Metro League Home, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3

In a first for New York Metroleague, a combination of bad weather and the national all-star weekend left numbers a little short. Therefore, the Metroleague saw its first Manhattan vs Suburbs clash, a Borough of Origin of sorts, with the combination of Tollmen and River Rats facing the camera-bearing Bohemians from Manhattan.

The first half was a tight affair, with the Trashy Rats combination on top by the narrowest of margins at the main break. The games first goal was a magnificent bend-it-like-Beckham goal from newcomer Mark “Scud” Andrich, who saw a lot of the footy throughout the day.

At the main break, the Rats/Tollmen conglomerate pulled off the recruiting coupe of the season by wooing Sean ‘Beeker’ Keenan into their squad. Keenan, late as expected without glasses or contacts and playing in sneakers on the slippery surface, added three goals in the second half and helped keep the Manhattan crew scoreless. Tom Hayes did a great job at full-back all day, until he came up front and kicked a ‘birthday’ goal from 25 meters out. The final goal was disallowed after a bloody Kiwi blew the horn to rain on yet another Gurry goal.

It was a day of firsts all round with the Tollmen (the team formerly known as the Bulls) recording their first ML victory, the Bohemians their first defeat and it was the first time that a Rat player had not been awarded the coveted “Cheese-Head” after Luminato failed to return it after round 1 and proceeded to again anoint himself with it following the USAFL All-Star game.

The River Rats and Tollmen will both be awarded a win in the 2003 ML standings.

Rats/ Tollmen 11-1 (Keenan 3, Gurry 2, Kalhovd 2, Desai 2, Corrigan, Hayes)
Tourists/ Bohemians 5-0 (Bell 2,Aldridge, McClelland, Robertson)