Tag Archives: steve diasinos

2017 Spring League Cup – Subbuteo Parramatta Leg

Following the completion of the Spring League, being run in three of Sydney’s club – Northern Falcons TFC, Subbuteo Parramatta and Sydney TFC – the final three weeks of November were set aside for each club to take a turn hosting a WASPA tournament. The last of these was held by Subbuteo Parramatta at their Bella Vista Good Games headquarters. Nine players joined in, most of who had not been able to play in any of the other two tournaments in the previous weeks.

Eliot Kennedy, Steve Dettre and Adrian Elmer were seeded into the three groups, with the other six players randomly placed. Steve Diasinos and Gordy Dudley assured organisers they would be arriving, just a little late, but double checks were made to ensure they were heading to the correct venue – you can never be too careful with these two. After a year without playing, Jordan Kolaczyk was also making a return, sporting his newly hand-painted i-Base Professionals.

The opening round of games through up a few surprises. In Group 1, Dave Sultana was at his consistent best and held top seed, Eliot, to a goalless draw. In Group 3, Kostas Barbaris showed the results of a few months’ solid play against some of Australia’s best players within his own club, Sydney TFC, his defensive flicking being particularly good and surprising Adrian with two quick, well worked goals. Adrian pulled one back just before half time and found an equaliser a few minutes before full time but Kosta was unfortunate that his immense improvement this season was not rewarded more. Meanwhile, in Group 2, Falcon Steve Dettre edged past club mate Adrian Grunbach with a 2-1 victory, Adrian’s late surge making Steve very nervous. The second phase saw Dave eventually take hold of his match against Jordan, who was having his first flick since the 2016 Spring League, with Dave taking the honours 2-0. Adrian G and Gordy played out a tight affair, Adrian scoring a solitary goal to earn the 3 points. Meanwhile, in a real arm wrestle, the two Greeks, Kostas and Steve Diasinos, took each other to the wire, with Steve also finally coming out with a single goal victory. In the final group matches, Eliot gave Jordan a bit of a Subbuteo lesson as Jordan grew increasingly desperate to get forward possession. Steve Dettre managed to squeeze one goal past Gordy Dudley who was defiant in his defence. Steve did have one shot right on full-time which found the net. It was unclear to all involved whether it had happened before or after the final whistle, however, so a 1-0 scoreline was settled on. Steve Diasinos had all the possession and applied all the pressure in the opening five minutes of his game against Adrian E, culminating in a beautiful shot on the run that sailed goalward. Somehow, Adrian managed to grab his ‘keeper with his left hand and get it in the way of the shot, the rebound ending deep in Steve’s half. One possession and three flicks later, the ball was in the back of Steve’s goal from a shot from an acute angle by Adrian. The circumstances of the goal turned the game on its head, finishing 3-0 to Adrian, a scoreline which flattered him but which he was delighted to inflict on Steve.

In the Repechage play-offs, Kostas and Gordy played out a 0-0 draw before each putting a solitary goal past Jordan, making for a very democratic conclusion. The Barrage round saw a typically tight tussle between Subbuteo Parramatta club mates Adrian E and Dave. Adrian managed to score a solitary goal to maintain his unbeaten competitive record against Dave. Meanwhile, in their first ever match up, Adrian G gave Steve Diasinos a spanking, slotting 3 unanswered goals past Steve’s ‘keeper. Adrian E than, unfortunately, ran into a brick wall in the shape of the diminutive Eliot. Eliot bossed the match and ran out a 4-0 winner. Meanwhile, Steve Dettre controlled the bulk of the possession in his semi against Adrian E, but couldn’t find a way past Adrian’s staunch defence (though Adrian was lucky to see one of Steve’s shots rebound off his unattended goalkeeper). Adrian, however, did manage some of his own counterattacks and 2 of these resulted in goals, one in each half.

Dave maintained Steve Diasinos’ misery in the 5th/6th play-off, putting one goal past his team mate. Meanwhile, Adrian G made a complete about face from the opening round encounter with Steve Dettre, taking a 3-0 lead into the half-time break. Steve came out with a better performance after the break, winning the half but still succumbing 4-2 in the 3rd/4th play-off. The grand-final saw the tournaments two shortest players face-off (something to do with centres of gravity being an advantage or something). In a fairly dour, technical match, Eliot pressed for much of the game, as he usually does, but Adrian’s defensive organisation and flicking were meaning his ‘keeper had little to do. Midway through the second half, however, Eliot got the half chance that was all he needed after a poor defensive flick from Adrian, and took the lead. Adrian attempted to take the game to Eliot but didn’t create any meaningful chances, meaning Eliot was able to take the tournament with a 1-0 victory.

Another great evening of friendly rivalry. As always, a great thanks to Nathan at Bella Vista Good Games for hosting us with lots of room for our pitches. Over the three weeks of Spring League Cup tournaments, 17 different players were able to take part. Many have one eye on the Asian Cup approaching in January and the series proved to be an invaluable opportunity for all players to continue improving.

for more photos click here

for full results click here

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day 9

Leave a reply

Match Day Nine

Good Games Chatswood

Thanks goodness for the modern wonder of air conditioning! As three sweaty exponents of the fine art of Subbuteo – Steve Dettre, Todd Giles and Eliot Kennedy – assembled in the cosy confines of Good Games Chatswood, they were joined by about 30 almost-as-sweaty young male exponents of Magic: The Gathering. Were it not for the air-co going at full blast, gas masks might have been compulsory.

As it was, the initially rather dank conditions – coupled with the effects of long-term storage of the slightly sticky pitches in their tubes – had the effect of slowing down the normally super slick Extreme pitches to a speed more reminiscent of the gluey pitches found at the ‘Elmerdome’ aka The Clubhouse. This was only fitting, given that the players were there to play three games of Parramatta Spring League.

In the first game, Steve and Todd played out an entertaining match. Your correspondent only saw the second half, but it was 2 – 1 to Steve at half time, with his two goals being countered with what was the goal of the evening: a long range shot from Todd that rocketed into the net with the ‘keeper stranded! The second half saw Steve stretch his lead to 3 – 1 but, try as he might, some good defensive flicks, fine keeping and the woodwork denied him any more goals. Then with just seven seconds left of the clock, Todd hammered in another well hit long range shot to make it 3 – 2 on the death. Well done Todd! Hard luck Steve!

The next game saw Eliot take on Todd. The air conditioning appeared to be having an effect not only on air quality, but also the pitch, which was noticeably faster as the evening wore on. This suited Eliot, who was trying to play an up-tempo game. This saw him miss a few flicks, but also score three unanswered goals before half time. The second half was a much tighter affair, with Todd having more of the ball. His continued good ‘keeping, good blocks and more woodwork than you’d see in a carpenter’s workshop meant Eliot could only get one more goal in the second half, winning 4 – 0. Todd’s game is definitely getting stronger with match practice and will only improve further as his tactical awareness further develops.

The final game saw the old rivals Steve and Eliot take each on yet again. It’s been about 40 years since these two old tragics first played each other, but both are still enjoying games against each other and, generally, as much as ever! This was a close but relatively open affair, with both players having plenty of chances to score. Eliot probably had slightly the better of the first half and took the lead with a well hit shot from some distance about ten minutes in, and it was 1 – 0 at half time. But big Stevie game out firing in the second half and only some good goalkeeping and a fair dose of luck saw Eliot hold onto his tenuous lead. As often happens, Steve left some gaps at the back in his quest to equalise, and Eliot eventually took advantage to score a second with about five minutes left. Steve never let up after that and could easily have scored at least one goal which would have made the last few minutes interesting, but it was not to be. Overall it was a very enjoyable match played in great spirit meaning, of course, there was only one winner…..(Subbuteo, you shall remain nameless).

(match reports by Eliot Kennedy)

Scores:
Steve 3 Todd 2
Eliot 4 Todd 0
Eliot 2 Steve 0

The Clubhouse

Fabrizio defends a shot from Imojjen.

To quote Steve Diasinos, “As soon as there’s a speck of rain, everyone turns into a complete tool that forgets how to drive!!!” Which meant that players descending on The Clubhouse from all corners found themselves late. So a quick reshuffle of the night’s games (and some switches for next week) meant things got underway a bit late – but they got underway. Fabrizio, with dad, Enzo, in tow for a final evening of Subbuteo watching before he heads back to Italy, took on Imojjen while Adam lined up against Dom. Imojjen learned a lot playing Fabrizio and was pleased with some of the flicks she succeeded in making in the confined spaces Fabrizio made her use. However, by full time, Fabrizio had scored 5 to get his evening off to a flying start. Dom and Adam made a fine

Dom kicks off against Adam.

pair, both limping around the table with their respective dodgy knees, but playing a very entertaining game. Both players attacked, both players made some crucial mistakes in both attack and defense, and both had great chances. Dom gradually took a firm hold of the game, getting to a 2-0 advantage, but then Adam pulled one back making for a tight finish as he searched for an equaliser in the last 5 minutes. Dom managed to hold on, however, to take the win.

By this time, those caught in various traffic jams had arrived safely. And so Dom took on Raffaele while Gordy lined up against Adam. Raffaele quickly took a stranglehold on his game, thanks in large part to Dom finding his travelling ‘keeper stranded on multiple occasions. Dom did manage to put one away of his own, but it was relatively insignificant compared to the 5 that he conceded in a comfortable victory for Raffaele. Meanwhile, the game of the evening was played out between Gordy and Adam. Adam was really beginning to struggle with his injured knee, but soldiered on and completely dominated possession. Gordy has spent a lot of time defending over the last couple of years but, this evening, that experience really came into its own. Everything Adam threw at Gordy was repelled in a goalkeeping masterclass. He saves to the left, he saves to the right, he’s Gordy Dudley, he saves them all night! On top of this, Gordy managed to earn himself the best shots to goals ratio in the entire league during the game. He has now had two shots on goal during the tournament, both of which were successfully slotted past Adam’s otherwise unused goalkeeper, giving Gordy a 2-0 victory.

Gordy makes yet another defensive flick against Adam.

Raffaele vs Dom, with Fabrizio refereeing

Unlike events over in Chatswood, there was no air-conditioning at The Clubhouse, just an open door with a fan blowing in the outside air which was cooling only slightly. Those on the pitch closest to the door felt it a little. On the far pitch, drops of sweat were pooling on the pitch. Steve Diasinos took on Raffaele while Adrian faced Fabrizio in the next round of games. Both turned in to non-events. The two Italians wiped the floor with their respective opponents – Steve putting one past Raffaele but crumbling 5 times under Raffaele’s deluge, while Adrian could fare no better against Fabrizio than his daughter had earlier in the evening, conceding 5 unanswered goals.

The final games saw Raffaele play Gordy and Adrian take on Dom. Adrian and Dom played out a very open, even game. Dom took an early lead with a sweeping run and shot down the right wing. Both players had chances but it took until the last 6 seconds of the half for Adrian to find an equaliser with a soft, cheeky shot following a corner. The second half was similarly close, both players pressed, both players had their defences moved about. In the end, the factor that came to be decisive was the dreaded stranded travelling ‘keeper. This time however, in a reversal of his earlier game, Dom was the beneficiary, Adrian making the fatal mistake. With his 5th flick, Dom had a lone defender to beat with a shot and made no mistake. Adrian pressed hard for an equaliser but Dom held out. On the other table, all Raffaele’s frustrations from the previous two weeks worth of Subbuteo were poured out onto the one person he most blamed – Gordy. Gordy’s earlier heroics had left his goalkeeper exhausted. Raffaele pummelled him verbally and punished him on the Subbuteo pitch. Raffaele claimed something like 17 goals. The official results will record the mercy rule 5-0 result (the first time it’s needed to be applied this season). The truth was somewhere in the vicinity of 8 or 9. Ultimately, Gordy didn’t care – he’d picked up his win for the evening (his first ever in 2 seasons of league action) and went home a satisfied man.

(reports by Adrian Elmer)

Adam 1 – Dom 2
Dom 1 – Raffaele 5
Raffaele 5 – Steve 1
Gordy 0 – Raffaele 5

Imojjen 0 – Fabrizio 5
Adam 0 – Gordy 2
Fabrizio 5 – Adrian 0
Adrian 1 – Dom 2

With two weeks left to play, Fabrizio has slipped into the lead, with Eliot right behind him. Defending champion, Eliot, still has the title in his own hands – Fabrizio will need to beat Eliot in their clash in the last game of the season, as well as hope that Eliot drops points in one other game on the way. If that were to happen, that may also leave the door slightly ajar for Raffaele to sneak into first place as well.

for full results and table click here

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day Five

Leave a reply

Match Day Five

The Clubhouse

The pitches were mown and watered (well, the Subbuteo equivalent, they were given a good vacuum). With a few weeks passed since the close of the transfer window, new figures were close to full match fitness, so Dave and Todd were able to pull out their brand new teams (Arsenal 2015/16 and Newcastle KB 1978 respectively) while Imojjen’s bespoke pink and gold army had been transformed from their white blankness.

On the southern pitch, Todd started his Subbuteo bender evening with a game against Adrian. In the early stages, he was undone by some inexperience, allowing his defence to be pulled out of position leaving wide open spaces for Adrian to take the lead. Todd learned quickly, however, and no such spaces were left for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, a traveling ‘keeper error allowed Adrian a two goal advantage at half time. The second half was a much more closed affair and, though Adrian finished the game with a 4-0 victory, Todd showed that he continues to learn quickly, becoming more and more competitive as the minutes drew on.

Todd and Daniele crowd the pitch.

Todd then took on Daniele, who was still hurting from his loss last week and was in no mood to take things easy. Daniele’s quicker game caused Todd problems, though, again, as Todd became accustomed to the speed, he grew into it and was able to get speedy, well-positioned defensive flicks in. Daniele’s shooting, however, was the telling difference. A steady stream of goals throughout the game, with a mix of delicate chips and deadly pile-drivers. The result finished at 5-0. Todd then left to make the drive across to Parramatta, where he was due to play his 3rd game of the evening. A champion effort in playing and a happiness to accommodate which was much appreciated by the fixtures organiser!

Which left Adrian and Daniele to play out the final game. Adrian was determined to keep his defense tighter in the opening phases after Daniele had scored in the opening 30 seconds of each half in their last clash. This time, while Daniele dominated possession, Adrian combined some tighter defense with some good goalkeeping to hold Daniele out, and began to hold his own possession. Then, in a swift move up the middle of the pitch, Adrian scored, putting the moving ball into the back of Daniele’s unattended goal. This kicked Daniele into action. By the end of the half he had carved Adrian up to score three unanswered goals, the last of these being a great shot from distance through a crowded box. The second half was a little tighter, with possession shared. However, Adrian’s final touches to get into the shooting area were dreadful, meaning he couldn’t get clear shots on goal. Meanwhile, Daniele scored a fairly simple 4th then scored the goal of the evening. He had stolen possession from Adrian’s traveling ‘keeper but could not get any good angles on goal due to Adrian’s defensive flicking. His 4th touch was on a sharp angle and he managed to hit the post, but the ball rested, agonisingly, just in the field of play in front of goal. For his 5th and final flick, not a single player on the pitch had a clear path to the ball. His only option was to put his traveling ‘keeper in his own goal area and take a pitch length shot at the ball, with a 5cm window between two of Adrian’s defenders. He took it perfectly to the amazement of all. Adrian did manage a late consolation but Daniele ran out a deserved 5-2 winner.

(report by Adrian Elmer)

On the Northern Pitch, the first match was between Imojjen and (Little) Steve. Whilst initially a little nervous, Imojjen soon settled into a nice groove. Steve’s pointers were generally cut short as Imojjen displayed a very keen knowledge of what she should be doing without his help! Whilst she defended soundly, it was Steve who still managed a 1-0 lead into the break. 2 quick-fire goals at the beginning of the second half extended his lead, however Imojjen found herself with 1 or 2 chances of her own. Having never scored a competitive goal before, she was absolutely delighted to have found herself in behind Steve’s defence, duly dispatching a wonderful goal into the bottom left corner – the game finishing 3-1.

Æowyn getting ready for Dave’s corner.

Next was Dave, with his almost complete new Arsenal squad (top job Adrian!) being put to the test by Æowyn. The game was contested in good spirit, with both players trying as hard as they could to breach one-another’s stoic defense. Both had some good chances throughout, some thwarted by good saves, others by that dreaded offside rule! The game was eventually decided only a minute and a half from time – an error from Æowyn close to her own goal gave Dave a free kick which he worked very well and slotted away neatly – the game finished 1-0 to Dave.

The final game saw Steve take on Dave. Dave, by his own admission, deployed a slightly more defensive tactic, and was keen to control the pace of the game. This proved a master stroke as he came away with a deserved 0-0 draw. Steve certainly edged the chances, but some poor finishing, one amazing save from Dave (who later told me he is a goalkeeper in the outdoor game!), and some good defending pushing Steve to wide angles on goal, all contributed to the result. Dave was not to be outdone though – able to move the ball quite well, he did create a few of his own chances. One resulted in a corner, and another saw him 1-1 with Steve’s ‘keeper, which he will regret not putting away! 0-0 the final result.

(report by Steve Diasinos)

Adrian 4 – Todd 0
Todd 0 – Daniele 5
Daniele 5 – Adrian 2

Steve 3 – Imojjen 0
Æowyn 0 – Dave 1
Dave 0 – Steve 0

New Trafford

The night started in great spirits at “New Trafford”. Although the new landlord may need to have a couple of words with the local curator as Carrington (The New Trafford training complex) seems to be equipped with better lighting than the main pitch! Would this play havoc with some of the more seasoned veterans? The night’s play will tell the story.

The first round of matches saw Mat taking on Dom on the Old Trafford pitch, with Paul and Fab playing on the highly visible Carrington. These were 2 crackers to start the night. Mat and Dom played one of the most exciting 0-0 results played. Both players hitting the post, and only some nice saves from Mat late in the 2nd half when Dom’s experience saw him starting to win the arm wrestle kept Mat alive, as Dom pressed with 3 consecutive corners in a 60 second period. How this still finished 0-0 with the amount of perspiration still left on the pitch from both players, is still making me sweat!

Over at Carrington, Fab lead on 3 separate occasions, only for the man “Who loves a cliff hanger” to keep up his shooting touch and equalise on 3 separate occasions. This kind of shooting from Paul will see more favourable results in the coming weeks – just wait ’til he finds his touch with his new bases. I’m glad his match against me has already been played! In the end this game set the tone for the play for the rest of the night. Great skills, spirit and sportsmanship.

The 2nd round of Matches saw Eliot make his OT debut against Adam (closely resembling a certain X-Man). Could Adam’s powers keep out the top seed? Eliot quickly took control of the game, scoring 2 quick goals before Adam really got started. Adam pushed a couple of chances wide against Eliot with 3 shots hitting the side netting in the first half, before a late counter at the end of the half saw Eliot take a commanding 3-0 lead to the break. The 2nd half saw Eliot put a coaching hat on for segments, which was of tremendous benefit for Adam and the referee/student, Mat. After Eliot scored another 2, Adam started putting in some real consistent touches and clawed a late goal for the score to finish 5-1.

Over on Carrington, Fab and Dom played a very entertaining 1st half. Going into the break at 2-2, all things were set for another “Cliff Hanger”, however Fab found some fine flicking form in the 2nd half and put 3 unanswered goals past Dom to take out a 5-2 result, much to the surprise of the dispersing Old Trafford crowd.

The 3rd round of matches saw Eliot taking on Mat, who was hopeful of taking advantage of the home ground and new teachings from his mentor/nemesis of the night. This wasn’t very forthcoming with Eliot continuing his teachings, this time with actions. Mat had some good spells in the first half, making Eliot produce one or 2 nice saves, but really spent his time facing a man in good swing. 3-0 was the margin at the half. Much more of the same in the 2nd saw Eliot take out a 5-0 result and not really break into any real sweat, which Extreme Works would be thankful for following round 1.

Paul took on Dom at Carrington, with the venue fast becoming the home of the “Cliff Hanger”, a great game, played in great spirits saw a 2-2 result. Dom, after playing 3 games on the bounce was thankful for the downhill walk from the O.T. penthouse. The intense pressure of facing Mat, Fab and Paul on the bounce had Dom asking for the fastest way out of there!!

The final match for the night saw Todd arrive from a series of matches earlier in the evening at The Clubhouse, for his catch up tie against Paul. Paul, deciding to break in his new iBases, didn’t take long to get his touch. Going into the break at 2-0 with some posts hit as well. Todd saw some much improved play in the 2nd, with some brilliant build up play, but Paul’s defensive tactics isolated his counters on a couple of occasions. When in possession, he took full advantage scoring another 2 in the 2nd to finish the match with a 4-0 victory.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the way they played on the evening. Some fine banter, even better play only to be topped by the sportsmanship (and all the guys leaving to toilet seat down after use in Emma’s bathroom) saw the real winner of the evening being Subbuteo! – Thanks to all.

(report by Mat Barrie)

Dom 0 – Mat 0
Eliot 5 – Adam 1
Mat 0 – Eliot 5

Paul 3 – Fabrizio 3
Dom 2 – Paul 2
Fabrizio 5 – Dom 3
Paul 4 – Todd 0

Points table after Match Day Five.

For full results and updated table, click here.

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day 4

Leave a reply

Match Day Four

The Clubhouse

Adam must have looked at the draw and panicked. With clashes against Gordy and one of the Elmer girls lined up, he needed a way out. Either that, or he was still recovering from too much free wine on Saturday because he decided to stay home and spend the evening throwing up instead of facing his opponents. Meaning just 3 games were played at The Clubhouse this week. Mat lined up against Adrian for the first and it didn’t take him long to stamp his authority on the game. Within 5 minutes he had comfortably worked his way past Adrian’s defence and made no mistake with his shot. A few minutes later and Adrian’s defence was again in disarray, Mat doubling Adrian’s total goals against for the entire league so far inside 10 minutes! Adrian finally found a bit of composure and drew one goal back before the break, however, giving him some hope. The second half was a far less open affair, with both players tightening up their defence, though half chances did fall to both players. With 90 seconds left on the clock, as Adrian pushed his figures forward in search of an equaliser, Mat took advantage of the space at the back and put the result beyond doubt with a perfectly, delicately weighted chip shot.

Gordy shoots. Æowyn saves…Gordy’s figure, while the actual ball cannons off the post and out for a flick-in.

Game Two saw Gordy face Æowyn in a rematch of their clash from the previous weekend’s September Cup. In that game, Gordy had come away with the win but tonight, Æowyn put up a better defensive effort, limiting Gordy’s shots on goal and using her ‘keeper well when Gordy shot on target. Æowyn even carved out some chances for herself – only her inexperience denying her a possible golden opportunity to steal the win with one chance in the second half. In the end, both players settled with the draw, each earning their first point of the league.

Mat puts his superior arm reach to good use.

Mat then returned to the pitch to go into his game against Gordy as the strong favourite. Gordy, however, lifted a notch and played with more speed and accuracy. In what was an enthralling game, both players had chances, both players made good saves, both players frustrated themselves with some poor flicks and both players came away with no goals and a point each. And, in spite of his best efforts, Adam will still have to face the music at a later date.

(report by Adrian Elmer)

Mat 3 – Adrian 1
Gordy 0 – Æowyn 0
Gordy 0 – Mat 0

Diasodrome

It wouldn’t be a night of Subbuteo without a little drama to start! Daniele’s train didn’t roll in to Parramatta station until a few minutes past 7:00pm – with Steve picking him up this left poor Paul stranded outside the Diasodrome without anyone’s contact numbers!!!

Play finally got under way with Steve and Paul kicking off the evening. It was a relatively straight forward win for Paul – some solid defensive flicks forcing Steve into some half chances on angles, and the chances he did have were let down by some poor shooting. Paul was rather more cool and clinical, slotting once from a number of chances in the first half. Both Paul and Steve missed chances in the half as well from travelling ‘keeper errors, in what is now becoming known as “doing a Gordy!” Paul’s was particularly heart breaking, hitting both posts before realising one of his attacking figures was indeed offside. The second half was more of the same – Steve did manage to level early in the half, but conceded a further 2 superb goals from Paul, who ended with a 3-1 win.

Paul and Daniele fighting with everything they’ve got.

Paul stayed on and took on Daniele, which was an astonishing advert for this beautiful game! Playing somewhat more conservative than he did against Steve, Paul was happy to soak up a little early pressure and try hitting on the counter. Daniele however was not perturbed, scoring the goal of the night from well inside his own half, somehow avoiding some well positioned defenders to chip the ‘keeper. The second half began this time with Paul maintaining the bulk of possession and, inevitably chances on goal too. The closest he was to come though was one that came agonisingly off the bar after some fabulous build up play. Daniele rode out around 5 mins of pure attacking mayhem from Paul before slotting his second on a neatly worked counter attack, taking away a 2-0 win.

“How the hell did you beat that guy?!?!” – these words from Rob (who was in attendance with a beer to watch the nights action) to Steve perfectly summed up the final game of the evening with Daniele taking on Steve. The game started at a quick pace which was maintained throughout. The first real opportunity of note came quite early in the first half with Steve entering the shooting zone but being forced to settle for a corner. A neat short pass to the near past and an excellent flick onto the moving ball saw Daniele stunned as the ball hit the ‘keeper but somehow still stumbled in! This is where Steve’s attacking forays for the half were to end though. Whilst the game was not necessarily uneven in terms of possession and skill, it was Daniele who managed to create the most chances, his slick and fast paced movements proving too much for Steve. Somehow though, after 2-3 literally unbelievable saves and hitting the post the same amount of times, Daniele was forced to enter the break without a goal and 1-0 down.

The second half started much as the first ended with Daniele again peppering Steve’s goal, and he was rewarded very early in the half with a fabulous equaliser. With both players not looking to settle for a draw, this opened the game up fabulously – Steve with a few chances (mostly half chances) and Daniele again peppering Steve’s goal. The post and bar (numerous times) and some more uncharacteristically good ‘keeping were frustrating Daniele. As he continued to search for a deserved winner though, he was left dangerously short in defence. Steve grabbed the most of this with a few minutes remaining, nailing a solid strike from a tight angle into the top pocket to steal away a memorable 2-1 victory.

So a win-a-piece for each of the three combatants for the evening leaving all with a smile!
I’ll leave you all with some words of true wisdom from Paul which I feel didn’t just sum up the night, but accurately depicts our feelings towards this brilliant game of ours: “having the opportunity to meet interesting characters and good-hearted people in Subbo trumps results”. Love it.

(report by Steve Diasinos)

Paul 3 – Steve Di 1
Daniele 2 – Paul 0
Steve Di 2 – Daniele 1

for full results and table updates, click here.

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day 1

Leave a reply

Match Day One

The Clubhouse

I’m not going to lie. It was my greatest ever Subbuteo moment. The ball had stopped just outside the 6 yard box, near its left corner. Steve’s ‘keeper was just 3 or 4cm from the ball ready for the block. The only figure that had a clean run on the ball was deep inside my own half with a few centimetres of wiggle room between defenders. I lined it up, flicked. The figure glided down the pitch. Struck the ball sweetly. Cut the angle perfectly. Chipped the ‘keeper at point blank range. Cannoned into the top right corner. I yelled. “Did that go in!??” From my angle, I couldn’t quite tell if it was the goalposts or the back of the goals that had rattled. But it had looked good. Steve was frozen. Jaw dropped. He eventually confirmed. Nothing but back of the net. The only problem with having your greatest ever moment is that things can only go downhill. After holding on to the lead for three quarters of the game, Steve put his equaliser past me with 40 seconds left on the clock. Bastard.

The Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League swung back into action with the opening match day of the 2015 edition. An expanded field of 15 will battle it out over the next few months, with multiple venues needed to handle all the fixtures. At The Clubhouse, after a few introductions, meeting some new players, things got underway well. Imojjen, making her début, showed that she already has a strong grasp of the Subbuteo Parramatta spirit – it’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s how well you can sledge Gordy. In her opening match against Todd, she conceded an early goal before settling her nerves and putting in a solid showing, the score finishing at 1-0. On the other table, it was generally agreed that Gordy and Steve played their tensest, highest quality match against each other, with Steve also taking a single goal advantage to full time. The second round saw Æowyn sub in for Imojjen to face Dom, fresh from his second place in the AGFA Cup on the weekend. The years of experience told with him winning 5-0, though not without having to make a save or two of his own as Æowyn got a couple of shots on target. Meanwhile, Gordy and Adrian played out another tense match, with Adrian winning by another solitary goal. In the evening’s final two matches, Dom settled quickly and ended up putting 3 past the ever improving Todd, while on the other table…

Steve in training for Match Day 2

Having robbed Adrian of his moment of glory, Steve finished the evening by really stretching his hosts’ hospitality, stealing half a pavlova.

(report by Adrian Elmer)

Imojjen 0 – Todd 1
Dom 5 – Æowyn 0
Todd 0 – Dom 3

Steve Di 1 – Gordy 0
Gordy 0 – Adrian 1
Adrian 1 – Steve Di 1

Toongabbie West

Mat and Fabrizio battle out the season opener in the foreground while David watches Adam and Paul’s clash at the far end.

Over on the other side of the railway line, an equally enjoyable evening played out. An inspired scoring spree by Paul Magee set the tone for the action. Paul raced to a 3-0 lead against Adam before Adam could respond, but Paul closed out the match for a 4-1 win. On the other table, Mat Barrie was benefitting from a rusty Fabrizio, who missed a raft of chances to go in 0-0 at halftime, Mat’s ‘keeping skills getting a real workout. But the patient build-ups eventually paid off and, though Mat did create a couple of chances, Fabrizio took a 3-0 win. David Rudd was making his competitive return after a decade off and, despite two losses, showed some flashes of skill. Steve and Fabrizio shared the spoils in their match-up. Steve opened the scoring in the opening minute with a cracking long shot, but made silly defensive mistakes with the freestander, allowing Fabrizio to score the equalisers. Steve then gave Matt (who, by virtue of alphabetical order, had a horror opening night’s draw!) his second 3-0 beating. Meanwhile David managed to push Paul all the way before Paul could claim his second win.

(report by Steve Dettre)

Mat 0 – Fabrizio 3
Fabrizio 2 – Steve De 2
Steve De 3 – Mat 0

Paul 4 – Adam 1
Adam 2 – David 0
David 0 – Paul 1

Full results and current table can be viewed by clicking here.

Where Are We Playing?

Leave a reply

Mat: There’s a message on my phone from Steve saying, “Can you give me a call?”
rings Steve, talks for a few seconds
Mat: Hey, Adrian – Steve wants to talk to you.
hands phone to Adrian
Adrian: Where are you guys? You said you’d be here in 5 minutes – 20 minutes ago. We need to get started!
Steve: Yeah, you don’t want to know where we are. But we’re gonna be a bit late. We’ll be there in half an hour.
Adrian: What?!! OK – will you be going anywhere near your house on your way here? We need an extra set of goals. Long story.
Steve: Ummm… well… I… Look… it’s all Gordy’s fault. We’re actually at Good Games in Chatswood. When I picked Gordy up and asked him for directions, he convinced me the comp was on here, not at Parramatta.
Adrian: Wait – doesn’t Gordy live in North Parramatta?
Steve: Yeah – we probably could have walked from his place, but we drove to Chatswood instead. It’s all Gordy’s fault!

Those who had been privy to all the trash talk within the Subbuteo Parramatta training sessions and online conversations in the few weeks leading up to the first inter-club tournament of the ATFA era knew that this chain of events would now be enough ammunition for taunts for a good three and a half years – at least. Subbuteo Parramatta members have been known to walk away from the game completely rather than face another bout of sledging, so the big question that arose out of today’s tournament – more significant than the results, more pressing than the foundations of inter-club rivalry that were laid – was: Will Steve Diasinos and Gordy Dudley be able to stand the future onslaught? Only time will tell.

Adam, Mat and the little table that couldn’t.

The day had begun inauspiciously – wanting to use 4 identical pitches, Adam Reynolds volunteered his, attached to its table. The main problem was the incompatibility of the solid-as-a-rock table and the front door, found at the top of 3 flights of stairs, of The Games Cube. After he and Mat Barrie had hauled the beast up, 20 minutes of forcing, thinking, twisting, turning and swearing weren’t enough to find a way to get it inside the venue. There was nothing for it but to turn around and drag it all the way back down. A hasty alternative board was slung together, but needed some non-screwed in goals. Adam and Mat took off to Toongabbie to get some, Fabrizio Coco cooled his heels sitting on Strathfield station having missed his train, Steve and Gordy made the long car trip to their home ground, and a hastily rescheduled tournament

We can’t all be No. 1 – so either Mat or Eliot is wrong! All the players from the afternoon.

began. Let’s not lay the blame for ALL of the day’s woes on the Subbuteo Parramatta boneheads, though. A complete lack of interest from the once proud and mighty Northern Falcons meant that they had to rope in a few outside extras and still failed to fill their two team quota!

While initial omens were worrying, once play got underway, the day was simply brilliant. Parramatta A started against Falcons B, with the Parramatta players teaching relative newcomers Neil and Jonty Brener and, playing his first ever game, Todd Giles, how to make their way around a subbuteo pitch in good natured matches. While the results all went as expected to give Parramatta the first win of the day, foundations were laid for the future progress of the new players.

By the time of the second game, all the errant Parramatta players were on board so that they could face the might of Falcons A. Adam snuck a late goal past Eliot to go to the half time break at a very respectable 2-1 down, before succumbing to the Kennedy onslaught in the 2nd. Falcons’ guest marquee man, Paul Magee, had a calm and measured win over Mat. The other two games were crackers, with Gordy and Louis Dettre playing out a see-sawing 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, Steve, having been relegated to Parramatta B for his earlier misdemeanours, was drawn against his arch-nemesis, Steve (Dettre). Another great game saw Big Steve take the lead early in the second half, only to be pegged back by Mini Steve with a few minutes to go. With 2 wins to the Falcons, they took all 3 points.

2v2 on each table. Action from the doubles game.

Next up was the day’s most fun game – the doubles. Pairs were drawn randomly from within each club, then opponents drawn via the usual teams process. Gordy and Daniele Lombardi put one past the Brener father-son duo with Adam and Mat subbing in in the second half and repeating the feat, while Raffaele Lombardi and Mini Steve took out a narrow victory over Todd and Louis (with Paul as sub). Two matches won gave Parramatta the victory in the overall game but Big Steve and Eliot finding the back of the net and keeping Fabrizio and Adrian Elmer at bay saw them record a hard-fought, and well enjoyed, match victory.

Next up were the reverse singles, beginning with Parramatta B against Falcons B. All 3 Falcons had improved noticeably over the course of the day and accounted for themselves well. Parramatta took two close wins to go with a draw across the 3 matches, to take the points in the game, giving the club an unassailable lead before the A team clash.

Despite the result having been rendered academic, there were some intense rivalries that were being renewed, so there was no love lost between the A teams. The showdown saw both clubs follow orthodoxy in the match ups, with the top seeds playing each other, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4. Adrian battled Louis and scored a goal each half to take a 2-0 victory. Daniele did likewise in his match-up against Paul with an unanswered goal in each half. However, to even up the scores, Raffaele went down to Big Steve in a tight tussle and Eliot let out his largest celebratory yell of the day when he finally breached Fabrizio’s defences, having failed to do so in a few previous encounters. With 2 results each, the game was drawn, leaving the final points tally at Subbuteo Parramatta 10 : Northern Falcons TFC 4.

The victorious Subbuteo Parramatta teams, resplendent in their new club jerseys.

Of significant note was the fact that, following the end of play, and in the ensuing posting of photos and thanks all ‘round on Facebook etc, little mention was made of the actual result! The great day’s play, the doubles fun, the nature of playing in teams instead of as individuals and the all ‘round camaraderie were what was discussed. A great success and, hopefully, the first of many inter-club tournaments to come. Many thanks also to The Games Cube in Parramatta, our ever supportive and accommodating hosts for the afternoon.

For photos of the tournament, click here.
For full results, click here.

Subbuteo Parramatta Club Night WASPA

Leave a reply

An open invitation was given for anyone to come along to a WASPA tournament at the Subbuteo Parramatta clubhouse but, as it turned out, for the first time ever, all participants were also members of the Subbuteo Parramatta club. A good field of seven included new player Tony Testa, who had a couple of friendly games to learn the rules and was soon playing with as much passion as anyone.

Mathew shows the best positioning of the tongue to keep your body correctly balanced. Playing against Gordy, with Adam and Fabrizio looking on as Steve battles Tony in the background

Two groups were set up. Mat Barrie’s constant practise over the last few months, along with his new, slick Manchester United teams, gave him the confidence to really push Adrian Elmer, their game ending in a hard fought draw. Fabrizio Coco was pushed all the way by Adam Reynolds, with a single goal in the second half and a shot of Adam’s hitting the woodwork before that giving Fabrizio the win. Steve Diasinos returned to action after an extensive layoff and his precise, patient game payed dividends with another 1-0 victory over Mat. Continue reading →

Match Day Ten Report – Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League 2014

Leave a reply

Match Day Ten
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Eliot Kennedy 2 – Steve Diasinos 0

With Rob deciding that he couldn’t turn up for the season closer and refusing all offers of a rescheduled match, it was left to one final match between Eliot and Steve Diasinos to decide whether Eliot could take the title. Eliot started as a clear favourite and quickly asserted his authority. Steve, however, was going to be anything but compliant in Eliot’s quest for glory. Steve’s precision with his defensive flicking was excellent and Eliot was being thwarted at every turn. Eliot pulled the ball left to right and back again in an attempt to draw Steve’s defenses out of place but Steve maintained his organisation. It came down to a single missed blocking flick to finally allow Eliot the space for an open shot on goal. With the extra time and space afforded by the free shot, Eliot made no mistake, careful not to overhit his shot from close range. Far from knocking the wind out of Steve, however, this spurred him on and Eliot’s ‘keeper was called on to make a very fine save to hold the lead at half time.

Steve on the counter-attack after thwarting one of Eliots attacks.

The second half was equally as intriguing. Eliot continued to press but Steve was frustrating him. Eliot was forced to try and up the tempo when moving forward but this lead to some missed flicks, giving Steve more chances to push for an equaliser. Getting into the scoring area a few times, Steve’s precise touch in defense left him in the front quarter, easing Eliot’s nervousness. Eliot finally got the space he needed as Steve pressed for the equaliser and found the back of the net, giving him room to breathe with a few minutes left. And so the score remained, enough for Eliot to take the inaugural Subbuteo Parramatta league title, though he was made to work hard every second for the honour.

Continue reading →

Match Day Nine Report – Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League, 2014

Leave a reply

Match Day Nine
Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Steve – the Subbuteo Hooligan.

Gordy Dudley 0 – Steve Diasinos 4

The trash talk leading up to tonight’s games started days ago and continued right on through all three games. Steve had made some bold claims about pumping Gordy and so needed to back that up with actions. Gordy, however, had the opening couple of half chances as Steve began shakily. By 6 minutes in, though, Steve took the lead that saved his possible blushes and followed it up quickly with a second. Gordy was shell shocked in the latter stages of the half and Steve managed to take a 3 goal cushion to the break to go with his ritual insults. The second half saw Gordy come out fighting though, and was a much more even affair. Some half chances either way didn’t amount to anything until the final minute, when Steve finally broke Gordy’s resolve. Steve’s touch has improved significantly over the last couple of months but he has often been let down at the pointy end but, tonight, a fourth meant that his goal difference for the tournament is back to evens. Continue reading →

Match Day Eight Report – Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League, 2014

Leave a reply

Match Day Eight
Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Adrian Elmer 0 – Raffaele Lombardi 1

A real 6 point game as Adrian knew a win would see him move into 2nd place and unable to be caught by Raffaele, while Raffaele knew a win would see him just about catch Adrian but still have two games in hand. And so it played out as tightly as that scenario would set it. The match was very even with both players having chances, making saves, and neither being able to dominate the other. Raffaele, however, scored the crucial first goal midway through the first half during a period where he had the upper hand, working himself around the outside of Adrian’s defense and shooting well from the right hand side. It would prove to be decisive. Both players were sweating by half time as the game grew more tense. The second half continued as the first half had gone with Adrian pushing extra figures forward to search out the goals he needed. Midway through the half came the game’s other big moment. A mistake by Raffaele’s travelling ‘keeper left him stranded, but it was unclear under the new rules exactly how play should proceed (look elsewhere for an in-depth discussion on that one). The clock was paused as both players and referee pored over the new rules. Ultimately, through a long-winded process of inferences from surrounding rules, everyone in the room settled on an interpretation which meant that Adrian, when play eventually restarted, was able to work himself into a relatively clear shot on open goal. A moment of indecision, however, just as his final flick was about to be made, saw the ball trickle wide of the gaping goal, Adrian throwing away his guilt-edged chance of levelling.With that Adrian uncharacteristically threw caution to the wind. With both players pushing their nerves to the limit, there was much poor flicking each way as Adrian pushed for the goals he needed and Raffaele sought to expose Adrian’s threadbare defense on the counter. In the end, Raffaele held out for the win he needed.

Steve’s hand taking on Rob’s ‘Pinks’.

Steve Diasinos 1 – Rob Retalic 0

The game that had been postponed for a month finally got underway, with Steve determined not to drop the 3 points he would have earned had he enforced the forfeit originally. He was in for a fight, however, as a generally even game saw Rob shade it in the shots on goal statistics. Steve was on song with his ‘keeper, though and repelled each of Rob’s forays forward. Then, with one eye on the clock ticking down at the end of the first half, Steve made a swift forward movement on the counter and buried the ball in the back of the net with 18 seconds to go. The second half saw the play continue to see-saw, both players creating chances but both making excellent saves to maintain the status quo. Remarkebly, having never seen the travelling goalkeeper situation from the previous match happen before, all players present were amazed to see an exact repeat in this game, giving Rob the chance to pull level. His eventual shot on the open goal from a difficult angle, however, was pushed wide, Steve dodging the bullet. In a mirror of the first half, with seconds left, Rob made a final foray forward. His eventual shot, taken right on the final whistle, looped off the top of Steve’s ‘keeper and on to the top of the goal meaning the contentious issue of whether a goal had been scored before or after the whistle was avoided, Steve clinging to his 3 points. Continue reading →

Subbuteo Australia

Australian Table Football Association

Tag Archives: steve diasinos

2017 Spring League Cup – Subbuteo Parramatta Leg

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day 9

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day Five

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day 4

Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League – Match Day 1

Where Are We Playing?

Subbuteo Parramatta Club Night WASPA

Match Day Ten Report – Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League 2014

Match Day Nine Report – Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League, 2014

Match Day Eight Report – Subbuteo Parramatta Spring League, 2014