Badgers Give Ryan and Jake Birthday Win As They Beat CC United 2-0

The Honey Badgers put #Puntergate behind them and cruised to a well-deserved two goal victory against CC United. Finally, Cameron Road put together a solid performance against a team above them in the table. On the day after Jake turned 40 and Ryan turned 40 something, the Honey Badgers again came out with good numbers and plenty of subs to get the job done on the windy plains of Manor.

Cameron Road faced a mighty wind durning the first half, so it would be important to hold CC goalless to snatch the momentum late in the game. And although they gave up some possession, the defense (led by Billy’s quest for perfection), held strong and kept King Albert at bay for most of the afternoon. Chris Griger and Scotty Merritt provided the engine and the tenacity for the team to feed off of early on as the Honey Badgers chances at goal were few and far between.

The birthday boys were having a nice shift. Ryan was playing with the energy of a 45 year old, and Jake made a great run down the left-hand side before collapsing in a heap of beer and bbq soaked bones.

But at the end of the half, it was zero, zero, and Cameron Road considered that job done.

During the end of the halftime show, Dermot warmed up in front of the crowd with some customary juggling. His Irish Dozen (5 kicks with the foot and a final bounce off the shin) excited the team and was a harbinger of things to come. For the first 10 minutes of the second half, Dermot was everywhere. First he challenged the keeper with a header and forced him off his line and outside the box. The keeper proceeded to shove Dermot in the back, earning Cameron Road an early penalty kick. As Steve McKenna stepped up to the spot he handed the ball over to Gianluca to nail home on his final game before venturing to the great white north of Alaska. Gigi flashed the keeper a look one way and smashed the ball into the back of the net to give Cameron Road the lead. That should make his 45 hour plane ride a little more bearable.

After earning the team the penalty kick, Dermot continued his assault on CC United. His energy gave the team a lift, and he was running up and down the pitch from offense to defense. As Scotty said on the sidelines, “all roads lead to Dermot.”

With renewed energy from the goal, the Honey Badgers continued to press CC United, who hardly had a sniff at goal. On the one chance they did have, their two players somehow managed to collide before deciding who would actually take a shot.

The Honey Badger’s good second half continued. BT drilled a left-footer towards goal, Scotty smashed one over the bar, and Dermot tried to curl in a right-footer from 30 yards. But it was a sublime piece of team counterattacking that sealed the victory.

Someone got the ball out to Derek around the center circle. With bald telepathy, Chappy synced up with him and held his run just as Derek sent him through from the half way line. In full stride and onside (take that Danimal), Chappy raced, or rather lumbered, towards goal on his own. Feeling adventurous, the Keeper charged him, but Chappy did him dirty and dribbled around him to his right 30 yards out. Recovering after being nudged by the Keeper, Chappy regained his composure and squared the ball over to McKenna who was making a chasing back post run. Steve may not know how to check his email, but he does know how to find the back of the net, and after taking a touch, he fired the shot past a few defenders from close range to give Cameron Road the 2-0 lead.

A late contender for goal of the year….it was like a Barcelona fast break…. if Messi was bald, Neymar had size 13 shoes, and Suarez tended bar on the Friday nights before the game.

Ryan almost capped his birthday with a fantastic header as BT whipped in a great cross, but that shit was just too hot to handle.

With their souls sufficiently crushed, CC succumbed to the fact that after losing to the Punters the week before, the Honey Badgers were back to not giving a shit, and it showed on the pitch. That second half was one of the better 45 minutes in a long time.

It was bittersweet after the victory as Gigi was leaving for Alaska the next day, but it sure was nice to see him go out with a goal and a win. Good vibes though throughout Badgertown, goals and a shutout proved just what the Badgers needed going into the final stretch of the season.

Man-of-the-Match: Tough one. You had great hustle from the defense and midfield. Another goal form McKenna. Good performances by the birthday boys. Ice cold beer in a Yeti from Jefe. BT’s dog protective services. The list goes on. But you gotta give it up for Gigi for scoring on his latest “last game” and taking his customary ice bath in style. Come back soon you hunchbacked dentist!!!