Match report
Partly good, partly bad, entirely spolied
Renaissance 3 - 3 Enterprise
12 April 2007
Colin Presly
The old maxim that says that football is a "game of two halves" could not have been better underlined than in this contest at Haverstock. With Renaissance leading 3-0 at half time against old rivals Enterprise it looked as though they had gone some way to exorcise the ghosts from the last two demoralising league defeats. However, a fortunate first comeback goal and a slightly controversial late equaliser meant that Renaissance had to settle for a share of the spoils.
With Masaccio ruled out with a bout of flu, old hand Xawfrus resumed duties between the sticks. Rembrandt returned to the side after missing the Ted Baker game. Da Vinci was unavilable for selection.
It seemed as though Renaissance could not have started any brighter. They took the game to Enterprise and went straight for the ol' jugular. After ten minutes Renaissance were two nil up. Great work from the midfield allowed a pass to be played through to Cartman. Facing the keeper one on one he made no mistake.
Strangely enough, the second goal was almost a carbon copy of the first. The likeable German moved in again towards the goal. Another clinical finish followed. Cartman soon played a hand in Renaissance's deserved third goal. Tracking back well, the player helped to break up an Enterprise attack. The ball fell to the Artist, who lined up a pop on goal. Seconds later, a screamer of a shot gave the Enterprise custodian little chance.
In response, Enterprise offered very little in the remainder of the first half. Reduced to a few speculative shots, Xawfrus was barely troubled. HT 3-0.
As the second half began, it became clear that this might well be a closer affair. After four or five minutes, Enterprise grabbed a life line, albeit a slightly lucky one. Rembrandt looked to guide a header back to Xawfrus, following a long ball. Unfortunately, the defender was not able to get the connection he wanted, and instead the ball looped up and fell kindly to an Enterprise player. He knocked it home from very close range.
They seemed galvanized by this goal, and soon added a second. Substitute Col failed to track a runner from midfield. With the Renaissance defence backing off, the lad shot and scored low into the bottom left hand corner. 3-2.
By now, Renaissance's attacking options seemed to dry up. They were unable to match the heroics of the first half. Rembrandt's shot from a tight angle drifted wide of the post. Perhaps the best chance to a get a fourth goal came from a nice one-two between Col and Brunelleschi. This allowed the latter some time and space to hit a shot. Agonisingly, the ball went just over the bar.
The way the game was going Enterprise could smell an equaliser. Very late in the game they got one. It had seemed the match had reached an end with the ref suggesting so, having twice put the whistle to his mouth. However, he allowed Enterprise one more attack. Crucially, a player was able to get off a shot in a crowded Renaissance half. The ball found the net. Cartman and the Artist barely had time to kick off again before the final whistle did bring an end to a pulsating encounter. FT 3-3.
Renaissance have produced a curate's egg of a performance. They will not want it to seem a case of sour grapes though, as they know that they were well below par in the second half. A question remains. With two key games to go, do Renaissance have enough fight left to see things over the finish line?
Renaissance glossary
fugazi
1. a waste of time; or a useless person, situation, or thing.
2. the ability to worsen an already desperate situation.
dossier
1. a blueprint of plans for an intense training session.
2. a highly detailed and thorough critique of an opponents strengths and weaknesses.
Check out more definitions from the Renaissance Glossary.