Balaga Crumble to Red Raw Rosies Draw

After Damo had a late fitness test Balaga had a full squad for their game against Rosies. A fixture that has always entertained and that Balaga were keen to get a result in after the two losses last season. A change of formation was brought in as Parker started as the loan striker infront of Duggan and David W in Midfield and Kev, Greener, and O'Callaghan in defense and Damo in Goal. This meant a gawking Webz and O'Driscoll would start as subs.



Balaga Tongo went 1 up as Parker made headway down the right after Phil put him thorugh he and put a square ball to Duggan who had an easy tap in.

The second was from a ball poorly cleared that O'Callaghan attempted to put in the direction of the goal with his left leg, it went in a direction that ended up on the posterior of Parker and rebounded nicely past the Rosies keeper and into the bottom corner.

The third was also from Parker but this time it was a more refined finish from the striker who was having a fantastic first half. Balaga were looking pretty comfortable approaching half time but Rosie's snuck one in before the whistle went.

The second half and at 3-1 things started to fall apart, substitutions were made and as usual people started to go all over the place, and goals from corners particularly punished the cucumbers who had dodgy marking to say the least. 3-3 in the end. Dose la.

The chips are down as Balaga have rarely if ever found themselves in the bottom half of the league table, and TV Tigers look odds on for the league title, but FC Balaga Tongo will fight on and on and on and a good run could see them in a respectable position!

Player Appearance Table

With the help of excel and some tedious blog reading, Balaga can release the official player appearance tally.

Results are taken from 12-9-2007 up to and including the match on the 21-10-2009 so as a result, both Kevin and Tom have had some appearances from the pre blog not taken into account. This is also why Eoin Red and Willie Power aren't included.... Paul Jay Jay Oscott is also hampered as a result. No record bai's sorry! The table only applies to FC Balaga Tongo players who have paid for the privilege!

Team Photo Autumn 2009

Back L-R: Jownesy, Parker, Tom O'C, Damo K, David W , Greener
Front L-R: John D, Kev B, Webz K, Phil O'D

Easy Passage for Rejects

With news that Damo had suffered a collapse on Sunday at his hockey match, Kev was put in between the sticks for Balagas match against bottom of the table side Passage Regects.



Webz commented before the match that these new teams who get walloped each week usually get some ringers in to improve the side and so it proved. A utterly depressing night for Balaga as before they knew it, it was half time and the Rejects were 5-0 up. Rejects front fella with the Celtic top was fast and could find the net and it took all the first half before Tom began to control him.

The second half began better for Balaga and they quickly got two goals back. The first came via Parker who had recovered from his flu symptoms from the previous week. Webz squared him the ball for Steve to slot into an empty net. Number two was again from Parker. A shot was aimed at the Rejects net, Parker got in the way but he managed to control the pinging ball and slotted home. Any thoughts of a comeback were dashed though as Regects slotted home another 4 goals. David W gave the scoreline some respectability as he chipped the ball to Parker, who one tow’ed and Dave “ran the ball to the centre, between two players and let rip of a rock in the bottom left corner”…. His words!

Not much can be taken out of this result only that Balaga need to sit down and deside on a settled team and formation. The midfield was by passed again last nite and all players were guilty of poor finishing and bad passing. It probably leaves Balaga with a huge mountain to climb but they’ll push on and try to lift the heads for next week’s match against old foes Rosies. 9-3 the final score.

Balaga Caught Watching TV

After scraping a snakey win last week, Balaga were looking forward to a tough game tonight against the league leaders TV Tigers and that is what they got. The squad was at pretty much full strength again although Parker was touched up by flu and JD was running a bit late from work so Jowensy was asked again to sub for the cucumbers.


The game started off even enough, Broderick and Greener were taking care of business at the back a tough task against the no 1 striker in the league a rake of seasons running. Both were cautioned for some tussles on and off the ball although Broderick proclaimed innocence with some marvelous eye rolling. David W was running around like a lunatic but this time actualyl getting ball instead of just feens legs like last week and it was him who set up the first goal, breaking through the centre he heard (and so did the rest of the inhabitants of the EU) Webz shouting to his left, thankfully he decided to pass and it was perfect as Webz steadied himself and fired across the goal to make it 1-0.

TV tigers replied with two soon after though. The first I didnt see because I was getting a ball behind the dugout but it was a TVT corner and apparently Broderick slipped making the clearance at the front post and the ball somehow made it to fella lurking in the box who snapped the ball in. The second was another defensive disaster with the ball ending up in the goal.

As the first half pressed on O Driscoll made good use of an attacking throw in on the right, firing his throw at the near post the TVT defender and goalkeeper combined to get O' Driscoll on the scoresheet or as he hoped when he gave his name to the ref.

Half time and it was 2-2, how bad Balaga hadn't been outplayed in the first half and were optimistic about the second. But they were to be surprised, never really getting a hold on the ball both teams fired long balls to their front men who werent winning much agianst either defense. TVT won themselves a free and although Balaga go the wall set up fast they were caught out on the set piece as the ball was played across and some chap with a hammer of a leg let loose and fired the ball straight down the middle of the goal and into the net.

Heads dropped, formation got messed up again as players were chopped and changed Balaga failed to get their game going as well as missing the opportunities that came to them. Soon TVT scored another 2. One a shot from the right coming off the inside of the post and the second a cross was put in to a free man on the back post who had an easy finish.

After the match Captain O Callaghan has vowed to bring more order to a team that has lost its way a bit.

Ma's just the tonic for hungover Balaga

Balaga returned from Oktoberfest 2009 with 5 out of 8 of their squad severely drained after a tiring and emotional trip which very little is remembered about.

Usually a trip of this nature was followed by a defeat as the team would spend most of the time fighting over who’s turn it is on the bench, and with the meeting of Ma Duleas, joint top of the table, Balaga had a tough match ahead.



As this report is a week late little is remembered of the game itself, but what is remembered is Ma’s were no slouches, and tried to catch Balaga with balls over the top again and again, which eventually paid off with a well taken goal by the number 7 fella. 1-0 Ma’s. Balaga got back into the game though with a goal from top scorer JD. Balaga won a throw in. They took it quickly and John slotted home one on one.

For the second half Balaga found themselves under constant pressure with Damo again pulling off some great saves to keep them in it. David W's heart burn from his 10 minutes of constant running in the first half kept him out reckoning for the half but Parker, O’D, Webz and JD kept the midfield ticking over. Greener was winning everything in the air and between Tom and Kev, Balaga seemed to have finally sorted out the long ball tactic by Ma’s. Jownesy was playing great up front and began to make the Duleas play on the back foot.

Because of this Balaga took the lead albeit undeserved. A long hoof over the top from JD I think was aimed towards Webz who explained his goal after the match “I nudged the defender as he went to head it he missed and I squeezed between two defenders and passed it into the net wit my left”. Great goal by last seasons MVP.

The Ma’s piled on more pressure and with minutes to spare Balaga caught them on the break with another fine goal by JD which isn’t remembered. His 3rd of the season. Before the final whistle, the ref found another excuse to send Tom off for 5 minutes, not the first time he has given the captain the road and in all honesty, wrongly.

A game Balaga really didn’t deserve to win but considering their unlucky title loss last season, they will feel it’s about bloody time their luck changed. In other results, Rosies picked up another victory and table toppers TV Tigers drew to leave them top by 1 point ahead of 4 teams on 6 points including Balaga in 4th. It's looking like a very close league this season.