Futsal team lose season opener

Maccabi GB’s futsal side got their season off to a losing start after they were beaten by a strong FC Baltic side, a team who have qualified for the Super League for the last two seasons and the only side to take points off professional outfit Baku.

FA National Futsal League South Division Two:
Maccabi GB 4 FC Baltic 13
Sunday, 14 September, 2014

The opening five minutes of the game quickly showed the underdogs the difference between Division Two and Division One. Fantastic pressure coupled with clinical finishing had Baltic 2-0 ahead after six minutes.

Maccabi showed grit and class to claw their way back. A foul, 15m out from the Baltic goal had Kurrant on the ball. He dummied the shot, passed out wide to Sollosi, checking to receive the ball back. Kurrant then shot toward goal and Weinberger toed the ball into the corner, 1-2!

Baltic again grabbed their two-goal cushion a minute later, naivety in defence allowed the middle to be open. Baltic took full advantage and do not need second chances, blasting the ball into the corner, 1-3.

The second part of the first half was then all Maccabi GB, visibly rocking their visitors. A ball was arrowed into Shulton as pivot, pinning his man, he flicked the ball round the corner to the onrushing Bernstein. Bernstein flew with the ball down the right channel, crashing the ball to the back-post for Olcot to score a great goal!

MGB got it back to level-pegging two minutes later. Baltic had acquired five fouls against them, the sixth came when Shulton, who tracked back magnificently, won the ball back and was hauled over. Bernstein took the resultant 10m penalty and slotted the ball coolly between the keepers’ legs, 3-3.

Maccabi GB had all the momentum, but naivety struck again, with 10 seconds left on the clock before half-time, Baltic countered caressing the ball into Lipman’s left hand corner, taking a 3-4 lead into half time.

The second half started for MGB the way the first finished. In the ascendency, Shulton sent two efforts crashing against the post, agonisingly rolling across the goal before being cleared.

Then in a crazy three-minute spell, Baltic swung the momentum, scoring four in quick succession, bamboozling the Maccabi GB defence, 8-3.

Vladamir for Baltic was sent-off for a poor substitution through the gates and were down to four men. Maccabi GB took full advantage and scored when Kurrant slipped the ball towards Sammy Horne, deflected into the goal, 4-8.

Baltic were relentless and clinical, a lesson MGB will have to learn from as two goals were scored on the counter before Kurrant received a second bookable offence for handball.

Baltic closed out the game 4-13, a second half performance that did not match the work rate or intensity from MGB that they set in the first half.

MOM: Scott Shulton. His tireless running on and off the ball was a constant threat to F.C Baltic and was very unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet.

Starting V:
1: Dan Lipman
3: Alex Olcot
8: Scott Shulton (c)
11: Jamie Bernstein
12: Jon Kurrant

Subs:
2: Sammy Horne
7: Benji Weinberger
9: Sam Sollosi
10: Jonah Gordon-Boyd
13: Jordan Davidson
14: Aviel Schwarz

Goalscorers for MGB:
Weinberger
Olcot
Bernstein
Kurrant