Lords 4 - 3 Canton (379397896)

Fairly good weather for football had drawn a crowd of 2802 to Lords 11 Arena. Philipp Alexander Siegler was the appointed referee. Lords started off with a 5-3-2 lineup. Lineup: Tweedie - MacKnish, Leadbetter, Cuttler, McFadden, Otterburn - MacGlauchlin, Watkins, Vella - Noël, MacTavish.

A 3-5-2 alignment was the formation of choice for Canton. The following players took the field: Gaiński - Gaillot, Indlekofer, Erendiz - Black, Segura, van Arum, Usatyuk, Hiddemann - Falba, Korbach.

Canton clearly preferred using their ability to attack in the middle. Lords took the lead, 1 - 0, after a penalty 14 minutes into the match. K. Otterburn scored from the penalty spot. After a savage shot that could only be parried by the keeper, B. Falba demonstrated his experience by being in just the right place to slot home the rebound. His goal for Canton 19 minutes into the match made the score 1 - 1. 30 minutes in, the referee awarded Lords a penalty. K. Otterburn coolly slotted it home for a 2 - 1 lead. V. Usatyuk tied the game at 2 - 2 after 32 minutes, when he converted an incredible pass from the right. Many thought M. Cuttler ought to have been awarded a penalty 33 minutes into the game, as he went down trying to dribble around S. Gaiński after a determined run through the middle. Some things can only be learned through experience, and C. Indlekofer should take his lesson to heart after nearly gifting Lords a goal with 37 minutes of the match played. It was obvious that team Canton had instructions to attack in the middle instead of on the wings. Lords had a chance to take the lead after A. Noël's dazzling drive up the left, but the opportunity fizzled out as his shot went just over the bar after 42 minutes. 2 - 2 was the halftime score. Possession in this half belonged to Lords, who controlled the ball 55 percent of the time.

Lords made a bid to take the lead as a ball coming in on the right hand side left R. MacTavish completely alone with keeper S. Gaiński, who made a spectacular block. After 54 minutes, Canton put themselves up 2 - 3, as C. Indlekofer finished off a strike from the left with a real cannonball of a shot. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave M. Cuttler from Lords a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 65 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! Lords's A. Noël put his head to a well placed ball, lifted in from the left, and scored to make the score 3 - 3 with 67 minutes showing on the scoreboard clock. Central attacks were the recipe of the day for Canton, as they moved the ball from the wings to the middle with startling regularity. The referee showed Canton's C. Indlekofer the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. K. McFadden was the unlucky victim and couldn't continue the game, so Lords's E. Matheson had to come off the bench. Lords enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 57 percent of possession.

As neither team was able to break the deadlock before the end of regular play, the teams took to the field again for extra time. After 95 minutes, A. Noël came in from the right, feinted, then sped past the off-balance defender to make the score 4 - 3, giving Lords the lead. With that Lords had won the game in extra time. The most dominating Lords player was without a doubt A. Noël. On the other hand, S. Leadbetter's play was disheartening. Most important Canton player was J. Korbach. S. Gaiński on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 4 - 3.