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.