Gladesville Ravens - Raven Report

Here we go, here we go, here we go... The draw for the 2004 season is here, with Ravens taking their rightful place in the new ten team GHFA Premier League. Stay tuned for regular updates and breaking news. If you've got a spare five hours, you can access our 2003 and 2002 archives right here.

Check out www.ghfa.com.au and try negotiating their tricky results and tables feature..

Goal machine Keith Lambourn was top marksman last season with a phenomenal 15 goals. Will he be back to his best this season, or will there be a newly crowned King of Goals?

Goal of the year holder Stevie Zalalas will be aiming for another top-drawer effort to retain his mantle. Stay tuned as the goals flow.

Ben Shine - Epping YMCA (Away)
Without a league goal all season, who would have predicted a searing thirty yarder from the boot of Benny, after good work by Keith had set up the opportunity. A goal worthy of the Premera Liga from the young midfield starlet.

Chris Bryant - Pennant Hills (Home)
A great ball from Robbie sent Chris through on goal and with the keeper advancing he got to the ball first and headed it down and past the keeper and then tapped the ball into the back of the net. A fantastic goal and one which he let the Pennant Hills faithful know about as well after they had taunted him throughout the first half.

Paul Galanos - Pennant Hills (Home)
Sprinting into the area on to a pass by Craig, who would have predicted the perfect control, the calm head and the pinpoint finish to put the Ravens one up, with the irrepressible Gal scoring a cracker.

Bradley McIndoe - Putney Rangers (Home)
Matty floated a beautiful ball into the box, which was met with a powerful diving header from Bradley that sent the ball flying into the top right hand corner. What a ball and what a goal!!! The Ravens players and fans celebrated fervently, as the Putney heads dropped.

Georgie Vallas - Epping YMCA (Home)
Ravens on the counter, a precision ball forward from Brendon "Moussoir" Harden finds Georgie racing through the centre, a touch to control, a touch to compose, a touch on to the left and a deadly finish via the goalkeeper's fingertips for 1-0 Ravens. Route one soccer made to look attractive.

Robbie Volpato - Pennant Hills (Away)
A controversial goal in its inception, but a spectacular shot from distance that just evaded the keeper's fingers and found the net to set Ravens up for another three points.

Costa Roids Hrysanthos - West Pennant Hills (Home)
A goal made by the Zedman, picking the ball up on the right, feeding Zorby who held the ball up and hoisted the ball over for towards the dynamic run of the mercurial winger, whose ball to Roids saw an unstoppable shot unleashed with the right boot. That shooting practice from Thursday night when Roids was meant to be injured did the trick.

Bradley McIndoe - West Pennant Hills (Home)
A move of sublime skill and panache, Meeky sending Roids away with a deft through ball, the perfect square ball to Bradley, who took his time to size up the chance, check for wind, blow his nose and write his memoirs, before placing a shot past the keeper for 2-0.

Shawn Maple - North Epping Rangers (Home)
A midfield masterpiece, the anchormen craftily toying with possession, feeding Roids for the lay off and a screaming effort from leading scorer Shawn into the roof of the net from 25 yards.

Pete Smith - Normanhurst Eagles (Home)
With the Ravens down 1-0 it was time for a set piece straight from the training ground. Nico Christou with the free-kick, Tex first to react at the near post, running on to half volley the ball into the roof of the net for a dramatic equaliser.

Keith Lambourn - Epping Eastwood (Home)
Ravens came out firing in the second half and were rewarded within five minutes, Goergie V ghosting down the right and whipping in a pinpoint precision cross for the head of the incoming Keith whose bullet header gave Ravens the impetus for a rip roaring second half.

Shawn Maple - Eastwood St Andrews (Home)
This is what Premier League is all about, and what a magical goal from Ravens busy midfielder Shawnie. Receiving the ball some 25 yards out, a shimmy on to the left peg, and a world class curling effort beyond the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper and inside the apex of post and cross bar sent the crowd into raptures. Extra points for the celebration at the Hill.

Stevie Zalalas - Eastwood St Andrews (Home)
Ravens stepping up a gear, and man of the moment Shawn jinks past two men as he looks for the shot; however he makes for the by-line and crosses a superb ball in for the incoming Zedman to steer the ball into the net with a pinpoint header for the match winning goal. The celebrations well received by the Peel Hill faithful.

Dean Meek - Thornleigh (Away)
A majestic ball over the top from Matty Roberts, Meeky burst on to it down the left, controlled exquisitely with his left, took a touch to draw the keeper, and cracked a stunning shot inside the right hand post for a well deserved second goal.

The Man of the Match awards, handed out by the captains after each game, is the most coveted of awards - a trophy at the presentation night awaits. Table up Pennant Hills (H).

First Grade	Total Pts	Reserve Grade	Total Pts
Nathan Hickman	18	Johnny Kosmidis	13
Aman Ramrakha	11	Phil McNamara	12
Dean Meek	11	Paul Galanos	10
Bradley McIndoe	10	Paul Fotofili	9
Shawn Maple	8	Texas Pete Smith	8
Robbie Valpato	8	Craig Newell	7
Nick Zorbas	7	Paul Purcell	6
Matty Roberts	6	Harry Papandony	5
Joel Hardaker	6	Brendon Harden	5
Costa Hrysanthos	5	Nick Christou	5
Chris Mahar	5	Ben Shine	4
Chrissy Bryant	5	Keith Lambourn	4
Stevie Zalalas	4	Glenn Robineon	4
Will Newton	2	Chris Mahar	3
Keith Lambourn	1	Will Newton	3
		Simon Payet	3
		Georgie Valas	2
		Marty Tzikas	1
		Adz Bryant	1
		Reggie Bryant	1

Promise of a dreary grey day with a sprinkling of rain deterred all but the foolhardy spectators to this one, despite this being the Ravens swansong for what has been overall a sickening season. In fact the second half of the season for the Premier League squad before today read P16 W1 D0 L15, so something had to change.

Ravens had Marty in goal, Mousey at right back with Joey "Phil Mac" Worthington out left. In the middle of the defence was the returning Kosi and the solid Robbo, while the midfield pairing of Gal and Nico continued their run of games together, Benny returning out right and Simon taking his left midfield role. Up front saw Jacko partner Paul "Keithy" Purcell, the latter defying the fact that he was in fact 20 000 km away on the other side of the world. The bench consisted of a fragile Adz, not too keen to risk himself, but eager all the same to help out if needed.

The first half can only be described as farcical, with both teams having problems coming to terms with the unpredictable surface; quality was low and mistakes were high, Johnny Kos setting the scene with a long range back pass which saw two attackers descend on Marty, but the Ravens shot stopper was equal to it. It was some time before Ravens found space in the opposition half, Keith twisting and turning into space before dragging his shot wide, but the signs were promising. Phil Joey Mac found himself in enemy territory just failing to connect to a Nico cross, then up the other end, Marty was forced to make a quick save to thwart an Epping counter attack. In a taste of what was to come in the second half, Marty then came out to meet a cross with David Ginola in attendance, and forgot to put his arms up, Ravens just getting away with it. A further series of calamitous defensive lapses made life tough for the Ravens, with Phil playing the whole team onside on more than one occasion. It was tough going, but Ravens held their nerve, even forcing a couple of corners which were close to converting into goals. Mousey copped a ding in the knee soon and required treatment, then Stu collapsed after a rash challenge, having to go off with Achilles trouble to be replaced with Adz. Goalless at half time then.

The second half opened up immediately after the restart, with Epping having brought on their stocky yet silky forward to try and unhinge the Ravens back four. It took roughly two minutes for the game to turn, a miscued shot from thirty yards falling straight to the substitute who showed poise in poking the ball home with Marty given no chance. Phil Joey Mac then picked up a yellow for not a great deal, and Gal soon followed for a move straight out of tag-team wrestling, dumping his man to the floor with the ball out of reach. Mousey then conjured up a move down the right which was foiled, leaving Ravens stranded - this left Robbo and Kosi with three men to deal with and the sub strode on to the through ball to finish clinically for 2-0. Just as Ravens thought they were out of it though, a cross from the left from Adz was flicked on leaving Phil to steam in unmarked and connect with the header, however he picked the one spot that he didn't want, right into the keepers hands. Undeterred, Ravens continued to push and were rewarded with a candidate for goal of the season, Keith doing the spadework with one of his trademark Ibrahimovic flicks, and Benny thrashing in a thirty yarder beyond the keepers reach and into the net for a scorching goal. Ravens had their tails up, but were struggling to find any ideas up front, and it was no surprise when a third goal came. Marty had just been involved in some clownish antics involving an Epping player when the ball was cleared and then returned with interest by a second Epping sub, whose left foot curler deceived Marty and left him flapping at air as the ball sailed in. Three one, and Ravens crumbling. Simon was getting frustrated with the lack of service out left, but it was from the other side of the field that the fourth goal came, another fortunate bounce landing at the Epping sub's feet and he finished rather weakly past Marty's right hand for a well earned hat-trick. There was time for more of Marty Grobelaar's tomfoolery, shepherding a ball that wouldn't roll out and clearing with a back heel, then doing enough to force the hat-trick man wide to foil an easy fourth. Benny had the chance to make it two for himself with a shot that hit a defender before Kosi followed upw ith a skyward effort from five yards. The game was over, Ravens had been well beaten in what was a better second half for the spectator, and Ravens will be looking for plusses to take from this performance, although where they'll find them is a mystery.

Well done Ravens for finishing the season after eighteen games that started so badly, threatened to peak after three or four games, then fell away as injuries, suspensions and genuine bad luck had their way. Two wins and sixteen defeats does not make pretty reading, but the number of 2-1 defeats, the last minute defeats, the missed penalties, the long roll of injuries tells the real story, with captain Nico dismayed to have been involved in defeat in every one of his games. Ravens can count themselves unlucky to finish bottom, and this has been a good foundation season to get it right for the next one, coming up in April 2005. Be there.

Man of the match : Glenn Robinson (3) Paul "Keithy" Purcell (2) Nico Christou (1)

The penultimate game of the season promised to be an interesting affair at the least, after the 1st round fixture against Pennant Hills saw the Ravens steal a victory with an extremely controversial goal, scored by none other than Mr Conspiracy Theory himself, Robbie Volpato. The Ravens team that was to take the park, was vastly different to the team that played Pennant Hills earlier in the year, with no Meeky, Roidsy or Zorbie. Keith came in for Roidsy up front, Matty and Robbie moved into the centre of the park to partner Shawn and Will was played out on the right in place of Zorbie. A mass of black clouds loomed over Stade De Peel and the temperature had dropped at least 5 degrees by the time first grade got around to kicking off.

The pre game warm up was painful for a couple of the players, as their tired and ageing bodies had trouble getting the blood circulating through their stiff and sore muscles. In fact anyone who was watching the game can probably confirm that Joel didn't break out of a jog the whole game and may in fact have been mistaken for a spectator had he not been wearing shorts in the ridiculously cold weather. The first half was fairly even, with both sides making forays into the opposition's 18 yard box, but neither side was to have any clear cut chances Nathan was in superb form, reading the play a page before anyone else, and constantly breaking down any Pennant Hills attack before it could get started. Pennant Hills were to take the lead after a goal mouth scramble saw the ball cross the line before Matty was able to clear it. Despite protests from some of the Ravens players, the goal was to stand and Pennant Hills took a their 1-0 lead with them into the sheds at half time.

Coming out into the second half was a joy, as the sweat had cooled and was now met by the near zero temperatures and a slight breeze. Perfect conditions for copping a ball on the inner thigh. The Ravens dominated for long periods in the 2nd half as they tried hard to find an equaliser. Matty was hitting a few long balls that were finding their mark, Shawn was making some driving runs and Robbie was mesmerising some of the Pennant Hills players with his silky left foot. Joel was making a few overlapping runs, but the final pass from Will was just a bit too well hit, although any other player would have had little trouble in reaching the ball. It was then a great ball from Robbie which sent Chris through on goal and with the keeper advancing he got to the ball first and headed it down and past the keeper and then tapped the ball into the back of the net. A fantastic goal and one which he let the Pennant Hills faithful know about as well after they had taunted him throughout the first half A draw wasn't enough for the Ravens if they were to keep their semi final hopes alive and so they continued to throw men forward in attempt to get a winner. Unfortunately they were caught square at the back, after Shawn had been dispossessed in the Penno 18 yard box, which presented the Penno striker with a one on one with Aman which he neatly took. With the clock ticking down Joel then floated a free kick into the 6 yard box, but the ball somehow refused to go after several players including Shawn had a go at sticking it in the back of the net 2-1 the final score and the Ravens chances of making the finals had been dashed.

With Epping Eastwood losing and Nth Epping drawing, a win would have seen Ravens in with a good chance. The last game sees the Ravens making the trek to West Epping Oval to play their old foes Epping YMCA. I cannot remember the last time the Ravens won at this ground, so it would be good to finish the season on a winning note there. Cross town rivals Putney appear to be the side dropping back down to 2nd division as they are 3 points behind YMCA and a 7 goal superior goal difference

The final match of the season at the Stadio Peelimpico, a tasty encounter on paper with Ravens having more than matched the majority of opponents all season only to be dogged by a long line of hard-luck stories and bitter cruel fate.

A much changed side again with injuries and suspensions once again taking their toll. Marty took his spot in goal, with a back line sporting Mousey, Glenn 'Robbo' Robinson, Harry and Phil Mac. In midfield it was the return of Georgie Galas, with a bronzed Nico in the guts with Simon and Joey providing the width, while up front Craig tried his hand in his favoured role alongside the Milky Bar Kid Stu. The bench was adorned with the missing Bryant brother, Reggie Bryant, and Keith, who was awaiting first team duties. A more-than-capable team out there for the Ravens.

The first half began with the Ravens clamped firmly on to the back foot, weathering a storm of attacks, and living dangerously as the shots rained in on Marty. Fortunately Pennant Hills were applying the Newton law of shooting, keeping spectators on their toes. Ravens looked as though they would rely on the breakaway goal, and so it proved, from the most unlikely source of Georgie Galas, taking the ball down sweetly down the left after a good ball from Craig, and the ball was calmly stroked past the goalkeeper for 1-0 with the spectators at the restaurant end rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Magnificent. Unfortunately the lead was not to last long, and a simple move from Penno saw them scythe through the defence and a right foot shot gave Marty no chance for 1-1. The half time whistle was approaching when Craig went down in a heap, with reports of a cracking noise from his ankle. Dismay for the Ravens then, losing their attacking playmaker, and he joins the long, long list of casualties from this jinxed season. Reggie Bryant took the field as his replacement. Half time brought the teams to the sheds for some much needed respite from the bitter cold.

Ravens were looking to strike early in the second half and began in lively fashion, only to succumb to a lapse in concentration at the back, as three Penno players found themselves up against Phil Mac, and with the Ravens man committed to the tackle, the weight in numbers saw a simple finish for 2-1 and the cracks began to show. Marty made a smart save to keep the score that way soon after, before Ravens found themselves level again. This time it was a long ball in from Nico that caused the problems, Stu cracked in a shot which was blocked, and with the defence slow to react, there was Reggie to pounce and slot home a cool finish for 2-2. What a game. Further drama was to unfold as Nico went on a run in the middle, drew the defence and played in Simon in the clear, who teed up a rasping drive that skewed horribly wide when 3-2 looked likely. Almost immediately Ravens went behind, this time a long through ball was overhit but Marty inexplicably stayed on his line, and the Pennant Hills forward strode on to it and clipped the ball goalbound which hit the post and was duly dispatched into his own net by a luckless Phil Mac who was chasing back to clear. With the half way mark in the second half passed, time for more controversy as Phil Mac was wrestled to the ground by the Penno forward, and decided the best course of action would be a Beckham-v-Argentina spot of petulence, kicking out at the man on the ground. The clueless ref hadn't batted an eyelid, but with the Penno players crying like babies, the linesman was consulted and a harsh red card dished out to the Mr Ravens himself, whose ill fortune summed up the season. Time for one more soon after to put the final nail in the coffin of this horror season at Peel with this time a spot of bad luck seeing Ravens gift the ball to the midfielder who hit a low drive into the net from close range.

Ravens were beaten again, but will rise from the ashes of this dismal season a bigger and stronger presence for next year, and Peel Park will once again be home to a team worthy of the championship. Find out next week if Ravens can do the double of Epping Y in the final game of the season at West Epping Oval. Come on the Ravens.

The Gladesville Hornsby greater area received it's first rain for the season late on Friday night, and the old saying when it rains it pours wasn't far off the mark, as Campbell Park at West Pennant Hills was left virtually under water. If the pride and joy of the GHFA, West Pennant Hills, had been leading the comp, the round would have been cancelled, but seeing as they needed to register a few more points the ground was deemed okay to play on.

After just two halves of football, Chris Bryant was back on the injured list with his brother, but the Ravens had the services of super stopper Nathan Hickman back, as he returned looking to finish of the dental work he had started on the West Penno striker last time the Ravens had played here. The first half of the game saw the Ravens play some of their best football of the season, holding the ball up, playing neat one twos and generally frustrating their opponents. This was all the more impressive considering the conditions. Roids had a great chance early on to send the Ravens ahead, but when presented with a one on one chance with the keeper he hit his shot feebly and straight to the keeper. A great chance wasted. In the ensuing play Meeky was forced off the field with suspected medial ligament damage in his knee, after he followed in Roids' saved shot. Unfortunately he was met with a great challenge and he was to take no further part in the game. Steve came on for Meeky, but was still a little tired from his trip home from Portugal and started off slowly. The Ravens then went close again after Roids crossed the ball nicely for Robbie to head just wide of the far post when he probably should have scored. With half time approaching Aman had yet to be forced into a save when Matty fouled the West Penno number 7 just outside the box. Whilst the wall was still being set, West Penno took the free kick quickly and the ball was driven into the bottom left corner. Somehow the Ravens were 1-0 down at half time.

The second half then took on a similar look to the second half against Nth Epping, with the Ravens copping 3 goals in the second half without being able to score any. Zorbie left the field early with zorbstring problems again as well as a sore lower zorbial ligament Matty did go close to scoring a goal, but his left footed shot from a tight angle missed the far post. Phil Mac who had come on for Zorbie, threatened West Pennant Hills on occasions, but only in defence. The Ravens were beaten 4-0 on the score board, but they deserved not to be, after a fantastic first half display. With injuries taking their toll on this ever diminishing squad, the Ravens will be hard pressed to field a top notch side when they host Pennant Hills this Saturday.

Remove the crusts from the ciabatta and tear up into rough 2.5cm/ 1 inch pieces. Throw into a bowl with the bacon and lemon zest. Divide each mozzarella into 8 similar-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Keeping the leaf tips on the rosemary sticks, remove the lower leaves and then smash these up in a pestle and mortar with the garlic. Stir in 8 tablespoons of olive oil, then pour this mixture over the bread, cheese and bacon. Marinate for anything from 15 minutes to an hour. Thread your mozzarella and bread on to your rosemary sticks, weaving the bacon in and around. Line up the kebabs on a wire rack and place under the grill on a very high heat until the bread and bacon are golden and crisp and the mozzarella is nice and gooey. While this is grilling make sure you keep an eye on it, as it can turn into a charred kebab very quickly. To make the dressing, chop up the olives and mix with the chilli, 5 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the same of olive oil. Season to taste. To serve the kebabs, dress the herbs with half of the olive dressing right at the last minute so the leaves stay nice and fresh, then use the other half of the dressing drizzled over the kebabs.

After a thrilling 2-1 victory against Putney, the Ravens travelled out to Nth Epping in a bid to keep their push for a semi final birth alive. Chris Bryant was returning for the first time in a long while and Zorbie was back from a strained zorbstring, whilst Brad would play his last game before departing for a stint in Ireland with the Cork Rovers. Steve was on loan to FC Porto for the week Nth Epping has always been a bogey team for the Ravens, with the Ravens always enjoying a dominance in possession and play, but usually coming out on the wrong side of the ledger.

So it was no surprise that the Ravens went behind after enjoying 30 minutes of superior play without reward. Joel had gone close with a half volley drive that just went wide of the far post from outside the box. Nick and Meeky had both made forays into the box only to be thwarted at the last minute, and Will was denied by some good defence after a he was able to try a shot on goal after a corner was not cleared. Will was left on the ground clutching at his shin which at first he thought he had broken, and cried out for the ambulance in true Aaron Lynch style. Then Nth Epping struck from, funnily enough, a cross, and the Ravens vulnerability in the air was again highlighted, as the header found the back of the net. 1-0 at half time, with the Ravens shitty and fired up to score some goals.

Mick Kriezis replaced a tired Chris Bryant as the Ravens looked to push for an equaliser. It wasn't to be though, as Nth Epping fired in 3 second half goals, all scored on the break with the Ravens caught short at the back A demoralising result, especially with the Trivia Night ahead, with a bit of bickering in the dressing room afterwards. Will, Joel and Brad tried their best to lighten the mood, but it took about 6 schooners of beer later that night before the boys started to smile again.

Ravens came into this game after a derby defeat at the hands of arch enemy Putney, and knowing that a host of injuries had robbed them of any cover on the bench.

Perce was playing his final game of the season before departing for the World Drinking Championships in Ireland, in front of him were Phil Mac and Harry, with Mousey and Steve Roberts on the flanks in a flat back four. Gal and Stu made up the middle of midfield, with Benny and Adz on the wings, and partnering Keith up front was none other than well travelled Reggie Lucas, making a long awaited return to the starting line up after a lengthy absence.

Ravens were under the cosh for the majority of the first half and rarely threatened the hosts goal, and it wasn't long before North Epping were a goal up, with a free kick curled in with Perce stranded and the wall lining up for a different freekick on a different field. The muscle bound shirtless-warm-up Rangers midfielder was coming in for some tenacious abuse from the Ravens players and fans alike, and it started to affect his game. One bright spark of the first half was the fact that Ravens only conceded one goal, and with Reggie toiling hard in the sunshine, one goal never looked like enough to sink the black and whites. The only chance of the half fell to Keith who shot wildly over from a difficult angle while surrounded by defenders. One nil at half time.

The second half had 5-0 written all over it, that was until Ravens swept through the North Epping defence and registered a dramatic equaliser. Keith fed Reggie down the right, whose trademark back heel set him free of his man, and his square ball fell invitingly for Adz to poach a goal at the far post and level the score at 1-1. North Epping looked beleaguered, and set off on a relentless assault on the Ravens goal. Perce dramatically turned a point blank shot wide from a one-on-one, then clawed out another one-on-one that was heading for the top corner. A stinging drive from thirty yards then bobbled and was pushed away smartly by the athletic Perce, and yet again a clear shot from seven yards was somehow stopped as North Epping's fans and players looked on in dismay at their woeful finishing. Ravens looked to have done enough to secure a point, and indeed looked like registering themselves, when Reggie jinked through and set up Keith, whose long range effort was smothered by the keeper. With five minutes remaining, Perce was again called upon to make a point-blank save with his legs, and with two remaining North Epping wasted surely their last chance with a poor free kick. Ravens were dead on their feet, Stu was inert, Steve couldn't walk. And so time for one last attack, a raking hopeful effort from twenty five yards that sailed through the air, Perce rising majestically to meet it, but the speed of the shot beat him, and despite a touch, the ball nestled in the net for a 90th minute sickener. Ravens were annoyed for about 30 seconds after the whistle, but such is life, another defeat.

Ravens now go to West Penno for a tough battle against high flying WPH-Cherrybrook. That should be a stormer. Go the Ravens.

After 4 losses on the trot and Brad's Bucks Night to follow the game against cross town rivals Putney, the Ravens were very keen to post a win a put the Ravens camp in a festive mood. Zorbie was still nursing a strained zorbstring and Nathan was still on loan to Sparta Queensland, so the team that took the park was the same as the one that narrowly lost to Normanhurst the week before. A positional change was made however, with Robbie being promoted to striker and Costa dropping back to right midfield which pushed Steve onto the left side of midfield.

Putney enjoyed the better of possession early on, as looked to find their 2 strikers as quickly as possible, which caused the Ravens a little bit of concern as their flashy front man created a few half chances. The Putney midfield tried to hustle and bustle their Ravens counterparts out of the game, but slowly the Ravens started to get into the game and assert some authority. A through ball from Joel sent Robbie down the wing and not long after a great turn from Robbie again saw him tear into the box only to see his cross not connected with. Another close call at the other end as cross drifted over Joel's head, although he was able to recover in time to clear the ball for a corner before the Putney player had a chance to shoot at goal. After about half an hour, it was none other than Dean Meek who gave the Ravens the lead, after he cracked a ball from outside the box which took a slight deflection and flew into the back of the net, leaving the Putney keeper with no chance of stopping the shot. Even without the deflection the ball was never going to miss and the goal seemed to give the Ravens further confidence as they finished the 1st half strongly.

After the break the Ravens came out looking to add to their one goal advantage, knowing they could not afford to sit back and defend for 45 minutes. The referee then thought he needed to get involved a little more, and sent one of the Putney reserves from the bench, for what I am not sure. The drama on the touch line went on for about 5 minutes, whilst the players prepared for a Putney free kick just outside the box. The break in play was not the Ravens had wanted, and a well taken free kick, saw two quick passes lead to a Putney equaliser on the near post. Although disappointed that this had happened the Ravens were confident of getting another goal. Putney were then reduced to 10 men, after their sweeper received his second yellow card for a foul on Meeky as he went on one of his forays into the Putney half. This opened the game up big time, and the Ravens found themselves in attack mode as they searched for the winner. Joel put a through ball to Meeky, but he hit his shot wide, when the return ball to Joel looked like a better option. Then a great cross from Robbie was somehow headed over the bar by Brad, who was clearly thinking about the night ahead of him. With about 15 minutes to go, Matty Roberts floated a beautiful ball into the box, which was met with a powerful diving header from Bradley that sent the ball flying into the top right hand corner. What a ball and what a goal!!! The Ravens players and fans celebrated fervently, as the Putney heads dropped. Brad was replaced by Mick before the kick off and went off for a well earned beer and to rest his injured knee. The Ravens nearly went further ahead, after Joel swept a ball out to Robbie on the left and he sent a teasing cross into the box. Somehow the ball refused to cross the line, after several players had tried to put it away. Joel then tried to make it 3-1 after he had won the ball just outside the box, but his left footed shot was hit straight at the keeper and was comfortably saved. It didn't matter as the full time whistle sounded and the Ravens had recorded a much needed 2-1 victory.

Hopefully they can keep going now and push for a semi final spot. A tough game at Nth Epping this week though, but hopefully Nick and Nath will be back on board.

Hello there Ravens fans!! Due to the growing football crisis in Iraq this Raven Report journalist has been stuck in a small village just south of Tikrit scouring the wastelands searching paddocks, streets, and bomb shelters for future Ravens stars. Due to these commitments unfortunately I was not able to make this derby match in person, but with the help of satellite technology, an ingenious hidden camera secretly embedded on Paul Galanos' forehead, and a US Marine's mini TV I was able to catch all of the action!

A typically tight game it was with Ravens playing much of the better football, but as is so often the case this year it could not bring about enough goals for a win. Missed chances cost the Ravens dearly with the final score 3-1 not giving an indication of just how close the match had been. The anger of losing to Putney is never easy to contain and in my rage I sent the mini TV flying with a left footed toe poke. The score flattered the visitors but they took their chances well and that is what Ravens must look to do in the final rounds. After smashing the marines TV in disgust at the full time result, I have been blacklisted by the forces of the 'coalition of the willing' and now fend totally for myself in this foreign land. I had been searching desperately for a way of getting this match report back to Ravens headquarters and on to hungry fans looking for news of this always-important local derby but had found this task almost impossible. I have been stripped of my clothes, possessions, and any form of identification. All I possess is a small pencil, an old pad of paper, and the 100 or so season passes to Peel Park to give out to the locals for the 2005 season that I brought with me. The communications infrastructure around the town has been completely destroyed and modern methods of contact are all but gone. Even my trusty homing raven "Dilbert" is of no use. He had been shot in the wing when a group of young soldiers fired victory shots in the air at a local demonstration and is recovery slowly with a military veterinarian. I had initially given up all hope of getting this match report out to the fans when I spotted a very tired looking Sophie Monk a few weeks back wandering around the debris and rubble valiantly trying to maintain the spirits of both soldiers and journos alike in a skimpy camouflage number. I ran up to her quickly and found out that she was soon to be travelling home to Sydney and that she would be more than happy to help such a charming and handsome writer in what was such an important task. I thanked her sincerely and gave her the match report sealed in an envelope. She smiled sweetly, kissed me on the cheek and slid the envelope down into her cleavage for safe keeping on the long journey home.

However, that same afternoon she was taken prisoner by Iraqi terrorists who are still demanding that she will only be released if Bardot promise to re-form and make a comeback tour of Iraq before the end of the year. So unfortunately that copy of the report failed to make it back to Ravens HQ. The weeks following Sophie's arrest, I searched high and wide for a way of getting a transmission back to the fans but without luck. It wasn't until this very day that I speak to you now that I stumbled upon the means of finally getting news out to you all. Just hours earlier, I found the wreckage of a Toyota Landcruiser overturned in a ditch. As I searched it for any food or water that might have been left there I found an old IBM laptop, which somehow had survived the crash and was still working. By rewiring the external modem, and attaching it to an umbrella found on the side of the road along with an old Texas Instruments "Speak n Spell" in a configuration I copied from ET: The Extra Terrestrial I was able to beam a message back finally to get this report out, albeit well behind it's initial deadline.

So here it is: Um,�..��.. due to the weeks of hardship and lack of sleep, coupled with no food and almost no water, my body has concentrated on keeping itself alive at the expense of maintaining memories of the game. The only faint memories of the game I still hold include the final score of 3-1, my anger at losing to Putney, and the remarkably good picture produced with the new forehead cam. Alas, as I desperately try and conjure up some highlights of the match my mind provides nothing. It is a given that all the Ravens played their guts out, but without the benefit of memory I cannot provide a more detailed account of proceedings. So it is with regret and some fairly strong feelings of frustration, that after four tiring weeks of immense struggle and perseverance to get this report out to you all, at the final hurdle I have lost the ability to provide you with an account of the game to the standards accustomed to our readership.