Chogs 1 IFS Rangers 1

The Chogs' finals aspirations will receive an acid test over the next fortnight after an injury struck team drew with the table leaders on Saturday.
Before the start of the round six teams from third placed Jamberoo to eighth-placed Makos were separated by just five points. Depending on the results elsewhere there is a good chance the draw will have dropped us out of the top four but most of our rivals still have a bye to come.
The next two weeks - against Old Boys FC and Russell Vale - are critical to our chances. In fact it is likely to be a tense fight to the finish before we can secure a top four place and a first finals appearance by the Chogs.
With Ian and Fungus on the sideline despite their injuries, and John suffering a back strain on the mornning of the match, we began with three substitutes to the Rangers none. That level of dominance didn't last for long, however, with Dean coming off early with a hamstring twinge.
We created the best chances early on - Michael blazing over from close range and Ant miss-hitting his first time shot after a superb cross from Gary H out on the right. With Matt and Andy closing down the midfield runs of our opponents and Dave keeping his back four organised and focussed it came as a surprise for us to slip 1-0 behind with IFS' first real threat.
A ball was slipped through to their teenage striker (he kept calling "pass it Dad!" and dad finally did), Dave stuck his arm in the air ala Arsenal in the 90s, the offside flag stayed down (rightly from my view) and the pimply one rolled the ball past Hector and into the far corner.
IFS had a surge of confidence after their goal and we needed to hang tough to prevent a second and get to halftime without further concession. The second period began much the same as the first with pressure from the Chogs and the equaliser can after 20 minutes. Gary H and Ant broke forward and Gary 's well timed pass took out the defender. Ant gathered it in and swept it past their keeper.
We had the better of the rest of the match and probably deserved victory. Ant smashed a shot just wide of the far corner, Fungus broke through on the right but was unable to float the ball over the advancing keeper and keep it on target and, at the death, Kevin lifted a ball from the right over the keeper towards Ant but it drifted out and landed on the roof of the net.
There was one final scare, when IFS had a free kick on the edge of our box from the same range as we've conceded against Jamberoo and the Makos recently. Hector was better placed this time, with a clear view and not behind his defensive wall, but the shot didn't get that far.
After the miserable performance against the Makos we have now come out even against two good top four sides. Last season, and again this year, our Achilles has been the performances against our lower placed rivals. This is when our commitment can not afford to waver.