Once a year in the July school holidays, Barker College turns its grounds over to rugby and football teams in its Old Boy network. This weekend was the turn of Barker Old Boys rugby (BOBs) to play Hunter Hill at all grades and Old Barker FC to play St Ives with its Div 5 side and Kissing Point with its Premier League side on Rosewood Oval.
Rosewood was looking very dry and has some building works underway to replace the ageing change facilities, so it will probably look pretty smart next year.
Both teams were very relaxed before the game, Kissing Point are second on the ladder and Barker were playing at their spiritual home.
Barker had the kick off and were keen to get things underway, but Kissing Point were very organised and disciplined with their play; long periods of possession, lots of touches, players moving towards passes.
Both sides had quick attempts on goal but it was Old Barker that got the first decent shot away, in to the arms of the Kissing Point goalie.
Kissing Point are masters of control; trapping the ball, looking for passes, testing their opposition. But today, Barker were the side with more shots on goal. The Barker midfield constantly keeping their centre forward fed with opportunities. The centre forward was constantly testing the offside trap and when he got away with it, he had some decent shots on goal.
0:0 at half time in a well-balanced even contest.
Kissing Point struck five minutes in to the second half with a shot from just over the halfway line. Not powerful, but completely unexpected, beating the defence and leaving goalie looking like a fish out of water.
1:0 to Kissing Point.
From there, Kissing Point began ratcheting up the pressure; lots of passes, lots of attacks on goal. Constantly sending in an attack with three more players following the ball in looking for a cross, a deflection or to capitalise on any mistake by Barker. They are a good side to watch and a formidable side to play against.
However, the equaliser came in the 20th minute. Barker pressed the Kissing Point goal. The goalie went to clear the ball, but it ricocheted off a Barker player and went in to his net. Not a pretty goal, but a goal nonetheless.
The last twenty minutes was a game of stamina; which team to could play the fastest. Kissing Point piled on the pressure on to the Barker goal, but Barker fought back defending, saving and having attacks back on the Kissing Point goal.
The final score was a one-all draw in a really good afternoon of football.
