The Byki Over 30 Team swamped undermanned Jahbat FC last Saturday, scoring four goals in the first 22 minutes on their way to a smashing and convincing 8:2 win. Striker Maciej Kekus scored four times, while winger Jan Winter contributed two goals and an assist. In all, eight Byki found their way onto the scoresheet, as the team improve to 2-1-5 on the season.

The eight goals were the most scored by the Over 30s in outdoor competition, bettering the 7:0 pasting administered to Melrose Park in 2006. Overall, it was the second-biggest output by any Byki team in the club’s history. The Byki A Team still hold the record on the strength of their 12:0 win over the Assyrian Stars in May 2004. The A Team also bagged eight goals in two other matches; versus Shaw United in 1997, and versus the Albanian Stars in 2001.

Last Saturday’s match was the first-ever meeting between the Byki and Jahbat on any level. Jahbat were not expected to be pushovers, either. With 13 points from seven matches, they were part of a crowd of four teams in the Red Section vying for the top spot. Prior to last Saturday’s humiliation, Jahbat had conceded a respectable 12 goals in those seven games.

A team that seeks to be a contender, however, needs to be better prepared than Jahbat were. They arrived at Evanston HS with only the bare minimum of seven players needed to start the match and the Byki were not about to let them off the hook. Jahbat finally had their full complement of 11 just before the break.

Coach George Gorecki made it clear in his pre-game comments that the Byki needed to assert themselves right from the start. “In the past, we have tended to coast in matches where we have a numerical advantage,” he said. “It was important to avoid this lax approach and our guys were tremendous for long stretches of the game.”

It took just moments for the Byki to break into the lead. Gorecki played a simple pass to Winter on the left wing. Winter spotted Kekus making the run to the far post and it was easy pickings for Kekus to guide the ball into the back of the net.

The Byki may have scored that goal a bit too early. Thinking that Jahabt would offer little resistance, the Byki tried to push the ball forward as quickly as possible on nearly every possession. Jahbat countered by playing a very aggressive offside line and caught the Byki on numerous occasions. This tactic frustrated the Byki, who responded by yelling at one another, rather than finding a solution for the offside problem.

The solution was obvious, even if the Byki didn’t see it immediately. Short, simple passes would be the best way to break down an opponent shorthanded by four players. Unable to chase the ball effectively, Jahbat would be forced to leave space on the flanks and this is precisely where the offside trap could be broken down. Once the Byki settled down, the goalscoring opportunities came in bunches.

The score went to 2:0 on 14 minutes when Dan Jedrzejowski took the ball down the wing and slotted to Brett Frischmann, who found Kekus unmarked. Kekus fired home from short range. Six minutes later, Preston Moore sent the ball to Kekus on the right side. Kekus drew in the defense and laid the ball off to Jakub Banbor, who buried the open shot.

In the 22nd minute, a pass over the defense beat the trap, springing Kekus on a breakaway. The portly keeper did well to come off his line and block the shot, but Kekus controlled the rebound and dropped a pass back for Jim Jacobs, who tapped the ball into the empty net. Jacobs nearly had his second tally six minutes later, concluding a slick passing sequence engineered by Paul Gibbs and Kekus. Jacobs had the final touch on the ball, but the goalie made a heroic save.

The Byki made it 5:0 in the 31st minute. Jedrzejowski’s accurate through pass sent Kekus on yet another breakaway. Kekus did the business and notched his first career hat trick with the Byki. Kekus was in position for a fourth goal right before the halftime whistle. He deftly flicked the ball over the last defender and sprinted in alone on the keeper. Kekus looked set to score, but the keeper made another brilliant stop.

By the end of the first half, Jahbat had a full squad. Gorecki reminded everyone that nothing is a given, even with a five-goal lead. “Once we had our foot on their throat, I didn’t want to see us let up at all,” said Gorecki.

Jahbat gamely tried a comeback and nearly broke into the scoring column in the 45th minute. After goalkeeper Tomek Klimaszewski tipped a header over the bar, Jahbat set up the corner kick quickly and created an opening just outside the box. The Byki had to heave a sigh of relief when the ball smacked off of the goalpost.

But Jahbat pulled one back in the 47th minute, thanks to a dubious penalty. Banbor made slight contact with a Jahbat player inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot when the player crumpled to the ground. “That was a terrible decision by the referee,” said Gorecki. “The calls were heavily in favor of Jahbat when they were shorthanded, which is something that you see with a lot of referees. But once they’ve got 11, he has to balance things out.” Jahbat pulled to within 5:2 ten minutes later when Klimaszewski was dispossessed in the box and a Jahbat player shot into the empty net.

The Byki replied with a three-goal blitz over a span of nine minutes to pound the last scraps of hope out of the Jahbat side. Gibbs started the hit parade when he sent a free kick from midfield to Winter on the left flank. Winter accelerated to goal and fired past the keeper.

Winter repeated that effort with another score in the 66th minute. Jon Silverstein made a hard challenge at midfield and boomed the ball to Winter, sending him on a breakaway. Winter gave the keeper no chance, making it 7:2.

The Byki capped off a glorious afternoon two minutes later. Jacobs led the way on the counter and found an unmarked Kekus at the far post. Kekus slammed the ball home for his fourth goal, putting him one short of Marek Ciszewski’s record of five, set against KF Ulqin in 1997. Three other Byki players have previously scored four goals in a game: Ted Snodgrass (2000), Brian Nash (2003) and Russ Haynes (2003).

The Byki showed that the hard work that they have been putting in at training is paying off. They still have a long way to go before their teamwork is at maximum level. Their progress to this point indicates that they're on the right track.

BYKI LINEUP
(4-4-2): Klimaszewski – Pedlow, Moore, Dec, Gorecki – Gibbs, Jedrzejowski (c), Winter, Frischmann – Banbor, Kekus. Bench: Cardenas, Jacobs, Silverstein.

BYKI SCORING SUMMARY
Kekus 1 (Winter); 2nd; 0:1. Kekus 2 (Frischmann); 14th; 0:2. Banbor 1 (Kekus); 20th; 0:3. Jacobs 1 (Kekus); 22nd; 0:4. Kekus 3 (Jedrzejowski); 31st; 0:5. Winter 1 (Gibbs); 59th; 2:6. Winter 2 (Silverstein); 66th; 2:7. Kekus 4 (Jacobs); 68th; 2:8.