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Another week, another fish

Balmain's march towards the semi finals continued with a crucial 3-0 victory over Sydney Cedars at the weekend. The legions of Tigers fans, many forced to queue outside the gates for the last game at Birchgrove for the season, had barely warmed their seats when Balmain's resident salmon Dave "John West" Hardwick popped up yet again to score directly from a Grant Burgess hammer throw. The shocked Cedars threw everything at the Tigers in the following quarter hour, but their efforts proved fruitless with a stout Balmain defence preventing any decent shots on target. Better was to come from the Tigers as they scored from a move that started inside their own penalty area. Some quick passing in midfield released Jem Richardson on the right, who picked out Julian Bracewell at the edge of the opposition area. Bracewell then produced (in his own words) "a sublime piece of Bergkamp-esque ball control" to beat a would-be challenge before stroking the ball past the keeper to extend the lead to two goals.

Balmain killed off the game early in the second half from an Eric Lynch corner. With all defensive attention on the salmon, they were surprised to turn around and see goldfish Jem Richardson stealing in at the back post to plant a header past the stranded keeper. The frustration felt by the visitors boiled over shortly before full time when a Cedar with what those in the medical profession describe as a case of "acute sore balls" was sent from the field. They were so sore in fact that the poor player had trouble leaving the field after planting his studs square in the middle of Balmain captain Eric Lynch's back. Balmain had outstanding performers all over the park, none moreso than Luis Soares and Dave Hardwick, with the latter taking home yet another Exchange Hotel man of the match award.

The victory ended the Cedars' slim hopes of reaching the playoffs, and with other results going Balmain's way, it would take a massive swing in form and goal difference for the Tigers to miss out now.

The U21s added to their recent catalogue of disappointment, letting slip a 3-1 lead to go down 5-4 in an entertaining lead up match. Tristan Aguire scored first for Balmain with a lovely header after some good lead up play. However the Tigers were well and truly embarrassed when the Cedars tried the old "shot from halfway straight from the kickoff" trick and keeper Andy Pye spilled it into his net. Not to worry though, because the Tigers hit back soon after through Paul Graham, who intelligently chested the ball over the line at the far post from an Aguire free kick. Then on the half hour, Keith "Napoleon" Agnew scored his first ever goal for the Tigers from the penalty spot. Shortly before half time, Balmain was well and truly robbed by yet another incompetent referee who awarded Cedars a penalty for high feet. He was seemingly oblivious to the laws of the game which state that dangerous play such as a foot high in the air should result in an indirect free kick. Anyway, Pye produced a tremendous save but a Cedar scored from the rebound to make it 3-2 at half time.

Balmain gave it away early in the second half, conceding after 5 minutes after some indecision at the back, and then conceding again two minutes later with an own goal from Alex Kaltenegger. In a game full of goals, this was probably the pick of the bunch, with Kaltenegger latching onto a hopeful long ball and producing a header reminiscent of Borgetti for Mexico against Italy at the last world cup. Too bad it was at the wrong end. Julian Junior equalised for the Tigers with 20 to go, and the Cedars appeared to self destruct, having two players sent from the field for accumulating a couple of yellow cards. Yet to their credit they stood up and fought for the points, and were rewarded when a shot from wide out on an impossible angle went in at the near post in the last minute of the game. Full time score Balmain 4 Cedars 5.

Balmain notched their fifth win in succession with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Prospect United on Saturday. Dave Hardwick picked up where he left off last week, taking advantage of some charitable marking to head the first corner of the match into the back of the net inside three minutes. The Tigers proceeded to utterly dominate Prospect for the next quarter hour, with strikers Daniel Totaro and Julian Bracewell spurning decent opportunities to extend the lead, and Bracewell having one disallowed by a very dubious offside call. Jackson Gothe-Snape forced an opponent from the field with a candidate for the hard-but-clean tackle of the season award, while keeper Charlie Sosa enjoyed a fine afternoon in the sun with a pack of cards and a newspaper. Nothing of much notice happened for the latter period of the first half, and the Tigers led 1-0 at the break.

Despite Balmain enjoying most of the possession, more scrappiness ensued as the second half got underway until Sosa was finally called into action for his one and only save of the day. Faced with an attacker only six yards out, Sosa pulled off a magnificent point blank block before going back to reading the sport section. The Balmain pressure finally told when Jeremy Deasey headed in Luis Soares' looping cross to take the scores to 2-0. Sadly for the Tigers, Daniel Totaro saw double yellow then red in record time after disagreeing John McEnroe style with the referee over a line call. The referee had barely retracted his arm from issuing a yellow before he thrust it skywards again and Totaro was left to trudge from the field disconsolately. Its not all bad news though as the gourmet chef will be manning the barbeque next week at Birchgrove, so be there early to get your osso buco and kebab napoletana. Back to the game, and substitute Henrik Andersson scored the third in injury time to add a little polish to the Tigers' goal difference. Charlie Sosa's hard day at the office earned him the Exchange Hotel man of the match award.

The U21s fought back from a goal down before allowing a late goal to concede yet another game 2-1. Following a string of below par performances, the team knew a result was required and the attitude and performance for 88 mins was a welcome turn around from previous weeks. The Tigers welcomed Tristan Aguire back from an injury layoff, and faced with only the keeper to beat shortly before half time he kept his cool and neatly chipped his opponent to level the scores after Prospect had taken an early lead. With the score at 1-1 and two minutes remaining, some indecision at the back allowed an attacking throw to land inside the six yard box and Prospect bundled it over the line for the winner. A disappointing end to the match, making six losses from the last six games a sorry stat.

An under-strength U19s squad went down 3-1 to Prospect in the opening game of the day. Starting the macth with just nine players, the Tigers could have scored from the kick-off and had another three goals in the first 15 minutes. However with Simon Roddy still overseas, the Tigers lacked a cutting edge up front. A deflected shot that sent Vince the wrong way allowed Prospect to take the lead after 14 minutes. The score stayed at 1-0 until the break. Two minutes into the second period, the Tigers were level as Mitchell Bonus rose at the far post to head in an inch perfect cross from Matt Coelho. The joy was shortlived though as minutes later the boys lost concentration and allowed a quality shot from outside the box unchallenged which left Vince stranded. Tiredness and lack of numbers finally told as Prospect secured the win with a third goal shortly before full time. Despite the loss this was a great effort from only nine players, and with a little bit more luck they could well have come away from the match with a point.

Dave Hardwick - man or salmon?

Balmain held on through 14 minutes of injury time to defeat Fogolar Wanderers 1-0 on Saturday, putting the Tigers into a finals position for the first time this season. Captain Eric Lynch was ruled out with a sore big toe, and was replaced in the centre of the park by gutsy midfielder Jackson Gothe-Snape. Joined by midfield partner Lorenzo Merlino, they dished out some crunching tackles on the skillful opposition playmakers before Merlino had to be replaced by Eamonn Byrne following a knee injury. A first half of few chances ended without troubling the Birchgrove scoreboard attendant.

The second period sparked to life early when Gothe-Snape suffered an agricultural challenge on the edge of the six yard box. Julian Bracewell stepped up to take the penalty but his shot was saved by the Wanderers keeper, igniting a chorus of the Chilean version of "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" from the jubilant visiting fans. They were soon silenced though as Dave Hardwick leapt high above his markers to head home Jem Richardson's corner kick for a 1-0 lead. The visiting keeper kept the scoreline respectable, producing a string of outstanding saves to deny what looked like certain goals from Luis Soares, Richardson, and Jean Claude Van Cremasco. The Tigers backline of Byrne, Buddis, Burgess and Trieste were magnificent, not allowing the opposition a decent attempt at goal as injury time ticked over, with the referee finally calling time due to bad light.

Dave Hardwick played an outstanding game and was rewarded with the Exchange Hotel man of the match award, narrowly edging out Gothe-Snape.

The woeful run of form from the U21s team continued in a 2-1 loss to Fogolar. The visitors grabbed a two goal lead inside the first half. The first came after keeper Justin Delaney was unable to keep out a stinging long range shot, and the second after a Fogolar attacker ran around five or six defenders like they were witches hats at a training session. Balmain fought hard in the second period and were rewarded when substitute Matt Coelho nipped in at the near post and cleverly chested the ball into the net. The Tigers dominated the last 10 minutes but it was too little too late and they ended on the wrong side of the scoreline.

Such has been the run of form from the U19s that they were bitterly disappointed with a 1-1 draw in the first match of the day. Missing goal machine Simon Roddy, the Tigers were forced to play Chris Grayson in a makeshift frontline against a team that lined up with only nine players at the start of the match. Grayson repaid the faith shown in his striking abilities when he scored aftert a fine solo run and shot. The Wanderers found an extra two players at half time and they earned themselves their first point of the season when they scored late in the game.

Balmain Soccer Club's annual $1000 draw was drawn on Saturday July 16 at the Exchange Hotel, Balmain. The winner was Mr Justin Delaney, often found between the posts at Birchgrove Oval. He promptly plonked a large chunk of his winnings behind the bar and a merry night was had by all.

This week's deluge has left Birchgrove Oval in an unsuitable playing condition, so the fixture has been postponed. The game will be played on Saturday July 30 at Birchgrove Oval.

As the following scheduled match against Hakoah was recently played midweek (a few weeks early), Balmain's next scheduled match is not until Saturday July 16 against Fogolar Wanderers.

The $1000 draw that was scheduled to be drawn on July 2 will now be drawn at the Exchange Hotel on July 16.