Flying Kiwis – September 22
Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)
Chris Wood: “To get 20 goals in a season is going to be very difficult. I think you only see the top players from the top teams getting that because they have the chances. Danny Ings did absolutely fantastic to do it last season. I'm sure one of our strikers would love to get to the 20-goal mark, but it's not as realistic as when you're at other clubs. Ultimately, first and foremost, it's about the team and then hopefully the goals follow with it. It's all about hard work and having a good squad around you, which I do.”
No need to hedge your bets, bro. Just come out and guarantee it: you’re gonna score twenty this season.
Once upon a time the thought that a New Zealander might score even ten goals in a Premier League season either meant that prime Wynton Rufer had moved to England or else watch out for Freddy Kruger because you’re probably dreaming. But Chris Wood has done that three times in a row, building upon his previous tally each time – 10 goals then 13 goals then 14 goals. He was in great form through the restart and has been banging them away for fun during preseason friendlies. A full season of fitness and twenty goals is definitely a possibility.
First things first however, there was a League Cup game to get to and Chris Wood was named on the bench. Burnley with a tricky second round tie against Sheffield United and David McGoldrick made it even trickier with a fourth minute goal, tapping in from Max Lowe’s cross, though the game didn’t really get out of second gear with both teams choosing to rotate a lot of their starters. The other major talking point of the first half being a heavy challenge on Johann Berg Gudmundsson which forced him off the park and could mean another stint on the sideline for the Icelander. Burnley would eventually equalise thanks to Matej Vydra and Wood was subbed on in the 82nd minute. Both teams had chances to win it. Robbie Brady hit the post for Burnley while Nick Pope made a crucial late save to deny Ollie McBurnie. With no extra time that meant straight to penalties... where Chris Wood did what Chris Wood does best...
Burnley went on to win the shootout as Pope repeated the dose to save from McBurnie the very next kick after Wood had scored (a real mint strike too – fella’s a magnificent penalty taker). 5-4 was the final score in the shootout after a 1-1 draw in the game. Burnley will face Millwall in the next round and either Manchester City or Bournemouth in the round after that if they advance.
Taking us smoothly to Monday morning kiwi time where The Woodsman did some more of what he does best. Against a strong Leicester City team, the Clarets were pretty short-handed with both first-choice central defenders out injured (Ben Mee and James Tarkowski) as well as Ashley Barnes, Jack Cork and Johann Berg Gudmundsson... while Robbie Brady didn’t last a half before he needed replacing. And to make matters worse, Burnley haven’t signed an outfield player this transfer window and don’t have anything much on the horizon either. Tough times for manager Sean Dyche... but at least he has Chris Wood to call upon. Didn’t even take him ten minutes of the new season before he was muscling a defender out of the way and firing in goal number one on the road to 20+...
He’d already had one almost-chance where a direct ball over the top had him through in behind the defence for a second but he didn’t have the pace and was mowed down and tackled. Eh, he got his goal soon after. However so soon did Leicester City, whose superior class and talent would show out in the end against the makeshift Burnley defence in particular. Without the aggressive dominance of Tarkowski/Mee the Clarets were forced deep to counter with the slipperiness of Jamie Vardy (which in turn dragged their midfield back)... yet, ten minutes after Wood’s goal, Vardy still managed to leave two defenders on the ground and a goalkeeper out of position as he dragged a ball back to Timothy Castagne who squared to Harvey Barnes to score – Barnes who had put Vardy through in the first place with some lovely vision.
It was still 1-1 at the half, Burnley battling away like they always do despite the odds and Chris Wood playing an extremely on-brand half of football as he put a rare chance away even though he didn’t get to do a whole lot else. Stats don’t lie (especially the ‘goal’ bit - these are HT stats, obvs)...
But Leicester City made all their clever passing count in the second half. They scored five minutes into the second stanza as Erik Pieters diverted a Castagne cross into his own net, wrong-footing Nick Pope in goal. Then ten minutes after that James Justin tapped one in to make it 3-1. Burnley restored some hope when debutant CB Jimmy Dunne headed in a 73rd minute goal but then Dennis Praet was given too much room to shoot on the edge of the area and he lashed it into the top corner to make it 4-2.
Chris Wood had an effort to tie it at twos in the 58th minute when he combined with Jay Rodriguez but the return ball was just a little behind him and he couldn’t get his feet right to strike it with any power, his shot instead dug out straight at the goalie for a comfortable save. He almost scored in the final ten minutes as well, a couple Leicester City defenders over-committing without winning the ball which allowed Matej Vydra to find Wood open on the overlap... but his first time shot came back off the inside of the post. Probably one he’d have backed himself to score, though at the same time you can’t miss by any less than that. Leicester City with the 4-2 victory but a positive goal-scoring start for Woodsy, who made a little personal history in the process...
Up Next: Thursday at 6am away against Millwall in the EFL Cup third round and then Sunday at 8am, Burnley versus Southampton (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
You know what that is? That’s Joe Bell’s European debut as Viking welcomed Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen to Norway for Europa League qualifying football... and what better time for Bell to slide back into the starting line-up, his first start for a month. The reason for that being a broken finger for midfielder Kristoffer Løkberg which will apparently keep him out for 4-6 weeks thus opening up a nice little window for Bell to come back in as a first choice midfielder.
Aberdeen proved a little too good for VFK. In keeping with their recent form, Viking always looked capable of scoring a goal or two but at the same time they always looked likely to concede as well... which they did for the first time just before the half-time break as Ross McCrorie put one in on the rebound after a corner kick that was partially cleared. There was a discussion about whether an offside player had obscured the keeper’s view (backup keeper Iven Austbo, after their main starter Arild Ostbo was injured last game) but nah, the goal stood.
Viking had their chances and they just couldn’t take any. Veton Berisha had a couple of them while Ylldren Ibrahimaj headed over from close range in the first half. Aberdeen were the stronger team but it felt like they’d need that second goal if they were to go through... and with a dozen minutes left on the clock they got it. Ryan Hedges curling one in directly from a corner kick. That took the steam out of the game and 2-0 was the way it ended. Single-legged qualifiers this season (for logistical reasons), so that’s Viking’s European jaunt over after a lone match. So it goes. Ninety minutes for Joe Bell at least, who had a few sharp touches that you can see in the vid above.
Oh well, back to the domestic stuff and they didn’t have to wait long before Aalesund came to town and they didn’t have to wait much longer than that for Zymer Bytyqi put them in front, just five mins into the game. A real positive start to the game after a disappointing midweek result. Soon after that a Joe Bell corner was headed over the top and the chances kept coming for Viking after that.
Until they gave away a penalty and Aalesund tied the game up from the spot. Suddenly we had ourselves an open game and those defensive frailties were evident again from VFK but as much as they concede too many, they’ve been scoring even more and they took control of this one again in the second half, a penalty of their own allowed Veton Berisha to score in the 65th min and then a remarkable free kick from Zymer Bytyqi and a set piece header from Rolf Vikstøl made it comfortable. They did concede another penalty, which Aalesund scored, but then came the icing on the cake in stoppage time when this happened...
Yeah boy. That’s his second of the season and a beauty of a way to state his case to keep this starting gig as the season progresses. A 5-2 victory for Viking as they extend their league winning streak to four games (and six games unbeaten). It’s been enough to soar them up from relegation trouble to seventh on the ladder – in those six unbeaten games they’ve scored 20 goals and conceded 12 so plenty of action when the Vikings get going.
Up Next: Mjøndalen vs Viking, 5am on Monday (NZT)
Elijah Just - FC Helsingør (Danish Division 1)
Smooth as it gets on the counter attack. Elijah Just had a really good finish to last season as FCH were promoted to the First Division and at the higher level it seems he’s taken it to a new level already. This was the second goal in a 3-0 win over Hvidovre, coming in the 16th minute after Sebastian Czajkowski had already given them the lead five mins prior. Hvidovre did come back at them strong towards the end but then Oliver Kjaergaard put one away on the break with almost the last kick of the game to seal the deal. Eli Just had a couple other shots in this one, unable to bury them like he did that first one, but still a strong game from him. He was replaced with quarter of an hour to go... and he also had to do it alone this game as Callum McCowatt still hadn’t gotten his international clearance while Dalton Wilkins was out of the squad having been subbed off injured the game before.
That made it two wins from two to start their new season and a few days later at home to Vendsyssel FF they made it three outta three and just look at who got them started...
Not as pretty as his previous one but they all count the same. Back to back games with goals for Eli, who has surely now officially had a superb start to the new season. This one came quarter of an hour into the game. Soon after Jeppe Kjær thought he’d doubled the lead but the offside flag disagreed, while Just almost added a second five minutes before the half after a sharp one-two but his finish was parried up and caught by the keeper. Just had another crack ten minutes after the break but sent his shot off target from a tricky angle. But Kjær finally scored midway through the break and Anders Holst slotted a free kick with eleven minutes remaining for a 3-0 win, keeping them perfect after three games.
No sign of Callum McCowatt yet. As for Dalton Wilkins, there hasn’t been any word on the severity of his injury but he was once again out of the squad for the Vendsyssel game. Eli Just was subbed off with about twenty minutes remaining, soon after the second goal had been scored.
Up Next: Esbjerg vs Helsingør, Saturday at 5am (NZT)
Katie Rood - Lewes FC (English Championship)
If you’re wondering where all the ladies are at... it was an international break in Europe which meant no Women’s Super League, no Frauen Bundesliga, no Damallsvenskan, etc. We did get some American stuff so more on that in a second but yeah these sneaky international windows are always a pain, at least when New Zealand isn’t playing. Which is normally. Got a couple FA Cup quarter-finals coming up next weekend though as Ria Percival’s Tottenham have a derby tie against the severely-in-form Arsenal and Rebekah Stott’s Brighton face Birmingham.
Up Next: Plenty of newspapers to read until the weekend (but not The Sun or The Daily Mail, those are trash)
Ryan Thomas – PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie)
For most of this game it was looking like a routine win for PSV as they took on FC Emmen. The most important thing is that Ryan Thomas retained his starting gig in midfield, playing fairly deep to pick up the ball from defence but with the freedom to get forward at his discretion – pretty much the ideal role for Thomas. He had to fit in as a makeshift striker last season but now he’s beginning to show what he can do in the role they bought him for back before his injury.
Emmen had a few halfies early on while it was still scoreless but once PSV’s striker, 18 year old Englishman Noni Madueke, put them in the lead in the 21st minute it was more or less one way traffic. Madueke’s strike was his first Eredivisie goal and there’ll need to be more where that came from with word that Sam Lammers is close to moving to Atalanta (although they have signed Israeli striker Eran Zahavi). Anyway, PSV were dominant after that, flowing forward with pace and directness and allowing Thommo to keep it moving like clockwork in the middle (although he did get nutmegged in the highlights there one time, whoops).
Only problem was they forgot to score a second goal. Thomas had a shot that went wide after winning a loose ball on the edge of the area... and thus the game continued at 1-0 for longer than it should have. Still, it felt like Emmen weren’t gonna create anything meaningful. And they wouldn’t have... except PSV did it for them. Thomas had the ball in a bit of pressure on the left and he fed the fullback, who had no choice but to go back to the goalie. The backpass was from thirty odd metres away so it got to the fella under no pressure. But he missed it. Absolute shocker, a hilarious own goal.
Luckily for him, PSV came back and scored a 94th minute winner thanks to Maxi Romero. Donyell Malen had already gone close with a one on one, Romero himself had a header saved, ramping up the intensity after coasting for so much of the game, then finally Romero rose up highest to win the game and dig his goalkeeper out of trouble as PSV make it two wins from two. A quiet game from Thommo... but a quietly excellent one as he had 94 touches of the ball with 86% pass completion and a couple shots (both off target), also stepping in with four interceptions as he broke up play with his mobility. A whole season of this version of Ryan Thomas will be a lot of fun... particularly if they can get into the Europa League group stages again, a quest which they begin in a few days.
The PSV Supporters’ group agrees, they voted him Man of the Match for that performance. Former Danish international Kenneth Perez sure thinks too, here’s what he had to say about Thommo on the telly commentary:
“He is the brain of PSV. He sees so often where the ball is going to end. I really like that in a player like him. He is also very stable and good at passing. I think he will be a very important player for PSV.”
Up Next: Europa League qualifying third round away to NS Mura of Slovenia at 5am on Friday (NZT)
Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)
The good times keep rolling for Smithy at Colchester. He wore the captain’s armband with regular skipper Harry Pell missing this one through injury and he absolutely led by example in a strong Colchester performance. Both teams had chances in a competitive first half, with the post coming to the rescue for CU at one point, but the breakthrough fell to Colchester just before the half. 44 mins gone and a flick-on from a corner kick found Tom Eastman wide open to head his team into a 1-0 lead.
Straight from the second half kick-off Bolton thought they’d equalised through Alex Baptiste but his header was ruled out after he’d snuck offside as the cross was struck. Bolton kept coming at them and Smith and Eastman at the back had to be on their toes... but with 79 minutes gone they struck the knockout blow as Jevani Brown’s pace got him in behind from a long ball over the top and he slipped a touch past the rushing keeper for 2-0... and that’s the way it ended. First win of the season for the U’s.
Elsewhere in the Football League, Nik Tzanev was back to the bench for AFC Wimbledon with Connal Trueman feeling healthy again... as they blew a two-goal lead with quarter of an hour remaining to draw 4-4 with Plymouth Argyle.
Up Next: Barrow vs Colchester, Sunday at 3am (NZT)
Michael Woud – Almere City (Dutch Eerste Divisie)
He’s really starting to get the hang of this Almere City thing now. After conceding four goals in a 6-4 win last week, Michael Woud kept consecutive clean sheets this week with a 3-0 win over FC Oss and then a 1-0 win over NEC Nijmegen. The first game relatively straightforward as they went up by two goals after only 25 minutes and should really have won by more than three in the end, not that it matters. On the other hand NEC gave them a proper battle with a Damon Mirani goal from a corner ten minutes after the break the difference between the two teams on the night. This after a couple crucial saves from Woud to keep things level. A fair result in the end though... and it takes Almere City clear top of the table after four rounds, still undefeated since Woud signed on loan.
Up Next: Saturday at 4.45am versus Helmond Sport (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
Tallying them up. This after his 100th MLS appearance a couple games back (he also played 19 games for Vancouver Whitecaps back in the day). This also after he and his wife welcomed their second child into the world the week before. Beautiful... and how did Boxy celebrate? By giving away a penalty, of course.
The Loons were already 1-0 up against Houston Dynamo after Kevin Molino had peeled off his marker and gotten through into the box where he lashed a left-footer across the goal and inside the bottom corner. Nice goal... but five minutes later Boxall, the only Minnesota player to have played every minute this season by the way, got a bit too physical as Memo Rodríguez ran along the goal-line after stripping the ball of MU’s Romain Métanire just outside the box. Boxall stepped in to win the ball but didn’t quite reach it cleanly and Memo went tumbling for a no-doubter penalty kick. But Dayne St Clair made a brilliant save with his foot to deny former Loon Darwin Quintero... beers on Boxy this week for that dude. Robin Lod snuck a second in during first half stoppage time and Minny were in a good place.
But this was a good old game of two halves. Darwin Quintero came back out looking to make amends and after St Clair got in his way a couple more times he finally lifted one over the fella in the 58th minute to get his team back in the match and ten minutes later they scored again as Quintero had a free kick (from Joe Bell territory) superbly saved, tipped onto the crossbar, only for Maynor Figueira to nod in the rebound and tie us up at twos. And with two minutes left, Jan Gregus got sent off for lashing out at a Houston player. They were 2-0 up at the half and they ended up drawing 2-2 with ten men with only their goalie to save them from losing it. Boxall also picked up a yellow card. James Musa was an unused sub.
On the positive, Minny just traded for striker Kei Kamara, proper goal scorer who joins his eighth MLS team after previously playing with Flying Kiwis alums at both Vancouver Whitecaps and Colorado Rapids these last few years... a friend and an ally of the Flying Kiwis realm, this dude.
Michael Boxall: “You look at our injury list and see kind of what’s happened. Not only to our team, but quite a few teams around the league. The games and the travel is taking its toll. Personally, I’m tired but battling through. Obviously with Beau [his newborn son, full name: Beau Beckham Boxall] coming Wednesday morning and that game [last week’s, not this week’s], it’s been not the best sleep I’ve ever had. It doesn’t help at all, but it’s one of the things that you have to get on with. I’m looking forward to getting home and these next few days and having a full week to prepare for the next few games coming up. I think us and a lot of teams need the rest to get some legs back.”
Up Next: Another double banger week as they face Columbus away at 11.30am on Thursday and then host Real Salt Lake on Monday at 1pm (NZT)
Elliot Collier – Chicago Fire (American Major League Soccer)
After subbing in for an injured Djordje Mihailovic last week, there was a decent chance that Collier would get another start as the Fire played Orlando City this time around. As it happens Mihailovic ended up being fine to play that one... yet Collier got the start anyway. His second start of the season, lining up on the right wing with Fabian Herbers missing from the team altogether. Seemingly just a rest for that fella.
Collier’s felt like he’s on the verge of a breakout performance with his growing involvement for the Fire over the last month and a half... but it didn’t happen this week so we’re still waiting. Instead this was one of those games where everything seemed to go against the Fire and a pretty positive attacking performance somehow ended up in a hefty defeat.
It began with Robert Beric having a shot deflected onto the crossbar just a few minutes into the match. Unlucky. Then ten minutes in and they were behind as Christopher Mueller cut inside too easily but then scuffed his shot... which fooled the keeper and rolled gently in. Unlucky. 19th minute and Chicago hit the woodwork again, this time through Ignacio Aliseda as he followed up on a fumble from the City keeper. Unlucky. 23 minutes and Nani headed in a second for Orlando... not really unlucky, just soft defending and a good very cross.
But they were extremely unlucky in the 27th minute when Francisco Calvo flicked one in off his head from a deep free kick and nearly three minutes of deliberation later it was overturned because... because Elliot Collier was offside from the kick. Which he was, but what exactly he had to do with interfering in play is harder to ascertain. Calvo made his run from an onside position, unobstructed, as Collier faded back into the pack. Strange decision. Definitely unlucky.
Chicago won a penalty a few minutes later which could’ve made up for the earlier mess... only they combined to make it messier as three dudes all started arguing (Collier not amongst them, being a sensible fellow) about which of them should take the spottie. Alvaro Medran got the honours... and of course Pedro Gallese went and saved it. Unlucky and also embarrassing.
After the half they won another spottie and this time Robert Beric took it and he scored, sending Gallese the wrong way. Chicago kept battling away at 2-1 and thought they’d equalised in the 58th min... but another goal got disallowed, this time for a handball. Nothing to do with Collier, thankfully. The right call yet still unlucky. Collier then got subbed off with 25 minutes remaining for the fit-again-but-not-quite-fit-enough-to-start CJ Sapong... and Orlando City scored two late goals to clinch a 4-1 win. They’re now six games undefeated while Chicago keep on finding ways to avoid winning.
Up Next: Chicago vs Houston Dynamo, Thursday at 11.30am (NZT)
Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
Not one but two starts for Tuiloma this week, both against San Jose Earthquakes as the two teams had a little double-header thing going on. First game and it was pretty poor from the Timbers, who could only muster six shots in total although they led for nearly half of the match after Yimmi Chara scored in the 33rd minute – a sweet goal set up by his brother Diego that come against the run of play. San Jose would hit the post before the half was out and they continued to be frustrated.
As they were in the 59th minute when Bill Tuiloma managed to block a shot from point blank range having already hit the deck. It sorta looked like he reached out towards it to block the shot intentionally in a level of bravery unseen since Steven Taylor left the Wellington Phoenix, though to be fair he might have been trying to get out of the way. Whatever his intentions were, he stopped the goal and also took a kind of scary hit causing the game to be paused while he was checked out... but he was alright, phew.
San Jose would equalise eventually, Valeri Qazaishvili with the quick feet to beat the keeper and score in one motion in the 75th minute... although it took a while to be awarded as play continued until the VAR could get a peek at it. 1-1 was the final score, probably a good point for Portland on the basis of a game in which they did a whole lot of scrambling defending.
But three days later it was a completely different story. Again Bill Tuiloma started for the Timbers, this time with Julio Cascante next to him instead of Dario Zuparic - Larrys Mabiala is out injured at the moment which has opened the door up to Tui to play a few more minutes lately. No need to stick his head in any precarious positions in this game however, Portland going with more of a top choice attacking crew to go with their defensive rotation and sure enough Diego Valeri stepped up to give them a 25th minute lead after a penalty for handball and Jeremy Ebobisse doubling that lead soon after with a downward header.
A comprehensive Carlos Viero finish closed the gap going into the break but then Portland ran away with it in the second half. Valeri got his second via a double deflection and after surviving a few more San Jose cracks they put it beyond doubts as Yimmy Chara popped up in the 70th minute... before Julio Cascante and Jaro Niezgoda both added late ones for a 6-1 win.
Up Next: Portland vs Seattle in the derby on Thursday at 2pm (NZT)
Nando Pijnaker – Rio Ave (Portuguese Primeira Liga)
On the bench for the opening game of the new campaign. He’d be an unused sub as Rio Ave drew 1-1 with Tondela (one of Tyler Boyd’s old clubs) thanks to an injury time equaliser but the fact that he’s already in the mix so soon after signing is exciting. Not just there to hang out in the reserves, no way.
He might even get some European footy sooner rather than later too because Rio Ave made it through the second round of Europa qualifying earlier in the week too. The game was still scoreless against Bosnian team Borac Banja Luka going into the final minute of regulation time and they went on to win 2-0. A 90th minute Tarantini goal followed by a Nikola Jambor strike in the sixth minute of injury time getting the job done.
They’ll face... Tyler Boyd’s Beşiktaş in the next round! That one’s in the midweek and the game after, back in Portugal for the weekend, they play Vitoria Guimaraes... another former Boyd haunt. So three games in a row in which one of Ole Academy’s finest exports plays the three Euro clubs of another iconic Ole Academy graduate. What are the odds?
Up Next: Beşiktaş vs Rio Ave, 5am on Friday, Europa League qualifying (NZT)
George Stanger - Hamilton Academical (Scottish Premiership)
Another cheeky bench appearance, this time it’s kiwi youth international George Stanger as he had a front row seat for the Accies’ 2-1 loss away to Kilmarnock. It’s a little over a year since Stanger made his Scottish Premiership debut against Motherwell with a 90 minute effort and this was only his third time in a matchday squad for an Accies league game. He was away on loan at Forfar trying to get match experience when the pandemic hit and has mostly played for the Accies academy teams... so a very encouraging development here. This was HA’s seventh game of the Premiership season (they’re 11th out of 12 teams atm).
Up Next: Sunday at 3am against Dundee United (NZT)
Katie Bowen – Utah Royals (American National Women’s Soccer League)
Finally got some Aotearoa interest in the NWSL Fall Series. Ali Riley’s away on loan in Sweden while Abby Erceg has opted out of the (hastily arranged) competition... but Katie Bowen and Rosie White are still in the middle of it all, it’s just taken a while for them to get to play because of the mini hubs they’ve arranged the games into. In fact Rosie White’s OL Reign still haven’t had a go yet, they’ll play against Utah on Sunday. Utah who faced the Portland Thorns on Monday to get their Fall Series underway.
The good news is that Katie Bowen played ninety minute at right back. The bad news is that they were comfortably outplayed in a 3-0 defeat. Simone Charley scored a blinder in the 34th minute. Amy Rodriguez had a great chance to level it up which she pushed past the post early in the second half but other than that it was all Portland and they eventually got a second through a Sophia Smith header in the 72nd minute and Lindsey Horan got the third when she charged down a goalkeeper clearance that bounced off her and into the net. So... could have been better. A first ninety minute game for Katie Bowen this year though, after five appearances in the Challenge Cup where she was either subbed on or subbed off.
Up Next: 8.30am on Sunday, Utah Royals vs OL Reign (NZT)
Greg Draper – The New Saints (Welsh Premier League)
Greg Draper doesn’t seem to be as prominent for TNS these days, the veteran striker having to settle for a spot on the bench more or less every week now. He’s started one and come off the bench for one of their two league games so far while he was an unused sub in their first round Europa League qualifying extra time win over Žilina (Slovakia) and only got three minutes at the end of extra time of their second round matchup away to B36 (Faroe Islands).
A game which they’d needed an 80th minute equaliser to take into extras... and then when Draper came on they’d just scored to take a 2-1 lead with eight minutes remaining... only to concede again in the second minute of injury time. Just seconds away from advancing. Instead we had to go to penalties where again they were on the brink of advancing. Greg Draper stepped up and scored TNS’ third attempt to make it 3-3 with both teams perfect when B36 missed their fourth off the crossbar and if Dean Ebbe had scored TNS’ fifth kick then they’d have been into the next round. But he didn’t, his shot was saved. Then B36 scored and Daniel Redmond missed the following attempt as TNC exited the competition with a 5-4 defeat in the shootout after a 2-2 draw.
TNSFC.co.uk: “It takes something – or someone – very special to keep Greg Draper out of the starting line-up. So far this season, that someone has been Dean Ebbe. His work rate is up there with the best, and with a goal and an assist to his name in the Faroe Islands, the statistics speak for themselves.”
Draper got that first start of the season in the subsequent league game though, as they beat Cardiff Met 2-0 to help ease the continental hangover. Didn’t get a goal but ‘twas a good win – TNS the only team in Wales to win both their first two games of the 2020-21 term.
Up Next: Caernarfon Town vs TNS, 2.30am on Monday (NZT)
Erin Nayler – Reading FC (English Super League)
Get amongst it.
Up Next: Still waiting for that Reading debut, next chance is away to West Ham at 3am on Monday 5 October (NZT)
Sarpreet Singh - Nürnberg (German Liga 2)
Coming off a ruthless club debut in the cup against RB Leipzig a week ago, it was back to more humble territory for Sarpreet Singh as he started for Nürnberg in their Bundesliga 2 opener against SSV Jahn Regensburg. Singh would play 69 minutes before being replaced, a little more than he lasted in the cup game so they’re clearly building him up (compared to the Bayern keeper who also joined on loan with him, who was an unused sub in this match).
FCN took the lead late in the first half via Tim Handwerker but despite some quality work in the defensive areas all night they weren’t able to hold that lead, conceding in the second half from the penalty spot after a point-blank handball was given. Not a lot of chances really flying about in this one though and it seems FCN were relatively satisfied with a 1-1 draw away from home to kick the season off. As they ought to be.
Up Next: SV Sandhausen at home on Monday at 12.30am (NZT)
Nikko Boxall – SJK (Finnish Veikkausliiga)
With a 1-0 win away at Inter Turku, all of a sudden SJK seem to have found some real form. That’s their fourth win on the trot and it lifts them up into the top half of the table (which is crucial because later in the season they split the league into Championship and Relegation rounds based on that line), albeit only by goal difference. This was also the first clean sheet they’ve kept that wasn’t in a 0-0 draw since the first game of the season (this was game number sixteen). A 20th minute goal from Brazilian defender Murilo was the difference, ninety minutes in there for Nikko Boxall of course.
Up Next: SJK vs Lhati, 3.30am on Thursday (NZT)
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