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Two of the latest entrants in the Bahrain Expat League were involved in a close encounter at the British School of Bahrain.
Trust RE had taken maximum points from their first two games, while Jurassic Juniors aimed to put their first points on the board after two successive 2-0 defeats, despite lining up with a depleted squad.
Defensive mainstay Ash ‘Chopper’ Kingstone was injured and both midfield workhorses Jacques ‘Bru’ Du Plessis and new boy Jorr ‘Dutch’ Hendriks were out of the country.
Also absent were goalkeepers ‘Tiny’ Tony Herrera and Andy Melville, and attacking midfielder Geoff Fennah Jr.
Jurassic, however, had two new players in goalkeeper and all-rounder Chris ‘Mayhem’ May and midfielder Aziz Idris. They also saw the return of last year’s joint player of the year, Stu Jones.
The game started at a high tempo, with both teams pushing to score, but neither could find a way through due to some resolute defending.
As the second half drew near, frustration almost boiled over after a rash tackle from a Trust defender upended Jones and resulted in the Trust player being booked.
The second half saw the introduction of Geoff Bew on the left for Jurassic, who chased down balls and threw in some vital tackles in midfield.
As both teams pushed forward gaps began to appear in their defences, with Trust forcing two saves from Juniors ’keeper May, and tireless midfielder Martin Beaman came close after breaking clear of the Trust defence.
Neil Mahmood almost found the back of the net, stretching for a header, and Tarik Moustahib drove two fine strikes just wide of the post. The action at the other end continued with ‘Captain Fantastic’ Loaf Faabred and forward Matt ‘The Boss’ Cross being kept busy as Trust drove forward in numbers.
A nervy final 10 minutes kept Jurassic’s manager Geoff ‘ the gaffer’ Fennah Sr on the touchline trying to keep the Juniors tight at the back as Trust pushed hard.
In the end, both teams walked away with a well-earned point.
