BFC 2 Hibs 0
Hachioji Park, Saturday 9th October
Goals from Pablo Pomares and Jon Day gave BFC their fourth win of the season in this Saitama scuba championships division one game, given added excitement by the sporadic outbreak of kung-fu ninja tussles and synchronised swimming. The pitch was a joke. No ifs, no buts. But Hibs won the toss and interestingly decided to defend the end almost totally under water in the first half, gifting BFC the initiative.
With the ball stopping in water every few seconds this was always going to be a slog but BFC took the lead after just 15 minutes when Pomares splashed home from six yards after Carlos Arandas free kick had been parried.
BFC continued to paddle strongly down river towards the Hibs goal, Taka Imai rattling the crossbar with a fierce right-foot shot and Duncan Walshs goal-bound shot stopping suddenly in a puddle on the line before being hoofed clear.
A pass from Shosuke Yamagishi aqua-planed its way through to Day, who had enough time to stub out his Marlboro Light and plant a left-foot shot into the bottom corner. Two-nil at halftime but it could have been four.
Hibs strapped their snorkels on and poured forward in the second half, forcing a string of corners but BFC stood firm, mega-shifts put in all across the park, none more so than from Pomares, who was everywhere.
Handbags were being swung ferociously by now as people fought to clamber on board the lifeboats, BFCs Japanese contingent getting drawn into some extra curricular, much to the amusement of the Brits.
BFC had chances to score on the break as Hibs pushed forward but the reluctance to play the right ball and play it early meant it stayed 2-0, the referee decided to play minus 30 seconds of stoppage time after another bout of slap and tickle.
As Dan Clarke noted as he trudged off: That wasnt football! He had a point.
BFC, however, had three. Call it luck, call it whatever, but this threadbare BFC squad appears to have discovered the art of alchemy this season and are improving with each game.
Early days yet but BFC will be in the mix at the end if they can keep this up.
By PINKY AND DIANE
