By Greg Blake
Good teams often find brilliant and beautiful ways to win games, but for every epic there are days when you just dig in and find a way. Or just focus the spotlight and cue the dramatic music and leave Jamal Ali to command centre stage – once again.
‘Whispering Death’ is in a zone all of his own at the moment and his two first half goals on Friday night made all the difference as Alexander struggled to shrug off an Altona Magic team determined to rectify a soul-shattering six scoreless weeks.
The visitors somewhat ominously broke their goal drought, but the Warriors eventually strolled to the line 3-1 winners. Magic’s wounds were salted late in the evening when Bul Juach – like Ali, a former Altona Magic player – scored the Warrior’s match-sealing third goal.
Altona Magic came into this game not having scored in 504 minutes of football, since the first half of their only success this season, against St Albans back in round two. That said, they also came in off two clean sheets and the best defensive record in the competition.
Heidelberg hadn’t beaten Magic here since 2019, so it was hearts-in-mouths territory inside a minute as Magic made intentions clear with a none-too-shabby long distance effort, which went fizzing over Yaren Sozar’s crossbar.
Ali tied it on nine minutes as he loomed deep and squared for Yokokawa, only for the ball to cannon back past a clutch of defenders and ‘Whispering Death’ calmly tucked away from close range. Despite the Warriors building like a thunderstorm Altona Magic’s cravings were.sated as an Alex Gust cross from the left was smoothly finished by Hiyori Kowaguchi 23 minutes in.
On the scoreboard, imbued with new-found confidence and well in it at 1-1 the visitors visibly lifted, only to be rocked back on their heels as Ali appeared uninvited within shooting range and invited Yokokawa’s pass before producing an untroubled sweet left-footer past Christian Rossi to regain Heidelberg’s lead on 32 minutes.
