League Play-Off

Nome
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) New Buffalo's Boyd Diggs started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. Charlton Burrows showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Javier Theilacker in the 2nd minute of the match. In the 6th minute, Yong Lowery got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. Javier Theilacker's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Charlton Burrows read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 8th minute of play. Yong Lowery fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 9th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Charlton Burrows having to interfere. After a defensive mix-up in Nome FC's zone, Boyd Diggs stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Geraldo Ruffin came out of the goal and Boyd Diggs tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Rob Finley charged in rather forcefully in the 12th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Rob Finley the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. The supporters of New Buffalo booed when Nome FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 12 match minutes in a wonderful position. Rob Finley didn't get a good kick on the ball. Geraldo Ruffin showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Boyd Diggs, who was totally free with the ball in the 14th minute. The audience was convinced that Chance Larsen's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Geraldo Ruffin was relentless in the 17th minute of the game. Nome FC's Geraldo Ruffin played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Chance Larsen in the 19th minute of play. After a rather tough play, Nome FC's Rob Finley got a free kick in the 19th minute. Chance Larsen received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 22nd minute. Geraldo Ruffin tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The crowd rose to their feet as Yong Lowery kicked a wonderful shot that went in to the left of a diving Charlton Burrows. That made the score 1-0 in the 29 minute of play. When Chance Larsen came up free with the goalie in the 32nd minute, the New Buffalo fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Chance Larsen couldn't finish the play. In the 34th minute Chance Larsen shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Geraldo Ruffin saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. When Rob Finley was, once again, overly rough in his play he received his second yellow card and was ordered off the ground. 34 minutes had been played. After 35 played minutes Nome FC got a freekick which was hit by Rob Finley. In the 37th minute, Chance Larsen ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Geraldo Ruffin was frozen by the shot and now it was 1-1. A collision led to New Buffalo getting a freekick after 42 minutes play. Boyd Diggs hit a great ball. When Javier Theilacker came up free with the goalie in the 43rd minute, the Nome FC fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Javier Theilacker couldn't finish the play. After a very even first half the match was still tied. The players went to their respective dressing rooms to discuss the tactics for the second half.

The hometeam waved at the audience when it was time for Javier Theilacker to strike the kick off in the second half. If Javier Theilacker had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 52nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Chance Larsen recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 55th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Charlton Burrows came out of the goal in the 61st minute to try and stop a shot by Nome FC's Javier Theilacker. But to his dismay, Javier Theilacker quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 2-1. A collision led to New Buffalo getting a freekick after 64 minutes play. Simon Landis hit a great ball. Jessie Carrier was probably a little too eager to shoot when he, in the 65th played minute, shot the ball from way out. The shot was hard, but the ball flew wide of the goal. With a little luck, Nome FC's Geraldo Ruffin got control of the ball when Chance Larsen tried to sneak it across the goal line. 74 minutes into the match, Nome FC's Javier Theilacker sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Charlton Burrows narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Javier Theilacker sent away a hard shot on goal in the 75th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Boyd Diggs fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 79th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Geraldo Ruffin having to interfere. After some careless play in the Nome FC defense, Chance Larsen kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Geraldo Ruffin. The Nome FC fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Geraldo Ruffin should have stopped the shot. 93 minutes into the game, Chance Larsen lined in a short shot 2-3 behind a frustrated Geraldo Ruffin. The referee blew the final whistle, and the away crowd roared, having watched New Buffalo eke out a victory against a very well matched opponent.