Around the Grounds

Blowing out the cobwebs in Round 10 following the Season half-way break saw Westside teams capitalise in Round 11 on the hard work being put in at training. There were some tough matches with some great results throughout the Junior ranks.

 

U6 Tigers

The Tigers Round 11 fixture was at Samford for another Triple Header. The Tigers first match was against Dayboro Red with the second match against Samford Glory.

The Tigers got off running with a quick goal by Max S in the first minute of the match. The contest otherwise was even between both sides with great effort by all but most notably a couple of defensive goal saves by Max S kept the Tigers on top and proved to be the winner to break the Tigers losing streak.

The second match against Samford was played in a similar fashion with fantastic defensive play by the Tigers to stop any ball going into the net. Two goals by Theo gave the Tigers another win for an awesome job to keep both opponents scoreless for evenly-matched teams playing this triple header.

The Player of the Day awards went to Frankie for her great overall effort and Max S for great defensive play.

U8 Wasps

A strong performance from the Wasps in the Round 11 away game at the Gap on Saturday saw them walk away with a definitive 3-0 win.

The team is really playing cohesively with everyone playing well in positions for a 2-2-2 formation.

It was a strong start with Wasps taking control of the ball and Alex taking a shot on goal from a back kick of Sergio’s.   Sergio took a number of additional shots at goal and eventually Bailey got a ball to stick into the top of the net.

It wasn’t all the Wasps way though with Rowan hitting the ground in goals for a number of good saves in the first half.

The shots on goal came hard and fast from Alex and Lenny with Pierre unlucky to hit the side post of goal. Xavier was strong in the middle showing his agility with a strong turn and pass game.

Fletcher demonstrated his love of headers with good defensive moves and even a header shot on goal from a corner. Levi scored a wonderful goal from midfield with the long ball and Adam rounded out the goals with a cool shot shortly after moving up front from defence.

Sergio was awarded Player of the Day but it was a real team effort and the boys were rewarded with a round of applause at full-time.

 

U8 Hornets

Westside U8 Hornets hosted Newmarket Kickers at home on Saturday. With almost a full squad (only missing Ned) the boys were ready for another good game.

Newmarket came out strong in the first half, with lots of shots on goal, and most of the possession for the first 15 minutes. James was goal keeper and had some epic saves, which kept the score nil-all going into half-time. Romeo had a few chances to score, but Newmarket had an equally skilled keeper who also kept a clean sheet.

Going into the second half, Newmarket capitalised on the Hornets positional changes, and scored an early goal. Both teams struggled to gain the advantage with many shots on goal, until a great goal from Henry! Score was tight at 1-1 with only a few minutes to play. Liam M did a great job as 2nd half keeper, and copped a few balls to the face. Unfortunately, one of the balls was unstoppable, and Newmarket scored again just before full time.

It was a good effort from the Hornets, who played hard but just ran out of puff, in what was a fast-paced game. Liam M was awarded Player of the Day for putting his body on the line to save goals!

 

U9 Falcons

The Falcons Round 11 fixture was away against the Gap FC Celtic. The Falcons came into this match on a two-game winning streak with plenty of confidence in their play.

However, the Falcons found themselves down 2-nil very early in the match after consecutive quick goals by the Gap. The Falcons forward line took over from that point with a constant barrage of shots on goal. After several missed chances, Jasper got one across the line for his first goal of the season to finish the first half trailing 2-1.

Both sides started the second half with great play in the middle by creating several scoring opportunities for what turned out to be a very nail-biting affair. A lot of great saves by Woody who was the goalie sub for the Falcons in the second half. Likewise, the Gap keeper made plenty of saves but eventually a fumble off a shot from Ned trickled into the goal to level the score. With the score tied, the Falcons got a boost of energy in their play and in the dying minutes of the match, a chip shot by Ned got past the goalie to complete the comeback for a great Falcons 3-2 win.

The Player of the Day awards went to Ben, Cooper and Oliver.

U9 Vultures

The Vultures travelled to Samford to take on the Bulls in Round 11.

Without Likit, Archer and Ellis, the Vultures were a bit short of attacking experience and it showed. Eli had his third try at goalkeeping, and started well in the first half saving a few, staying in the goal, using his hands, and delivering good kicks to his fullbacks.

Fletcher and Edgar interchanged as strikers, whilst James and Archie were kept busy on the wings. Fletcher enjoyed our best chance of the first half, just unable to reach a ball between himself and their goalkeeper. 0-0 at the break.

The second half saw Edgar return to goal, and he was kept very busy. All the Samford shots were from the sides and further out as Leo, Henry, Fletcher and Eli all combined well to stop Samford getting close to the goal. Edgar was able to make a number of great saves – but Samford scored a lucky goal from halfway, and very good goal from out wide. Otherwise, Henry and Theo both had opportunities to try wing positions, and Archie tried striker too.

The match finished 2-0 to Samford, the Vultures defended really well, but struggled to transition from defence to attack this week.

Player of the Day went to Leo who took charge of our defence, stayed central, and prevented Samford from gaining easy shots, which helped our goalkeepers sight shots & make plenty of saves.

 

U9 Raptors

Check out the Raptors match highlights in Round 11 vs UQFC Blue.

U10 Dingoes

The Dingoes dominated the Hummels in a 4-0 victory on Saturday, avenging their previous loss to the same team earlier in the Season.

The team welcomed their newest member, Ryan. From the moment he stepped onto the field, Ryan’s creative passes and skilful ball control made an immediate impact on the team’s performance.

There were two headers in the first half in quick succession by Joel and Daniel, followed by another great header in the second half by Harlem. It seems the practice drills are paying off!

The Hummels had no answer to the Dingoes’ pace and pressure, and failed to create any chances with Ben on the ready. The Dingoes sealed the win with goals throughout the match from Zane, Harlem, and Diego.

Let’s take a moment to give a special recognition to Zane, who has been working incredibly hard to improve his skills on the field. After many attempts, he finally scored his first goal, which was a well-deserved accomplishment. This goal not only represents his personal growth and progress, but it also reflects the team’s dedication to supporting each other and pushing ourselves to be the best we can be.
Great team effort with words of wisdom from JP…Be fierce. Be a pack. And go for a hunt!

U11 Wallabies

The U11 Wallabies took on Virginia FC Kings at home in their best game of the season so far.

After suffering a significant loss the last time they played, this time around the teams were very evenly matched.

Remy scored early on from a great cross from Benson. Play then shifted to put the Wallabies on the defensive and after numerous shots on goal Virginia FC scored an equaliser.

The Wallabies surged back and after relentless and persistent attack from the forwards, Benson secured another goal putting them in the lead going into half time.

Virginia FC came out firing to score their second goal shortly into the second half. The Wallabies defence committed to the ball in every tackle and kept the game tied until the very end.

Choosing Players of the Day was extremely challenging this week as the whole team played their absolute best. Congratulations goes to Rhys, Charlie and Benson.

U11 Wolves

Following a heavy bias of away games in the first half of the season, the Wolves were back at home this week, with 6 of the 8 remaining games at home. Following a tough away match at Bribie last week, the boys were fired up and ready to go for this one. We weren’t sure what to expect from this team, this being the only fixture scheduled with them this season. They were certainly very keen as their Coach and team arrived very early prior to the game, and taking a quick look at them, looked well organised and competent on the ball.

At training during the week, the team conducted a 45-minute Veo video analysis session in the clubhouse. The footage proved extremely useful in highlighting plays that were working and what was causing us issues. Some of the key discussion points centered on pressing and positioning from opposition goal kicks, our goal kick execution playing out from the back and going long, as well as opportunities to release the balls quicker from wing areas when attackers are breaking through the defensive lines. Obviously, we went through the goals scored, the boys loved that!
As mentioned in previous week’s report, we have been focusing heavily in training on defensive shape and attacking combinations. At the end of the warm-up the boys had a quick mini game, overloaded with attackers to defenders. They are really starting to move the ball around well. Prior to kick off, each player was given their 2 key things to focus on specific to their position and based on observations from prior performances.

The boys started with great intensity; it was clear to see that they had absorbed the information from the videos and training. Pine Hills had some good moments, but the Wolves were dominating. Every time we lost the ball, we were straight back onto them. Early on Eli had 3 solid opportunities, testing their goalkeeper. It wasn’t long before we broke the deadlock, Alex aggressively attacked a ball out of the air and laid it through to Eli who slotted it into the bottom corner. Pine Hills created a few chances on the counter, but the defenders held their nerve managing to contain and apply enough pressure to prevent conceding a goal. At one point we conceded a free kick in a dangerous area, the boys defended extremely well with a nice wall and quickly closed down any follow up opportunities. Landon, Noah and James were in sync for the whole match, effectively getting the ball out for the back either from goal kicks or transition play. We entered the half-time break 1 – 0 up, it could’ve been more. Dex had two great shots on goal and Jack had a good chance from a great run down the wing from Eli.

It was clear that even by half-time that some of the boys were beginning to tire. They were pressing so hard, and in previous games it has sometimes been the case where a slight drop off resulted in other teams claiming a narrow victory. We also nearly blew a 3 – 0 lead against Pine Rivers before the break. They boys were encouraged to maintain the intensity at all costs and to sub off if they needed a break, their tanks were to be on empty at the end of the game! It was also noted that the next goal would be critical, if we could grab an early goal that would put us in the driving seat, especially with our defence firing better and better as a solid unit. The boys were also reminded to be on guard for the counter attacks, the midfield in particular to track back at full speed to prevent overloads. The boys were buoyant and ready to go.

The second half started with greater intensity than the first! The crowd was getting into it, it was impressive to watch. Finn had been placed in the CF position with Teo on RF, early on Teo released an excellent early ball from the wing and Finn was very close to getting on the end of it. Finn’s key points in the CF position were to focus on a solid first touch to setup the strike and finish, he has been super close in previous games to nailing this. This great move was followed up soon after with a great shot from Teo, you could smell the second goal coming! Then the magic happened, you don’t need to go to Inter Miami to watch Messi, you can just come and watch Teo! He picked up the ball on the wing and beat 3-4 of their players and smashed it top bins! Goal of the season so far, that’s 7 for Teo, the Westside crowd were loving it.
With the second goal in the bag, the boys were playing at a level we haven’t seen before. James’s communication in defence was fantastic, yelling out for cover in the middle when he was pressing out of position with Noah working in sync very nicely. The other 2 main defenders, Maxi and Sam were also having a good game. Sam, who has truly been thrown in the deep end, with this being his first ever season, is improving every week. Maxi continued his improvements and showed signs of striking the ball much better on top of his defensive skills.

The boys were maintaining the press and encouraging to see that some players asked to be rotated to get a breather. Eli got his second goal following on from the high press, now 3 – 0 it felt like the game was put to bed. There was still time for one more piece of magic, and this time it came from a combination between Eli and Finn. A perfect through ball was played by Eli into the path of Finn’s run in-behind, and yes he did it! A great first touch and smashed it in the net, 4 – 0. Everything we have been working so hard on in training clicked in this game, this will give us great momentum for the balance of the season.
There was rapturous applause and smiles all around as the boys came off the pitch, that was a new level. The boys were asked what their energy levels were and collectively replied, zero! Mission accomplished, all left out on the pitch.

In terms of Player of the Day awards, they went to Teo for his goal, Sam for his rapid improvement, James for his defensive communication and Finn for nailing that first touch and burying the finish.

U12 Warriors

The Warriors were away at Newmarket in Round 11 and searching for their first win after having a 2-all draw with Newmarket in their first leg of the Season at Westside.

With Coach Greg on a Fishing Trip to Fraser Island, Assistant Coach Shane made a few positional changes in the line-up with Dante taking the gloves as goal-keeper for the first half and his first-time this Season. Dante had been practicing at training over the past few weeks and looked very confident on the goal line. With this move, it allowed us to play Jonah at centre-back for his first run on the field for the Season, and push Sam P into the midfield with Eva and Flynn up front.

The Warriors looked confident with the ball at their feet and it was a well-balanced first half before Newmarket slotted a goal to take a 1-nil lead into the half-time break. Jett and Dashel were solid at the back in defence, helping Jonah and Eamon out, whilst Eva, Sam and Flynn controlled the middle well and created numerous opportunities to take the ball downfield. With the control through the middle, it allowed Theo, Liam and Bryn to make some nice attacking runs down the wings.

The Warriors stepped it up in the second half and equalised 1-1 with a nice team goal through Flynn. Jonah was back in goals and Dante back to centre forward, with Flynn joining Eva in the middle. The match was poised like their first encounter and was on the line for either team to take the lead. Newmarket had some opportunities with attacking runs through offside positions (no offsides in Miniroos!), however some great defensive efforts by Jett and Sam cut off any Newmarket shots on goal.

With 5 minutes to go, Eva received a ball at the top corner of the ball, took on two defenders and slammed a shot past the outstretched arms of the keeper to take the score to 2-1. Unfortunately, Newmarket equalised at 2-2 in the last minute of the game through a free kick.

Whilst the Warriors didn’t get the Win, it was one of their best performances of the Season and they should be very proud of their all-round team effort. Player of the Day awards went to Dante for his amazing keeping efforts in the first half, followed up by a solid performance up front in the second; and to Sam for his mid-field efforts in the first half, working on 1-2s with Eva and Flynn, and solid defence in the second half. A “W” is around the corner for the Warriors!

U12 Gliders

There was curiosity and speculation amongst Gliders’ supporters in the lead-up to the girls’ game against Moggill’s U12 Matildas this round. The Matildas, an experienced team with talented players and good ball skills had defeated the Gliders 6-0 in Round 1. With ten games now under their belt, how would the Gliders fare facing Moggill on their home ground?

Unfortunately for the Gliders, goalie Blair was out for this game, putting the team at a definite disadvantage. As the only other player with goalkeeping experience, Scarlett stepped into the unenviable role, having played the position in interschool sports. Initially, it was looking like she’d have to play without gloves too, however, the Moggill canteen was fortunately able to provide a pair of spare, albeit tiny, gloves, which Scarlett bravely donned and then it was game on.

Moggill scored two quick goals in the first five minutes while the Gliders were still finding their feet. Despite some lovely cooperation between Katie, Freya and KB in the forward line, Moggill’s back line repeatedly gained possession, consistently sending the ball wide to their left midfielder who would dribble it up the field, feeding it to their forwards. This strategy gained them four goals by half time, highlighting the double disadvantage of being without Blair and that Scarlett was absent from her usual midfield position. KB scored what would be the Gliders’ only goal this match towards the end of the first half and our hearts sang to see the girls celebrate.

The second half saw the Gliders change tack with a 3-3-2 formation, moving Nina to defence with Alex and Tabitha; Isla to the midfield with Freya/Sophia and Charlotte; and instructions for KB and Katie to hold their forward positions.

Moggill played rough and, according to post-match accounts, was not above pushing, tripping and even scratching the Gliders!  What may have made the Gliders cry in the first half, however, only made them more determined in the second half and it was wonderful to see their fighting spirit come alive.

KB made a beautiful run towards goal towards the end of the second half and Scarlett really put her body on the line, at one point saving two goals in quick succession. Despite this, the day belonged to Moggill and the final score was a resounding 11-1.

Scarlett was awarded Player of the Day along with Alex who had also borne the brunt of what was largely a defensive match against a tough and experienced team on their home ground.