G’Day Footy Fans!
After a welcome break, a chance for some much earned R’n’R and an opportunity to wash the stench of defeat off themselves the boys from Söder were back in action this Saturday. The game, part of Sweden’s Eliteserien was against Stockholm Dynamite the representative side from the capital that the Blues themselves call home.
It was also a chance to celebrate the 100th appearance for the club of Lars ‘the fossil’ Hagberg, an ever present in the Södermalm lineup – one can count on two hands the number of games this guy has missed for the club in a career spanning the past seven years! He’s the first Söder player to reach 100 club games, and he’s still showing us all how it’s done!
Given the pool of talent the dynamite have to choose from (even at the back end of the holidays) this was always going to be a test for Bluey’s crew! So the boys were glad to welcome back Rob ‘get some nuts’ Njoku from injury to lead the forward line.
The game got underway defying the Swedish version of summer in warm sunny conditions and the Dynamite quickly made hay shooting out to a three goal lead. The slap in the face woke up the sleeping giants of Söder and they began to hustle and push their way back into the first quarter. Smooth handling from the midfield and good use of his large frame enabled Njoku to get his mitts on the ball inside the 50 and convincingly slotting home.
If Söder underperformed in the first then they put on an absolute masterclass in the second with Ruckman Mik ‘Stan the man’ Larsson tapping out to a number of onballers including the ever youthful Rappaccio who found their targets in the front line who subsequently wasted no time in finding their targets. Any hastiness from earlier in the season in front of goal was dispelled as the forwards coolly converted. This purple patch saw Söder kick six consecutively and force the Dynamite onto the back foot.
After the half Södermalm could taste victory and came out pumped once more picking up where they left off. As the rest of the half wore on there was some good contested footie with Rob Young and Oscar Magnusson probably the standout players for Dynamite.
In the end though the Blues unity showed through and they sealed the game off, after which Lethal Larry was hoisted aloft and celebrated for all to see!
The Blues now look forward to a top of the ladder clash against Solna Axemen this coming Saturday followed by a road trip to Nörrtälje to play the Dynamite in the return leg, no doubt another hotly contested affair!
C’mon the Blues!