Lucky Village climb out of relegation
published: Monday | March 3, 2008
Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
Village United yesterday for the first time this season got a taste of life outside the relegation zone following a lucky 1-0 and somewhat controversial win over bottom-of-the-table August Town.
Ian McAnuff curled a direct free kick through the wall in two minutes of added time following a handball just outside the August Town area. The call which resulted in the goal was questioned by the August Town squad, especially assistant coach Matthew Wallace.
Dominic Spaulding, who acted as coach for the day and a man known for his ready smile, became stone-faced at the final whistle and respectfully stated that he would not be speaking and pointed the media to assistant coach Wallace.
"As part of the coaching staff we are truly disappointed. It is a loss that is really cramping our style more and more. We needs to realise how important it is to win and not only to say that we want to win," Wallace offered before venting his frustration.
Blunders
"They (players) fought hard and all of that but with refereeing blunders like that in the last minute of the game. You cannot be blundering like that around the edge of the 18-yard either.
"The man pointed to the penalty spot and then he pointed to an indirect kick outside the box. Those things cannot happen in the football," Wallace said of referee Ricardo Sailsman's officiating. "I cannot dispute that the ball was handled because to be honest the play wasn't anywhere close by my vision.
"He turned his body in the direction of the opponents' goal and then he is going to turn and say it was Village's kick," he continued indicating that Sailsman changed his mind. Village's Paul 'Tegat' Davis admitted that Village were lucky to win.
"In football you need luck. Sometimes you play some good games and hit the crossbars and so forth but that's part of the game," said a pleased Davis, whose team moved up to 26 points and ninth position on goal difference over Sporting Central and Reno.
The game itself was dominated by August Town in quality of play, ball possession and chances created but they could not make that dominance count. Village resorted to a counter-attacking stance and created a few chances of their own. They too fired blanks until the conversion of the free-kick.
