League

Libertyville Stadium
Spectators: 5000 (Terracing: 4000, Seating: 1000, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Lincoln Herndon started the match with the kick off. David McKinnon in the 3rdth minute had a little luck and got a chance for a shot in front of the goal. Without hesitation aimed to the right of Ali Thomson, who managed to lunge to the right direction and made a save. Lincoln Herndon sent away a hard shot on goal in the 5th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Clint Friend hit a great freekick 6 minutes into the match. 9 minutes into the match, David McKinnon notched a goal, 1-0, to the right of Menlo's Ali Thomson. Ali Thomson was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. After 12 played minutes Energy FC got a freekick which was hit by Sanford Carroll. Ned Turner received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 13th minute. Woodrow Patrick tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After 15 minutes of play, Menlo's Lincoln Herndon made it 1-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Woodrow Patrick was left in no man's land by his defense there! Gregory Short's late challenge caught a Menlo's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Gregory Short helped the player get up and apologised. The supporters of Menlo booed when Energy FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 18 match minutes in a wonderful position. Gregory Short didn't get a good kick on the ball. Menlo's Ned Turner got a good chance for a goal in the 18th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. The audience thought a goal was coming when David McKinnon got free with Ali Thomson in the 21st minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Jaime Mathews fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 24th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Ali Thomson having to interfere. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Winston Fraser during the 25th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 25th match minute, Menlo was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Winston Fraser to maneuver through the defense. Menlo's defense didn't have a chance, in the 29th minute, when Gregory Short scored to the left of an out of position Ali Thomson, making the score, 2-1. Ali Thomson took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Gregory Short, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Ned Turner scored 2-2 in the 33rd match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Woodrow Patrick, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. In the 36th match minute, Menlo was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Emmanuel Bolton to maneuver through the defense. In the 37th match minute, Energy FC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Denis Stearns to maneuver through the defense. Lincoln Herndon fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 42nd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Woodrow Patrick having to interfere. After some fancy dribbling in the 43rd minute, Lincoln Herndon managed to get in a good position for a shot. Menlo's supporters rose to their feet, but Lincoln Herndon was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Woodrow Patrick breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Ali Thomson showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Stanley Jean, who was totally free with the ball in the 46th minute. The score stood at 2-2 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Gregory Short was the one to do the kick off. Ali Thomson stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Gregory Short's shot from short distance in the 52nd minute. In the 53rd minute, Lincoln Herndon fired away a shot on goal. He put a little to much spin on the ball and sent it just wide of the right post. Ali Thomson made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Gregory Short in the 56th minute of play. When Clint Friend was, once again, overly rough in his play he received his second yellow card and was ordered off the ground. 57 minutes had been played. A collision led to Menlo getting a freekick after 57 minutes play. Clint Friend hit a great ball. In the 60th minute, Winston Fraser hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. In the 61st minute David McKinnon shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ali Thomson saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. If Ned Turner had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 63rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Jaime Mathews kicked well hit freekick during the 65th minute of the match. 69 minutes into the match, Jaime Mathews had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Ali Thomson. Menlo's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Jaime Mathews was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 3-2. 72 minutes into the game, Hank Masters was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Menlo's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Energy FC the free kick. Lincoln Herndon fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 78th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Woodrow Patrick having to interfere. Ali Thomson made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from David McKinnon in the 80th minute of play. After 81 played minutes Menlo got a freekick which was hit by Winston Fraser. David McKinnon received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 83rd minute. Ali Thomson tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 85 minutes into the match, Menlo's goal looked a bit too open when Gregory Short came free, but Ali Thomson reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. 86 minutes into the game, one of Menlo:s players got tackled near the goal, and the referee blew for a penalty. Sanford Carroll shot the penalty kick by force right in the crossbar. No goal. Ali Thomson made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from David McKinnon in the 90th minute of play. In the 91st minute, Menlo's Jim Banks seemed to kick out at an opponent. The referee saw this and, surprisingly, showed Jim Banks the red card, dismissing him from the pitch. The coaching staff of Menlo protested bitterly, but the referee would have none of it, and Jim Banks had no choice but to slowly walk off the pitch. After 91 minutes of play, the referee blew the whistle. It was a penalty for Menlo! In the 101st minute, Dario Steele made a precise shot to the right of Ali Thomson. Menlo's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 5-2. Menlo's players left the field with heads hung low after losing a match that had been finely balanced throughout.