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Phuket International 7's Open & Masters Competition
29th/30th November, FIFA Tsunami Memorial ground, Phuket, Thailand.
Well we did it! Winning not only the tournament but the Fair Play award too. A small but strong squad of Hibs players made the trip down to Phuket for the 7s tournament again this year.
 Due to the closure of Bangkok airport the tournament numbers were reduced, fortunately seven of us got on the direct flight from Tokyo to Phuket on the Thursday and were able to bypass the problems and give us a good night on the turps without worrying about a game the following day. Unfortunately Yohei was unable to make it down from Manilla so he was out and Josh was to fly in from Tokyo via Singapore but his plane from Singapore to Phuket was stuck in Bangkok, so he was stranded in Singapore with only a day until the first kick off. He decided to get a bus down - which was a 24 hour ride - and arrived on Saturday afternoon, just too late to play and leaving us with a bare seven on Saturday. We had visions of him sitting on the bus next to a Malaysian chicken or pig farmer clutching their latest offerings to market, but the only peck marks we could see on Saturday night were on Mike and Jay’s neck.
 Saturday
Hibs 1 v Perth Select 0.
Mike McGirr
This was a repeat of the same fixture last year. A young squad that ran their guts out and were quite fit and strong but they just lacked a bit in experience and ability. Mike got an early goal as he hit a cross ball from Yama first time when 10 yards out. Perth tried hard and Hitoshi pulled off one great save and we managed to hold them out.
Hibs 0 v Lentini FC 0
This was a frustrating game for us as we dominated in all categories but could not find the net. They cleared off the line once when the keeper was beaten and the keeper made to great saves from Mike’s free kicks. They never really mustered a clear chance on our goal, but honours were shared.
Hibs 5 v RBC 0
 Mike McGirr 3, Tomo, Kuni K
This was the result we expect every year, but it took a while to come. 1-0 up at half time, but four second half goals kept everyone entertained. Mike got a hat-trick including a great diagonal lob-shot that caught the keeper unaware and brought the crowd to their feet. Kuni played in defence all day doing a great job, but he couldn’t resist the chance to get forward on one play and finished his only chance well. Tomo got on the scoresheet too with a well taken chance. Yama didn’t get a goal in the tournament but created plenty and put so much pressure on defenders they regularly coughed up possession.
This left us top of the group and ready for a 10am game the following day.
Sunday
 Quarter Final
Hibs 2 V Spartans 1
Jay, Kuni K.
The Spartans were an above average but not great team from Singapore with one or two good players. We missed a couple of early chances before Jay lobbed forward a long through ball from his own half that the keeper misjudged and it went over his head and into the goal. In the second half the Hibs MF hit a strong shot that the keeper did well to save but he took so long to get up afterwards that Kuni got in and tucked it in for his and the Hibs second. The Spartans got one back from a free kick outside the box that was thumped and deflected on the way through, giving Hitoshi no chance.
Semi-Final
Hibs 1 (1) V Footy Japan 1 (0)
Tomo (PK – Mike)
 This was the grudge match we’d both been anticipating. Footy Japan was mostly BFC and Vagabonds players, and they were strong across the park. They had been playing in the Masters and the Open with a small squad so they were quite tired before this game. They ended up winning the Masters (thanks in no small part to 25 year old Shosuke’s sharpness winning a last minute PK) and they used the ball well in this game. We went one down early when Tomo was caught in possession in his own half and Jon Day found himself in plenty of space only ten yards out and he passed it into the goal. Tomo made amends soon after with a strong shot that was deflected in off James Morson’s head, giving Sid no chance. 1-1 at half time and it stayed that way with FJ holding the ball for long periods but not really threatening. Extra time produced no goals so it was down to the inevitable penalty shootout. This tourney uses a sudden death shootout - over the last three years in three shoot outs, Hitoshi has not let one PK go in – some achievement. Mike took the first one well, Sid (who had made some very good saves thus far in the tournament) got a good hand on it but knocked it into the post and it rolled in. Shosuke ambled up to his and tried to pass it in just inside the keeper’s left post, but Hitoshi got there pretty easily to save it and we were into the final.
 Final
Hibs 2 v Shanghai Krauts 1
Bevan, Josh
This was a repeat of last year’s final and the game went along surprisingly similar lines too. The Shanghai Krauts had a huge squad of players in Phuket, were undefeated in their local comp this season, had game shirts specially made with the tournament date on them - they wanted to win very badly. They had scored some cracking long range goals so far and they felt confident they were going to beat us this time around. We took the wind out of their sails early in the second half when Mike floated a corner in and two or three Kraut defenders forgot about the ball and tried to grab hold of the player instead. The Hibs MF shrugged them off and the ball came through the pack for him to score a diving header.
 2 minutes from the end and the same Hibs MF tried an ill-fated clearance that fell straight to a Kraut in space and unmarked he ambled forward and rifled a shot in from 15 yards that went so quickly it even went through Tosh’s hand. 1-1 at full time and it was 5 minutes extra time with golden goal. Two minutes in and Jay rolled the ball over to Josh from the back and the Krauts seemed to just run away from him given him loads of space and time. Bad idea. Josh walked over the half way line to about 25 yards from goal and rifled a shot that beat the keeper near post, ending the game, cueing the celebrations. A fitting conclusion after the ball had not been rolling Josh’s way thus far and he had made such a massive effort to get to the tournament.
Free beer followed at the ground and we grabbed a handful for the 40 minute ride home. The awards ceremony went by and we also won the “Fair Play” award for the first time in the club’s history –we do need to have a meeting about how this was allowed to happen… The Shanghai Krauts then decided to get all the Hibs and FJ players to drink from their runner’s up cup with a massive mix of whiskey, tequila and maybe a bit of mixer. Kuni K was man of the match in this game. We watched all the action of the days games that Lori had very kindly recorded.
 Big-up respect to the Hibs players who got up at 7am to get to the airport to get on a flight via a military airbase a few hundred kms out of Bangkok. Jay and Mike got a direct Phuket to Tokyo flight Tuesday night for a more leisurely route home.
We thought this would be our last year in this tournament and it would be nice to find somewhere new…but it is just so damn fun! We’ll see about next year.
Click Here for a local newspaper report
Report by Bevan Colless
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