SPACKO I | 29.12.08 | RESULTS | BEN IS BACK!!!!!

[Jon G]

Code: Select all

Ben G,6,Garry C,1,
Steve E,5,Simon K,1,
Steve E,3,Jon G,6,
Simon K,5,Garry C,2,
Simon K,3,Ben G,5,
Garry C,3,Jon G,9,
Garry C,4,Steve E,6,
Jon G,8,Ben G,5,
Jon G,2,Simon K,2,
Ben G,4,Steve E,2,
Garry C,2,Ben G,8,
Simon K,1,Steve E,2,
Jon G,3,Steve E,2,
Garry C,4,Simon K,3,
Ben G,4,Simon K,3,
Jon G,5,Garry C,4,
Steve E,4,Garry C,1,
Ben G,6,Jon G,3,
Simon K,3,Jon G,5,
Steve E,3,Ben G,5,

[goalkeeper]

Impressive come back! Congratulations Ben

Garry had you any defender on field or the others five extra attackers There will be better times in upcoming standings

[Abyss]

Older brothers... got to hate them

[Torchiador]

I'm glad to see Ben again in the fight! and it seems that rust doesn't affect him! well done!
Well done to Jon too!
I guess that the Greenway bros want impose their rule to the Torchio bros at the next international!
I hope that we can give you a bit of opposition!

[gdh82]

Just want to say a big thanks to Jon for inviting us round and being the perfect host - here's hoping this could be a regular event! (but not me coming bottom of course, Volker! )

Congratulations again to Ben!

My post-mortem match report will be coming later too....

[Robert]

It's great to see the UK's unofficial number one back in action. And it also seems like he has very good goaldifference, too.

[gdh82]

Although a Steve E KOOHL tourney was originally planned for the night, the prospect of attending a new tourney venue (SPACKO - Selly Park Annual Christmas Kick Off!) including Ben's return was too much too resist! Having said that my expectations were realistic and both me and Si agreed we would be competing for 4th and 5th places.


ROUND #1
Ben G,6,Garry C,1,
Simon K,5,Garry C,2,
Garry C,3,Jon G,9,
Garry C,4,Steve E,6,

Hoping that I'd catch Ben a little rusty is like hoping Bbob will play without autoslides. It just ain't gonna happen! Nevertheless it was great to see Ben back in action who brushed me aside 1-6 in the first round. Next up was the first of my cup finals for the night. Could I get something out of these matches to avoid propping up the league? DISASTER!!!! Our game was always going to be 50/50 but his one swung Si's way 2-5 amid some not-quite-intentional goal scoring from Si. Lucky f*cker!!!! Even though my arch-rival agreed, he was lovin' every second of it! Not only did I face coming bottom, but bottom AND pointless - the mother of all wooden spoons!!!! I couldn't give up though and felt I played well against Mr UKC. I only faced a two-goal deficit until mid way through the second half when Jon turned up the heat and left me well done at 3-9. Against Steve, I won't remember that after trailing 1-4 at half-time, I fought back to make it 4-4, I'll remember the moment when Mr E lived up to his name by fouling me not once but twice in a matter of seconds to gain possession. This went unnoticed by the ref of course and from the subsequent play he scored! PURE EVIL!!! When the going gets tough, the tough get evil ?

ROUND #2
Garry C,2,Ben G,8,
Garry C,4,Simon K,3,
Jon G,5,Garry C,4,
Steve E,4,Garry C,1,

Second round against Ben, I thought I'd try some evil myself and professionally fouled Ben's striker just outside the corner of the box in his very first attack. BAM! From the resultant free-kick, Ben first bent the ball away from goal before viciously curling it just inside the far post. I just had to laugh at the natural justice of it all! Anyway, despite the 3-8 scoreline I actually enjoyed this game more than the first, improving my possession and shot stats, if not the scoreline! Cup final time again and this time I HAD to get a result against Si. I'd take even a draw just to avoid that 'nil point' syndrome! YESSSS!!!! This time the coin came down in my favour and in the last minute of a frantic neck and neck battle, the winner came for me in the last minute to secure a 4-3 victory! RELIEF! At last, a taste of that winning feeling, which I took into my next match against Jon. Of course he's a better player than me, but I really felt I deserved something out of this match and so nearly did until some Alan Parry goalkeeping. Crueler than cruel, and for the second time this match, my keeper drops a seemingly safe catch back to Jon's striker who gladly taps it into an empty net! Perhaps I was still gutted from this, but I never felt I got started against Steve who comfortable clocked up another victory against me, this time 4-1.

The way the fixtures fell, my game-break came at the end of the round, so I was able to enjoy the finale to SPACKO I. With 1 game to play, Ben was too points clear of Jon and with a slightly better goal difference (just two goals). As the final games reached the last 60 seconds, Steve was holding Ben 3-3 and Jon was leading Si 5-3. As it stood, both Jon and Ben would be tied on points AND GOAL DIFFERENCE!!!!!! We were all suddenly aware of this fact which just added to the drama of the moment. Maybe to avoid this controversy, Ben ensured there was no doubt over who was champion when he eventually overcome 'the evil one' 5-3, and take the tournament crown! Superb return after over a two-year koa break - welcome back!

Just like KOBRA, SPACKO may not meet the highest tournament standards but it was nevertheless a fantastic venue. It felt laid back and friendly. Hosting in your loft converstion was perfect imo, and as we said at the time the homely feel kinda goes back to all our KO2 roots! Thanks again Jon for having us over to your place - much appreciated - and looking forward to next time already....

[Steve1977]

Absolutely! What a fantastic evening it was. Huge thanks to Jon for hosting and welcoming us as founder members for this special gathering!

Also great to meet Ben at last! A fantastic Kick Off 2 player and a top guy to boot! ...despite his lack of action it has'nt diminshed his KO2 ability one bit!
I played him in a friendly and by half time he was winning 9-0! (or was it 10? i was too bamboozeled to remember!)

Steve E,5,Simon K,1,
Although I didn't know it at the time, some Evil shenanigans were going on when at 3-1 up, Si realised he wasn't using his normal joystick! The only indiciator is his initial underneath (both Greek Sticks) but he's a different player with it. In a few friendlies the week before I was all over him for a minute and then he proceeded to score with every attack to go 6-0 up!
With it being early in the night, I had the wits about me to keep hold of my lead, thanking the KO gods that Gaz had nicked his joystick hehe

Steve E,3,Jon G,6,
Half keeping an ear out for the scores on the radio I played the first half of the brothers G...which would explan my 'grim' performance against them!
I gave it a good shot though...was 2-0 up in this one and although I was managaing to nullify his kick off routine, he just found other ways to score! From 2-0 down, Jon went 3-2 up and although I brought it back to 3-3, Jon upped the ante with 2 more goals.

Garry C,4,Steve E,6,
As Gaz mentioned, this was a bizzarre game! I took a 4-1 lead without ever really dominating...I just had this good habit of trying 50/50 shots and they were coming off! I think it was 5-4 to me that I fouled Gaz twice in 2 seconds and then scored from the resulting attack!

Ben G,4,Steve E,2,
This set the theme for my games against Ben throughout the night...whenever I'd score an equaliser it wouldn't be long before he stepped through the gears to make a bit of head way and this game proved no different.

Simon K,1,Steve E,2,
I noticed from my game before that I was suddenly having a difficult problem in score (quite worrying when that's the main point of the game lol). So I wasn't complaining when i scored to make it 1-0 very early in the 1st half. What then followed was a lot of effort and toiling but no end product. By half time I was clinging to my lead and straight after Si did his half time sub, I pressed for mine...and such was the midfield battle with a smattering of half hearted shots, it wasn't until there was 2 minutes remaining that I got to make my sub! The reason was that Si had equialised! I knew that the kick off would be my best chance in reclaiming the lead...anything after and I was a gonna. Thankfully it came off! Such a close, intense game which could and perhaps should have ended with a draw but the calling of a routine saved me.

Jon G,3,Steve E,2,
Although results hadnt quite gone for me against the brothers G, I knew that with a x2 tournament, it's very rare that someone wins all their games and you always have opportunities. So I built this up as an important game for myself believing I maybe had a very outside chance of winning. Very close game - very much like my previous game - with all quarters of the pitch fought after. The goals were difficult to come by as before and when you'r playing against the UK Champ it can be worrysome!

Steve E,4,Garry C,1,
Fresh from an intense encounter against Ben I sort of had a "f*ck it" attitude and tried a few impossible shots, only for them to go in! The score was definetly skewed in my favour, but the game told a very different story whereby it was very close. Gaz's keeper did have a case of the dropsies.

Steve E,3,Ben G,5,
Although Jon had been the top dog seemingly all night, Ben was suddenly making a last minute effort to crown the glory and with Gaz shouting out the latest scores along with the current standings, it was a cracking finale! With about a minute to go I made it 3-3 and with us both gunning for that elusive winner, Ben once again surged through the gears like Vin Diesel on acid and left the score looking a tad one sided!

Great to have been a part of this tournament and many many thanks to Jon for the invite. Christmas just wouldnt have been the same without a Kick Off tourney! Can't wait for the new year tournies now!

[Jon G]

I'm glad to see Ben again in the fight! and it seems that rust doesn't affect him! well done!
Well done to Jon too!
I guess that the Greenway bros want impose their rule to the Torchio bros at the next international!
I hope that we can give you a bit of opposition!

See you in March!! Judging by your performance at the world cup I don't hold out much hope, I was following Robert's 'live streaming' and to come back in the final as you did was a brilliant achievement - but remember, I've beaten you before!

Thanks to the guys that came round for the first SPACKO event, it was good fun and I'll make it a regular open event to run alongside KOBRA and KOOHL. I can just about fit 3 amigas in the loft so can accommodate up to about 7 players.

Well done to Ben for returning with a win!

Hey Rob, less of this 'unofficial no.1' bollocks, the rankings don't lie! Hope you can make SPACKO II.