B-Liga Sixth Round Summary - 'Black Wednesday'

Round six of the B-Liga will be remembered for two things - a classic match that will be forever etched into the minds of fans, and a scandal that threatens to destroy the reputation of a team and it's president. The scandal - now known in the media as 'Black Wednesday' has been extensively covered, so this summary will only focus on the footballing action on the field.

In the first match of the round, Hagan's Heroes took on NDFC that billed last year's champions against last year's runners-up. Both teams were coming off good wins, and both were looking to get a foothold on the upper reaches of the table. Hagan's Heroes went into the match without new signing Mick Albert, while NDFC were without the influential Alan Armstrong. The match took on an entertaining vibe, as both teams tried to play attacking football. The Heroes however, were struggling with injuries as both Mike Dawson and Eddie Dwyer played on with niggling knee injuries, and Peter Fasey played his first game after sustaining a back injury several weeks ago. Good play from both teams, including good peformances from Troy Hunter and Selwyn Taylor saw NDFC continue to threaten, but it was Hagan's Heroes who came out on top.

Final Score: NDFC 1 - 6 Hagan's Heroes

Pre-match odds showed that Pearl Coast were huge favourites to complete another mauling of Racing Guantanamo, with the first meeting between these two ending in an 11-4 drubbing. However, it was a grim and determined Guantanamo side who took the field in this one, still minus Tony Delaney. The Mighty Orange were able to welcome back Jack Reagan, and it was his pluckiness in the midfield that was to cause such headaches for the Pirates. Pearl Coast welcomed back captain Richard Brunger, but were missing key man Phil Sheridan, while Ken Goatley just passed a late fitness test to take to the field. In a match where chances opened up for both sides, this match saw some excellent performances from Guantanamo players Chris Hingston and Martin Kessler, who both created chances from deep, while the Pirates' Matt Sheridan and Emmanuel Navarette looked dangerous. The performance of the night however was given by Guantanamo goalkeeper Andy Chapman, whose display of acrobatics between the sticks saved Guantanamo on several occasions. The match ended in a win for the Pirates, but could so easily have finished the other way as Guantanamo failed to capitalise on a large spell of dominance in the second half. Historical Note: This match takes the record for being the lowest scoring match in B-Liga history.

Final Score: Pearl Coast Pirates 2 - 1 Racing Guantanamo AFC

B-Liga Table

Next Match Preview

By the Anonymous Analyst

NDFC vs. Broome City

Odds: NDFC win $2.00, Draw $2.50, Broome City win $1.80

Pearl Coast Pirates vs. Hagan's Heroes

Odds: Pearl Coast Pirates win $2.00, Draw $2.10, Hagan's Heroes win $2.80

NDFC have put together a great run of form recently, but a loss at the hands of Hagan's Heroes will surely hurt this young team, as does the injury to influential midfield man Alan Armstrong. I'm not sure if the youth of NDFC can match the experience of Broome City, who have drawn on the form of Sasho Jovanovski to propel them forward. Look for lots of goals in this one, but I have to say Broome City will get the win.

With Hagan's Heroes involved in the Black Wednesday scandal that has rocked the B-Liga, I would expect the men in green to exhibit a lack of focus due to the unknown legal fate of President Mike Doyle. Captain Chris Stainton has a big job on his hands to get the squad focussed for this crucial match, and his task won't be helped by the fact that his squad has taken a huge amount of injuries and will struggle to nurse them. The Pirates however, will welcome back arguably the best player in the league, with Phil Sheridan set to return. It is no secret the Pirates have struggled without him, and his comeback will be a welcome boost for the Coast. Pirates to win.

Until next week.