Port Malmö Maulers 21.16 (142) def. Aalborg Kangaroos 4.3 (27)

A mere fortnight ago, Skåne remained in the grips of a cruelly long winter. Temperatures hovered just above freezing with the threat of more snow hanging over us like an icy sword of Damocles. Mercifully, the onset of the DAFL season has brought Mother Nature to her senses and Port Malmö were treated to resplendent sunshine and temperatures in the double-digits upon its’ arrival in Helsingborg for the opening match of the 2013 DAFL season against a depleted Aalborg outfit .

With Port dominant from the outset against an Aalborg side boasting guest players from Farum and three new Swedish recruits from Malmö the result was rarely in doubt. The Danish club registered the first score of the game in the form of a behind, yet Malmö, aided by a stiff breeze soon took control.  With both teams somewhat rusty in the skills department, it was the forward pressure exerted by Malmö that dominated the quarter. No less than three of the six first quarter maximums resulted from free-kicks won deep inside the Aalborg defensive 50. Messrs Blondeau, Mårtensson and new Australian recruit Bath were to the fore and were rewarded handsomely for their efforts. Elsewhere, Ward and Higgins, reunited in the black and blue for the first time since the premiership in 2009, took little time rekindling their dominant partnership in the centre. As the seconds ticked away in the first quarter, the latter snapped a superb goal from a tight angle in the pocket. At the time it looked a dead cert for goal of the day. Yet, better was to come.

The second quarter started well for the Kangaroos. Goals for René Palsgaard, Aalborgs stand-out performer, after an excellent overhead mark and true set-shot and Thomas (?) on debut after Port were caught attempting some over-elaborate play out of defence. That, however, was as good as it got for the visitors with the Maulers slowly re-establishing their dominance and striking back through Blondeau, Osterkamp and, the second of Malmös new antipodean recruits, Tim Bradford. With the luxury of a strong bench, despite the absence of a number of household names, Malmö were able to see out the remainder of the quarter with minimal fuss and the half-time scoreboard read 56-14 in favour of the home team.

Any lingering hope to which the Jutland men clung swiftly disappeared in a maelstrom of 3rd quarter goals. Blondeau, Mårtensson and Ward were again to the fore, each registering maximums. Malmö’s very own gladiator Mårtensson finished with 5.5 from midfield and was arguably the games’ most prominent figure. The major highlights of the quarter centred, however, around Jarred Bath. Two excellent goals, the first on the burst through a pack after a perfect tap from Osterkamp and the second, an audacious banana kick from near the boundary. Aalborg battled hard in the face of the Malmö onslaught and were rewarded with a second goal from Thomas (?), who impressed on debut. All other forays in to Maulers defensive were repelled by the Malmö backline with Tony Persson outstanding at full-back.

With the lack of bench taking its’ toll on the Danes, the final quarter followed the pattern of the third with Malmö scoring heavily whilst Aalborg managed to register just one goal in reply, a spectacular soccer effort from the tightest of angles from Farums’ Nicolai Secher. Special mention must be made of the Malmö trio who turned out for the opposition. Their selflessness ensured the game would go ahead and they all performed admirably in their first games in DAFL

Port Malmö, while content with a strong showing and a convincing win, know sterner challenges lie in wait, starting next weekend with the first of four regular season clashes with the Saints of Helsingborg.  

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