The Blue Team gave a good accounting of themselves when they battled CKS Warta B last Sunday at Conkey Forest Preserve in Crestwood. Warta broke open a close match with two goals scored in rapid-fire fashion in the middle of the second half, sending the Byki to a 3:1 defeat. The loss drops the Blue Team to 1-0-6 for the season.

The Byki roster was missing several players and coach Joe Gambino was forced to suit up just to give his squad a total of two substitutes on the bench. Despite these problems, the Byki rolled up their sleeves and approached the game in a gritty, pragmatic fashion.

That tactic appeared to be working just fine until lightning struck twice for Warta and they capitalized handsomely just after the hour mark. The two quick goals were too much for the Byki to handle and no comeback was in the cards.

Warta grabbed the lead after only five minutes when a mix-up in the back left the ball in position for an opportunistic Warta striker to punch home. Warta played a pass into the Byki penalty area. It looked like an easy play for the defense to clear away, but confusion between debutante goalkeeper Stephen Boone and his back line resulted in none of the Byki making a play for the loose ball. To their credit, Warta took advantage and the striker scored with a low shot.

The Byki fought back gamely and knotted the score but five minutes later. Brett Frischmann dropped a pass back for Enda McGrath, who was at the top of the area. He drilled a hard shot without hesitation, but a defender deflected it back towards the Warta goal. The keeper came out to gather the ball, but allowed it to bounce. The bounce completely bamboozled him, as the ball soared over his head and into the back of the net. When asked whether he could claim such a goal, McGrath replied, "I don't score too many of them, I have to claim them all."

After the early gaffe, the Byki settled into an organized rhythm on defense. Warta's attackers had very few openings to work with, and the tidy play was a springboard to several good-looking counterattacks.

In the 36th minute, an outstanding through pass split the Warta defense, sending the speedy Richard Sodeinde on as breakaway. The keeper came out aggressively to meet Sodeinde and made a nifty save on Sodeinde's shot.

Minutes before the break, Matt Fleming crossed the ball into the mixer off of a free kick on the right flank. He found McGrath alone and the midfielder dribbled around a defender and blasted a tough shot at the near post. The keeper had the play covered, making a sprawling save.

The Byki had played the most consistent half of soccer of the season and expected to use their superior skill and experience to get the crucial second goal and send their youthful opponents packing.

Warta, however, had other ideas, and began their siege on the Byki goal right after the second-half whistle. The played a slick 1-2 inside the Byki penalty area, freeing a player on the right side for an open shot. Boone read the play expertly and saved at his near post.

In the 60th minute, winger Dan Stanley made a strong run down the left side. He turned towards the goal when he reached the Warta penalty area and picked out the far post as his target. His shot had the keeper beaten, but the ball rolled just wide of the post.

Warta regained the lead in the 66th minute, wrapping up a sequence of elegant passes. The Byki defenders were slow reacting to Warta's ball movement, and Warta trickled the ball over to the far side, where an unmarked player tapped the ball home before any Byki could get there to intervene.

Disaster struck a minute later when a Warta player sprinted through the defense on a breakaway. Andy Lane, too injured to keep up, tried to slow the man down with a quick tug of the shirt. When the Warta player worked himself free, the referee played the advantage and allowed the Warta player to complete his run. The shot went wide of the mark, but the referee mistakenly brought the play back for a Warta free kick at the point of Lane's foul. The Byki weren't ready for the restart and Warta were on their toes, playing a simple pass to an open man on the left side, who blasted a shot past Boone. The Byki were incredulous that the referee gave the advantage to the Warta player and then gave a free kick, despite the advantage ensuing.

The scoring flurry left the Byki with their heads hanging. Rather than realize that their potent offense could easily find a pair of goals in the final 20 minutes, many players strayed from Gambino's game plan. The endgame for the Byki resembled the shenanigans that are seen in pick-up games. The complete absence of teamwork led to a lack of discipline and it became clear that the Byki would not be able to come back.

BYKI LINEUP
(4-4-2): Boone – Kanver, Stillwell, Berrone, Bai – McGrath (c), Stanley, Fleming, Frischmann – Sodeinde, Benavides. Bench: Gambino, Lane.

BYKI SCORING SUMMARY
McGrath 1; 10th; 1:1.