Flag appreciation day - South Melbourne 2 North Geelong 1

This felt so much like a preseason game that I'm really not sure if anything of value can be said of it. The crowd was small, as you'd expect of a low profile game on Mother's Day. The crowd was also relaxed, maybe relatively more tense up until we actually opened up the scoring, and then nabbed the second, but otherwise, much chatter in our vicinity was taken up arrant nonsense, like how deeply weird Don Scott is, and the crowning highlight, the five minute or so delay in the second half while we waited for someone to replace a malfunctioning corner flag.

It really was that kind of day, one where you appreciate the comfortable wins, knowing that your team is good enough to go up another gear and/or sort itself it out quickly if it needs to.  It was good (again) that we did not backslide and go conservative, but coming off the three matches before it, it wasn't our best performance. That's bound to happen, it can't always be at the highest level, but the mentality remained correct. But still, it was messy. Credit to North Geelong for having a go, which is not meant to sound condescending, even though it surely does. They made it harder for us than I expected, and not just thanks to their goalkeeper, who made some excellent saves.

But as much as North Geelong took it up to us as best they could, and even created a couple of good chances, we also made it harder for ourselves with a bit of complacency, and a lot of substandard, and perhaps even showboaty finishing. Lots of guilty parties on that front, not really worth singling anyone out. The game should have been wrapped up much earlier; instead North Geelong got one back almost right on full time, which created a nervy 30 seconds or so. 

After the three points, the best part was being able to sub on a few different players, and get some minutes into the legs of a few guys usually on the bench, and give some of the starters a bit of a rest. If there's a time to do it, it's in games like this.

Next game
On the road again, at last, tomorrow afternoon against Moreland City. Please note that this game is at C.B. Smith Reserve, not Campbell Reserve.

Is there a curtain raiser?
Yes. The under 21s take the field at 1:00 PM.

Oof files
The annual police kickaround on Lakeside really seems to be slipping away in organisation. No opponent lined up by or for them this year, after several years of ex-Socceroos taking them on.

Final thought
It's in! / What a tremendous goal! / It's that man again! / etc