Albion Park Junior Soccer Under 13.3 Round 4. Vs University at Terry Reserve #1, Albion Park

Albion Park Junior Soccer Under 13.3 Round 4.

Vs University at Terry Reserve #1, Albion Park

In a top of the table clash between first and second on the ladder, in conditions that were reminiscent of March rather than deep in the winter, the young Albion Park 13.3 team fought periods of lethargy with moments of brilliance to wear down their opponents and come away with a reasonably wonderful 4-0 victory.

The game began in a flurry, with the Park team going forward early through some good work by Matt Shepherd and Josh Peters down the right of the field. Josh’s ball fell at the feet of Cohen Dick who put through a wonderful cross into the goal mouth, where Kyan Van Helden was able to get his head (actually it was his neck) onto the ball and guide it into the goal for an early 1-0 lead.
The remainder of the first half was a tough slog, with some tight decisions either way for both teams when it came to arms and shoulders in tackles. The University team was much bigger than the Park kids but they refused to be pushed off the ball despite sometimes being hurled to the ground hard. It was impressive and at times brave efforts from the kids, with the blonde headed bopper and Heath Gillis especially findng this, with kids twice their height thinking they could get around them and finding out that they could not.
There were moments of excellence at different periods. Will Schofield put through a brilliant ball from the back that Josh ran on to, but the shot under pressure was pushed wide. Along with Will at the back, both Luke Beesley at sweeper and Matt Shepherd at right back were simply marvellous, pushing their opponents out to the wings when they had the ball and gave them almost no easy shots on goal. Luke Golding had more to do this week than he has in recent games, but he defused every ball that came his way with ease and great positioning. Through the middle of the field Kane Rex, Indiana Middleton and Lincoln Calder all worked hard in getting the ball forward. In the dying moments of the first half Josh made a cross that then went through two others to fall across the goal mouth to where Ky was waiting in front of goal with no one in front of him. It could only be a goal, but Ky’s wide eyes at this easy addition to his seasons tally must have blinded him, as the miskick trickled ever slowly to the line, and the keeper fell on it just in time to deny the goal, and for the whistle to blow half-time leaving Albion Park leading 1-0.

The second half started much like the first with Albion Park attacking early. From the back Luke Beesley made a great steal from his opponents attack, and moved wide down the left and making the perfect pass to Cohen on the left wing. Cohen ran hard in space before passing to Ky whom had run hard to get into space on the left. He beat three men with wonderful footwork before crossing to the blonde bomber in the centre, who steadied and got the ball to the right where Heath was in the clear, and he rifled home the strike of the day into the top centre of the net with a brilliant ball. The good guys had a 2-0 lead and some comfort returned for the coaching staff

The second half was a much better performance from the team. They ran and worked hard together and showed how important fitness can be, as well as the benefit of a large bench to give everyone a good rest when needed. Another wonderful run from Anton Anoop through the middle of the field, beating four players before expertly pushing the ball forward found Kyan racing hard on the right of the goals, and his flying shot just passed by the right post. The pace engine room of the blonde bomber and Heath, who both created great speed which sparked the team in attack and defence, kept the home team on the attack. They both combined with Anton to give Heath another chance to score, but the ball fell loose at the final attack. Josh then returned to beat his man point blank before putting a gorgeous ball in front of Heath, but the resulting tap just went a touch too far.
Eventually something had to give, but it was from another excellent piece of play that brought it about. It started down the left-hand side again with excellent work from Jack Pomery and Zoe Middleton keeping the ball alive, before it was pounced upon by Anton, who then beat two defenders beautifully before running forward and crossing into the centre where Josh waited. Unfortunately his air swing left him lying on the ground with his dignity busted. However the ball was kept alive by Heath Gillis on the right, and after beating a couple of defenders he crossed back into Josh, who with no one around him lined up and completed the goal. At 3-0 the result now appeared in the bag.

 
The superior fitness of the Park kids continued to set up chances, and soon Josh forced his way through with only one defender and the keeper to beat. The foul from the defender was obvious and called, and Josh took the penalty from outside the box, kicking a beautiful curling shot over the wall and into the top left of the goal for a 4-0 lead, which is where the game finished. Josh was named as player of the match, a great reward for a game that he orchestrated wonderfully through the middle of the field, with wonderful help from his teammates in the middle.

Undefeated after four games, and with four clean sheets, the Park has set themselves up as the team to beat this season. There are tough games to come so laurels cannot be rested hpon5, but if they continued their hard work at training and get off to a more consistently fast start rather than a lethargic one then here is no reason why they cannot continue on this excellent season.

Albion Park Junior Soccer Under 13.3 Round 2 Vs Russell Vale at Terry Reserve #1, Albion Park.

Albion Park Junior Soccer Under 13.3 Round 2.
Vs Russell Vale at Terry Reserve #1, Albion Park.

After a good victory last week the team was looking forward to their first home of the season. The school holidays unfortunately robbed the game of some of its spectacle as Russell Vale could only muster 9 players, handing a big advantage to the Albion Park team. To their credit, the Russell Vale kids never stopped trying, and indeed put on some excellent plays especially in the second half. By the end though they had been dominated out of the match, with the Park kids playing out to the end for a 16-0 victory.

The kids scored eight goals in each of the halves, but the start was still a little sluggish and not what they have trained for. Eventually the team got on he board after five minutes, with Anton Anoop again using his silky footwork in the middle of the park to get past his defenders and then find the back of the net. This settled the nerves of the players and the coaches alike, and further chances began to come along. The extra space through the middle of the field actually seemed to stifle the attack of the Park kids, with eyes open on the goal rather than their teammates in the open. Opportunities arose, and Cohen Dick jumped on one perfect pass from Josh Peters to beat the keeper and take the lead to 2-0, before Will Schofield made a lovely run down the right and then finished it with a terrific right boot that hammered into the back of the net to give the Park a 3-0 lead.
Despite the lack of a midfield presence for Russell Vale, what won Albion Park this match was their superb run down the wings. In the first half it was the brilliant combination of left back Luke Beesley and left half Heath Gillis that provided all of the impetus for the team. Heath ran himself to a standstill, fed expertly from the back by Luke whose speed and size had his opponents well covered. Both these guys were just fantastic. Their work was directly responsible for the continued chances that came Park’s way. Kyan Van Helden was fed two great one-on-one raids with only the goalie in front of him, but both shots went wide. He learned from these miscalculations, and on his next two opportunities he beat the keeper before kicking into the open goal, increasing the lead to 5-0. With the lead secured other players were given their chance to be involved. Kane Rex also had several opportunities to get on the board, and eventually found the right strike to be on target. Cohen and Josh had moved out to the extremes to replace the tired incumbents and made their presence felt, first when Cohen made a great pass across from the right to Josh on the left where he struck the ball home, and then Josh played to the whistle after an aborted goal kick, stole the ball and wove it past the keeper to take the half time lead to 8-0.

The half time talk was to continue to play wide, and not let up, but to play to their ability. This produced a goal within 60 seconds of the restart, with Heath and Cohen combining to put Anton into the clear, where he again sublimely placed the ball between the posts.
Despite the scoreline, Russell Vale made some lovely attacking raids, and it was up to the Albion Park backline to keep the game in check. The blonde headed energizer bunny played another great game, being fast enough to shut down the raids that came his way, while Lincoln Calder again provided a tall and strong barrier at the back. Will at stopper in the second half again kept the opposition at bay while Matt Shepherd defended well and facilitated the ball back forward on numerous occasions. Luke Golding in goals was left alone for most of the match, but when he had to turn on, he did magnificently. Russell Vale got off one great shot in anger for the whole match, a ball that would have found its way into our goals if not for a magnificent save from Luke stretching high with his left hand. Super stuff.
This great defence allowed the attacking line to continue forward, and they began to take bigger and more extravagant chances. Two of the better goals, in regards to teamwork, came through the middle of the half. The first came from the halfway line, with Jack Pomery taking the ball towards his opponent, where he passed it to Anton who flicked it back as Jack ran past, before he found Josh on the left who crushed it home. Not long after this another long play started by Heath again found Jack whose excellent run through the middle was assisted by Anton, before the final through ball was finished off by Kyan. Beyond this was some great individual goals by Cohen, whose run down the right on his own saw him beat the keeper one on one before kicking the goal, and by Kyan with a big left boot from distance, and by Josh, whose launched chip shot from just inside the box beat the rushing keeper beautifully. Josh was also unfortunate to have a cracking right boot from well outside the box crash into the crossbar and bounce away. With some more mixing of the playing positions for the final ten minutes, it was pleasing to have both Luke Beesley and Jack get the chance to score their own goals, and to convert them as well. When the final whistle blew, it left Albion Park as winners by 16-0.

While it was disappointing for their opponents, it was also a shame in some ways for the Park kids, as we won’t know just how dominant they may have been if they had played on level terms. The excellence of several of the kids suggests that Albion Park would have won and won well in such a scenario. We will know more against next week’s opponents in Balgownie.

Albion Park Junior Soccer Under 13.3 Round 1. Vs Coniston at McKinnon Park, Coniston.

Albion Park Junior Soccer Under 13.3 Round 1.
Vs Coniston at McKinnon Park, Coniston.

The first game of the season is in the books, and Albion Park’s 13.3 side kicked it off with a spanking win over long-time hard-core rivals Coniston by 6 goals to nil.

The kids have been caged up for months and perhaps had forgotten what it was to get moving and quickly, as the start was a little lethargic when it came to breakdowns on the ball and getting the ball moving from the breaks in play. The leader in this getting moving for the young team was Matt Shepherd who took control of the sideline and grabbed the ball to make fast and long incisive throws into the attacking area. His enthusiasm began to rub off on his teammates and the Albion Park kids began to move better as a team.
Unlike previous years they were not intimidated by the size of their opponents and they stood firm to move the ball forward in several attacking raids. After one shocking corner from the delegated captain Josh Peters, a second not long after was a beauty, curling at pace into the goal square where Anton Anoop pounced and guided the ball over the line for a vital and pleasing 1-0 lead.

This seemed to spark a response from the Coniston team, but the young Albion Park team also showed a pleasing resonance that gives great hope for success in the coming season. Solid work in defence was transferred into the midfield, where Josh played a lovely ball through to a dashing Cohen Dick who took his shot and found the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. Coniston looked to hit back but by now the Park kids had taken up the call themselves and they were working their backsides off running and making sure that the breaks in play were used to their advantage. Late in the half it was Indy Middleton who made his presence felt dashing up from the backline, and a hard won ball was followed by a lovely through pass that once again found Cohen running hard with only the keeper in front of him, and he converted again for a 3-0 half time lead, and the team was motoring.

Favoured with the breeze and their opponents looking directly into the sun for the second half, Coniston knew they had to make early in roads to get back in the match. However, despite their best efforts they were held in check by the defence, led brilliantly by Luke Beesley and the young blonde bomber, who both had wonderful matches. Luke as sweeper stymied every long ball that came his way, while his partner was just as good, using wonderful foot skills to get away from his opponent and sending the ball back to the midfield. Their tireless work was the story of the second half. Zoe Middleton was a star again, not only holding up opponents in defence but making at least three beautiful runs, one memorable one where she beat two opponents and then crossed beautifully to the centre where the attacking raid continued. Lincoln Calder made his presence felt after spending the first half in goals, and his big body strength and speed was superb at the back and in the middle, putting the Coniston players who were used to dominating with their strength off their game. Lincoln made his teammates job much easier with his presence.
Indiana made several incising runs through the middle, and was eventually rewarded for his hard work when the ball moved from Kane Rex through to Jack Pomery and Ky Van Helden to Indy, who manoeuvred through the defensive line and beat the keeper with a lovely strike to increase the lead to 4-0. Ky had done well at striker without finding clear air, but his hard work had helped set up other opportunities. He finally had his moment, when after a good attacking raid down the left Ky picked his moment and slotted the goal for 5-0. With everyone now wanting to get into the act there were plenty of opportunities. Good work from Kane, Heath Gillis and Will Schofield down the right saw several attacking opportunities, and all three had chances at scoring without finding the back of the net. Finally, it was Anton again who with silky foot movements beat a couple of defenders and then beat the keeper to complete a double and send the score out to 6-0, where it finally came to an end.

Player of the Match was awarded to Matt Shepherd who had an outstanding match. Not only is he strong and skilful, his match awareness today was terrific and he was responsible for many great movements during the match. Well done Matt.

Coniston has been a bogey side for this team in recent seasons, and the dominance of this victory shows that the weeks of boring repetitive training have been worth it. They have shown they are a good team from the outset, and will now look to continue that improvement into next weekend’s match.

APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Semi-Final vs Coniston at Cawley Park, Russell Vale

The only real way a season can end on a happy note is if you happen to win the grand final. That was not to be for the Albion Park Under 12.3 Green team, who fought valiantly against the third-placed Coniston team in their semi-final on Saturday only to go down 1-0.

 
A long-winded report could not possibly convey how well the kids played, and how with just a touch of luck they could easily have been playing into next week. But suffice to say they had their chances but could not convert them, while Coniston were repelled wonderfully by the Park defensive unit for the entire game – a defensive unit that only made one mistake in the whole game, and it was converted. It too had a stroke of fortune, as the Coniston player had his kick skew off the outside of his boot. If he has struck it clean it would have gone straight to the keeper, but the skew put it wide of his saving attempt and found the outer right corner of the net.
Park had chances but were unable to find the finishing accuracy they required. Great pressure in the first half drew the ball loose in the Coniston six yard box, where Josh Peters’ left foot strike went wide. They held on well to half time keeping the score at 0-0 despite Coniston having the advantage of the heavy breeze, a breeze that somehow had dissipated by the time the second half started. In the second half there were several wonderful attacking plays that just couldn’t be finished off. Josh made three plays with superb passing giving his fellow forwards a chance, with himself, Max Sciberras and Kyan Van Helden all having excellent opportunities in front of goal - but all three went wide. Matt Shepherd also had a good long range attempt that was worth the chance but also was waved away. With time running out the most spectacular attempt of the day came from Harry Whiteford, who from Josh’s perfect corner kick into the middle of the six yard box flew high to connect with the perfect header which sailed perfect and true... into the bottom part of the crossbar and away. It was the moment that summed up the match in many ways, as it proved that it just wasn’t going to be the Albion Park kids day.

 
The most pleasing aspect was that the kids rose to the occasion and played their best team game in the semi-final. They can hold their heads high, not only from Saturday’s performance but also for the whole season. Each and every one of them has improved their own game since we started back in April.
Ethan Meehan as keeper has been a star, showing no fear and making countless amazing saves throughout the season. On a number of occasions, he fought through being harassed without referee protection, and he did so without complaint. He’s a tough kid in a position that rarely gets the rewards it deserves. He had a brilliant season. The backline had a tough job all season against usually much bigger kids, and they fought hard to keep all scoring against them to a minimum. Nic Wynen played with the courage of a boy twice his size, and consistently tackled opponents and chased the ball across field in an effort to dispossess them, and all with a smile on his face. Luke Beesley was for me one of the most improved players this year. He learned his role quickly, and was soon dominating his side of the field not only with precision passing down the line or clearing kicks, but with his throw-ins as well. His game on left wing a couple of weeks ago was also really impressive. Harry Whiteford moved between the lines, and had a happy knack of appearing on the scene in time to fall upon a dangerous ball, or make a perfect slide tackle to stop an attacking move. He too showed no fear in these confrontations and was willing to take a bump if it helped his team. Jack-Ryan Eberwein was the colossus at the back this season, not just because of his big boot clearing kicks, but his dash in getting to dangerous balls and getting them out of the danger zone. He settled down the defensive line with his presence and was magnificent. It is probably not a coincidence that the three goals that were scored against the team in the final three games – one by Albion Park Green, one by Figtree and the one in the semi – were all scored when Jack was off the field.
Cohen Dick played almost every position this season, and played them all with excellence. When he was at the back he cleared well, in the midfield he ran hard up and back, and when up front he was a terrific attacking tool. He worked himself to a standstill each week which was exactly what his team needed. Our blonde locked midfielder was a livewire, constantly finding himself as the conduit between the backs and forwards. That he came back so quickly after a tough injury mid-season was proof of his toughness and desire to be there for his teammates. Heath Gills was the spark each and every week, speeding across and up the field like The Flash, always chasing the loose ball or the attacker in order to pressure him into mistakes. His bubbly play lifted the team every time they needed a boost, and he was a star every week. Matt Shepherd was another of the most improved kids this season. He too moved between back and midfield, but his work especially in midfield was at times exceptional, with his dispossession of his opponents and passing to teammates excellent, and another who did it all with a smile on his face.

 
The forward line worked well together at times, but the goals dried up in the second half of the season which perhaps took the focus off the work they had done. Mick Young on the left and Max Sciberras on the right had their roles and looked to play their part every week. Mick often found himself double and triple teamed, but would still fight hard to extricate himself. HIs combination with Luke and Heath was excellent during the season. Max found more space as the season progressed and his long runs and passing in combination with Josh provided lots of good attacking opportunities. On more occasions than not he beat his opponent each week, which for a right wing is half the battle. Kyan Van Helden again had his season interrupted by injury, and was also well marked on most weeks when he was identified as the danger. Despite this he had another great season, often tying up his opponents to allow more space for his fellow forwards. Goals were not as easy to come by for him this season, but there’s no doubt going forward he is still going to be a key attacking forward for Albion Park team.

 
All of the parents can be justifiably proud of the way their kids have played this season. The way they came together and blended into a team was fantastic. For all of this they can thank the tireless efforts and knowledgeable coaching of Mick Meehan, who has done a wonderful job bringing together thirteen kids who had not played together before and moulded them into a terrific unit. Being a coach means you get all of the hard stuff and little of the reason for the success, but the improvement of all of these kids can be traced to Mick’s knowledge and hard work.

 
And a final note on Josh Peters, who had a season out of the box. I am biased in regards to his efforts and his ability and I know I might sound pretentious, but I haven’t seen anyone in his division who is his equal when it comes to controlling the ball and then putting his teammates into a gap or sending them downfield into the clear. His finishing was not perfect, but he did score some terrific goals this season, and his corner taking is also excellent. I’m proud of the way he has improved again this season, and I am looking forward to see how he progresses next season.

 
Soccer ends, and cricket awaits.

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.

APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Round 5 vs Balgownie Charcoal at Judy Masters #1

Home games probably shouldn’t matter when it comes to junior soccer, but it’s also a tough gig when you get three away games in succession, which is what faced the Albion Park Under 12.3 Green team as they took on the Balgownie team on Saturday in a match that probably deserved a different result on the face of the effort put in.

Down a player with the injury last week to the blonde bomber and down a coach due to work commitments, the Albion Park kids were coming off two victories of differing skill and needed to be good from the start against a team that was undefeated in the graded part of the season. It didn’t go well early on, as the bigger and faster home team found an abundance of possession and field position as well as finding ways to push the Park kids off the ball with freedom. A 50/50 handball call against Albion Park in the box allowed a free kick for Balgownie who managed to convert despite a great attempt by Ethan Meehan to save. Another two goals came in this first 15 minute period, which came from an inability to clear to ball cleanly from the defensive box. In the kids’ defence they were trying to clear the ball via passing to teammates and work their way out of danger, but it was big clearing kicks to the sidelines that was required. Better coaching from the fill-in pretender on the sideline could well have helped the situation.

At 0-3 down and not much going their way some teams may have packed it in and allowed the game to completely slip away, but not these 12 kids. They kept their heads high and continued to work hard, and eventually a bit of luck came their way. A good attacking raid down the right from Heath Gillis to Max Sciberras saw Max have a great run down the wing and get a great shot away only to pass by the post. From the goal kick though the boys recognised they could charge, and charge they did, with Max getting to the ball first and taking on the defence, before the ball fell to Josh Peters who managed to get the ball to the back of the net, and the boys had cut the deficit back to 1-3. For the final five minutes of the first half Park looked the better team and went to the break feeling more in the game than the score line suggested.

In my opinion, the second half performance by these boys was the best of the season. They never let up, they ran themselves off their legs, they refused to be battered off the ball, and they fought against everything that was thrown at them. They received little in the way of the rub of the green but they didn’t allow that to stop them. They faced over a dozen corners, and didn’t let in one goal. When the chance to attack came, they took it with open arms and gave it every shot. The rising tension on the benches showed just how close this game had become. From three corners when the backs were able to get the ball upfield, the forwards on all three occasions made great sweeping runs down field to attack the goals. Mick Young on left wing did his job superbly, getting the ball across to Ky Van Helden who then switched with Josh and Max to allay the ball towards the goals. The Balgownie backs were faster though and were able to diffuse these situations. Eventually though they had to crack, and with the midfield having won the ball it transferred across to Mick who made a terrific play by beating two opponents and making a superb cross inside to Josh, who took one touch and pushed it on Kyan, whose strike on goal was true, and the game was on at 2-3.

It didn’t pan out that way, but there was some memorable efforts. Harry Whiteford and Heath Gillis were both superb. They were asked to run all day, switch between back and midfield when needed, be first to the ball and not to allow any man past them with the ball. They executed this to perfection and they were a big part of the effort to win this game. At half time the backline of Nic Wynen, Jack-Ryan Eberwein and Luke Beesley were asked to ensure that we did not concede another goal, that if they did we could win the game. The defence of the second half was fabulous and all three boys – along with Harry and Heath – did their job superbly. They should be justifiably proud of themselves. Matt Shepherd again did a terrific job in midfield, and his tackling in particular was excellent, on several occasions getting himself in front of attacking opponents and stopping them in their tracks. Ethan Meehan had a memorable game. He got close enough to saving a penalty that would have been sensational, and it took two good strikes to beat him. In the second half he was harassed – hounded – by the Balgownie team and he refused to buckle. He made two super saves and was in the right place at the right time. In a losing cause sometimes the goalie doesn’t get enough recognition. Ethan deserves nothing but praise for his game. Mick Young and Max Sciberras on the wings did their job excellently today, making the run but getting the ball in to their centres much quicker today. Cohen Dick had a tough gig today, changing his position on the field with every sub, and he took it all in his stride and performed every role excellently. And Ky had his best game of the season as well, being the strong presence up front that the team needs. He moved back to midfield to get the ball and then ran hard through the forwards to be the attacking option. It’s great to have him back in that role.

You can’t win every game, but I’m willing to bet that this is the game that everyone looks back on in a few weeks and recognises as the one that changed the whole season. Against the odds they never gave in, and each and every one of them has hopefully proved to themselves that they can play well individually and as a team as a whole. What they are learning at raining is paying off, and no doubt having the coach back in the saddle next weekend and not the fill-in pretender will help to change the result next weekend.

APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Round 4 vs Russell Vale Lime at Cawley Park #1

On a chilly Saturday morning in the northern suburbs the Albion Park Green Under 12 team took on the Russell Vale Lime team in a tough match at Cawley Park, and one that showed that sometimes you can win a game even though the team isn’t at their best on the field.

The play early was stunted around the midfield as both teams tried to work each other out. There was good energy from Cohen Dick who was fast both forward and back as the play moved, keeping the pressure on the Russell Vale team. This was mirrored by Heath Gillis in the middle of the field, who again was a livewire chasing the ball early in the game.
The mood of the match changed not long after, when the blonde locked midfielder looked to make a good tackle on his opponent in stopping a forward movement, but in the process went down with an ankle injury. In obvious pain he was forced to leave the field and the was out of the remainder of the game. This affected the balance of the team but also the concentration of his teammates.
It was good to see the boys get beyond this, and dominate possession over the next five minutes. Harry Whiteford came off the bench and took over in the centre backline, making several rushes at the ball that caused errors in the opposition that allowed the Park defence to regain control of the play. The ball began to get into the danger areas, and there was a hope of a breakthrough. After a good passage of play on the right wing Max Sciberras threw the ball in to Matthew Shepherd who got around his opponent and got the ball back to Max on that wing. Max then made a short sharp run down the right to get past his opponent before shooting the ball inside to Kyan Van Helden. Ky turned and spun and cracked the ball across the goal where the pace of the ball escaped the keepers grasp, which allowed the Park forwards to rush the ball and get the loose ball into the back of the net, and take a 1-0 lead, which they took with them to the half time break.

The difficulty in the match came from the team being less than clean with their passing, which has been their strength in recent weeks. Today there were few clean passes to teammates, with the majority falling at the feet of their opponents. The boys were also a bit slow with the ball, which left themselves open to giving up the ball to Russell Vale when they tried to beat a man rather than clear safely to their fellow players. The boys were trying hard but were just not practicing what they have been learning at training, which allowed Russell Vale to keep their foot in the door during the match.
Nic Wynen was the exception and was playing his best match of the year. His work in defence was excellent, highlighted by one particular play where he chased the ball as it was moved by Russell Vale across from their left wing across to right half. Nic single handedly made three separate tackles on players, with the ball falling loose but straight onto the next Russell Vale player, who he then chased and did the same thing. It was an important piece of defensive work, because if he hadn’t kept chasing the ball down they would have had an almost open run at the Park goal mouth. It was a pivotal moment in the match. He followed this up in the second half with another powerhouse display, including another period of play where he again tackled three opponents in a row to stop the attacking raid and get the ball from right back to right wing on his own. Terrific stuff.

The second half was a dour struggle as the Park players just couldn’t get their best play together. Russell Vale had a few of their own chances to get on the board, but the returning Ethan Meehan was excellent at the back once again and gave little away to their opponents. Jack-Ryan Eberwein held the line across centre back, acting as the first point of call to stop the majority of the forward presses from the home team, and Luke Beesley made two vital tackles at dangerous points of play, as well as marshalling the backline throughout to keep their line solid. Heath was still in the game and his speed and enthusiasm was an important play at the time. On the left side as always Mick Young was busy and often found himself double and triple teamed as he looked to get the ball down his wing but still found a way to move it along.
The attack had their chances in the second half to increase the lead, with Mick and Ky having a couple of good chances on the left, while Max and Cohen combined well down the right with a couple of excellent attacking raids that were only defused by good work from the home keeper. A couple of contentious free kicks with Albion Park in great attacking positions also didn’t help. Perhaps this was all evened up by the one attack that resulted in a goal. Ky had retrieved the ball just short of halfway and passed nicely on to Cohen in the middle who put the through ball pas the defensive line for Josh Peters to run on to. Josh hadn’t committed early, and by the time he realised he was a chance to get to the ball before the keeper it looked as though the decision to sprint was too late. The keeper came out and was forced to make a clearing kick rather than a save, but that kick was straight into Josh’s right boot as he too aimed a kick at the ball, and the rebound from his boot rolled through to the unattended goal, and Park had their 2-0 lead, which is the score that the game ended at. 

It mightn’t have been the best-looking performance, and there is plenty there for the boys to tweak and improve on in the coming weeks, but it was a victory nonetheless and that is important at this stage of the season.

APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Round 3 vs Lakeside Orange at Webb Park #1

After last week’s disappointing result, it is impossible to convey just how well the Under 12 Green team responded to that performance, and how well every single individual played in tonight’s match against Lakeside Orange, in their first match under lights on a Friday evening.

 
Down to the bare minimum of eleven players with the absence of the injured Kyan Van Helden and the ill Ethan Meehan, it meant with no subs every player was going to have to dig deep to keep going for the full 60 minutes, and they did so wonderfully well.

 
Albion Park got the perfect start, retrieving the ball from their opponents kick off and moving the ball quickly and precisely from their backline. Nic Wynan and Heath Gillis combined nicely to get the ball up to the right winger Max Sciberras up on the halfway line. Max beat his opponent and got a great ball in to Josh Peters, who in turn made a perfect through ball to his partner Cohen Dick on the right. Cohen calmly ran the ball to within striking distance before putting the ball nicely into the back of the net, and Park had a 1-0 lead within the first minute of play. It settled the nerves and eradicated the doubts from the previous week, and now the team could show what it could do. And this they did with style.
Now we saw a lot of terrific play from kids who believed in themselves. The way that the combination of Heath Gillis and Michael Young played down the left side of the field was refreshing. Both used the time they had perfectly, and manoeuvred around their opponents with plenty of skill. Along with Matthew Shepherd and his bubbly centre partner, the opportunities for the forwards were coming with better regularity than last week. A lovely piece of play between the blonde headed centre and Mick down the wing found the ball back inside to Josh who slotted the shot home to extend the lead to 2-0 halfway through the first half.

 
All the ball was now in the Albion Park attacking zone and the boys were combining beautifully. Harry Whiteford and Heath were both marshalling the backline to keep the Lakeside team away from the ball, while up front the chances kept coming in waves. Within the congestion from one throw in and then corner, both Mick and Matt fought for the ball, which then fell to Cohen who got a short ball inside to Josh. Josh twirled with the ball and through traffic got the ball past the keeper to take the lead to 3-0.
Better was to come in the following attacking raids, where Max and Matt and his centre partner were instrumental in the ball being right in the mix around the box. One clearance from the Lakeside backs fell to Jack-Ryan Eberwein playing at the back. He was in space, and had been given the green light under such circumstances to feel free to take a crack at goals. He was only five metres into the attacking half, but he struck the ball with power and accuracy, and the ball went high over the players in front of him and lobbed perfectly between the cross bar and the outstretched keepers' hands to bring up the goal of the season, and the lead moved out to 4-0.

 While Lakeside looked demoralised, the Park contingent refused to drop their intensity, and kept pressurising their opponents. This was also true of the goal kicks, and late in the half one of these came straight to Josh who trapped in perfectly, took a couple of steps and bashed it past the keeper to register his third goal of the half, and at the break Albion Park had a commanding 5-0 lead.

 
At half time the Park boys were implored not to let up in their play, and to keep playing in the same fashion. With the comfort of a big lead it seemed like all of the boys had their eyes widening with the chance of scoring their own goal, while Lakeside spent most of the time just kicking the ball out of play. This could only last so long before it would break down, and so it proved. A lovely steal and run from Harry continued as he passed to Max who made a terrific run down the right, with his bullet shot on goal only just missing to the right from a deflection. Two more plays followed, this time instigated by Matt who not only retrieved a loose ball from Lakeside but then deftly made pinpoint passes to Max on the right who again showed great skill to attack down his flank. The third one of these was completed when Max made a superb cross that skirted across the goal face, finding Josh rushing in from the left post to get the ball into the goal in a play that has been getting attention at practice, and Park moved to a 6-0 lead.

 
There was plenty going on, and everyone was getting involved. Max was having a blinder, and was soon in the action again when he took a corner on the right which he passed back to the livewire centre, who beat his man and pushed it forward to when Cohen was waiting. He turned with the ball but was unable to get onto his preferred right foot – but instead crushed the shot with his left foot, and found an impossible gap between the keeper and the right post with a terrific shot, and with a well deserved second goal Cohen had increased the lead to 7-0.

 
The scoring stymied at this point, but not through a lack of opportunity. Perhaps the only change here was that everyone who got the ball thought they were a chance of scoring, so everyone was having a crack from longer range. And, if you can’t have a bit of a go with a 7-0 lead, when can you? Matt in particular was very unlucky with a beautiful shot he had from outside the 18 yard box, and it took a good save to deny him. So too Mick on the left, who unfurled his cannon left boot late and only narrowly failed to score. Jack-Ryan had another chance that just fell short, and Heath also had his own chance. Lake side began to make a few breaks late in the match, but on each occasion, they were terrifically defused by Nic at right back who made three separate brilliant tackles and then perfect passes to his teammates downfield, and was well backed up by Harry who with speed and skill rounded up every ball that came through the centre field and ran it back through the tiring opponents.
Just when it looked as thought the final score would be settled at 7-0, the Park kids got back into the swing of things late. A ball through the centre found Mick who, though somewhat out of position he got the turn and pushed the ball through to Josh, who then found his way past the keeper again to make the score 8-0. Finally, on the stroke of full time, another great rush at a goal kick found Cohen able to trap the ball on this occasion, and like Josh in the first half he took a couple of steps before finishing off with style and completing his hat-trick, and completing the game as a triumph for the Albion Park team, running out convincing winner by 9-0.

 
The award winners today went to Jack-Ryan, whose fabulous goal was backed up by solid defence once again and showing he has a deft pass as well as power in those boots, and Max who had a terrific attacking game, looking the most confident he has all season, and that belief today drove him to his best performance of the season. Well done to both boys, but honestly it could have gone to any of the boys today as each player had a wonderful evening. Special mention goes to Luke Beesley who filled in at keeper tonight at short notice. Though talking down his chances he showed good skills in the warm up and if he had been challenged I think he would have been up for it, As it was, he did not touch the ball once, such was the dominance of the team and of its defensive structure.

 
Finally, I don’t like to talk up Josh too much, as I am extremely biased when it comes to his sporting prowess. But tonight he scored five goals, and also had at least two other assists, as well as countless number of perfect passes to put his teammates into gaps down either flank. He hated losing last week and was very very motivated to ensure that didn’t happen again this week. He’s learning a lot this season and loving playing in this team. I was extremely proud of the way he played tonight.
Next week we are up against the Russell Vale side that we drew 3-3 with earlier in the season. It will be another good test as to how much this team has improved in that time.

APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Round 2 vs Coniston at Terry Reserve #4

Having lost to Coniston a few weeks ago in one of the preliminary games that led up to the grading process, the Albion Park Green team lined up for a second chance in their match on Saturday at Terry Reserve to determine if they could overturn that result and come back with better performance.

 
The opening dispatches showed plenty of promise from the home team without being able to threaten the goals. There seemed a certain amount of lethargy in the Park boys, which perhaps was as much uncertainty of belief in their chances as anything else. The ball was in their attacking half enough in the first ten minutes to encourage opportunities, but it felt as though the bigger and faster opposition intimidated the team mentally out of the few chances that presented themselves. Unlike recent games the boys held back from their opponents, allowing them the opportunity to not only shut down the attacking raids but to get through the midfield without being challenged for possession.

 
There were some nice pieces of play in the interim. Heath Gillis and Cohen Dick were injected forward after ten minutes, and both initiated some spark that had been missing early. Running hard at the backs when the ball came forward, Heath had one shot on goal that found the keeper, while Cohen nicely evaded two opponents with good foot skill before having his own shot which was deflected away at the last minute. It showed the Coniston team they were not going to get it all their own way. Down the left two super plays within a couple of minutes from Luke Beesley were also just as important. The first he found himself the only man between the attacking player and a long clear run down the right flank, and he charged up and not only stopped the run but stole the ball with a great tackle and ran himself down his wing before getting the ball up to Michael Young to continue the attack. Luke followed this up shortly afterwards by cutting off a through ball from Coniston, turning, and delivering a pinpoint pass to the Park centre half who was in space. These were both standout plays in the first half. Michael Young worked hard all game again, fighting hard to get the ball around his opponents and onto his teammates. He was marked hard this week but stuck to his guns and gave as good as he got.

 
In games like this it is often the case that one play will change the game, and so it occurred here, as the first time Coniston breached the defence they found themselves in the clear with the shot beating keeper Ethan Meehan, and Coniston led 1-0, which visibly deflated the Park boys. They fought on, and found better opportunities as Kyan Van Helden had three chances to bring the game back, but all three strikes were blocked or partially blocked by the swarming defence. Josh Peters also found small gaps looming, and had two shots on goal that both went wide of the right post. Jack-Ryan Eberwein made the most of the chances that came to him in the backline, putting the ball over the midfield and back into the attacking quarter. Again though the Park defensive line was breached, and despite one excellent save from Ethan from a full blown strike that drew deserving applause the wave proved too much, and a second goal snuck home between Ethan and the right post right on the stroke of half time, leaving Coniston as 2-0 leaders.

 
The second half was a conundrum, as what appeared to be a tiring Coniston side was still able to keep the Albion Park team at bay. Heath Gillis and his partner in midfield continued their excellent running with the help of Harry Whiteford, and Nic Wynan made some excellent defensive plays on the right, making three terrific tackles and clearing the ball out of danger. Once again though, almost against the run of play, Coniston found a way to get through the Park team to score, extending their lead to 3-0. During this period both Kyan and Cohen came from the field with match-finishing injuries, leaving no men on the bench and plenty of work to do. It did the team no good, as a fourth goal was added in this changeover to make it 4-0 to Coniston, whose authority was now convincing.

 
To their credit the kids didn’t give stop trying, and there were still chances being made. Max Sciberras combined nicely down the right with the Matthew Shepherd and made two excellent runs down the wing, as well as forcing the defending players wide and into giving up the ball for throw ins and corners. Two lovely plays between Matt, Max, Josh and Harry looked to be great attacking chances with players in the clear but were called back for offside. Eventually Josh and Harry played the ‘old 1-2' putting Harry away with only the keeper to beat, and as the keeper rushed him, he calmly slotted the ball past him to get the Park on the board and back to 4-1.

 
With some momentum beginning to flow their way there was hope that Park could close the gap, but instead a further Coniston goal left the final score at 5-1, a score line that accurately portrayed the gap between the two teams. Albion Park had had chances that they were unable to convert as the forwards struggled to be fast and clean with their passing, while defensive lapses were punished heavily by their opponents.

 
You can’t win every game and sometimes an opposition is just better than you. There is a feeling that it was also one of those days where the team just wasn’t at their best, and anything less than 100% won’t be enough against that Coniston side. If (when) they meet them again in the finals, our boys will need to turn up ready to play if they want to avoid such a defeat again.

APJSC Under 12.3 Green: Round 1 vs Coledale at Terry Reserve #4

It’s all go for the former 12B team from Albion Park, now renamed the 12.3 Green team after having been graded in the 3rd division of the Under 12 competition along with their 12C compadres (who are now rebranded as the 12.3 Gold team). With a 12 team competition, each team now plays the other once before a six team finals series takes place. So every game, every goal, every moment counts for the first time in these young players careers. And their first assignment was the Coledale team at the home of Park soccer, Terry Reserve.

With the use of a strong breeze at their backs in the first half, the Park boys dominated both possession and territory. Keeper Ethan Meehan did not touch the ball in the first half such was the weight of play at the other end. This also resulted in up to eight of the Coledale team taking up residence in their 18 yard box, which made for a congested playing area for the Park forwards to try and negotiate. Early on it was the play of Matthew Shepherd and Nic Wynen that stood out, with both boys seeing a lot of the ball and making some noticeably calm and pinpoint plays against their opponents. Nic made two great defensive manoeuvres before placing the ball perfectly down the wing to his teammate, changing the direction of the play terrifically, while Matt was making the game look as though it was becalmed on an ocean such was the time he had to grab the ball and push the perfect pass wide to his teammates. Terrific stuff.
With the congestion in the middle of the ground Park’s preference to play the ball wide was working well, but getting the ball across into the front of the goals wasn’t as effective. The Park backline did their job by keeping the ball in the attacking half, and eventually the weight of pressure had to break. Heath Gillis push the ball down the left side to Michael Young, who beat the two defenders coming at him to cross the ball inside to Kyan Van Helden. He steadied and drew a defender before crossing to Josh Peters who struck the ball cleanly into the top right corner to open the scoring and give the Park a 1-0 lead at half time.

The Coledale team was finding it hard to keep moving, despite the advantage of the breeze behind their backs in the second half. From the whistle the Park team moved forward in attack, with three great plays involving Cohen Dick weaving the ball through the defensive lines and linking up with Michael on the left and Kyan in the centre offering some outside chances. There had been several chances at goal in the first half but there were even more in the second as the well drilled Park players kept the ball along the ground and found feet as their tired opponents wilted. There were several lovely passages of play on the right side between Nic and Max Sciberras who both ran hard to get to the loose balls, and then onto Heath and Josh.
The terriers of the team again played a major part in the Park team’s success. The centre half with the curls bobbing along ran hard across the field superbly as he generally does, getting to the ball in the breakdowns and moving it upfield, while Heath Gillis again jumped on every opportunity he had whether playing back or forward. Both these two were supported superbly by Harry Whiteford, who once again swooped on any ball that fell into a dangerous area and ran it hard through the midfield. These three have been exceptional in this regard, and especially in the second half of matches when the opposition is tiring. In the backline Luke Beesley didn’t see as much ball as he has been in recent weeks, and yet continued to be strong on opponents to rush their decision or steal the ball and bang it back up the sideline to an attacking position. Jack-Ryan Eberwein stood tall again in the middle of that defensive posture, and banged the ball long out of trouble on a number of occasions. He will score a goal from halfway sometime this season if he gets onto one of his kicks properly. Ethan Meehan needed binoculars in the first half if he was to see any play, and though he really only touched the ball three times in the second half they were all vital in shutting down the few attacking raids made by the Coledale team.
Up front chances came but were not able to be taken advantage of. Kyan had two terrific strikes from the edge of the box, but both drifted past the right post of the goals. Kyan has missed the last two games due to injury, and sitting on your backside on the lounge for two weeks has left him a little underdone. The run will have done him good and we can expect better things from him going forward. He was still a great influence today, as was shown on the best play of the day. Josh had also had a couple of shots that went wide and there was some frustration there, but a terrific move harped on at training paid off, as Josh gathered the ball on his side of halfway, ran and passed onto Kyan who drew his man and passed back to Josh following on, who looked up and struck the ball home to extend the lead to 2-0.
There was lots of space late in the game in the middle of the field, and the Park boys kept running as their opponents stopped. Though they were unable to add to the score, it was terrific to see the teamwork that went into today’s game from all 13 of the boys in the team. It must be gratifying for coach Mick Meehan to see that all the hard work that is going into training is beginning to be seen on the field. When the whistle blew for fulltime, the Albion Park Green team had collected their first points with a 2-0 victory.

Amongst the excellent work from all, Matthew Shepherd was quite superb today. He was calm under pressure, fantastic with his passing in midfield, fast to the ball in fighting for possession, and kept the ball moving forward and wide for attacking options. He was brilliant and it was his best game for the season, a testament to the hard work he has been putting in. Well done Matt.

 Next week sees a return bout with the Coniston team that defeated Park 4-2 a couple of weeks ago, but this game will be at home, and if the boys can ensure they don’t start as slowly as they did in that first encounter then they will be right in with a chance to claim a second victory in as many weeks.

APJSC Under 12B: Round 7 vs Figtree 12C at Harry Graham Park

On a day that reached 27 degrees at the end of May, a game in the midday sun was always going to be a tough ask for the young charges in the Under 12 competition, but the Albion Park boys were up for the challenge in taking on the Figtree 12C’s at Harry Graham Park.

Early on it was obvious that the fitter and more enthusiastic team was going to be difficult to defeat given the tough challenge of the heat of the day, and with Albion Park 12B still down to just one reserve with the continued absence on the field of Kyan “Waterboy” Van Helden, they had to show that their training was paying off. From the kick off they made the hard running. Though the Figtree boys made a couple of early insertions it was the effort of the Albion Park boys that caught the eye. It appeared to be an even contest, but a good forward movement saw the ball in the Albion Park attacking zone where the centre half put a great through ball to Cohen Dick up forward, who beat his man and then made a super pass to Josh Peters who lined up and crashed the ball into the top of the net, and the visitors had a 1-0 lead.

The first half was full of terrific play and though it may not have been rewarded on the scoreboard it was impressive nonetheless. Another good pay down the left side saw Matt Shepherd steal the ball from his opponent and then swing around with a great pass across to Max Sciberras on the right wing who had his shot blocked. From the ensuing corner a great ball left the goal open but without anyone being able to take advantage. This led to a couple of long winding runs from the tall Figtree winger down his right flank, but on both occasions he was dominated by left back Luke Beesley, who stuck stride by stride with his opponents, forcing him wide on the sideline and giving him no opportunity to cross the ball in to the centre, before eventually dispossessing him and moving the ball back upfield to his teammates. It was fantastic defensive play from a kid who is improving every week, and combined with the other half a dozen times he got in and stopped a forward movement before it could start he had a terrific game. On the other side of the field, right back Nic Wynen was proving to be just as effective, mirror imaging a defensive run like Luke’s, and combining well with Jack-Ryan Eberwein in stopping the ball from getting anywhere near the box.

At the other end Heath “Spare Parts” Gillis was making the most of his return to the field, playing every position as required and doing a great job in each. He didn’t stop all day, and towards the end of the first half made a spectacular run through the defense and had a great shot on goal, only to be denied by a wonderful piece of goal-keeping. The centre pairing was the non-stop engine room, running their opponents off their legs, and though the teams went in at halftime at 1-0 it felt as though the Park team was on top.

As expected, the second half was a tough slog. Running against the slight breeze made it a tough ask for the visitors, but the kids kept fighting hard, and swarmed in defence when the ball fell to their attackers feet. Luke and Nic kept them honest, but it was the work of Harry Whiteford and Michael Young on the left flank that made a huge difference. Harry’s pace and presence to rush in and take the ball when danger appeared was uncanny, and on a number of occasions he managed to save what could have been trouble. Mick was excellent again, fighting hard to get to the ball and looking to turn himself to get the ball upfield to his teammates. Both these boys worked hard in the second half when their opponents started to tire and they did a great job. So too Jack-Ryan on the right hand side of the field. On at least three occasions he was man-on-man alone with two unmarked opponents inside him, and with his team relying on him he fought and defended and got the ball out over the sideline allowing his team to reassemble. He also showed his improved left foot on a couple of occasions today which was excellent to see. Great stuff.
In games like this it is hard to be a goal-keeper when you don’t see much of the ball, but knowing full well that at some stage you will be called upon to make a save to keep your team in the game. This happened to Ethan Meehan today, and after barely seeing the ball for 45 minutes there was a break through the defence, and a shot launched in anger at the goals… and Ethan was there to save it. It was as important a save as any of the dozen or so he had had to make every other week, and he kept his nerve and concentration throughout the game. Well done Ethan.

Attacking options continued late in the game for the Park. Josh alternated between great through balls to his teammates to making his own breaks down the left flank. He had one shot that hit the side of the net (albeit with a man or two unmarked in the square), and then another hard run saw him get a great pass in to Mick on the left post, whose shot was saved in a frenzy around the goal mouth. The ball spilled out to about ten metres from the halfway line, where Harry rushed in from fullback and launched a shot from well outside. The high ball wobbled about in the breeze, and the keeper underneath looked about as secure as I do under a high ball on the cricket field. In the end he tried to bunt it away, but it escaped his grasp, and rolled behind him over the line for a well deserved goal for Harry and also the team, extending the lead to 2-0.

The final few minutes saw Figtree up their attack, but they were well held by the Albion Park boys, whose passing and control under pressure today was fantastic. When the full time whistle blew Albion Park had run out well deserved winners by 2-0.

It bears mentioning that coach Mick Meehan spoke glowingly to the boys after the game about their commitment and their skills in today’s match. It’s an easy thing to write that they are improving every week and understanding each others play, but it is an accurate assessment of their gameplay. They mightn’t be getting the results in regards to goals scored every week, but the defence has not conceded a goal now for two games. Every boy contributes each week in some way and that is the most gratifying part about watching this team play.

APJSC Under 11 Reds: Round 11 vs Coniston Gold

A rematch against remembered foes in Coniston Gold for the Albion Park Soccer Club Under 11 Red team was what was set for today, and while the talk was of a rough and tumble match what was closer to the hearts and minds of the players was the need to improve on last week’s performance and ensure they did not start slowly as they did in that match.

The opening stanza was quite even, with both sides feeling out where the breaks in the defence might be. Indy Middleton was a different player today from last week, a ball of energy as he chased hard and through his opponents in the midfield and created the early spark that got the Park team moving. After a couple of early breaks, the Park defence shut down the two dangerous players from the Coniston team and began to work on a way to get to their own goalmouth. A couple of good plays broke down at the vital moments, as Jack Tate looked in great touch once again. On at least three occasions he wound his way past multiple defenders, only to just go a little too far before disposing of the ball and instead had it stolen off him. He showed however that there were ways to get through the Coniston team. A couple of balls went wide for goal kicks, and the Park attackers began to get wise, and were chasing hard once the kick was made. Eventually Ky Van Helden latched onto one of these goal kicks and crashed it back past the goalie to open the scoring and a 1-0 lead for the home team.

Last week’s problem was that the team fell asleep once a goal had been scored and allowed their opponent to get back into the match. Thought they were more switched on this week, they still allowed the ball to get past the defensive line, and it only took this to happen once for their forward to get a good strike in and put the ball in the back of the net and level the scores at 1-1.

Forced to work hard once again with scores level, the Park kids did begin to get the larger amount of possession and in their opponent’s half of the ground. Still pressuring the goal kicks as hard as possible, one again fell loose as Zali Middleton tried to kick towards goal. This ball was boomed back out of the goal square by the defender that was twice as big as Zali and three times as wide, but she managed to get her right leg in the way of it, and it instead rebound at speed straight into the back of the net for a great goal for Zali, and Albion Park regained the lead at 2-1.

The ball was being kept in one half of the ground now, thanks in part to the great defensive line of Brock Young, Josh Peters and Belle Kadwell, with help from the mid-field of Indy and Jack-Ryan Eberwein. Claire Kadwell was making great runs up front down the left wing and managed to get a couple of shots off that were picked up by the keeper. One of these was another attacking raid that was cleared by the fullback, which went straight towards Jack-Ryan who was positioned at right back, only two metres into the Coniston half. He had time to steady, but instead he went for the no-touch booming kick straight back at the goal mouth, and as 18 payers looked up with gaping mouths, the ball rose to a great height, and the fell back to earth, just over the top of the keepers reach and just under the cross bar and into the back of the net. It was an astounding goal, one that no one who saw it will ever forget. It allowed the Park team to go in at half time with a lead of 3 goals to 1.

The second half was punctuated by three terrific pieces of play. Jack-Ryan headed back into goalkeeper, and after a great break down the left the Coniston striker had a clear shot at goal with only Jack-Ryan on his own. The powerful shot came in, but Jack-Ryan was having none of it, and made the save of the year so far. Inspiring stuff.

At the other end there were more chances coming, with Ky continuing to attack hard, and being well supported by Noah Black on the right who had come out of goals and was making himself known to his opponents. Down the left Zoe Middleton was just fantastic again, running hard and making at least four perfect passes down the sideline for Josh and Ky to run onto. It was great to watch. Noah fought hard to be awarded a free kick, and then a great set piece between Noah, Ky and Josh was finished off by Josh for his first goal of the game and a 4-1 lead. Five minutes later Zoe had fought hard and forced a corner for her team, which Josh took and calmly curled the ball from the left corner into the goal where it beat the keeper for his second goal and a 5-1 lead. Three great pieces of play that typify the best this team is offering when everyone is switched on and playing at their best.

A late goal by Coniston was some consolation for them, but the park kids finished up with a handsome 5-2 victory to help make up for their first loss last week.

Indy Middleton and Jack-Ryan Eberwein had one of their best ever games, both were busy throughout. Zoe Middleton again was just terrific and was backed up by Zali Middleton who was fast and furious up forward. Belle and Claire Kadwell were as busy as always, and Noah Black, Jack Tate and Ky Van Helden did well with their opportunities. Josh Peters claimed it wasn’t one of his best games, but again when given the chance in the midfield the team seemed to click better with his great runs and passes.

Still, above all this was Player of the Match Brock Young, who did as he does every week. He is great in defence, he clears the ball when needed and he runs hard into position when the team needs him to move the ball upfield. He laughs at his own errors but always makes up for them. A well-deserved award this week.

As it turns out I managed to get Josh’s two goals on video, mostly as they were from set pieces. Have a look at both of them, especially the set piece from Noah to Ky to Josh to score.

APJSC Under 11 Reds: Round 8 vs Albion Park Yellow

 On a much more typical winter day for junior soccer at Terry Reserve, the Albion Park Junior Soccer Club Under 11 Reds took on the Albion Park Yellow team for the second time this season, with both teams keen to show they had improved since the first time they clashed, which was in the first match of the season when the Reds had come out on top with an 11-6 victory. No doubt the Yellow team was seeking revenge for that result.

With a howling southerly blowing to cause mayhem on the pitch, both sides made a tough start to the match. The ball spent a lot of time in the Reds defensive half but the back four held firm, and despite a couple of early shot in attack the ball was having a difficult time getting into the right areas. Ky Van Helden had one nice shot at goal that was saved, while Jack-Ryan Eberwein also unloaded a bomb was the right that flew wide of the top corner. For awhile it looked as though it was going to be a scoreless first half, before Belle Kadwell found a space working her way from the back and through the midfield, where she then passed perfectly to Ky who beat one defender before dishing off the pass to Jack Tate who continued his great form from last week by beating the keeper and allowing the Reds to take a 1-0 lead.

Perhaps this led the Reds to relax a little, because not for the first time this season a team went from defence to attack to goal in a matter of moments. An attack on goal went to the opposition keeper who quickly got the ball moving while the Reds attack and midfield virtually stopped. This didn’t help the back line, but they too didn’t recognize the danger early enough and the whole laxness of the team meant that the Yellow’s scored a terrific length of the field goal with barely an effort made in stopping it. The score was 1-1 and in the end the halftime whistle couldn’t have come soon enough.

The first half of the second half proceeded much as the first half of the game had done (that’s a mouthful). Not much was happening up forward for the Reds, while the backline had a few to clear out. Eventually Josh Peters at centre back got a good foot on a ball to find Claire Kadwell in the midfield, who made a great pass to Noah Black at right striker. Noah made a great run diagonally back into the centre of the field, beating three defenders before planting the ball in the back of the net, and restoring the lead for the Reds at 2-1. Unfortunately this didn’t last long, and some sustained attack by the Yellow team saw them have three corners in succession, and the third one found Jack-Ryan’s leg which changed the direction of the ball perfectly out of reach of his goalkeeper and fellow defenders and found the net to have the game levelled up at 2-2.

The heads of the Reds team had dropped a little and the next goal was crucial, and there was a sense that both teams knew it. Certainly the coaching staff on the sideline knew it. A good period of play saw the Reds get a couple of chances in their attacking zone, and finally a great corner taken by Noah found the number one striker Ky unattended and he slotted the ball to get the Reds back in front again with a 3-2 lead.

The Reds now began to run over the top of their opponents, again through their better fitness and perhaps their belief. Ky had three consecutive shots on goal from runs down the left and winding through defenders in the middle, only to have all three saved by the goalkeeper. But the tidal wave was becoming overbearing. Belle again made a tough hard run through the midfield to get the ball to Noah who ran and jagged past three defenders before leaving the keeper guessing the wrong way and crushing the ball into the net for his second goal and extending the lead to 4-2. From the kick-off the ball was quickly stolen and moved downfield, where Ky made no mistake with his strike on this occasion to bring up his second goal and leave the Reds with a comfortable lead of 5-2.

With tensions easing on the sideline the players were encouraged to exhibit their wares, and the wave of attack kept coming. In the dying minutes Jack-Ryan made a play for goal of the year with a crashing right boot from out wide on the right that just failed to find the goal, while Brock Young also made an excellent run and shot in from the left that was just parried away. Finally a great tackle and pass from Brock was taken by Claire who beat one and passed infield to Josh. Josh then ran and beat two before passing perfectly onto the unmarked Ky’s boot who made no mistake for his third goal and a final scoreline of 6-2 to the Reds.

It was a tough day to play soccer, and hard to keep motivated in the game when you were on the field. Noah had a terrific second half after spending the first half in goals, and is beginning to show a great combination with Ky. Jack was again busy in the first half before moving back to keeper in the second half, while Jack-Ryan is showing himself to be a dominant player around the park.

Still, to me at least, the reason this team managed to win today was to our three girls, Belle and Claire, and Zoe Middleton. Belle and Claire once again barely stopped running for the whole match, and when a ball fell loose into a gap it was they who seemed to be first on the scene to grab it. Belle’s work at the back was just fantastic, while Claire was tireless doing double duty up forward and then rushing back to help the mid-field. Similarly, Zoe continues to take on boys twice her size fearlessly, never afraid of getting in and trying to steal the ball off them, always making a second attempt when necessary, and today also got away several great passes down the line to her teammates. I’m not dissing the boys, but each week these girls are just amazing and today especially were instrumental in ensuring victory.

Player of the Day though deservedly went to Ky, who looks to be a natural striker. He gets double and triple teamed once the opposition see how dangerous he is, but he doesn’t let that stop him. He was great again today and deserves his award.

APJSC Under 11 Reds: Round 7 vs Figtree Amber

It’s been a good start to the season for the Albion Park Junior Soccer Club Under 11 Red team, who going in to the weekend were still undefeated after their first five matches. Though not complacent as such, perhaps the fire wasn’t burning so brightly as it has been as they approached their match against the Figtree Amber team at Harry Graham Oval.

Playing without a reserve due to the illness of Ky Van Helden, the Park team was under pressure from the outset as the Figtree team immediately breached the defence and the ball was sent wide of keeper Josh Peters for the home team to take a 1-0 lead. The play was in a bit of disarray, and it took a great piece of play to get them heading back in the right direction. From a stoppage in play for a goal kick, Jack Tate chased the attackers and forced a mistake, from which Belle Kadwell swept in from defence and stole the ball, passing it back up to Jack. Jack then went on one of his signature runs, beating four players before shooting from a fair distance outside the box, and beating the keeper with the ball crashing into the top right corner for a fantastic goal, and the score was level again at 1-1.

The dominant order had been restored, with the Park kids finding their feet once again. There was some excellent work from the forward five who were working hard to find a way through their opponents defence. On the left, Zoe Middleton made a great tackle on her opponents and forced a slick pass forward to Claire Kadwell who beat one player before giving the ball to Indy Middleton who raced diagonally across the field to the right where he found Brock Young. Brock turned and shot at goal only to have it saved, but the ball rebounded all the way back to where Jack was waiting again, and once again from long long range he launched a shot on goal that was too good for the keeper. Jack had his second goal, and the score was now in Park’s favour at 2-1.

With their tails up, the Park forward line was looking to capitalise. There were some great attacking moves from Indy, Claire and Brock, and Zoe only narrowly missed getting a goal of her own when just failing to get on to a great cross past the goal by Brock. The pressure told, and when Jack again attacked his opponents from a goal kick, he stole the ball and slotted home his third goal of the half to take the score to 3-1 when the half time whistle blew.

The second half proved to be one of frustration and jangling nerves as one team attacked for no result and the other took their opportunities and forced their way back into the game. Jack moved into goals, noticeably exhausted from having run himself off his feet, which gave others the chance to make the running. Up front Noah Black and Claire combined well, with Noah twice able to find Claire in space, but she was just not quite able to make it count. From one of these plays the Figtree team took advantage of a Park defence that had gone to sleep and were taken unawares, leaving Jack stranded and unable to prevent the goal being scored. Despite being the dominant attacking team, the score was now only 3-2 to Albion Park.

There was now a period of ten minutes where Albion Park had multiple shots on goal for little reward. Both Indy and Noah had three shots on goal, and though a couple went well wide the others were superbly saved by the Figtree goal keeper. Jack-Ryan Eberwein also unloaded his big right boot on two shots but couldn’t beat the great defence. Finally, after a lengthy period of sustained attack, Noah managed to get one past the outstretched hand of the keeper, which then hit the post and rebounded into the goal for Albion Park to increase their buffer to two, and the score to 4-2.

With at least six goals saved, the score could have been a blow-out, but in the end the reason Albion Park was able to call themselves winners was because of Belle Kadwell. Through the whole match she has been tireless and never stopped in defence, rushing at her opponents before they could control the ball and kicking it long out of danger. In the second half especially she was magnificent. A further Figtree goal down the left had brought the score back to 4-3, and there was little doubt they were looking to not just draw the match, but win it. But time and time again belle saved the day, appearing when no one else was in sight, keeping the goal box clear, stealing and passing the ball upfield, or just getting it over the sideline. Even for an Energizer Bunny it was quite a display of football.

When the whistle blew full time, there was a mixed feeling on the sideline. With all of the attacking chances, the score could well have been a much bigger victory for the Albion Park team. But the Figtree goal keeper had been terrific, and the few chances created at their end were mostly converted. The right team won, but the feeling was that there is still plenty to work on in all facets.

Player of the Day was a tough choice. Jack Tate, almost a year to the day from when he scored 5 goals against Lakeside, was brilliant in the first half scoring his hat-trick, and on any other day he would have won the award. But it went to Belle Kadwell for her match long amazing effort in defence that really proved to be the difference between winning and losing on the day.