Oops, No Double for BFC

Nagahama Koen, Sun 1st.
As double bids go, BFC's attempt to add the Footy Japan Cup to their TML title went very badly, ending in a 5-0 humping.

Without taking away from a deserved Hibs win, only a brilliantly taken third goal was truly worthy of a final between the TML's top two teams.

If that third goal from Yama was a highlight, two BFC own goals (three if you count stand-in keeper Himmer's comical attempt to stop a scuffed daisycutter of a free kick) and some fatal hesitation that led to Hibs' opener told its own tale.

And yet had Hitoshi not made two outstanding early saves from Winston and Gentaro, it could have been very different.

As it was, as BFC's defenders did the hokey-kokey around a bobbling loose ball, Andre Pinto swung a boot at it and stuck it in the bottom corner, somewhat against the run of play. Annoying. But good finish.

BFC turned around with reasons to be optimistic after a sharp first half from Shosuke and Winston, who were proving a real handful for Hibs.

But Hibs looked more dangerous from set pieces on a very short pitch and doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second half when a long throw was flicked on by Bevan and Evans could do little as the ball ricocheted off him and into the goal.

Cat well and truly among the old pigeons, BFC went chasing and Hibs began to pick the TML champions off on the break, Yama finishing with a clinical lob when Himmer raced out into the space where the left-back should have been. Game over, effectively.

The fourth was pure comedy, a free kick trickling through the defensive wall and Himmer, going down in installments, managing to let the ball dribble under his body while in a position that looked for all the world like he was removing clogged paper from a fax machine.

Tempers began to fray and words were had, Jay intelligently choosing to gob off at Morson while the BFC defender was face down in obvious pain. Toshi, arguably man of the match, threw a mini wobbly at the final whistle but had calmed down by shower time thankfully.

There was time for a fifth for Hibs, Himmer flapping at a cross like a distressed bird and a combination of Pablo and Gaz Gazza Robertson applying the coupe de grace on a Big Green Nightmare.

BFC, to be fair, were only in the final after the Swiss were duped by a cup-tied muppet but it would have been nice to win and dedicate to Kirk and his broken konk. Pity we never got close.

The TML league table doesn't lie, though, and BFC can be proud of another great year. 

Report by Pinky and Dianne