Aces stack the pack........
It was the Classics' first visit to Steel Park - and what a place to find! However, it is a tidy little ground which plays well. The first chance of the match fell to the visitors in the 2nd. minute when a Jeff Dickson chip from outside the box went just over the crossbar. The match was a welcome return for Chris Arcari and Gene Crowley after lengthy injury lay-offs, and it was an Arcari fumble which gave a glorious opportunity for the Aces to take the lead but the forward hit the ball straight into the arms of a grateful Judd Boxtart. With the game barely five minues old G. Crowley stunned the crowd with a daring move which saw him leave the field to kiss an unknown female passer-by. The referee had to get the rule book out to see if he had made any infringement but he sensibly let the incident pass. Seconds later Gordie Macklin had an altercation with the 'Klippety Klopp' look-alike Aces goalkeeper but it was nothing more than handbags at ten paces. Another scare arose in the Classics defence in the sixth minute but thankfully the Aces shooting boots had been left at home. Two minutes later Dickson found himself in a scoring position but his effort was straight at Klopp!

In the 20th. minute Larry Thorlakson conceded a corner which was whipped over to the back of the box where it was powerfully headed home to give the hosts the lead. Four minutes later the Classics were level. A great through ball from Macklin was received by Pat O'Krane who hit a powerful strike into the far corner to give the visitors just the shot in the arm that they needed. It was a little bit out of character for him as he normally blasts them over but this one was a cracker. O'Krane took a nasty tumble on the half-hour mark and had to limp off the field, looking badly injured, and took no more part in the game - shame! The Aces scored again after a lobbed ball was eluded and caused a mix up between Arcari and Boxtart. This left an attacker unmarked to lob the ball into the net to give them a 2-1 half time lead.

Willie Dixon was unlucky on the hour mark when his effort was kicked off the line and Chuck McGill went close with a diving header. It deserved more as it came after some good interplay in the build up. Dickson took a free kick from the left which David Breen intelligently helped on. When the ball came off the keeper to Pat Rohla he blasted it well over the bar. In the 67th. minute a wayward backpass from Thorlakson let in an Aces forward who left the goalpost ringing like a tuning fork as his powerful effort deflected for a corner. Minutes later Thorlakson was walking off the field to the sin bin after an innocuous foul. A good left wing run by Macklin brought a reflex save from the keeper which fell to Rohla who didn't make the same mistake again, as he rifled the shot home to give the Classics parity. With five minutes remaining Breen almost threw the game with a poor backpass direct to the feet of an Aces' attacker who tried to chip Boxtart. It was a good job that he hadn't cut his finger nails before the game or he might not have been able to tip the ball over to safety! In the last minute the home side had another chance to win the game but their last ditch effort came back off the crossbar and was cleared. A draw was a fair result on the day.

Final Score: Langley Aces 2 Classics 2 (2-1)

Stats
Sin Bin: Larry Thorlakson
You were crap award: Judd Boxtart & Chris Arcari