Every kick, every punch, every game...

Rúnar Lúðvíksson reports on an historic day at Tundra Park*

Tundra Axle FC 7-0 Coope.fc

Jonas Solskín masterminded a third straight victory for the little Icelandic club in Shropshire, Tundra Axle FC, the first time this club has managed such a feat in seven seasons. More signs of their continuing recovery came through a dominant performance, with 76% of the play, and a club record-equalling seven goal win. Man of the match Ted Hayes topped a battling performance up front to record the club’s first ever hattrick in a senior match, an extraordinarily poor run. Perhaps the best news of the day was the turnout of 5,529, more than double the previous best since ITG took control of affairs at Tundra Park – whether it’s the results, the PR drive or the club cartoonist that has done it is not important, what matters is that a good sized crowd, by Tundra standards, witnessed a terrific performance – by Tundra standards. Most will be back, surely, after this christmas day stroll in the park.

Solskín rested two of his seniors for this game, with Chapman and Tennyson sitting it out, so it was left to Hayes to lead the youngsters and he was paired up front by 17-year old striker Nataniel Marín. Hayes soon settled any nerves, pouncing on a defensive error to put Axle ahead after only 5 minutes. Francesco Carta, in for Tennyson and playing a roaming central midfield role, put in an excellent display to give Solskín a selection headache, and put the home side two up on twenty minutes, poking in Wartalski’s probing cross. Hayes made it three before halftime, heading in another cross, this time from crowd-favourite Poggi-Sandri on the right.

Carta and Hayes continued to harass the Coopers after the break, while Marín, perhaps lacking some match fitness and experience, ran and ran to little avail. Carta made it four almost from the kick-off with a probing solo run, prompting a reshuffle from the visitors to an all-too-late 5-5-0 formation which held Axle until ten minutes from the end. Run ragged and exhausted, the Coopers conceded three late goals from Hayes for his hattrick, Poggi-Sandri and Dourandish to equal that all-time record.

Tundra Axle FC (4-4-2): van der Berk – Lisý, Grace, Blum, Nádeníček – Poggi sandri, Carta, Dourandish, Wartalski – Hayes, Marín.

Coope.fc (4-4-2): Blackstock – Chilvers, Gillett, Wood, Merlin – Cranshaw, Spacey, Kaul-Seidman, D’Ambrosio – Soper, Haldon.

1 - 0	Ted Hayes	5′
2 - 0	Francesco Carta	19′
3 - 0	Ted Hayes	36′
4 - 0	Francesco Carta	47′
5 - 0	Ted Hayes	79′
6 - 0	Manuel Poggi sandri	85′
7 - 0	Sepehr Dourandish	87′
	Joel Gillett	24′
	Don Wood	78′