APJCC Under 13’s: Round 16 vs Kiama Blue at Gainsborough Chase Oval

The Albion Park Eagles Under 13’s team finished off the regular season in style on Saturday, completing a good victory over the Kiama Blue team at Gainsborough Chase in a solid if not perfect display.

Kiama Blue won the toss and elected to field first, which played somewhat into the Albion Park game plan. Skipper Kasey Barton opened the batting with Josh Peters, for the first time this season able to show their excellence in their batting partnership together. Both played with poise and showed in their strokeplay and understanding between the wickets just how well they complement each other, the reason why their partnerships are so good to watch. Kasey reached his retirement allocation on 46 not out, and would have more of this innings to play. Ethan Thompson replaced him at the crease, and showed terrific defensive skills to see of the young swing bowler who was proving to be a handful. He then had to face the young fast bowling tyro, and made one mistake in playing at a wide delivery, and playing it onto his stumps. Otherwise Ethan had shown good grit in the middle. TJ Nasome came out and watched the ball hard, getting good contact on most of the deliveries he faced. He had made one run before he was adjudged not to have gotten his bat behind his crease in time and was out stumped. Josh had continued to play some good strokes, and now soon retired not out for 36 which included six boundaries, putting behind him last week’s duck in style.

Another of the young Eagles middle order collapses began from here, leaving the match open for Kiama to fight back. Aiden Campion received an absolute jaffa, swinging from wide of off stump through his defences to clean up leg stump to be dismissed for 7. He won’t get many better balls than that in his whole career. Logan Goodway came out and immediately showed the benefit of one of Thursday’s training drills, looking to smash any loose ball to the boundary. Unfortunately one of these shots went straight back to the bowler who took a smart catch to dismiss Logan for 1. Ryan Monaghan once again showed a resolute defence, refusing to give away his wicket and looking to be the mainstay, until a fast straight ball from the young leg spinner found his leg stump and he was bowled for 2. Lucas Brown was looking to continue his late season charge with the bat, and despite looking good again he also sent a ball back to the bowler to be caught and bowled. Albion Park had lost four wickets for just six runs and with the score at 6/114 Kiama Blue was back in the contest.

Josh Schofield had come to the crease at the fall of Logan’s wicket, and he was now joined by Kasey, and what followed was a wonderful match sealing partnership. Joshua unselfishly played his role for the team and for his partner, looking for singles to get Kasey back on strike, and sacrificing runs at the end of the over to ensure Kasey was on strike for the next over. He defended terrifically, and he again played some terrific cuts and cover drives along the ground. He finished on 6 not out from 28 balls, but the fact he batted for his team and partner was the most impressive part of his day and shows how close this team has become. Well done Josh, very unselfish batting.

All of this allowed Kasey Barton to unload, and play arguably the innings of his young career. With eight overs to bat, and with Josh helping out with great backing up and running between the wickets, Kasey kept good balls out and punished anything not on the stumps, looking to maximise his score as much as possible. He passed his fifty not long on returning to the crease, and then just kept on going. With one over remaining he was on 86 not out (unknown to the coach and umpire, but perhaps known to the batsman himself). With one man riding the square leg boundary, and gaps twenty metres either side of him, Kasey unfortunately hit three of those six balls straight to the man, getting a two, a single and a dot ball from them. Josh faced one ball to scamper through for a bye, and Kasey hit the other two balls for boundaries, to finish on 97 not out at the completion of the 30 overs. Just one of those strikes straight the fielder, if he had just hit it either side, would have brought up a century. That does not in any way detract from the innings he played. He has sent all season playing the sensible innings in order to set his team up to win matches, and today he not only did that, but was able to unleash the shackles and really go at the ball. It was a terrific innings – and despite not reaching three figures in this match, there will be many times in the future when he will do so.

Albion Park totalled 6/176 from their 30 overs, and now Kiama Blue had their chance at the crease.
Lucas Brown wasn’t quite as accurate as he needed to be, but he took the first wicket when the opening bat thought a ball was going down leg side, only to find it swing back and strike him in front of middle stump without offering a shot, leaving the umpire no choice but to give him out LBW. In the following over Ryan Cergovski also showed the value of bowling straight and full, getting through the batsman’s defences to take his middle stump. Lucas finished with 1/0 from his two overs, and has bigger tasks in the coming two weeks, while Ryan was excellent for his 1/6 from two overs.

Tristan Denmeade hasn’t had much luck with his bowling this season, and again he bowled a spell that deserved much better than the figures of 0/7 suggest. He is going to be very important to the team in the coming two weeks. TJ Nasome bowled a terrific first over, only conceding one run, and though a little short in his second still provided plenty of problems for the batsmen, and 0/12 probably also doesn’t reflect on his effort. Josh Peters again had a couple of catches dropped off his bowling, and again finds a way to confound batters and stumps alike. He drew a cross batted swipe that saw the ball taken by Kasey at mid-wicket, and finished with 1/9 from his two overs. Logan Goodway continued his excellent season with the ball, making the batsmen play almost every delivery. He caught the finest of edges that was well taken by Aiden at keeper, and finished with 1/8 from his two overs. Ryan Monaghan lost his radar a bit this week and his figures suffered as a result, just a bit too wide of off stump. After his wonderful spell last week he has credits in the bank.

Kasey is still trying to adjust his line about 20 centimetres closer than he currently bowls, which would lead to much more wicket-taking. He beat the bat consistently again today, and one rocket took out middle stump at a rate of knots. Ethan Thompson however was once again excellent, and the natural inswing he is creating is causing batsmen all sorts of problems. His hard to hit line and length drew a lofted drive to Lucas at cover who took the catch comfortably. Ethan Finished with ½ from his two overs, with both runs actually being wides, so no runs off the bat. Ethan was also involved in the next wicket, when a botched call between the wickets saw Ethan grab the ball and fire it into Josh at wicket-keeper, who took the bails off for the seventh wicket. Great day Ethan.

Josh Schofield was a bit wide of the stumps himself today with the ball, and three wides were the result. Another shorter delivery was swatted towards wide mid-on, where Ryan Cergovski again showed his preference for going for catches with one hand. It gives the coach a heart attack, but when it comes off it looks spectacular, and on this occasion it was the latter that occurred, resulting in a wicket for Josh and concluding the Kiama Blue innings at 83.

Despite the victory, once again it wasn’t all peaches and cream. Another four catches were spilled in the field, none of them overly difficult, and the team switched off quickly after early wickets had fallen, just believing the rest would do so of their own accord. Cricket isn’t like that, and any momentary loss of concentration can be the difference between winning and losing. In finals cricket, they can be even more important. Hopefully they have gotten all of those out of their system now.

Congratulations to all of the kids and their parents for reaching the finals. It’s a fun time to be playing, and you should enjoy each and every one of them when they come along, because I can let you know from experience they don’t come along as often as you think. The team goes into the finals in good spirits, in good form, and hopefully prepared for tough and exciting cricket.
Thanks to Helen for tasking the scorebook this week and to everyone from both teams who turned up to support the kids.

APJCC Under 13’s: Round 15 vs Oak Flats at Des King Oval

The Albion Park Eagles Under 13’s team confirmed their place in this season’s finals, and also wrapped up the minor premiership, after a pulsating and exciting match against Oak Flats yesterday, a game that came down to the final over for the result to be decided.

Oak Flats won the toss and batted first, and a combination of solid batting and some poor execution in the field, with the Eagles dropping four catches that should all have been taken, saw Oak Flats reach the 17th over before losing their first wicket, with both openers retiring. Despite this, there was some excellent tight bowling from the Eagles boys which kept the scoring in check. Ryan Monaghan was given the role of opening bowler, and bowled just as well as last week, staying tall and giving nothing loose. His two overs for 0/7 were excellent. Noah Black also thrived on the pressure of being thrown the ball early, bowling a maiden first up and only two coming from his next. He bowled an over late as well, and finished with 0/7 from three overs, a terrific effort. Logan Goodway has been wonderful all season, and he too soaked in the pressure to deliver two solid overs, finishing with 0/8. Josh Peters and Ryan Cergovski then bowled in tandem, also showing great poise in keeping the pressure on the batters. Josh finished with 0/4 and Ryan 0/11. With the openers retiring they were replaced by another pair of representative players meaning the pressure was still on the Eagles bowlers. Kasey Barton bowled a fierce spell of fast bowling, and was only let down by some slipshod fielding. His third over late in the innings wasn’t quite so special, but his figures of 0/14 from three overs don’t equate to how well he bowled. Josh Schofield once again proved to be one of the few who found a way to swing the wet ball, but it was his length that cost him today, as well as some great strokeplay. 0/16 from two overs is no indication as to his effort.

Aiden Campion came out from behind the stumps, replaced by Josh Peters, and the move paid dividends both ways. Aiden found the first breakthrough where the bowlers before him could not, delivering a full straight ball that found middle stump. In the next over Tristan Denmeade came on with his impressive seamers, and he found the edge that was brilliantly taken by Josh standing up to the stumps for the second wicket. Tristan finished with 1/9 from his two overs and was unlucky not to get any more. Ethan Thompson would have been disappointed with his first over considering how well he has been recently, and having 17 taken off it was not ideal. But he didn’t drop his head, and his second over beat the bat four times and only conceded two runs, a much better indication of his form.
Aiden continued on to complete five overs today, and once again proved that bowling stump to stump is a proven method of picking up wickets.He found the stumps once again to pick up his second wicket, and drew the false shot late from the returning opening batsman to have him caught by Noah Black. Aiden finished with 3/19 to again show how important his bowling is to this team in the important part of matches.

Top of the pile again though goes to Lucas Brown. Lucas opened the bowling with two overs for just one run. He then returned to the teeth of the batting at the end and bowled immaculately. His ability to tie up scoring shots drew a drive in the air for Kasey to take a good catch at mid wicket, and then the perfect away swinger caught the edge to be wonderfully taken again by Josh at keeper. Lucas bowled his five overs to finish with 2/6 to again prove – in my humble opinion – that he is the premier bowler in this competition.

Oak Flats reached 6/135 from their allotted 30 overs, a chaseable target, but everything would have to go well to chase it down.

The best way to start would be to not get run out in the first over, however the Eagles did exactly this, with a mix up between Kasey and Tristan ending with Tristan short of his ground. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Noah Black came out after his golden duck last week, and showed his form hadn’t suffered from that, punching the ball hard and forcefully through the field. Kasey composed himself and also continued, playing strokes either side of the wicket. Both players reached their retirement quota and returned to the sideline to cool their heels.
Lucas and Josh Peters replaced them, before Josh played a loose lazy pull that got a top edge to be caught. It was only the second time this season he has been dismissed, so it probably had to come eventually. Lucas and Josh Schofield battled on, with Lucas playing especially well, before he smashed a full toss straight back to the bowler to be caught and bowled for 11. Now joined by Aiden, Josh Schofield played his best innings of the season, with some excellent drives and cuts along the ground into gaps mixed with some lofted straight drives that weren’t as warmly received by the coach. Still, he fully deserved to reach his retirement mark, and finished not out on 13, and a great innings looking towards the next few weeks. Aiden now worked well with Logan and Ryan Cergovski. The run rate steadied but the boys did their job. Though both Logan and Ryan were dismissed, they played the team game, looking to get off strike, and then to up the ante for the good of the team, which is something that is most pleasing about these kids.

Noah returned to the crease, and “The X Factor” pulled his party trick again, striking hard and moving the scoring along. His partner Aiden fought hard, often through his strokes too early, and eventually holed out for 20, an innings that he will learn from for the coming matches. This brought Kasey back out, and he and Noah kept ticking off the marks required. It came down to requiring six runs off the final over for victory, and as ever it was Kasey who calmly took the helm using all his experience gleaned from representative cricket to strike the first two deliveries of the over into the gap at cover for two before stealing a single next ball to level the scores. Noah sealed the victory with a boundary, and in a close, tight, tense match, Albion Park had triumphed by two wickets with two balls remaining. Noah’s scene stealing innings finished on 37 not out, and Kasey on 31 not out.

For Oak Flats, Kody Lawler and Cadence Waters batted sensibly and excellently at the top of the order, while Archie O’Hara again played some scintillating strokes in his innings. With the ball, Mason Grant was terrific, conceding only 8 runs in his five overs, and young Lucas Dell'Orefice again bowled a great spell of spin bowling. These teams are both evenly matched, and while cricket is indeed a funny game it would be surprising if these two teams were not playing against each other again in three weeks time.

No matter what happens in the next three weeks, these 13 kids fully deserve the mantle of minor premiers. They have not always been at their best, and they have not always had everything their way. Each of them at some stage during the season has stood up and offered a match-changing situation, through either an innings, a spell or a piece of fielding. They showed today they have the same frailties as all other teams. They dropped four simple catches, they made fielding errors that cost runs, they showed ill-discipline in running between the wickets. But what they didn’t do at any stage was drop their heads or ever give up. They play for each other like a true team does, and that is the most satisfying part of this season. I believe they deserve to be premiers, but it won’t be handed to them, they will have to fight just as hard as they have all season to get it. No matter what though, they have excelled themselves this season, and I am so very proud of each and every one of them.

Thanks to Peter and Dave for scoring this weekend, and for the great support from both teams. One round to go, and then these kids will get to experience playing a cricket semi-final. They don’t come around as often as you think, and it will be a great experience for them.

Podcast: Episode 33: 30 Years of Motorhead's "1916"

It's time for more reminiscing of albums from the past, just because it's a great thing to do to remember some albums from the past and consider how feelings may have changed about them over that time. Today, on the 30th anniversary of the release of Motorhead's 9th studio album, we look back on "1916" and check out the great and the average.

Australia's T20 Woes

Thoughts on 1st T20 NZ v Australia.

1. I just don't get winning the toss and choosing to chase. Runs on the board, pressure on the team batting second, etc, etc. I know these guys play a lot of this cricket now and they should know best, but if stats don't show that teams batting first win more than 60% of games I'd be very surprised.

2. Australia's death bowling still sucks. And it has for years really. Daniel Sams is not a death bowler in T20 internationals. That was shown against India and it showed again today. Why did Zampa only bowl three overs? Is there any chance our guys will ever learn to be able to bowl six yorkers in an over?

3. Australian batsmen are still incapable of batting against the swinging ball. Southee and Boult were brilliant, but because we don't use "real openers" in short form cricket, they don't have the technique to see them off. It's a joke really, which comes to the next point.

4. I know he's our captain, but we chose both Finch and Stoinis who are completely out of form, and they both showed it tonight. It was a risk to have them in, and it showed tonight in both of their innings.

5. Not only that, we have six batsmen batting in the top six who generally all bat in the top four in the BBL. None of them are 'specialists' of batting at 6, and being able to play that role. Ashton Turner is in the squad and that IS his role, he needs to be in the team for the remainder of the series. Seriously, how much better would it be to see Turner or Jordan Silk or Dan Christian in those positions?

Kiwis completely outplayed Australia after the first six overs of the match. Lots to work on if they want to recover.

APJCC Under 13’s: Round 14 vs Lake Illawarra at Morley Park

The forecast held off this weekend and bright sunny weather met the Albion Park Under 13’s as they took on celebrated rivals Lake Illawarra at Morley Park yesterday morning, in a match that produced some excellent performances and some questions that still remain unanswered.

Skipper Kasey Barton won the toss and elected to bat on the dew saturated outfield. With Noah Regan’s season ending injury, Kasey had a new partner in Tristan Denmeade, and both settled in against some accurate bowling from the Lakers. The initial confusion in calling and running between the wickets improved as the pair settled in, and by the time their partnership ended they had a much better understanding of what they were trying to achieve. Both batsmen retired when they had faced their allotted deliveries, and gave themselves a chance to return at the end of the innings.
Logan Goodway and Aiden Campion replaced them at the crease. Logan continues to show good poise at the crease and had made a good looking 4 runs before he was bowled by a terrific full delivery. Noah Black came out, not doubt full of confidence with his recent run scoring, but soon discovered how fickle the game of cricket can be, getting a great ball first up to be bowled for a golden duck. Well, you can’t make runs every week. Ryan Cergovski came out, and managed to keep out the hat-trick delivery by jamming down on the perfect yorker and squeezing out a single. He hung in there for awhile before he too found himself bowled for 3 runs. Ethan Thompson came out, facing one of the premier bowlers of the competition, and played two perfect forward defensive shots to see him off, which was pleasing for the coach because it shows that he listens and is learning. He also stuck in with Aiden for awhile before trying to glide a ball through third man and was bowled for 1. Ryan Monaghan came to the crease with intent, and hit three balls terrifically out of the middle of the bat. He has shown a great defensive ability this season, but today he showed that he also wants to move the scoring along. He was a little unfortunate to be playing a pull shot from outside off that caught the top edge and was well caught coming forward at mid wicket. Despite this there were some good positive aspects to his innings. TJ Nasome came out with a clear mind, but on his second delivery hit it straight to cover where he was caught.
Albion Park had lost 6 wickets for just 29 runs in the middle overs, and Lake Illawarra’s enthusiasm had brought them back into the contest.
Aiden had batted through all of this at the other end, but kept his composure and continued to play in a sensible fashion, curbing his natural aggression to ensure he batted through the carnage. He eventually reached his 35 delivery retirement quota, finishing on 22 not out with one boundary. It was a mature innings from a young man who is willing to bat for the team situation as required.
Both Tristan and Kasey returned to resume their partnership, and did so excellently against the best of the Lakers bowling. Both worked hard to increase their output in running and stroke play, and the intent of both was pleasing to watch. Tristan batted for 68 deliveries in total and did a terrific job in finishing on 21 not out. Kasey has been on an upward trend all season, and just hasn’t had the chance to cash in with a big innings. Today he took his chance, passing fifty for the first time this season, and eventually getting to 69 not out when the innings came to a close. He had his slice of luck, but it wasn’t undeserved in a season where he hasn’t had much luck with the bat. He led the team today and gave his side a total to defend, which concluded at 6/158 from their 30 overs.

Lake Illawarra came out with intent, and the pressure was on the early bowlers. Lucas Brown was on the money from the start as always, giving up nothing and making the batsmen play at every ball. He cam close to getting both openers and was as dangerous as always. Noah Black was giving the second over, and bowled some good deliveries, but as with his batting discovered that cricket is not always an easy game. Anything slightly off line was dealt with. He wasn’t the only one, as Ryan Cergovski bowled a terrific first over, but one off line delivery went for 6. His second over was too much down leg side and he was harshly dealt with again. Both Noah and Ryan have been great with the ball this season, and bowling against Lake’s best batsmen will give them a better appreciation of the importance of good line and length.
Aiden Campion came on to tie up the runs, and did so, while also picking up a wicket when the batsman struck him firmly to square leg where Ryan Cergovski took a good catch. At the other end Park’s greatest nemesis retired, but not after he should have been run out twice by metres. For the coach, given the team has spent the last three training sessions training for this exact scenario, it was what you might call… frustrating.
With the openers out of the picture, the Albion Park bowlers took the opportunity to rein in the runs and place pressure on the remainder of the order. Ethan Thompson seemed to have grown in confidence from his batting, and not only bowled a maiden to start his spell, but then picked up two wickets in his second over, one bowled middle stump with what could be termed a slower ball, and the second drawing the lofted shot that was taken well by Tristan. Ethan finished with 2/2 and a good day overall. TJ Nasome came off his varying length run off, and again bowled some excellent deliveries with a nice inswing. He also drew a drive in the air to mid-wicket where Kasey took the catch. TJ finished with 1/7. Logan Goodway continued his great line and length bowling that he has shown all season, and a couple of edges and glides were all that could be taken off him. He finished with 0/6. Ryan Monaghan produced a seasons best with figures of 0/2, but it was the deliveries he bowled that were most impressive, twelve almost like-for-like in line and length, exactly what we have been working on.
Josh Peters doesn’t always get the rewards he deserves for his bowing, and today again he probably deserved better, but his 2/2 showed how well he bowled. Both wickets were from lofted shots to cover for catches, and he had a close stumping chance turned down as well.
The opening batsman’s return to the crease brought some more excitement with it, with some lovely strokes coming cleanly off the bat. Kasey Barton had been held back to the end, and mixed some good deliveries with some wider deliveries, all at good pace. He bowled the penultimate batsman middle stump with a pearler, and finished with 1/11. His batting partner Tristan also bowled a superb spell today, and apart from Lucas was the only bowler to keep Lake’s best in check. He has a lovely outswinger going, and he was supremely accurate today. He finished off the innings with a ball hitting middle stump, and his figures of 1/6 topped off a great day for him overall. Lake Illawarra was bowled out for 89.

Lake Illawarra stuck to their task today and never gave it away. The 6/29 they took in the middle overs showed great heart in getting back into the match, and all of the batsmen fought hard and didn’t give their wickets away. Young Darcy Edis made his highest ever score with a hard fought innings, and Dean Welland bowed well at the end of the innings. Bohdi Robinson will never come closer to taking a hat-trick without taking one, bowling the perfect three deliveries and missing out on the third wicket by a gnats wing. He was excellent today as well in the field. And there is no cricketer I enjoy watching more than Jaycob Constantinou, even when he is on the other side. His bowling was terrific again today, his batting superb and his fielding sublime. And a terrific kid to boot.

For Albion Park’s kids, it was another win, and one not without its lessons. There were lots of good things to come out of today’s game – Tristan’s fantastic all round performance, from a kid in his first year of cricket, in particular was eye catching. Kasey and Aiden with the bat, and Ethan and Josh with the ball, all had good days. On the other hand, some dropped catches and missed run outs show there are still things to be improved on. Next week’s match against Oak Flats will give a good indication of just where this team stands in the Under 13 competition.
Thanks to Kim and Ty for scoring, and for the great support for both teams that showed up on the day.

APJCC Under 13’s: Round 13 vs Kiama Gold at Albion Oval Middle

With the rain chasing them all the way to the finish line, the Albion Park Eagles Under 13’s managed to do enough to gain a good victory over a tenacious Kiama Gold team at Albion Oval this morning.

Kiama won the toss and elected to bat, and found themselves under immediate pressure from the Park bowling. Noah Black was thrown the new ball, and despite two false start no balls then found his length, and enticed the lofted drive to cover where Josh Peters took the catch for the first wicket. He was again economical and finished with ¼ from his two overs. Lucas Brown moved the ball both ways off the seam, and bowled the ball of the day, a perfect yorker on off stump that dismissed the dangerous opening batsman by removing his off stump. Lucas finished up bowling four overs and took 1/1. TJ Nasome bowled with plenty of purpose but just drifted to the leg side a little which cost him a few runs. His two overs finished at 0/12. Ethan Thompson also found the ball on the pads too often, but when he found the right line, he also created a chance, and the catch was taken by Josh again at cover. Ethan would be pleased with his 1/11 from two overs. Ryan Cergovski, apart from a couple of wide deliveries, bowled his best spell of the season, a great length and swinging the ball away from the bat. He was very unfortunate not to pick up a wicket and deserved better than his 0/9 from three overs appears. Tristan Denmeade swapped between his spin and his seam, but it was his seam bowling that was impressive today, causing the batters lots of problems. He finished with 0/8 from three overs and looks to be building nicely towards the end of season games.
Josh Peters once again suffered from not keeping the ball bouncing over the stumps and hitting the pads, but was again economical with his 0/1 from 2 overs. Kasey Barton continues to be a threat with the ball in hand and is often too good for the batters he bowls to. He finished with 2/8 from his 2.4 overs today, which only goes to show the importance of bowling at the stumps. And Aiden Campion bowled a similar line, thus also missing out on possible wickets by being just slightly off the line of the off stump, and finishing with 0/1 from two overs.
The star with the ball today though was Josh Schofield, who after many good spells this season got everything together today. With his beautiful outswinger working overtime even despite the wet ball, he even merited a first slip, which came into play first ball after drinks when he caught the edge which was taken by Kasey. He also found the edge to have the ball skew to Tristan at point for another wicket, and finished it off with another outswinger that started on leg stump and took middle. Josh bowled three overs for brilliant figures of 3/2, and now that he has his bowling line on the stumps rather than outside he is reaping the rewards he deserves. Great job Josh.

Kiama Gold was bowled out for 61, and with the weather closing in it required a pro-active chase from the Albion Park team. Enter Kasey and Aiden, who played positive cricket mixed with good running between the wickets to push the score along. Aiden dominated the strike, and eventually retired on 19 not out. Lucas Brown replaced him, and between he and Kasey they chased down the remaining runs required, finishing on 0/64 from 12 overs. Kasey continued his excellent season by finishing on 23 not out, and Lucas finally had a good hit in the middle, finishing on 12 not out, an innings that better shows his potential with the bat.

Another good win by this young team, but not without a few stumbles in the field again, which only goes to prove that they still haven’t played the perfect game. Let’s hope that comes in five weeks time.
Thanks to Mark Brown for taking on the scorebook today, and thanks to all of the parents, friends and families who showed up to support the team, with special thanks to everyone from the Under 15’s who gave up their morning after their match was washed out. That is a great indicator of what a terrific club Albion Park is building when that kind of spirit and support is shown.

Albion Park JCC Under 13's: Round 12 vs Gerringong at Athol Noble Oval.

Rain was the winner this morning, as the game was called off at 9.30am after persistent heavy rain halted the Eagles innings at 6/107 after 19 overs.

A combination of good bowling and fielding from the Gerringong team, and average shot selection and running between the wickets meant that despite the rising total the Albion Park team was in danger of being bowled out well short of where they should have finished.
The two things out of today's innings that were poor were hitting the ball straight at fielders instead of gaps, and poor running between the wickets, both not running at 100% for every run, and then some crazy calls that resulted in one run out but could have resulted in at least five run outs. Maybe the weather rewired the brains a little today.

Kasey Barton anchored the innings at the top, retiring for 32, another sensible innings from our captain. Ryan Cergovski looked solid before hitting a drive in the air to be caught for 1. Tristan Denmeade took the initiative and ran well and placed the ball nicely, hitting his first ever boundary, but then chopping on next ball for 7. Aiden Campion played a sensible innings in taking the singles on offer in the gaps provided, before cracking a terrific pull shot... straight to the fielder to be caught for 17. Ethan Thompson has had to wait a long time for his next innings this season, and unfortunately was caught not playing a shot to a ball that rapped him right on his front foot to be plumb LBW. Good thing there is always next week Ethan! Lucas Brown looked in good nick again, hitting one great pull for four and running well with his partner, before following Aiden's lead in hitting the ball right out of the middle... straight to backward square leg, and was caught for 8. Noah Black picked up from where he left off two weeks ago, hitting the ball with enormous power, before cracking a ball straight to mid off and calling yes, and being run out by at least half the length of the pitch. Great brain fade there. A shame to see that innings end that way. The Two Josh's ended up together again, and when rain stopped play both had looked good in their short stay, J.Peters remaining 15 not out and J.Schofield remaining 5 not out.

The rain whooshed in, and the sodden state of players, parents and umpires soon forced the game to be called. Let's hope for some summer sun to come back next week to get a full game in. Thanks to all the parents for sitting through the wet - especially the Nasome's and Goodway's who literally got to see none of their boys doing anything!

Round 10: Albion Park Eagles Under 13’s vs Kookas at King Memorial Oval.

The Albion Park Eagles Under 13’s returned to the field after a break of six weeks, looking to shake off the rust and show everything they had improved on over the Xmas break, and in the process came away with a good win over the Kookas at King Memorial Oval.

Skipper Kasey Barton won the toss and batted, and opening pair Josh Peters and Noah Black validated that decision, both playing straight and sensibly, running well between the wickets and putting the loose ball away. Their opening partnership was the best of the season for the Eagles, and both retired when they reached their mandatory 35 deliveries.
Kasey came in at three and was joined by Logan Goodway, who played a good shot first ball he faced, but then tried to smash his second ball, but only managed to hit it straight back to the bowler to be caught and bowled. He was replaced by Josh Schofield, who took the coach’s words about running hard and looking for singles to heart. He and Kasey had a good 23 run partnership before Josh was unfortunate to be run out. He pushed the ball into the covers, called yes immediately and took off. The cover fieldsman had to do everything right to get him, and he did, gathering and hitting direct at the bowlers end to find Josh just short of his ground. Despite that disappointment it was great to see Josh taking on advice and putting it into action. Well done Josh.
Kasey and Aiden Campion then came into action. Kasey played exactly the kind of innings that was needed from him, hitting the gaps and taking ones and twos with ease. It came as something of a surprise when he cracked a cut shot just behind point and was well caught for 23. Once again though he showed the correct attitude to the situation and did his job admirably. Ryan Monaghan continued his good batting form from before the break, once again showing an excellent defence and unflappable nerve. It took a shorter faster ball to get him, surprising him into bunting a catch back to the bowler. Lucas Brown again looked a million dollars, but got a great away swinger that he tried to play to leg instead of straight and lost his off stump into the bargain. TJ Nasome came in showing off his Rashid Khan helicopter technique but was soon undone by a good full delivery to be bowled.
At the other end Aiden was doing what he does best, hitting the ball nicely on both sides of the wicket and keeping the scoreboard ticking over. He again reached his retirement quota with a minimum of fuss and with plenty of runs against his name.

This all brought the return of Josh and Noah to the crease, and with six overs remaining, they both dropped the hammer and moved the scoring along. Josh was putting the loose ball away, while Noah’s power driving was an absolute delight, with one back foot cover drive reaching the boundary within a second of the ball leaving the bat, and the sound it made was like it was off Kohli’s bat. Noah had been on 10 runs off his first 24 deliveries, but aided by nine boundaries he added 44 runs from his next 23 deliveries, and brought up his first half century with that ninth boundary in what was a spectacular innings. Noah has played cricket for less than two seasons, and the speed at which he is improving is fantastic to watch. He was eventually dismissed for 54, and showed that this team is not just a one or two player team.

At the other end, the ball after Noah raised his first ever fifty, Josh hit a boundary to bring up his own debut half century. Having spent a good deal of time during the off season working hard on his batting and wanting to improve to become a true all rounder, this is the reward he deserves. During the break he set himself the challenge of making his first fifty. That he did it in his first innings back is a show of his determination.

Josh had been joined by Aiden, who also pressed hard to get his own milestone, but unfortunately time ran out, and when the thirty overs had been completed he was stranded on 48 not out with seven boundaries and a six. With a better base and still head, Aiden has rediscovered his batting touch in recent innings after a tough start to the season, and it is great to see him piling on the runs in this fashion.
Josh finished on 59 not out which included six boundaries and a six, and the Eagles had set an imposing total of 7/230.

Kookas made a solid start to their innings, seeing off the opening salvo. Lucas Brown bowled two good overs but was picked off for two boundaries, finishing with 0/10. Tristan Denmeade continued with his improving leg spin, showing all of his collected bag of tricks, and was perhaps unfortunate not to snare a wicket, taking 0/5 from his two overs. However, good fielding led to the first wicket, with a running mishap allowing Noah Black to race in from mid-off and fire the ball to Aiden at keeper to complete an easy run out. Further good news came in TJ’s first over, when he enticed a pull shot in the air that was taken with ease by Kasey at mid-wicket. TJ eventually bowled three overs for the day and finished with 1/20, with a variety of run ups that stretched from two steps to about 30 steps. Interesting tactics. The big wicket came from Noah Regan, who recovered after a wayward first over to bowl a much better over with his second, and the full off cutter outside off stump found the inside edge of the bat and was dragged on to be bowled. Noah’s wicket maiden to finish with 1/8 from his two overs was the over that put the Eagles back on top and was the most vital wicket of the innings. Well done Noah.

Kasey bowled two superb overs finished with 0/1, and his only fault was that he was still bowling the perfect representative cricket line, rather than club cricket line which needs to be right at the stumps. A slight adjustment will see more wickets in 2021. Ryan Monaghan admitted he was still shaking off the rust, and though his length was too short his line was excellent. One out of two isn’t bad! He finished with 0/12 from his two overs.
The Josh Attack came on next, with Josh Peters still finding ways to bamboozle batsmen, but the ball keeps bouncing over the stumps. He drew a shot to short square leg when Lucas took a smart catch, and finished with 1/3 from his two overs, and a pretty handy day of cricket. Josh Schofield took three balls to get into his spell, but then bowled a great tight line and made the batsmen play every ball. He kept the pressure on and did a great job, finishing with 0/7 from three overs. Logan Goodway again excelled with the ball, getting the sling in action and the wobble seam, and giving nothing away, making scoring tough. By keeping the ball full he drew a lofted drive from the batter who hit it straight to Kasey at cover for an excellent wicket. Logan now has eight wickets for the season, a terrific achievement for a player who is still able to play Under 13’s again next season, and his figures of 1/6 from 3 overs was terrific.

Still, some days are just meant to be for a single player. Noah Black came on to bowl at this point, and proved to be the Deliverer. A maiden over to start with, his second over was a double wicket maiden, first finding the raised bat hitting the ball in the air, where Kasey took his third catch for the morning, and then bowling the next batsman with a ripping delivery. It looked as though he could do no wrong, but a no ball in his third over shelled that, and he finished with 2/6 from his three overs, completing the faultless game of cricket… until he dropped a sitter at mid-on in the following over. The cricket gods just reminding him that you just can’t have everything…
Aiden came on with his own leg spin, and again proved to be the golden arm, beating the bat on numerous occasions, and learning just how hard it is to take wickets with leg spin if catches keep being dropped. He got his reward when his got the top edge on an attempted cut, and Ryan took an excellent catch at point to complete the Kookas innings at 99.

There were lots of great individual performances today, but once again it is all 11 pieces of the puzzle that must come together in order to see the finished product, and that was still true today. There are still plenty of things to work on and to improve, but the smiles at the end today makes all of it worth it.
Thanks to Lisa for taking on the scorebook this weekend, and to all the parents and families there to watch the kids play. I think you got your money’s worth this weekend.

APJCC Under 13’s: Round 8 vs Shellharbour Blue at Myimbar East.

In a match that had almost everything in it, the Under 13 Albion Park Eagles managed to hold their nerve under pressure to put together their seventh win of the season in an entertaining clash against Shellharbour Blue.

Having been sent in by their opponents, Tristan Denmeade got the innings off to a smashing start, lofting his first delivery over mid off for two in an unexpected beginning. Unfortunately he then tried the same shot two balls later and was caught for 2.
This brought Noah Regan to the crease, and he and Kasey Barton fashioned an excellent partnership. After a slow start where both batsmen came to terms with some good bowling, they both eventually fell into their groove and started to hit the gaps for plenty of singles and rotation of the strike as has been worked on at training. Noah struck two nice boundaries before he reached his retirement allotment. Kasey reigned in his usual aggressive nature to play the team game and find the many singles that were available. These two showed the real beauty behind this idea, where in two straight overs they got a single off every ball, perfect batting. Kasey also reached his retirement allotment by increasing his output with two lovely boundaries.
These two were replaced by Josh Peters and Ryan Cergovski, who also started dealing the same cards. Seven of Josh’s first nine balls faced were dots as he got himself in, but there were only seven further dots for the remainder of his innings. A couple of early shots in the air were replaced with firmer drives and lovely pull shots. At the other end Ryan worked hard to keep out the good balls and play his shots off the wider ones. His excellent innings came to an end when he parried a ball to short mid off to be caught for 8 runs off 29 deliveries. A great reward for a young man who works hard and wants to succeed.
With Josh retiring Aiden Campion and Logan Goodway looked to take up the scoring. Logan unfortunately was bowled by a pretty good delivery – we all get them. Noah Black came out on the back of last week’s great innings, and promptly found himself bowled as well by the returning opening bowler. A week is a long time in cricket. Ethan Thompson replaced him, played two lovely defensive shots, and then missed the third delivery, which went on to strike him in that most uncomfortable of places. The noise could be heard from the sidelines, so it was no real surprise when Ethan was unable to continue his innings and was forced to retire hurt. Why is it always funny for everyone else?
The mini collapse had brought back the retired batsmen who looked to conclude the innings in a positive fashion. Noah Regan and Aiden played well together, before Aiden ran himself out for 16 going for a suicide single to a ball just past the keeper. Kasey looked to be on track for a big score but was undone by the ball of the day which got through his defences and bowled him for a well made 29. With Ethan unable to return, Noah and Josh maximised their partnership, and at the end of their 30 overs the Young Eagles had finished on 6/149. Noah played his best innings of the season to remain on 26 not out. Great stuff from Noah.

For Josh, he completed his highest score, finishing on 39 not out from 40 deliveries. His pulling, cutting and driving were on song today, having gotten through his first ten deliveries without being dismissed. He still has work to do, and goes too hard at the ball early, but once again he was the mainstay of our middle order and kept the runs ticking over and being the senior batsman. It was very satisfying, despite the couple of close calls he still had.

150 should be enough to win most games, and though wickets didn’t come early the runs were kept in check. Lucas Brown bowled his usual immaculate first spell, with one ball shaving the bails over middle stump. Ryan Monaghan partnered him with the new ball, and bowled his best spell of the season. Standing tall and straight at release, Ryan found the ball just moving away slightly in the air, and by keeping it full and straight he had the batsmen wary. Only two runs were scored off the bat in his spell along with one no ball, and his two overs brought him the figures of 0/3. Fantastic stuff from Ryan and a great reward for a kid who also really wants to succeed. Noah Black built on his excellent spell last week with another two good overs, only going to the boundary when he tried too hard to find a wicket. Logan Goodway came on and once again proved the partnership breaker, enticing an edge second ball that was well taken by Aiden at keeper. This brought the Shellharbour big hitter to the crease and the match changed remarkably. Anything too short or too full was summarily dismissed to or over the boundary, and balls that our kids have often gotten away with in previous weeks were now flashing through the field. As always in such innings there is a slice of luck, but the power of the strokes in this partnership deserved to have some luck. On the other hand, the bowling was under fire.
After Logan had finished his two overs for the figures of 1/18, Kasey and Noah Regan then felt the brunt of the batting, with good balls kept out but short balls dealt with harshly. The retirement of the solid opener brought some relief, and Noah’s full ball saw the new batsman smash the ball low to cover, where Josh dived to take a brilliant catch just above the surface. It is moments like this that can change the course of the match. Noah finished with 1/13 from his two overs.

The spin twins in Tristan and Josh came on to try and quell the maelstrom, and did a reasonable job. Both beat the bat on several occasions while Tristan was unfortunate not to have a stumping. Tristan’s developing leg spin had 0/12 from his two overs but he bowled better than those figures suggest.
At 2/89 at drinks it was going to take a great team effort to steal victory. Step forward Aiden Campion. Coming out from behind the stumps to save his team, he was aided by the retirement of the clean striking young Shellharbour batsman, and he took every advantage, first drawing the leading edge that was excellently taken again by Josh rushing in from cover, and then plucking out the off stump of the new batsman next ball. The hat-trick was avoided, but in his following over Aiden bowled the set batsman to have the amazing figures of 3/0 from two overs. His partner Ryan Cergovski kept that pressure on, keeping the ball full and straight and not giving away any easy runs. He finished with 0/8 from two overs to finish a good day for him.

Now it was a dog fight, and time for the leaders to continue to step up. Kasey was next, coming back for a redemptive over that ended by him bowling the tail end batsman and doing the job he needed to do. Lucas and Noah Black then returned for extra overs and continued to tie up the run rate. Lucas finished with 0/7 from his three overs today, while Noah finished with 0/9.
Josh came in, the ball spitting off the surface, and bowled a perfect hard spinning leg break that found the gloves and was brilliantly caught by Aiden low down at his ankles at first slip to dismiss the returning opening batsman.
One wicket left, the hard hitter back at the crease, but the other end open to try and claim the match. Aiden came back for a third over, and two chances for run outs were missed by lax fielding. However, a third was not, as the suicide call when hitting the ball to mid-wicket fell to Kasey who screamed in, took aim, and threw down the stumps direct – again – to complete the innings with the captain’s trademark.

From 2/94, Shellharbour Blue were bowled out for 120, and the work after drinks was what good teams do. They reset themselves, they started again, and they got the results.

For Shellharbour Blue, shout outs to Cruz Wraight who took 2/17 from four overs and looked very handy with the ball, and Harry O’Shea whose 63 not out was not only his first half-century but belligerent and exciting to watch. Also to Will Thompson, an excellent young man who played in the Under 13 rep team this season, who not only kept beautifully, he came on and bowled lovely off spin to take 3/28 and then batted excellently to make 18 runs off 42 deliveries. One to keep an eye on.

A win by 29 runs then, and despite the tough periods and the hard questions asked by their opposition during those times, the kids were able to find a way to come out on top. One game to go until the Xmas/New Year break. Let’s hope the kids can put in for one more week before they allow us all a well earned break.

APJCC Under 13’s: Round 7 vs Kiama Blue at Des King Oval.

On the kind of day that would be better sitting in a spa on the deck drinking beer – yeah ok, 8.00am might be a bit early for some of that – the Albion Park Eagles Under 13’s took on Kiama Blue at Des King Oval, and battled their opponents and the elements to come away with another solid victory.

After being inserted by their opponents the Park kids had some good moments and hair pulling moments in compiling a total of 152, being entirely dismissed for the first time this season, albeit with just three deliveries remaining. Noah Regan is relishing the opening role and again made a great start against the medium pacers, but struck trouble against the young leg spinner who drew the false shot, and Noah was caught for 6. After this a partnership flourished between Aiden Campion and Noah Black, with both batsmen looking to be aggressive with the bat, but perhaps not so much with the running between the wickets. Yes it was warm, but after we’ve spent three trainings practicing it, the coach would hope to see a better response. Nonetheless, both played well, Aiden hitting the loose balls hard to the boundary, and Noah punching hard for singles and twos. Both retired not out for a well earned break.
Skipper Kasey Barton came in to face the best of the Kiama pace bowlers, and played the anchor role early to keep the score ticking over. He also retired after another goo stint at the crease. Ethan Thompson came in and timed two balls sweetly, one to the field and the other past mid-wicket. He is really beginning to find the middle of the bat which is satisfying. Unfortunately he then got a good delivery that found his leg stump and he was bowled for 1. Ryan Monaghan has not had much luck with the bat this season, coming in at times where the bowling is hot. He faced two balls from the young leggie where he played two good defensive strokes, but his second unfortunately got some bounce which he parried back to the fielder, and was caught for zero. His time will come this season.
Lucas Brown and Tristan Denmeade batted well together last weekend, but today was… unfortunate. Tristan parried one wide of gully and Lucas called yes and ran hard. Unfortunately the fielder stopped it, and Tristan didn’t respond, which saw both batsmen shaking hands. The unfortunate result was Lucas being run out, when he hadn’t done much wrong. More stuff for training debrief. TJ Nasome then came out and got a good one first ball after a long wait which is not ideal to be bowled for a duck, before Aiden returned to just push a ball back to the leg spinner to be caught and bowled (for an excellent 33 -but a disappointing end) and Kiama Blue was well and truly back in the game at 6/107.
Noah Black returned, and blasted another boundary and other good runs before finally being bowled for 28 runs. It was his highest ever score by quite a large margin, and was an innings of improvement and maturity that typifies the way his game is going ahead in leaps and bounds. It was fantastic to watch and an indication of what is to come. Great stuff Noah.

It was left to Tristan and Kasey to complete the remaining six overs, and they did well in the heat. Tristan continues his steady improvement, looking for runs and showing a nice range of strokes. Pushed along by Kasey they ran hard and maximised the chase for runs in the final overs, before Tristan fell with three balls to go looking for quick runs for 11.
Kasey again played a terrific skipper’s innings. It wasn’t always going to plan for him, but he stuck to his guns, and dispatched the loose balls for runs. He finished on 42 not today, and is showing why he is the number one batsman in this competition in all conditions.

Defending 152 in the hardest heat of the morning was always going to be a challenge, but the Albion Park kids started in the right fashion. Lucas made the initial breakthrough as he almost always does with the first ball of his second over, finding a thin edge that Aiden took with soft gloves to bring about the first wicket. Then calamity struck the Kiama team, twice having batsmen run out going for a second to balls that were through the gully region but unfortunately having Kasey chasing, whose great arm back to Aiden at keeper had both batsmen well short of their ground. Three wickets in the third over was a tough start for Kiama, and they lost a fourth when Josh Schofield bowled a lovely ball that moved from middle to leg to beat the defensive prod of the batsman, and Kiama was struggling at 4/9.
To their credit they knuckled down and looked to get themselves back in the match. The Park kids had bowled well early and had conceded few sundries. Tristan bowled two terrific overs, swinging the ball beautifully in to the right handers, and finished with 0/1 from his two overs. After his batting that was a great effort. TJ continued his great bowling over recent weeks, keeping the ball straight to avoid any wides. His two overs brought figures of 0/4 which was impressive. Ryan Monaghan had one of those days where he angled down the leg side and couldn’t quite get his run up right. We’ve been working on keeping him upright in delivery, but the heat today didn’t help that today. He finished with 0/15. Noah Regan bowled the best over he has ever bowled with his first up maiden today, and followed it up with possibly his worst. Well, we’ve all been there. Still, 0/5 is good figures for two overs. Ethan Thompson has been so good this season so far, but today it didn’t click for him, also a bit wide down leg and the ball and feet didn’t want to play nice. He finished with 0/13 from two overs.

The drinks break couldn’t come soon enough, and afterwards some order was restored. Aiden came out from behind the stumps and Noah Regan donned the gloves. It was great for both. Aiden bowled superbly, the straight bungers on a full length being perfect for the situation. He found a way through the defensive to clean up the stumps for his first wicket, and then found the edge for Noah to take a great catch with the gloves, keeper to keeper. Aiden bowled 3 overs, 2 maidens and finished with 2/5 which was great for him and the team. Behind the stumps Noah was terrific, taking that catch and letting through only 1 bye. He will be getting more work as keeper in the coming weeks.

Still, Kiama made the Eagles boys fight. As Joe Burgess went on his rampage, the bowlers had to bowl well to try and contain him. Lucas had bowled well but learned today that the ball at the stumps is often the best method, and he didn’t quite finish off as we would have liked. He bowled four overs and finished with 1/9 which is fantastic, and he remains our premium bowler, but it shows that even the best sometimes can’t quite be the finisher they would like to be. Ryan Cergovski and bowled wonderfully well, and absolutely deserved better figures than he had. He bowled with a slip today such is his improved accuracy, and he beat the bat a number of times. His three overs cost 0/7 and he continues his great season. Josh Schofield was on fire early, his first two overs excellent in picking up a wicket. His third over was also perfect, exactly where we wanted the ball to be, and yet he went for two sixes. It’s another lesson, that good bowling isn’t always rewarded, but I thought his third over was better than his first two. That’s cricket. Josh will bowl worse and pick up a bagful. Kasey’s figures of 0/3 from 3 show he didn’t do much wrong, but he was off the boil a bit today in the heat after his batting.
And then there was Noah Black. Bowling from a height of about ten metres, he was superb today. He bowled 14 deliveries, with one no ball, twelve dots that were all full and at the stumps or just outside off stump, and a wicket, the last to fall, which took leg stump. His figures of 2.1-1-1-1 were absolutely brilliant, and such a joy to watch. When you see someone working hard to achieve something, and he does, how can you not be happy for him? Add to this his fielding which has been marvellous (his arm from the 4 metre boundary is always into the keepers gloves and hitting them hard), and Noah is taking to cricket like a duck to water. I am very excited about his progress.

Kiama Blue was bowled out for 92 in the 29th over, which looks like a clear cut victory, but again some of their players showed a great deal today. Hamish Campbell was terrific with the ball and has a lovely bowling action, and I thought Vincent Sherrell was also very good. Charlie Edwards is one of my favourite kids after being involved with him in rep cricket last year and his bowling continues to improve. With the bat young Lachlan Booth showed a lot of grit and determination and supported his partners wonderfully well. The star though was Joe Burgess, whose leg spin was superb to pick up 3/15, and then played a swashbuckling and yet thoughtful innings of 44 not out. As my Kiama links are still strong it was heart-warming to see such performances from our opposition today, to see good young kids still coming through the Cavalier ranks.

The young Eagles remain undefeated in season 2020/21 and they played another good strong game today in difficult conditions. Again there are things we need to work on, but the kids can be very happy with the effort they are putting in.
Once again well done to the families from both sides who showed up to support the kids in very difficult conditions. Not easy to watch in, but I am sure the kids appreciated you being there. Thanks to Josh and Mark for scoring today, and Wazza for taking the umpiring reigns for the first half of the match.
We have two matches remaining in the first round and to get us to Xmas, both against Shellharbour. We will be fighting hard to retain our undefeated record and head to the break in a good position to push for finals cricket.
#GoEagles #WeFlyAsOne

SCDCA Under 13 Reps

The end of the local South Coast representative season saw the good guys fall at the final hurdle, losing to Shoalhaven off the final ball of the match. Despite several 'interesting' umpiring decisions, including Noah McWilliams being fired LBW despite the ball leaving a bruise at the very top of his leg, a couple of dicey run outs, a significant call of wide on the last ball of the 39th over in which our keeper took the ball without moving his feet at all... hmmmm... and what one might call an LBW decision off the final ball where the ball was certainly going to miss off and leg stumps... in the long run the game was decided more by the several dropped catches and 20 wides than anything else.

Kasey Barton (45), Jordan Poole (17) and Jaycob Constantinou (25) starred with the bat today, while Harry Welch (2/21) and Jordan (1/10) were today's wicket takers.

Star of the carnival was no doubt Jaycob "Jup" Constantinou, who performed in all three matches, scoring 7 not out and taking 2/18 off 8 overs, 26 not out and taking 2/7 off 5 overs, and 25 and 0/20 off 8 overs today, as well as being terrific in the field. He had an outstanding carnival and it has been wonderful to watch his improvement. Kasey Barton also once again had a huge influence with bat and ball.

Josh had a good three weeks, picking up wickets in the first game and perhaps not getting the rewards he deserved after that. He made a good contribution late with the bat today, and he still has plenty to offer going forward.

We move forward to the Youth Championships. I'm looking forward to the combined strength of South Coast and Shoalhaven as I think the players chosen will complement and strengthen the combined team into an excellent outfit.

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.