Flores Surpassed
Sad Stern
The Birds entertained Argentinean visitors Flores Sur at Gamma Stadium, but pulled no punches when it came to football as they served up a feast of goals for the teeming mass of die-hards at the foot of the terraces.
It was not
Joe Stern's day, as the popular Canadian did everything right but just couldn't get his goal in the first half. He broke the offside trap at exactly the right moment in the twelth minute, but whipped his grounder inches wide, and had his header beat Lantadilla in the 24th minute, only to see it bounce by the other post.
Tim Hobson and
Aznan Noor Yadah had no such problems as they both succeeded with their first shots on target, and
Joe Stern must have felt that it was his turn when he was clipped while clear through by a Flores defender. Incredulously, referee Carlos Casais tut-tutted and flashed him the yellow card for diving instead.
Even
Shen Kek-Tjiang came closer than the luckless forward, as the defensive midfielder had a solid header tipped over by the goalie, and a couple of Stern's teammates took it upon themselves to rib him as they walked back for the half-time rest.
Stern's sorrow was finally ended in the 66th minute as he rounded Campuzano to score, but even that was something of a pity gift by Hobson, who had a shot on for himself. The Englishman could afford to be generous, though, as he ended the day with an effortless hat-trick.
