Reda hits five as Vikings conquer Barcelona FC

After overcoming two difficult injuries during the past season Karim Reda showed he hasn’t lost his goalscorers touch by scoring five goals to help the Vikings easily overcome Barcelona 10-4 at Emerton Indoor Sports Centre tonight.

After a pacy start to the game the Vikings gradually began to get the upper hand. Karim Reda struck a shot against the post and Barcelona keeper James Becerra bravely smothered another shot by Reda.

Barcelona were working hard to remain in the game with Robert Ristevski calling the shots in the defence but the Vikings were faster in attack and also looking solid at the back.

Halfway through the first half Reda crashed another shot onto the crossbar as the game somehow remained scoreless.

The opening goal finally came when Andrew Macerola skipped passed a couple of tackles to slip the ball to the overlapping Dave Blackburn who scored from close range.

Barcelona’s answer was immediate. In a swift counter attack Paul Reilly received the ball on the left ran at goal and nicely slammed the ball past the keeper to draw level.

From there the floodgates opened and the Vikings virtually killed the game off with five unanswered goals before half time.

Dave Blackburn got his second from almost the same position on the right as his first after receiving a nice pass from Josh Saumatua.

In a fast counter attack Reda crashed a third shot against the woodwork but the ball fell to John Jones who slammed the ball into the net to make it 3-1.

Barcelona nearly pulled one back when Paul Reilly saw his low shot cannon off the left post and away to safety.

Reda opened his scoring account when he stepped around a defender on the right touchline and hard toe poked the ball past the advancing keeper to make it 4-1

Reda hit the Vikings fifth after receiving a nice pass from Blackburn and Dave Blackburn was again the supplier as Josh Saumatua slotted the ball home to make it 6-1 just before half time. 

The Vikings grabbed the initiative early in the second half when Dave Blackburn sealed a fine hat-trick when he crashed his shot from the right side into the top right corner to make it 7-1.

Barcelona pulled a goal back when David Gioia smashed his freekick through the wall to score.

Karim Reda grabbed his hat-trick also when he spun out of a tackle turned on goal and slotted the ball nicely past the keeper to make it 8-2.

Comfortably in control the Vikings switched off a little and this helped Barcelona enjoy a mini revival. Maurizio Farallo was unlucky to see his low shot hit the post before David Gioia scored his second when he slammed his shot home after a receiving a pass from Paul Reilly to make it 8-3.

Reda then took advantage of a mix up in the Barcelona defence to round the keeper to score the Vikings ninth.

To their credit Barcelona continued to plug away at their opponents and Viking keeper Cameron Barrett saved well from Preston Shehadie and then bravely smothered a close range attempt from the luckless Farallo. Paul Reilly capped off a fine game for Barcelona with a well earned second goal to make it 9-4.

But the last word came from Karim Reda who netted his fifth goal of the game when he received the ball out on the left touchline turned on goal and slammed the ball past the keeper to make the final score 10-4  to the home team.