Miko saves the day!

...(left)Miko had his next goal celebration sorted...

..(below)Baby Rosie's reaction to Miko's goal celebrations...

Miko O'Reilly became the new Braves messiah on the weekend with 2 late goals to deny the Grasshoppers a certain win at Brave Park.
The Braves began as wobbly as their pre game routine, not stringing more than a couple of passes together for the first 20 minutes of the game. It can't be denied that a more sensible build up before the Braves play might bring a more settled start to their matches.
Merimbula started predictably, like the great sides of old, with plenty of slick passing in to space creating lots of work for the Braves 3 man defense. The Braves had shuffled their combination a number of times pregame due to their lack of organisation. Again, it took time for players to sort themselves and work into the match, which gave the Grasshoppers plenty of attacking opportunities.
It was only solid covering at the back as well as a pair of desperate clearing headers from Miko (one that knocked a filling out) that kept the Braves afloat. The Merimbula boys did slip in for one goal past the busy Barney in the first half, but the Braves did finish the half stronger and could have been level after a super run from the tall timber that is Crouchy that finished with a pinpoint cross for goalscoring hopeful Simo. The air from his swipe at the ball was all that ended up in the goal though, so no cigar from the big man. Crouchy politely shrugged his shoulders and got on with it..
Halftime saw the usual Braves suggestions for improvements- pass more, relax on the ball and be more confident. Might try the same talk pregame before facing Wolumla. If we're all ready on time..
Out they came- the Blue army cheering on their favourite payers- Lenno in his comeback game was a bit rusty to begin, but settled as the game went on, big Al made some magic with the ball at his feet with his best game for ressies, Fox was predictably unpredictable, Maz spent a lot of time watching the ball get passed around him and Adam Hill was solid at the back.
Speaking of back's- poor old Paddy, the Braves' favourite Irishman, did his in as he put on his socks in his car. Miko thought if he was a horse he would have put him down, but thankfully there was not a vet in sight. Speedy return mate, we'll miss you.
Early in the second half, the Braves gave away a freekick on the edge of their area. They quickly formed a wall-with Crouchy ready to duck-and the freekick was struck well- straight into Maz or J Mac's arm- play on normally, buta penalty which saw the Braves 2 down. Some polite mumbling followed by several of the Braves about the decision.
The dodgy decision really didn't slow the Braves down much- Al mitchell continued to inject himself, Donnie had some nice touches and some quick penetrating long throws, Lenno was keen, Maz got more ball at his feet, Dunko swapped positions with Miko(stroke of genius really) and Fox got his passing radar sorted all of which meant the Braves had more quality possession. The Braves began more attacking raids- Dunko swung a free kick over to the far post looking for Maz which unfortunately ended up on Miko's head (last place you want it), but a good indicator of things to come.
Not long after with maybe only 5 minutes to go, Miko was relaesed and scampered after the ball rounded and gracefully slotted past the Merimbula keeper o an acute angle to make it 2-1.Some of the Braves were thinking 'side net', but Miko's ambidexterious nature shone through once again. Game on baby! With the wind in their sails, the Braves pushed forward leaving Ad and the dependable Buzz at the back aloneand everyone else keen to join the party up front.
Again, it was Miko who sailed clear, kicking his feet and ball unpredictably, creating clever interpassing with Lenno to produce a second thrilling goal for the old fella. Off he went- the shirt came off (we saw it last year too), it was wheeled above his head and even lofted in the air, just to ensure the Merimbula players were really annoyed when he escaped being booked (again). There were cries of disbelief and more than one 'get a hamburger intoya' from the hill before he put it back on. Dunko did his best to keep the referee busy and obscure his veiw of the deleriously happy striker which made him forget to actually congratulate him for his efforts. in the few minutes left, the Braves pushed again and could have won if all the Merimbula players had sat down in protest and given up, but the draw aws a result the Braves were happy with in the end.
Miko was beside himself later when he took the card from the ref and saw that he'd missed man of the match and Dunko with 2 points (for doing jack shit obviously).
Apart from a talking to about punctuality for the next game, the Braves should enjoy a wet training run come Thursday night(bring towel and snorkel)- as J Mac always says' play in the rain, train in the rain'..

Some were happy to wash the small amount of sweat they built up from their brows and breathe a sigh of relief, but Miko was ready to party and keen to watch the Socceroos beat Iraq later that afternoon.

Two weeks off and the home and away fixture against the league leaders Wolumla should really test the Braves. The one man backline that is Naro may return to see the Braves convert to 1-5-4!

Go you (dodgy but plucky) Braves!

Braves continue their bad run in Bega..

...(above) none of the Braves wanted to line up in the front row again this Sunday...

The Braves travelled into Bega for the local derby on the weekend- a venue that hadn't brought many points or much luck over the past few visits.
The Braves were surprised to see how dry the Bega pitch was- all of the council's water has obviously been diverted across to the beautiful code that is Rugby League. The result was quite a few high bouncing balls, which made control of the ball and the Braves' normal smooth passing game more difficult.

Try they did though- without much luck or success to keep possession or build decent attacking moves. They were also a bit thin at the back too- with an unfit and injured new man on the left with his damaged wing.

It soon transpired that the Devils made some strong attacking moves- stretching the Braves out on the big field and really testing the stand in keeper. Barney made a couple of Keysie like saves to keep the scores at 0-0. It was Dunko in the end who made the blunder that allowed the Devila to get their nose in front. He was too busy trying to avoid a cross from the left to block it and the resulting scrable put the Devils one up. They had to work bloody hard for that one though.

The scores remained 1-0, Miko having the best of the Braves' chances in both halves and making a number of threatening runs towards Adam Blacka in the Devils goal. The Braves regrouped at the break, realising that without more ball, they were going to struggle to compete.

The second half saw the Braves string together more passes- 3-4-5 in some movements. Unfortunately it's a few more passes needed on the wide open prarie that is 'Hell' (the home of the devils). They did make more probes into the Devils defensive area, Miko again on the end of some of his lightning quick runs. Dunko managed to get forward enough to make a Devil challenge him in the area and he made an uncharacteristically awkward landing- all in the name of protecting his injured arm. Crouchy stepped up with the ball after a heated arguement with Cappitane Maz (settled last week at training?) to put the penalty away nicely.

Unfortunately it wasn't long before the Braves had conceeded another corner though. After a rebound, Dunko was forced to come in from his far far post man, missed the ball in the challenge and his man he left camly tucked the ball in for wahat turned out to be the winner.

The Braves did create a number of other probing pushes forward, one which really should have resulted in a second penalty for them, but it wasn't to be.

Dissapointed, but conscious of the fact that they had probably played better overall than the previous encounter with the Devils, the Braves will be keen to put more pressure on the Devils in the final competition round. It should give the keen, but relaxed Braves squad a gauge of how they have progressed this season. Honorable mentions go to Paddy, Maz, Buzz, Dan and Crouchy all who ran quite a few miles in pursuit of the young quick Devils players.

With some quality passing drills on Wednesday night, the Braves should be keen to knock the ball about more against the Hoppers at Brave Park on the weekend. With Lenno Back, but the great man JMac missing(much to some player's relief), this weekend the team should take on a decidedly attacking look.

This Saturday at 1.30 will see the hometown Braves meet at Brave Park for some necessary work to prep the field on Sunday.

See you there!

Go the braves!

Dodgy Braves Go down at home

...(above)Keysie was hoping his troublesome shoulder would not keep him out of the gym for long..

It was to be a day of glory for the Braves when they played their first game at home last Sunday.
The game didn't start well for the braves- Keysie suffering a shoulder injury common to young farmers who drag irrigation about on 4 wheelers in Bemboka..
The half continued in the same vein. When Capitan Maz heads between the sticks, it means the Braves leak goals and not wanting to let his reputation down, the Braves were 3 down at half time. Bugger.
By all accounts, the Braves played far better in the second half- really much better than the Devila, but they could only pull one back thru the trusty boot of Donnie Beckhamwit his second in two games.
Next game sees the Braves travel to Hell, or the home of the Bega Devils. With a couple of players back for the Braves, it will be interesting to see if the Braves are ready to step up and match it with last year's Ressie's champions

Go you Braves!

Donnie Beckham returns! Braves v Grasshoppers

...Donnie had been on the phone to Becks before the match...

...and Maz was really looking forward to Keysie's return...

The Braves ventured to Berrambool, the home of the Grasshoppers for Round 2 of the season. A warm day greeted the straggling Braves who, on average, were a lot less hung over than last week. The Braves took to the Park with only 10 men after our new keeper had family commitments to attend & Fox & Angus... got lost…

An ear infected Donnie was kicking back about to knock the top off a rum can before realizing that the Braves were short & made haste to pull on the boots (a move that would later see him equalize his 2007 goal scoring tally). Unfortunately an unorganized Braves were beaten with the overlap before our 11th player took the field & the Grassies pushed the ball around & slotted one past our air swinging stand-in keeper - Maz.

Following the Grassies goal Fox & Angus remembered where Merimbula was & Fox took the field to put us make up the 11th man.

The Braves hit back not long after when the new NAB recruit & now All Star Brave, Dan the Man making a break on the left after a switch of play, before firing a penetrating left foot strike from about 25 yards out which made a beeline for the top left corner leaving the keeper flat footed.. yay for the new man!

With sides now equally weighted the Braves pushed the ball around and it seemed Dunko’s training drills had an effect with the Braves holding good possession in the middle with Josh Green & Paddy knocking it forward, back, sideways feeding Angus, Fox, Simon & Al (who continues to hold his own against generally much larger opponents) with space & opportunity. The experienced Merimbula defence held tight and managed to duck past a few of the sneaky, stray, swinging elbows of our new recruits (Simon...) as some of the runs onto the thru balls took on a Rugby League resemblance...

The second half started more positively than the first after the Braves kicked off the ball was pushed around to the right before a switch of play caught the Grassies hopping (get it…) & another new recruit Angus slotted home another goal to put the Braves in front. That was the way the score stayed until 5 minutes to go when Micko was axed down & it appeared that the troublesome knee may again have been aggravated. Not 30 seconds later Naro was also taken out and was left nursing a pretty swollen ankle, not that he received much sympathy from Jodie… or anyone else… nonetheless, judging by the size of the egg on his ankle he’d be doubtful for next weekends clash.

With the backline broken, the Grassies pushed forward & after nutmegging Josh Mc another one was slotted into the back of the Braves net.

With time running out, it appeared that consecutive draws were on the cards, however the Braves were awarded a penalty about 5 metres from the top left corner of the Merimbula goal box. Donnie Beckham stepped up to the mark & hit a sweet strike which dipped just under the cross bar but just above Micko’s head (predictably) to give the Braves our first win for the season.

A solid game was had by all, the midfield worked hard in the warm conditions.

The Braves take on Bega at home next week noting that the Devils don't have a first grade game there is a chance the side could be stacked. With a few of the more experienced players will still be suspended or unavailable & Braves may be in for their toughest game yet.

Notes for next week: Get there on time… get organized before the game…

Buzz will be back in the line up next week, Dunko & Lenno will still be suspended, Naro will likely be on crutches, All Star Dan has family commitments & Josh Mc will in be in Port Douglas drinking XXXX on the beach… Hopefully all others will be on deck for what should be a tough encounter against last year's Ressie's winners

Go the Braves!

Game 1 v Tathra

(above) Naro was chuffed to have scored the winner...

Roving reporter J Mac has weighed in with today's match report...(with a few sarcastic quotes from Dunko)...

In summary

- We were all a little worried about how may players would turn up given 2 braves had
apparently been admitted to hospital Saturday night (Donnie & Barney) (hoping for a quick recovery)

- Fitness was obviously a concern, moreso given Josh Greens 18th the night before which
left him with low blood pressure & even lower testosterone levels... (he says his testosterone is as high as his hairline thankyou very much- take note girls)

- On paper we had a bare 11 however Michael Keys was coerced into playing & saved the
day by putting his hand up to play Goal Keeper.... he did an outstanding job & must have been
watching Harbhajan Singh's slapping exploits as he palmed away many on target shots. (there have been rumours that he is actually Habhajan Singh's half brother)

- Possession was fairly evenly matched until late in the second half when one McPaul missed
stopping an easy thru ball (I think he may need glasses... may also help his MTB ambitions)
which left the Tathra striker 1 on 1 with Keys.. Keys won that battle fending off a valiant shot by
the Tathra striker. The subsequent corner led to a bit of ball watching by the Braves &
Tathra looped one into the back of the net (no mean feat to get over Mick Keys).

- Shortly after the Braves were awarded a corner & a frustrated red head defender pushed forward
with menace first heading the corner towards goal which was defended by Tathra however he was on
the spot fire the loose ball past the keeper. (put him up front)

- Honourable mentions to newcomers Simon, Al Mitchell, Paddy & Daniel Southam (NAB recruit) who all
played vital roles on the day. (yay for the new boys!)

- 3 things we need to cover off at training - holding possession, marking & accurate passing... (speed, technique, skills, ball control, positional awareness, scoring heaps more goals, challenges, headers, first touch. I would go on, but it's time for bed...)


FYI - The estranged Brave one M Ellwood has dislocated his shoulder on the weekend
playing AFL............. that'll learn him.... (Matty if you read this, I didn't write that, but find it very funny).

All of this, and Foxy's lad auditioning for the Cirque De Soleil on the sidelines!

I'm not staying home next game!

May the excitement continue for the rest of the season!

Go you Braves!

Time to roll!

The Braves were hoping like hell it rained during the wemon's match...

Dunko checked out the results of preseason training...

With a couple of days to go, there's been loads of Braves busily checking bank accounts to pay their fees before the weekend opener against the Tathra Seagull outfit on Sunday. After an abbreviated preseason, the Braves are carrying some summer excesses into the game, but the rumours abound that early season nomination for keenest trainer- Naro- has actually unpacked his expensive exercise bike to impress his missus..
Game is a bit after 1ish (maybe), and the slightly undermanned Braves will be hoping for a decent start- even if they won't have anyone on the bench fresh faced..
At this stage all 11 players have put up their hand to play keeper, citing 11 different reasons why they would be most suited to the role. Stand by for planty of jersey and glove swapping this year.
Of course, the impeccable timing of Crouchy's birthday will only add to the Braves' physical preparation for the game.

Go you Braves!

5 more minutes?

The part most of the boys were looking forward to the most...

but the Braves Cheerleaders were in fine form...

It was the beginning and the end of the Braves Ressies preseason today and they got some numbers together for a practice match among themselves. A pleasant afternoon, even if most of us were knackered after10mins of the first half. Some nice touches going on all afternoon might just mean we're in with a chance of winning some games this year..
Among the goalscorers were Lenno (goalsneak), Joshy Mac, Pez, Donnie, Naro (nearly), Miko (not), Paddy? and Dunko(an own goal).
Big thanks to Beno and Roscoe, very andy players for coming on out for the kick- the few extra's made a difference.
Season starts next week. Dunno who and where we play yet.
Watch this space...
Go the Braves!