Most players were on the field by 7:00pm. This allowed us to warm up and get prepared for kick off. The weather was pretty chilly due to the wind. The game kicked off on time at 7:30pm.

Last season, we had met Axis of Evil at their home ground which ended up 2 -2. Therefore all players were looking forward to another tight match. Unfortunately we conceded the first goal of the match. Our players seemed very keen to get back in the game after conceding a goal. This goal definitely lifted the tempo of the game which led to a set piece goal which was taken by Gakul Dai and tucked in by Manish’s classic header.

Unfortunately the remaining match we conceded another two goals which led to a loss against Axis of Evil. The final whistle blew in favour of Axis of Evil with the final score at 3 – 1.

One could blame many involved for losing matches but in my opinion it all comes down to how one can control their own mental state on the field. I’ve noticed the minute our players show signs of weakness, such as getting angry when opponents say something abusive or unfair referee decision, our team starts to play with a very different focus in mind.

To play good football, this is a small issue which has to addressed and controlled by any footballer. All our games have been fantastic and entertaining, but for games we’ve been losing, I personally think we need to be focusing more on our own football and not what opponents are saying or doing on the field.

Having said all this it was great to see team unity and spirit during this match but let’s start focusing more on football! The season is coming to an end and we are very close on securing a place for the finals. Another three wins should make us safe. So it’s all up to GFC players how they want to take it forward from here. In the mean time, see you on Sunday for the friendly match against the Malaysian team.