The Byki Over 30s finally got on the winning track last Saturday when they downed the Tanners 1:0 at Montrose & Cumberland. For the first time this season, the Byki displayed the type of teamwork that they have been talking about and put it into action. The Byki improve their record to 1-0-4 and are optimistic that they have left their early-season troubles behind them.

The Tanners have always been a pesky opponent for the Byki over the years. Until this season, they have been a collection of old friends who continue playing soccer together and are simply not getting any younger. The 2008 team appears to have introduced several younger players, but they did little to raise the overall level of the squad.

Coach George Gorecki emphasized the need to take control of the match from the outset and force the Tanners to play from behind. The Byki executed their game plan flawlessly, putting pressure on the Tanners all over the field. They had the Tanners scrambling on defense after only seven minutes. Nick Elmkinssi settled the ball in the box and shot from close range. The keeper made the save and the rebound went to Maciej Kekus. The keeper reacted well to Kekus’ shot also, but could not grab the ball. Brett Frischmann got there first and shot from the top of the box, only to see a defender get in the way and make the block. The loose ball wound near the byline, where Kekus had another go, but the goalie came out hard and smothered the shot.

Two minutes later, the Tanners were still reeling and gave the ball away on the right side of the area. Ernesto Garcia sent the ball to the other side, and Kekus smartly dropped the ball back for Frischmann, who drilled a first-time shot into the back of the net.

The Byki maintained the momentum. In the 28th minute, Jing Geng sent a free kick into the box for Kekus, who headed the ball along for Garcia. The keeper came out forcefully and made a great block on Garcia’s shot from close range.

Five minutes later, the Byki attack was cooking again. Jon Silverstein threw the ball in quickly to Frischmann, who sent a pass back to the top of the area. Elmkinssi drove a one-touch shot at the goal, but the keeper tipped the ball over the bar.

The Tanners gave the Byki one nervous moment right before the halftime whistle. With the Byki defense off-balance, the Tanners put the ball deep in the penalty area. Goalkeeper Carlos Lopez came out to force the issue and a Tanners player passed the ball through the goal area, but the player making the run to the far post got there too late to tap the ball into the gaping net.

The Byki started off the second half the same way they started the game. A terrific through pass put Jan Winter into the clear. His off-balance shot from the top of the box went narrowly wide of the post. Moments later, it was Winter again working the left side of the box. His deflected shot caught the keeper on the wrong foot, but missed the target by inches.

Winter might have thought that the third time was the charm in the 45th minute. His hard shot was blocked and the loose ball came to Geng on the right side of the box. He wasted no time picking his spot, but the shot sailed wide.

As the Tanners discovered that they could not solve the well-organized Byki defense by playing countless balls over the top, they tried a more physical approach. Their shift in tactics irritated the Byki, who just wanted to play some nice soccer. “This is typical from the Tanners,” said Gorecki. “They can’t find a way to play effectively, so they resort to what I call old-man tactics of kicking, pushing and just being a nuisance.” The referee allowed far too many of these fouls to go unpunished, despite the liberal use of his yellow card. By the 55th minute, a Tanners player was sent off for his second bookable offense after kicking Frischmann to retaliate for a foul that Frischmann had committed.

The Byki were in total control and were not about to let go. They were content to simply absorb pressure in the midfield and then come forward on the counter. A nifty exchange of passes between Kekus and Frischmann almost resulted in a goal in the 67th minute. Three quick passes unhinged the Tanners’ defense, but their keeper came up with yet another tough save.

The Byki came fast on the counter just before the end of the match. Kekus played a smart pass to Garcia, who spotted Winter making the supporting run. Garcia gave up the ball for Winter, who shot wide of the post.

The Byki finally looked like a team, demonstrating unselfish play and cohesion. As new players get accustomed to their teammates, the Byki are certain to improve.

BYKI LINEUP
(4-4-2): Lopez – Tower, Geng, Pedlow, Treter – Dec, Jedrzejowski (c), Winter, Frischmann – Kekus, Elmkinssi. Bench: Cooper, Garcia, Gorecki, Jacobs, Silverstein.

BYKI SCORING SUMMARY
Frischmann 1 (Kekus); 9th; 0:1.