Utility king Chris Reiser between the sticks (Marc was in New York) did a terrific job as the goal was bombarded from the get go. With Nick Esp red carded and sitting out a one match ban – hiding the fact that he was concussed at the weekend after his two front teeth were kicked out – and Kevin Fink out due to knee injury sustained likewise for Dinamo Shakhtar, alongside Dayle out with a groin strain, Zach out with a back problem and Chris Adams in Nashville – the Lokos were missing core members and could only field 9.

The presence of luxury talisman Ally Christie held the lads together and gave the opposition something to worry about when they were in possession – not for long when Ally bites yer legs – but it was an uphill battle. Ronny M worked incredibly hard and Sep though sore in the heel gave no indication of his discomfort. Reza chased everything that moved and Chris Rogers was everywhere, while Benny acted as the sole striker waiting for a delicious morsel served up by the maître d’ of the midfield Martin Garcia. Phil White – another Loko consigned to work more than play this season – pulled creativity out of the bag, and ran tirelessly once he took the field, creating the very movement that would have given the Armenian brothers a real handful if we’d have had 11.

Is it the economy ? Guys tolerating horrible work demand in fear of losing jobs, is it fear of what will be around the corner if there’s no money coming in ? Is it that a limp start to the season kicked our passion into touch ? A thought for Chris Juhlin – on the roster all season – unable to play until this Sunday, for Sanjay Raghavan – broken collar bone just as he was starting to enjoy his football again – and for the guys who would love to have been there but HAD to be somewhere else.

Next season lads – we’ll have them all.

Though heads dropped at 2-0 down – especially since we were barely 8 minutes in – and we were 6-0 at half time, it was Benny’s expressions of exasperation and disgust at half-time that lifted the lads. Coming out looking to garner a little pride in the second half, Nick Espiritu decided to finally beat the ‘keeper one on one – having tried a couple of times only to shoot straight at the guy ! Fairness to Nick – you’ve got to get into those positions in the first place, and while Nick and Benny’s toil up top can be a lonely task at times, the team has to feed them better and quicker. At least that way they’ll get a little practice and maybe improve their conversion percentage.

We were indecisive in the middle at times and the Armenian’s cut us to pieces very efficiently in the first period, but Benny Scott’s work in the second half and Christian and Roddy’s renewed vigor paid dividends in the second period. 1-0 to us in the second half.

More great pictures from Terra:

Inadvertent handballs were called in SV 22′s favor, but not ours – including one that rather looked rather less inadvertent, inside the box.

Notwithstanding getting a spanking from a bunch of older, fatter Eastern European dudes, we only started to play football when we were 5-0 down and had sufficient chances to have won it 7-6 but didn’t take any of our opportunities, including open goals, and at least 2 one-on-ones with the ‘keeper. My penalty gift was borne of frustration and a little stupidity and I was certainly lucky to earn only a yellow, but Leigh’s and Roddy’s red cards for dissent were easily avoidable and entirely unnecessary.

Still, there were moments, and all 11 of us got a good run out in the cold.

Benny and Nick Esp toiled away up top, but it was Martin Garcia who put in the winner barely 7 minutes after they’d gone ahead through a rebound after my nemesis Dale tried to get one off from a tight angle – Marc palmed it away, but they were quick in following up and it was a fair goal – albeit against the run of play. We looked even more dangerous when Benny Scott moved into the middle, and Sep worked extremely hard and was always a threat.

Terra was there again – and this season is more perfectly documented that any before it as a consequence:

Four goals disallowed the railwaymen for off-side that weren’t, two that actually were. Nonetheless with 11 blokes and second choice goalie and midfield magic maker Christian F between sticks Loko were up for it tonight – alas, Martin G was still suffering a dead leg from Sunday and so he waited for both Chris’s (Juhlin and Rogers) until he felt safe to take on ballboy duties.

Chris just got back from the UK after burying his Grandma, and so it was a terrific act of selflessness on his part that he came out tonight – to say nothing of the fact that he played injured for 70 minutes after being kicked in the calf muscle.

But bugger, if the games with the Chilean lads are not full off something. Crying, diving, dying – the lot, and though we might have been a bit sloppy in the first half and guilty of a bit of ball watching we actually did soooo much better in the second period, uphill and all. We came from behind twice, fueled by Benny D’s energy and first period brace (especially now he can fit in a S/M jersey !) such that Mike K’s hit did the business.

Massive kudos to Ally C, stalwart, hard man, tackling personified and real team player, the man is unbelievable.

Second half saw Silverlagos come out with a little more resolve and for the final 25 minutes of the half they laid siege our goal. A sterling performance by the defensive department (Chris Adam, Roddy Jessup, Dayle Burton and Jon Maghen) supporting ‘keeper Marc Bergman who was outstanding ensured they didn’t get anything out of the game as Loko came away with the points. Grinding it out is sometimes the way it goes, that’s what happened last night.

But with the most composed of defensive performances, it wasn’t to be as the 6 forwards couldn’t finish a packet of crisps or a cocktail sausage never mind the most generous silver platter of sitters ever presented to The Railwaymen.  Sick Jon Maghen and upto-his-eyeballs-in-work Chris Adams both absent, it was a bit mix and match at the back, but Chris Rogers had his best performance ever at the back, and Roddy Jessup was the epitome of no nonsense clearance.  In the middle Ronny Mikkelsen and I toiled away, and nothing was coming through today.

Skirmish after skirmish produced incredible chances, but Chris Juhlin uncharacteristically flubbed a couple and the graceful Sep Foroutani was flagged offside all night, while the lone goal was Nick’s only return for all the speed and industry. The Sentinels nibbled of course, and after a few slapstick moments one of theirs was sent off – but the other bad boy took up residence in Benny’s head and successfully took our lad out of the game with the 25c psychology.

Some swinging crosses from Mike Krogmann came to nought, and it was the quickly deteriorating referee performance that cast the final punch. Wailing on the ground after he was dispossessed expertly by a combination of Chris Ro and Ronny M the Sentinel’s whiner won himself a penalty – which though Marc got a good hand to it – levelled the game.

Pointers for the future – and solid enough I suppose – but we’ve got to bury the chances lads. Onwards to Friday, weather permitting.