New A.S.B manager Jordan Ali got off to a flying start away at Leicester City with his new look Super Hoops who lined up in their new black and red hooped kit. With plenty to say before kick off Jordan put out an adventurous starting line up to put the foxes to the sword, and they lined up like this.

GK : Rob

RB : Orville LB : Slouch

CB : Tina & Peewee

RM : Malik LM : Kier

CM : Riz & Task

S : Mungo & Jamie

Subs : Woody, Jordan, Daffy & Juzza

There was a new central defence partnership with Captain Tina and Vice Captain Peewee playing alongside each other for the first time along with slouch in a more defensive left sided position and Orville at right back, a position he's making his own. All in all a young but experienced defence. The midfield quartet consisted of speed, skill and strength with steel in the middle. Two of the squads most capped players joined forces (Riz and Task) to keep the attackers at bay and protect their defenders from any on coming attack. There was no doubt that A.S.B's wide areas would posses the most skill and speed for creating chances, and it was a welcome return for 2Touch who hasn't featured for a while. The strike pairing of Jamie and Mungo has the ability to score goals and cause problems with movement and space. The bench consisted of fans favourite and committed Woody and Daffy who's commitment includes flying from Switzerland just to play for his beloved A.S.B. Jordan was also an onlooker from the bench and would without doubt come on later to cause mass panic in the foxes rearguard. That just leaves Juzza who will always give 110% for the cause and hold the ball to create more opportunities.

The first half kicked off with ASB controlling the play and just finding their feet with some crisp passing and movement all around the park. It was easy to see that they were just trying to find the Leicester weak spot. It wasn't until the 19th minute when the first goal went in some quick passing allowed Riz to have the ball at his feet and like he has done so many times before he calmly slotted in from just on the edge of the area. The first goal of the 05/06 season. The irony is that the goal scorer has the same surname as the manager. You could already see and hear the positive mentality of the Londoners after the first goal. It was on the 26th minute when they doubled their lead, after a long ball by Leicester, Tina picked up the loose ball from centre half and put a defence splitting ball through to Mungo who one on one with the keeper sent a perfectly timed lob over his head and into the net marking his first of the season.

The next ten minutes was all ASB with Malik, Mungo and Jamie's pace never giving the opposition any breathing space. In this time the woodwork was hit 4 times by the away team as well as the keeper making some outstanding saves. On 35 minutes a corner was won and taken by Task from the right hand side, it was a wickedly taken corner to the near post and managed to squirm through into the back of the net. The first player reel away was Riz and the goal was given to him although there were dubious shouts about it being an own goal, but it has been counted as the midfielders second of the game. It was only five minutes later when they made it 4-0, a corner whipped into the 6 yard box by Tina caused mass havoc amongst the Leicester ranks and after a shot by Peewee and Mungo it fell to Keir who calmly slotted in from 6 yards. With half time approaching ASB were rarely troubled and the defence stayed strong with some calm and tough defending. Malik Sarr was like a giant elastic band throughout this period and had a few mesmerising runs which deserved a better finish. But they went in at half time with the score still 4-0. During the 1st half Woody had come on the replace Keir allowing Tina to go left back and Slouch push up to left wing.

Half time saw a few Substitutions with Daffy replacing Orville and Jordan coming on for Mungo with Malik going to up front and Jamie dropping to right wing. It only took ten minutes for ASB to grab another and make it look like a white wash rather than a grey wash. Some slick play with Malik and Jamie gave Jordan the chance and with a turn and swivel past the on coming defender he smashed his shot into the onion bag with what looked like as much ease as someone flicking a switch. Then only 3 minutes later on the 58th minute Peewee scored his first since WorldNet with a well struck shoot from the edge of the area after poor defending from a corner. As the 62nd minute arrived an ASB attacker was hacked down in the Foxes box and a mass shout for Daffy to take the penalty occurred, the sprightly defender trotted up to the area with his usual enthusiasm and put the ball perfectly into the side netting to the right of the keeper (It was a penalty which probably would have been needed for the WorldNet final rather than now, but it counts and was well deserved by the must travelled international man of mystery) that made the score 7-0.

Juzza then entered the field for the mercurial Malik and 2 minutes later Peewee fired a raking cross field pass to Tina on the left wing, he turned his man and sprinted past one more defender to curl the ball in from a tight angle on the left edge of the penalty box, this was the Super Hoop show and we you could only imagine more goals would be on their way as the subs were even shouting for the visitors to hit double figures. The only option Leicester had were their two central midfielders and just seemed to dance around in circles with the ball until the forever running ASB midfielders closed them down and forced another one of their many errors. Mungo then went on to collect his second of the game on 70 minutes with a goal reminiscent of the one he scored in the Furry Cup Final, a great leap above the defender and textbook downward header and well deserved from a player who literally run himself into the ground with a point to prove that he can score goals. For the next 20 minutes ASB were desperate for a tenth goal and they would have got it but the heroics of the Leicester keeper kept everyone entertained. Slouch missed a good opportunity along with Jordan but the persistence of the Dennis the Menace look a likes paid off with a typical Slouch goal, his endless wing play all through the game gave him a chance on the 90th minute from 8 yards and he drilled it low across the keeper to make it a magical 10 for ASB. Two minutes later the final whistle blew and the game was done. A beautiful display from Jordan's team who showed pace, skill, precision, quality finishing and patience. Onlookers from any IFA team will now see ASB as a team back on the map and someone to be scared of. Look out for the final table come the end of the season there is no doubt that they will be at the top challenging for the trophy.

Stuart Morley
24th September 2005