they play rivals Turn Verein at home on Tuesday November 10th and then away to oint bottom team BASOM on the 12th.