DEA Bedford Masters 2

DEA won their third straight, leapfrogging over NS Internationals and now find themselves at the top of the table after yesterday's pulsating 3-2 victory at Bedford's Sportsman's Field.

It was a cold, rainy Sunday morning.  It was the type of day where nipples get rubbed raw, and where the washing machine works double-time.  It was DEA weather.

After an early morning debate by DEA Management if the game should go on, it was decided that Sportsman's was holding the deluge well and the field looked to be in fine shape.  DEA then started quickly.

The opening minute saw a cross into the box met with Steve Bicknell's audacious overhead volley attempt.  The mere fact he got his foot that high was a physics-defying attempt; the result didn't match the effort, however.

By five minutes, DEA was in the lead.  After Scott Sharby tracked down a ball in the lower left corner, Chris Cloutier came over to help.  Sharby laid off to Cloutier, tucked inside the box to the left of goal.  Cloutier, unaccustomed to playing with his back to the goal, looked to feed an open Jim McCall who was camped out at the 18-yard marker.  Instead, Cloutier, suprised to hear the calls of "TIME!" from around him, calmly whipped out his Blackberry, read through his e-mail, got an update on the stock-ticker, and scanned the baseball scores from yesterday.  Still with nobody on him, he then made himself a rather fetching peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  After finishing his sandwich and topping it off with a glass of milk, he turned to goal chipped into the side webbing to give DEA an early lead they would never relinquish.

Five minutes later, DEA doubled the lead when Jeff Bailey's cross into the box was lasered home by Sharby on a half-volley.  Not taking the time to see his options, Sharby just ripped a drive short-side and DEA looked to be off and running.

Instead, NS sent a few sorties into the area and looked to get on the board.  A mis-hit cross seemed destined to sneak past DEA keeper Doug Henion low to his short side.  Instead, Henion scrambled back and just palmed aside the low drive.  Some debate ensued as to whether the ball completely crossed the line or not.  It was close, but television replays seemed to back up the call.

It wasn't long after, though, that NS did break through after a scramble in the area allowed for an open look and the lead was halved.

NS thought they had levelled with ten minutes left, but a player was offsides and they were not happy campers to see the goal called back.  They were even more furious when the ensuing restart sent Jim Walker in clean.  He took one touch before calmly depositing to restore DEA's 3-1 advantage.

In the waning moments of the first half, Henion again came up big.  After a corner saw the clearance attempt by DEA go awry, NS biggest crybaby (apparently recovered his debilitating injury that seemed to cause him so much consternation) fired from close range but Henion palmed it aside with a great reaction save.

NS threw everything at DEA in the opening moments of the second half.  Henion came up huge twice within five minutes on clean breaks.  He punched aside the first; then, in a mirror image, another opportunity was kicked aside as NS would rue their misses.  Audible groans were heard from their bench.

NS did pull one back midway through to make it a hairy one-goal lead again.  The save of the match was then waiting for Henion in the final 15 minutes.  After a corner was flicked to far side, their left back -channeling his best Roberto Carlos impersonation, ripped a fully volley that elicited "oohs" from the crowd as it streamed toward the upper-ninety.  Henion laid out horizontal and punched aside with another outstanding save.  As the crowd stood to applaud, even some of the better mannered NS players had to comment on the save's quality.

DEA had put 8 defenders behind the ball, and were content to try to play for the break.  However positive their chances started, they weren't linking up and succeeded in only turning the ball over in the final third.  The DEA backfield of Rob Easton, Bailey, Dubois, JD, Woody Harper, Paul Cote, and Joe Masci weren't going to allow anymore chances as the clock ran down.

An NS player then completely lost it in comical fashion.  After beating a player to a loose ball, he brushed aside a knock before screaming expletives at the player and the ref with nobody around him and foraging for a chance.  In what is possibly unheard of, he managed to get a red card, with possession, while looking for a levelling strike.  I have never seen such mayhem.

With the late news that Irish Village had drawn, 0-0, with Peabody SC, DEA climbed to the top of the table with a two-point advantage.  They travel to the same Peabody SC next Sunday.  This is Mother's Day, so the recommendation is to get up early, make breakfast, wake up the wife, shovel the meal down her throat, and then get out of her hair on this special day.  While you are out of her hair, you can drive to scenic Peabody for the contest. 

GREAT WIN, DEA!!!!!