So we’re finally away at Yooro 2012, and there were definitely no slapdash red cards brandished at the Table of Dreams tonight.

While a Card-happy ref put his own stamp on the events at Warsaw, both Poland and Greece finished with 11 men in Daftown’s premier table football event.

The roof was closed and we definitely had a krakow of a tournament opener, but there the similarities ended, and I can report exclusively a 10-6 victory for a Polska outfit that trailed 4-1 in the early stages.

In Warsaw we encountered a tale of three goalies – the sent-off Pole and his penalty-saving replacement plus the Greek in the flesh-coloured kit who appeared from a distance to pay tribute to all those risque Ancient Athenian sculptures.

Bobby Trueredski up against seemingly-naked Greek keeper Bareas

Streaking keepers aside, Poland and Arsenal’s one-hit wonder Szczesny Hawkes was having a ‘mare in Daftown in the early stages, but The One And Only helped turn the tide within minutes with a delightful goal from his own area … and the Greeks were pretty pita-ful from there.

Before you could say Sokratis Papastathopoulos, you had to be philosophical and admit the East Europeans were on top, pulling in front for the first time at 6-5 and never looking back – apart from when their rods were spun, to the dismay of an autocratic match referee.

In the end it proved to be all about damage limitation for a Greek side looking for a further bail-out, the exuberance of the pre-match opening ceremony soon forgotten.

Neither Giorgos Karagounis, Georgios Samaras or even Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou could help before it was Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Manos, with the Poles claiming a deserved victory and the crowd soon waving tara-mosalata to the visitors.

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