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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uluru Vacation: Holiday Road. Day 3. Cobar to Broken Hill

After a night of ridiculous wind, which we had hoped we had left back in Albion Park, the van held together and the wind had gone by 6.00am, which was when I was woken up. The morning was glorious, and having gotten through a couple of key incidents in packing up the van we got out of town just after 8.00am.

 
The landscape changed immediately and the road was straight and long. We finally saw live kangas, along with a plethora of wild goats and even a couple of emus, though Helen amused us all by constantly missing them. I also perfected my “caravanning salute”, which is basically to wave at every car that passes us on outback roads. Many seem to use just the raised one or two fingers, but I have gone for the all-four finger salute leaving the thumb of the steering wheel.

We pulled into Wilcannia at 10.30am, and checked out the mighty Darling River, which currently isn’t so mighty. It’s a real concern when you see how low it is compared to the height of the bridge that crosses it. It was also amazing going over so many creeks that were bone dry, marked only by the gums that lined the sides waiting for the next rain to come. We filled up at Little Toper, and old fashioned outback outpost with the neighbours sheep out the front. The neighbour is ten kilometres away, but every time they take it home, it turns up again a few days later. It loved being petted.

We arrived in Broken Hill just after 1.00pm, 468km in under five hours. After putting up the van and lunch, we headed for Living Desert State Park, where we took the twenty minute walk up to the Living Sculptures exhibit at the top of the hill, and marvelled at the view all around. Magnificent.

 
Back to our van park where I conjured up butter chicken, and now to enjoy the evening with a few beers before getting ready for a full day around the town tomorrow.

Uluru Vacation: Holiday Road. Day 2. Dubbo to Cobar

The Yates’s left at an ungodly hour as they are headed to Wilcannia for their overnight stop. We instead only headed for Cobar, and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and pack up. We got up at 7.00am and we’re on the road before 9.00am.

The scenery became rural immediately, and diving through the lovely towns of Narromine, Trangie and Nyngan showed all the traits of such country townships. The city centre dominated by the one street, complete with three pubs generally named the Grand, the Royal and the Great Western (or close variations).

 
Saw our first emus outside of Trangie, as well as all of the free cotton on the side of the road. There’s a fortune there just waiting for the right person to come along and pick it all up. I am not that person. The tumbleweeds also spoke of the lack of townsfolk we saw on a Saturday morning. Saw some free range mustering of cattle along the highway near Nyngan, a reminder of the old driving days of yore. Well not really but that’s what I told the kids.

 
Josh bought the farm having three times not turned his iPad off when told to and lost it for the rest of the trip. Funny how he then started to see stuff like the red dust storm along the way and the many dead kangaroos. Sometimes it’s hard to believe there are any live kangaroos left in Australia.. we haven’t seen a live one yet.

Arrived in Cobar before 1.00pm where the kids insisted on Subway for lunch. We then had at look at Mount Bourke lookout and the Historic Copper site, though for a $30 entry fee we decided to just look thought the fence.

By 3.30pm it was back to the caravan park, where having spent about half an hour checking over a fried Anderson plug (still working but probably not going to keep the fridge going along the way anymore) and van door that just doesn’t sit properly (livable but slightly annoying) it was time for happy hour, which coincidentally was the wifi password. 

Will cook dinner shortly before settling in to watch Collingwood beat the Giants (the rest of the family hope the opposite) and see if the Dragons can repeat last weeks performance and take down the Rabbitohs.

Uluru Vacation: Holiday Road. Day 1. Albion Park to Dubbo.

A long but leisurely first day to get as many kilometres out of the road early on. We took the scenic route through Yass and Cowra to escape the Blue Mountains and found the road mostly clear of traffic.
Highlights included Josh’s meltdown from the time he woke up until the time he could bury his head in his iPad, the scenes of canola and Helen realising we were going through Cowra and could go to the Japanese Gardens, but denied because we all knew her promise of “just half an hour” would have been three hours, which would have meant arriving in Dubbo beyond midnight.

We arrived to meet the Yates crew at the caravan park, and even had a quiet beer to celebrate the occasions.

  
Hamburgers for dinner, a few beers and a quiet scotch watching the AFL while the kids watch High School Musical.