In typical Maroons fashion, they started slower than a snail in a marathon. But it wasn’t long before they decided to wake up from their nap.
Josiah, fuelled by pure instinct and possibly a bit too much sugar at breakfast, pounced on the ball after Charlie pulled off some dazzling footwork, unleashing a right-footed missile and Josiah happily tapped it home.
Then, out of the blue, Charlie pulled off a move thanks to a brilliant pass from Austin.
Austin, apparently having channelled his inner warrior, decided to go all-out, turning into a tackling machine and pirouetting past players like he was auditioning for a ballet. The lad even threw in a drag-back and a Cruyff turn for good measure. I had to double-check my glasses; I was convinced I’d just witnessed the reincarnation of Dougie Luiz.
In a shocking turn of events, Sporting managed to sneak one past the Maroons’ defence, as Jesse had a momentary lapse and got caught playing hide-and-seek near the goal.
The next play was like a work of art. Austin gracefully passed the ball to Lucas, who pulled off a finish that would make even a professional golfer jealous. It was like poetry in motion.
The second half was a whole new ballgame. Seb swapped gloves with Jesse, and he showed off some amazing distribution skills. Jesse, determined not to be left out of the fun, decided to go on a scoring spree, netting a second-half hat-trick that included a penalty, a silky dribble finish, and a tap-in.