Futsal team come gen-uninely close to upsetting the odds
Maccabi GB fielded their most inexperienced side of the season for their latest match, though proved to be more than a match against Genesis as they fell to a narrow defeat.
FA National Futsal League Division One South
Genesis 10 Maccabi GB Futsal 6
Sunday, 4 January, 2014
Jamie Nagioff took to the court for the first time as MGB looked to gain revenge on a side who beat them 9-1 when the sides last met towards the end of 2014.
MGB Futsal started off the stronger team, not for the first time this season, with Jamie Bernstein and Kurrant running past their opponents at will. The latter ‘Russian-stepped’ his opposing winger down the left channel before cutting inside and toeing his effort high past the goalkeeper. 1-0 to MGB and a small taster of the potential threat the away side had in their locker.
Genesis, however, began to gain a foothold in the match and MGB Futsal’s dominance didn’t last long. Slow to be closed down, the Genesis forward manoeuvred the ball onto his deadly left peg and smashed it into the top corner before Davidson could even react.
MGB did not falter and soon took the lead back. Kurrant stepped onto a forced pass, countering with the ball. His effort was hit well but straight at the goalkeeper, but Jamie Bernstein did superbly to react the quickest and he side-footed the rebound into the bottom right hand corner to make it 1-2. Frustratingly, MGB didn’t learn from their previous mistake of shutting down their opponents around the box and another well-timed strike leveled the score once again; 2-2. Genesis then took control midway through the first half scoring fantastically intricate goals – each a replica of the last – to make the score 5-2 at the interval. The end of the first half had dealt a blow to MGB who looked in control in the opening exchanges of the game, but Genesis showed their tactical class to create the openings when it mattered.
The start of the second half saw Genesis maintain all the possession and camp outside the MGB area. The pressure soon told, a scramble in the box allowing an easy tap-in at the back-post to make it 6-2.
MGB kept on fighting and, after great hold-up play by Barnett in the box, a penalty was awarded for pulling the pivot down. Jordan Davidson, the MGB-nominated penalty taker, smashed the ball down the middle to reduce the deficit to three.
MGB started to get back into the match and two opportunities flashed past the Genesis post. The feeling was that if MGB were to get another before Genesis struck, the nerves might enter the home side’s minds. Unfortunately, this was not the case and Genesis struck on the counter-attack to make it 7-3.
MGB again fought back and moments later Kurrant was on the attack once again. He played the ball from the cierre position to Adam Bernstein, who continued his run before playing in Kurrant to slot home and make the score 7-4. Genesis were able to add another brace, making the Maccabi GB comeback ever harder, and soon raced to a 9-4 advantage.
MGB still didn’t let their heads drop and within a minute had the score line within three once again. Gideon Barnett found himself on the edge of the area, shimmied past his man before blasting an effort into the net, 9-5.
Moments later, Kurrant broke down the right flank, scythed the Genesis defence before finding the excellent run of Jamie Nagioff. The debutant coolly slotted inside the keeper’s near post to make the match close once again. MGB’s tails were well and truly up and Nagioff went close soon after with good work again by Kurrant down the flank.
Barnett was a constant thorn in the side for the Genesis cierre and once again won another 6m penalty for MGB with four minutes to go. Davidson could not replicate his earlier finish and the Genesis keeper parried well to keep MGB within three. MGB power-played and Davidson struck the post from distance after a well-worked set piece.
Davidson was beginning to become MGB’s biggest attacking threat and again flashed the ball agonisingly wide of the opposing goal. Jamie Bernstein worked his magic down the right flank and also hit the post and it just seemed that the ball would not go in for his side.
At the death, Genesis countered with precision and scored again and, although Maccabi GB had been outclassed on the day in pivotal spells of the game, this could have been closer than the 10-6 score line suggested.
Goalscorers:
Kurrant x2
Barnett
J. Bernstein
Davidson
Nagioff
Squad:
1. Jordan Davidson
3. Jamie Nagioff
4. Nathan Kashket
5. Adam Bernstein
7. Jamie Bernstein
8. Jon Kurrant
10. Jonah Gordon-Boyd
11. Gideon Barnett
12. Jonny Cohen
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