Park had twice as many scoring opportunities as Knox, but it was the men in green and black who turned their few chances into goals.
Heads dropped as the pacey Knox striker turned one of his first forrays into the Park box into points after just 15 minutes of play.
Knox’s busy striker was to the fore again moments later, as a strong Park attack became a counter-attack that, despite goalkeeper Jamie’s efforts, broke the yellow line.
Down two goals so early in the game, Park’s resolve strengthened as its midfield and forwards fought to regain lost ground.
Nathan, Pete, Shane and Blakie toiled tirelessly to snare and offload good ball to Dom and Matt the Hazard, whose countless runs had the Knox defence scrambling.
Park’s attacking unit used probing passes and control of the high ball to carve through Knox’s back line and force their opponent’s busy keeper to make some fine saves.
But for every five Park excursions into the sometimes exposed Knox box came a rapid-fire counter-attack that showed Knox could turn what little ball its had into a shot on goal.
Knox’s pace up front was countered by Captain Glenn The Rat, Jacko, Tongue, and Stu, with the back four sending fresh ball to an attack hungry for goals – but still desperately unlucky not to score them.
Hungry or not, Park needed a shot-in-the-arm to by half time. Over a bottle of port, Club president Barney Barnett told his lads they were winning the spectacle, but had to redouble their efforts to win the game.
Park started the second half strongly, again dominating possession and scoring opportunities. With CC, Randy, Anil, and Justin came a new vigour to show Park was no easy beat.
Aggressive tackling and supreme confidence under the high ball saw Park’s backs, midfielders, and forwards turn hard-won possession into crisp passes and flowing, running football.
Dom was forced from the field after a savage knock to his knee, leaving a side that had the better of the ball but was forced to end the game without a goal.
Park coach Johnny the Wad said his lads worked hard against a team that managed to turn what scoring oportunities it had into goals. The final score could just as easilly have been 5-4.
Former Oamaru Mail sports reporter Phil McCarthy, on the Park bench after an apparently horrific fall in the game against Gore last week, said Park was unlucky to finish with the scoreline it had.
“We’re playing some beautiful football . . . but to win, we need to score more goals than the other team,” McCarthy may or may not have said.
Final score: QPAFC 0 – Knox Church 4
Player of the Day: Dom
Photo: Player of the Day Dom on another knife-through-butter run
Photo: Matt Tongue overwhelms the Knox goalscorer to start another counter attack
Photo: Shane and Nathan ready to turn the ball toward the Knox goal
