APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Round 8 vs Russell Vale Emerald at Terry Reserve #1

There’s nothing fun about writing about losses, but they are a fact of life just like the sun setting every evening and Australian cricket selectors choosing a Marsh in every touring squad. And while last weekend’s game ended in defeat for the Under 12 Green team they had a lot to be proud about their performance.

 
It all began badly, with their opponents putting on two goals before the game had even settled into itself. The Russell Vale team started at a lightning speed which caught the Albion Park kids unawares, and before they were able to settle into a pattern they were already 0-2 down within the first five minutes, and the initial feelings was that we were in for a bloodbath.
What followed for the next twenty minutes rivalled the excellence these kids had shown in the second half against the leading Balgownie team a few weeks ago. Putting the deficit out of their minds, the kids played the football they have been learning and training for twice a week, and they took it all on by themselves. Slowly but surely they worked their way back into the game, showing a sterner defense and also finding a way to get the ball into their own forward line. Especially prominent down the left flank was the exceptional work of Luke Beesley, Matt Shepherd and Mick Young. On drives down the middle Luke recovered the ball expertly on half a dozen occasions, and with one-touch plays reefed the ball down his wing to both Matt and then Mick, who fought hard against persistent defense to not only keep the ball in the half, but eventually find a way to get into the forwards. Matt in particular showed great skill and persistence in fighting off two defenders, both stealing the ball off them when they attacked and also keeping it when he was in attack and moving it down to his teammates. On the right flank it was Nic Wynen who continued his excellent season, especially his defensive skills in stealing the ball from his opponents, but also running across field and following the ball as they tried to find a way through. His nagging persistence on opponents stopped a number of raids further into the Albion Park box. He was well supported by Cohen Dick who again spent time both forward and back, and consistently made excellent plays when isolated with two opponents. On this day he showed he could be just as effective when boxed in as when he has space to move.
Persistence paid off for the Park kids, as good play down the right involving the bomber bomber and the bobbing black curls of Max Sciberras found the ball downfield. Josh Peters grabbed the opportunity, winding his way down the right before making the perfect cross to the middle where Kyan Van Helden had positioned himself perfectly, and he put the ball in the back of the net to reduce the lead to 1-2, and Park was back in the match. This was followed by better overall play from the home team. This is not to take away from keeper Ethan Meehan, who made two absolutely stunning saves in the middle of the half that must have raised the spirits of his team. It would not be unfair to suggest that few if any keepers in this age group would have got close to those two saves. Fantastic stuff. The change in the game was obvious as the Russell Vale team was getting noticeably tired and had started walking to breakdowns in play whilst the Albion Park team was surging. This all found a way to build the pressure, and with only seconds remaining in the half, excellent positional play from Cohen and Max again combined with Josh, and again the ball came to Ky who this time had to beat his opponents and the goalie with a great strike, and with scores level at 2-2 at the break, and the Park team looking as though they were beginning to dominate, it opened up great opportunities for the second half.

 
Unfortunately, it was not to be. The break allowed Russell Vale to regroup, and their bigger and faster team managed to hold sway in the second half, with most of the play centred in their area. It meant that the backs and halves had to work extra hard, and so they did. Heath Gillis and Harry Whiteford were both superb, running their legs off to fight off the Russell Vale midfield, making several great tackles and just annoying their opponents until they gave up the ball. Jack-Ryan Eberwein again was prominent in the defensive line, often being the last line and clearing the ball out of danger. The weight of possession started to tell however, and the wall was broken with 15 minutes to go, leaving the visitors up 2-3. The Park kids made three good incisions into the Russell vale line, with two runs by Josh and one by Max looking as though they had the potential to score but just cut off at the final moment. With time running out it took a great strike from out wide by the Russell Vale striker to put the game beyond doubt, and at the final whistle Russell Vale had run out winners by 2-4.

 
The Albion Park team tried hard and all played well, but on the day were beaten by the better team. As with all the games they have lost this season, they have been competitive throughout and have not been blown away by any team. If finals do come about for this team, they can be confident that they are capable of beating anyone if they play their best on the day. They can hold their heads high from this week, the way they fought back from those two early goals was a terrific effort.

 
Both Ethan and Kyan received Player of the Day awards on Saturday. Ethan has been wonderful all season and if not for his efforts again on Saturday the game would not have been as close on the scoreboard, while it is great to see Kyan back to his best, and if he can continue to convert as he has in recent games then the team will still have some wins left in their season.

APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Round 6 vs Balgownie Black at Ian McLennan Park #1

After a tough loss last week it was imperative that the boys got back on track with a win in this week’s match against Balgownie Black to stay in touch with the teams at the top of the ladder. The task was made just a little more difficult by having no subs for the game, with both the blonde locked speedster and tackling sensation Nic Wynen unavailable for the match.

 
The artificial surface at Kembla Grange was a great experience for the boys, and helped make for an even contest. The first half flowed back and forth, with the taller and bigger Balgownie team looking to dominate on all fronts. Much of the game was focused on the centre of the field, with attacking moves from both teams being shut down quickly by the defensive units. One excellent break through the midfield from Harry Whiteford that looked to be setting up a great attacking play was unfortunately terminated by an ugly illegal tackle for which the player was rightly yellow carded.
The combinations didn’t quite gel as well as they should have early. The backline had been asked for better clearances that the previous week, but there was still a bit of loose play that caused some heart failure on the sideline. The transfer from midfield to forwards also hit some hurdles, and a number of offside calls hampered the attacking prowess of the team.

 
The workrate could not be questioned though. Matt Shepherd had been switched to the backs to cover Nic’s unavailability and he continued to play as well as he has in recent weeks, tackling excellently in halting plays down his wing and getting the ball back to his midfield partners. Luke Beesley was doing double time on his flank against an opponent who towered over him, and his touch with the ball in particular was terrific. Harry Whiteford was playing the lynchpin between the backs to the forward line and made a number of incisive runs through the midfield, while his partner Heath “Energizer” Gillis barely stopped running through the whole first half, tackling, pressurising his opponents and chasing the ball back upfield. Like Matt, Cohen Dick had been shuffled into the backs this week, and he too was terrific in tackling the attacking raids as they came into the backline and clearing the ball away from danger. Holding the fort at the back, Ethan Meehan had to be well on his game and on three occasions made calm and sensible saves. Late in the first half the attackers broke through the Park defensive line, leaving a lone striker coming at Ethan with no one in between. Ethan stood his ground and made a slight attacking faint which rushed the shot which reduced its effectiveness and allowed Ethan to save it comfortably.

 
The whole backline had kept a clean sheet this week, and they were much of the reason that the team went to the break in front. A late attack by Balgownie was repelled once again, and the ball fell to Harry who quickly got the ball up front and in front of Josh Peters who ran on into space. His opponent looked to overpower him, and by his own admission he thought he may have messed up his chance, but he stayed with the ball, got a good touch in front of himself as his marker fell off him, and he kicked from the edge of the box to beat the keeper, and on the stroke of half time Albion Park had a 1-0 lead.
The second half saw much of the same, but there was a feeling Park was slowly gaining the ascendancy. The first few minutes saw Balgownie have much of the ball and in their attacking zone, but the Park defense held firm. Harry and Heath had moved forward with Josh and Ky Van Helden back into midfield, and Ky worked hard back and forward with the ball, tackling hard against the bigger opponents and winning back the ball in tight situations. Mick Young on the wing also faced runners coming at him consistently and he was great in finding a way to dispossess them and get the ball to his teammates. Max Sciberras made some great runs down his wing throughout the second half, and presented himself perfectly on the edge of the box on a number of occasions to put himself in a position to score if the ball came his way. That it didn’t is no fault of his and his game was exceptional.

 
The best of the day to my eyes though was Jack-Ryan Eberwein. Having taken on the lessons of last week, his efforts in the backline were brilliant. He made sure he was getting to the ball first and his clearances were first rate. If the run was on he cleared long and hard down the ground. If the run was down the wings he rushed across and got the ball over the sideline. If he was caught in the middle with an opponent he stole the ball and got it to his teammates if time allowed or cleared it away if it didn’t. Mistakes occurred in defence last week, but Jack ensured today that they did not happen this week.
Putting the icing on the cake, Jack set up the next goal, the one that broke the back of the Balgownie team. Still in the game at 1-0 despite Park’s pressure, Balgownie was fully penetrated as Jack’s big kick from his side of halfway sailed past the defensive line, with Heath motoring onto the ball. Despite attention from his opponents Heath pushed forward, found his moment and hit the ball towards goal. It was not directed perfectly as it was mostly at the keeper, but the pressure he had placed on the keeper proved to be the difference as it snuck past his defences and into the goal, and Park had the 2-0 lead they deserved, which they held until the end of the game.

It was a tough win for the team, achieved with no substitutes, and despite playing well it is obvious that they can still improve on some of the things they are doing. That is good news, because once they get everything in sync and they are all playing to their capability, they will be a real force in this competition.