Around the Grounds

Solid performances in Round 3 saw some great wins across the age groups for our Westside Juniors. As the teams get into their groove at training and gain more confidence on the pitch for game day, the results will only get better!

U6 Sharks

We had a great home-game against Pine Hills Crocodiles. The team took a bit to warm up in the first half, with some teamwork, we got the ball moving, made space and were passing really well. We ended up with a 9-4 win.

Our players of the day were:

Lewis: some great ball control and passing to get through the defence.

George: great running with the ball down the line to finish with some strong goals. Well done Sharkies!!

U6 Dolphins

Saturday’s match featuring the Under 6 Dolphins was nothing short of amazing! Our little athletes brought their A-game, scoring lots of goals and working as a team. 
We played against the Samford U6 Bulls out at Samford Parklands. Our coach Big Mike gave the Dolphins a motivating speech about having fun, working as a team and of course – aiming for the goal! 

From the moment the game started, you could tell it was going to be special. The Dolphins worked together like a well-oiled machine, passing the ball and showing off some impressive moves. And the goals! Oh boy, there were plenty of them. Every member of the team got in on the action, making sure to share the excitement with their teammates and fans.
What made this game truly special was the happiness you could see on everyone’s faces. In the end, it wasn’t just about who won or lost. It was about the fun and friendship shared on the field. Well done Dolphins!

This week we have 2 Player of the Day awards:

Jayce – For scoring a whopping amount of goals for the team!

Joey – For consistently supporting your team on the field and staying with the ball. 

This week our training award goes to Luca for his excellent focus at training and for always encouraging his teammates. 

U7 Tigers

U7 Tigers played a tough Samford Rangers team on Saturday who kept our Westside boys on our toes. The boys put in a huge effort and we could see some really great passing and calling for the ball! Max H and Theo were the players of the match for their extra great efforts in the game! Well done boys!

U7 Lions

What a tough game it was out at Pine Hills for the Round 3 match against the other U7 Lion’s team. It was clear from the pre-game warm up, that Pine Hills were a talented side.

From the beginning of the first half, Pine Hills dominated the ball, continually intercepting Westside Grovely’s passes and quickly scoring goals. With Victor away for the long weekend, we weren’t attacking as much as previous games. But Westside Grovely didn’t give up and kept looking for opportunities for defensive clearances.

The second half started with Westside Grovely trying different plays and positions across the field. And it showed!  With more forward movement by Westside Grovely, the more experienced Pine Hills team’s goal scoring slowed down. Poor Clara had come off injured, meaning we were down to only 1 substitute. The final score was 16 – 0.   The results don’t reflect how well Westside Grovely played. Westside Grovely U7 Lions’ defence was strong!!!

It was great to see all our players continuing to go after the ball and try new things, and listening to the advice that they were getting. And most of all they were continuing to have fun out in the field!! It was so inspiring to watch how happy they were, enjoying themselves.

Player of the Day awards go to Ethan for his continued defence throughout the game and to Byron, for listening and trying new things.

U8 Goannas

The Goannas played a stellar game of football against The Gap’s U8 Liverpool team. With the lads finding their preferred positions on the field, they played a terrific game up front and in defence. With a great display of passing, we had goals from Charlie, Lachi H, Ryan, and Toby with an impressive 5! Player of the Match awards were presented to Toby for his goal-scoring prowess and teamwork and to Liam for his commendable defence skills. It was a very exciting game to watch with a final score of 8-1; well done, Goannas!

U8 Chameleons

It was a good match up between Westside’s U8 Chameleons and U8 Geckos. Both teams worked hard and took advantage of runs and passes that landed a one-on-one with the goalie. The Chameleons took an early 3-0 lead with one goal by Warren and two by Elijah.  The Geckos pressed on and got their own 3 goals, which landed the score 3-3 at half-time. 

The Chameleons continued to work hard to see the open player and earned another two goals, by Oliver and Warren.  The Geckos earned one more before Elijah scored the final goal of the game, which landed the final score 6-4 Chameleons. 

Angelica earned player of the game for her strong defensive efforts.  She prevented many shots on goal through her chasing down any Geckos with a breakaway. She did an amazing job defending and passing the ball up the field.

Warren earned player of the game for creating space for a player to pass to, calling for the ball, and for following through on opportunities near the goal. 

U9 Hornets

The U9 Hornets played away in Round 3, against Toowong U9 Green. This was the second match of the season for the Hornets, as they had a bye last week. The boys have been working exceptionally hard in training with Coaches Brett and Matt. This year the Hornets are playing in the higher-level K2 division, which is a step up from the Wallaby division where most of the boys played last year.

In training the team has been working on keeping their shape and formation. This was needed in Saturday’s match as Toowong Green proved to be a disciplined and skilled opposition. The Hornets started the match at a blistering pace however, with James scoring a goal within the first minute! I think their keeper was a bit stunned, as Ned quickly scored after the reset, with the score being 2-0 after 5 minutes! Toowong came back though and scored two goals themselves. The score going into the break was 2-2.

The boys enjoyed their halftime oranges and were quickly back on the field. Toowong came out strong and scored twice in quick succession, with our 2nd half-keeper Rowan making valiant attempts to save the ball. Toowong then had the chance for a penalty due to a Hornet’s handball, and the Hornets made a somewhat hilarious attempt at creating a wall, which involved James lying on the ground. Whatever they did it worked, and Toowong missed the penalty shot on goal! Ned got another two goals in the second half bringing his total to three for the match; unfortunately, Toowong scored a further two goals making the final score 6-4.

Overall, the team has greatly improved on their first game, with excellent positional play from Romeo and Ned. Harry and Salvi made some strong runs down the line that opened up the chances for other players. Mason was everywhere all at once, doing his job well, like he always does. Paul and Rowan both did outstanding in the keeper position and were both commended by the coach of the opposition at the end of the match. Huge thanks to Oscar from the U9 Bees who assisted due to Pierre and Henry being away. Player of the Day this week went to Romeo for maintaining his position despite things being chaotic at times. The team are looking forward to next week which will be their first home game of the season on the new fields. Can’t wait! GO HORNETS!!

U10 Vultures

The U10 Vultures faced off against Toowong Football Club, enduring a tough match that ended with an 8-2 defeat.

Despite the scoreline, the Vultures kept the opposition on their toes and displayed great resilience throughout the game.

The Vultures kicked off strongly with Sam P scoring an early goal, assisted by James. Jasper lifted spirits with a goal in the second half, his impressive performance underscored by dynamic runs alongside Owen, which tested the Toowong defence.

Defensively, the Vultures faced some difficulties. Ben was in goal for the first half, facing down a series of aggressive attacking plays.  Billy, who took over in the second half, made some important saves, reflecting a commendable effort under continuous pressure.

Sam P’s great goal and exceptional performance earned him a coach’s award.

As the season progresses, these experiences are valuable for the Vultures, who will use this game as a learning opportunity to develop their skills and team cohesion.

U11 Dingoes

The U11 Dingoes were at home this week for their match against Grange Thistle U11 Montrose. This was their second home game in a row and the parents and coach were hoping for an improvement on last week’s effort which saw the Dingoes drawing with the other Grange Thistle team 0-0. The weather was a bit drizzly which was welcomed as the Dingoes have historically played better in the cooler weather.

The game started off fast with the Dingoes looking to shake off the hesitancy that they played with last week. The teams were evenly matched in the first 5 minutes, with the ball travelling up and down the pitch, nether team able to obtain the advantage. Toby and Noah made some great tackles, and the Dingoes did an excellent job of getting the ball out of the midfield and back down the line. Their tenacity was rewarded after approximately 10 minutes of play, with Vinny scoring his first ever goal for Westside! Shortly after, Diego made a brilliant individual run at a smoking pace, to score a second for the Dingoes.

Toward the middle of the first half, Grange made a number of shots on goal which were saved by Ben. The Dingoes then came back with goals to both Toby and Harlem, as well as several shots on goal by Joel which just hit the side bar. Noah worked hard in a number of 1v1 situations to keep the ball in play when it looked to be going out. Just before the halftime whistle some scrappy play by Grange saw them score their first goal.

At halftime Stephen and Jo spoke about looking up and looking for space, as well as taking the shot on goal. The second half was much more even, with Grange showing their quality, scoring a great goal quickly after the start of the half. There were numerous shots on goal from both teams, in particular from Joel, with only Diego finding the back of the net, for his second of the day. During the second half, Theo played like an absolute professional, picking up Daniel’s usual CB position, as Daniel was away. Xavier was involved and kept the ball moving well through the midfield. The final score was 5-2 to the Dingoes.

The team played much better as a cohesive unit this week, trying hard to implement what they were shown by Jo at training. Players of the match went to Diego for his incredible energy and pace on the ball, and Vinny, for scoring his first goal and his positive encouragement to his teammates while he was subbed off. Big thanks to Sonny from the U10 Raptors for the emergency loan of a pair of shin pads!

U12 Blazers

In an electrifying match, the U12 Blazers team secured a fantastic victory against Samford. The game showcased incredible talent and determination from both sides, but it was the Blazers who emerged victorious with a final score of 4-2.

The game kicked off with an impressive run by Ema, who made the first goal attempt for the Blazers, swiftly followed by another successful goal, setting the tone for the match. Goalkeeper Blair exhibited outstanding skill, making a series of brilliant saves, including putting her body on the line to keep the Blazers in the lead at 1-0 at halftime.

The second half saw Samford rallying with two early goal attempts, all expertly thwarted by goalkeeper Lucy. Lily showcased her prowess with two shots at goal, setting the stage for an amazing strike into the top corner by Chloe, bringing the score to 2-0 for the Blazers. However, Samford managed to even the score with two goals of their own.

The turning point came with a handball from Samford, resulting in a penalty for the Blazers. Ema stepped up and coolly converted the penalty, putting the Blazers back in the lead at 3-2. Stellar defending from Lily and Piper kept Samford at bay, following by an impressive run from Scarlett and Chloe who set up a pivotal goal-scoring opportunity for Ema, sealing the victory for the Blazers with a final score of 4-2.

The team’s resilience, skill, and teamwork were on full display throughout the match, earning them a well-deserved triumph. Congratulations to the Blazers on their impressive win!

U12 Warriors

The seasons game 3 saw our Warriors hosting Taringa today at 10.30 on a very typical autumn morning. Though overcast, and with the odd spit of rain, it would’ve taken a torrential storm to even come close to dampening the lads spirits.

Coach Riku assumed full responsibility for the 1st time and it seems that his team of only 10, were keen to make an impression once they settled down.

Riku had Connor between the sticks and Benson on the bench for the 1st 20 minutes before realising that u12’s can swap out whenever, and while the opening exchanges seemed to favour the visiting side, the Warriors started the scoring inside 7 minutes.

Like a lot of the offensive action in the 1st half, the goal was initiated on the right side by a lovely ball from Sam to Eddie, then an equally elegant pass found Lennon who executed the shot with poise and precision to put the home team in front.

On the other side of the freshly cut field, Taringa were pushing hard and Jack and Rhys had their work cut out handling one of better players in Taringa’s squad.  That being said, I felt that the defence were solid with Eamon flanked by the 2 fullbacks (who were in great form) who was cleaning up anything that made it through in the centre half position.

Not to be outshone by the defence, Charlie who was in midfield and Dash in his usual upfront role were absolutely outstanding and created opportunity after opportunity every minute they were in play.

It was Lennon however who grabbed his 2nd from another well orchestrated move on the right.

Then, only minutes later, and moments before the half time whistle, Dangerous Dash’s deadly left peg, delivered goal number 3 – and almost certainly secured the win.

We still had the 2nd half to play though and it started similarly to the 1st with Taringa looking like they were being fuelled something special in their orange slices.  

Truth be told, the comeback that the travelling team might have hoped for was never on the table. The boys – our boys were always looking like the stronger, more capable and glory hungry team.  Particularly since Riku had worked out the subbing rules and was strategically switching the players around like Walter Smith on old firm day.

Bomber Bens seemed happy to come on as keeper, but I’m sure the home supporters wanted to see him in midfield where he often shines.

There were two defining moments in the 2nd half that had the crowd on their feet with hearts pumping and breathing held. The 1st was an indirect free kick that was bulleted towards the nets but after some intense, pin ball like goal mouth antics, the ball was scrambled over the crossbar, no doubt to the relief of Rovers.

The 2nd, with only 3 minutes to go was a well deserved number four for the Warriors and 2nd of the season from Charlie, who tapped in off an assist from Left Back Jack.

Overall, I think all would agree that it was another great home win for Westside U12s.  Their marking is getting better, they were tackling with more intensity today and while sometimes they might have been guilty of hogging the ball, it shows that their confidence is growing – and that’s a joy to watch.

Well done Riku and the boys!

U13 Div 2

Last week the boys had a bye following one team’s withdrawal from the comp and a re-cut of the draw by FQ. This meant it was our first home game of the season! The boys were super excited to finally be playing a match on the new fields and it was great to be able to run through pre-match positions and tactics in the changing rooms.

From the previous game against UQ it was clear our movements weren’t coordinated off the ball when out of possession. Currently we are set up with an attacking 3 – 2 – 3 formation, this means that we can get caught in transition and have to deal with counter attacks from the opposition. Therefore, in training we have been focusing on high-pressing (winning the ball high up the pitch) and underloaded defending (3 v 2). The 3 attackers vs 2 defenders also giving the front 3 opportunities to work on their attacking combinations. The team performed really well in training with the high press, so we were looking forward to putting that into action in the game.

Well pretty much within the first minute the boys went 1 – 0 up! Eli won the ball straight from kick off and took a shot that went wide for a goal kick. This was our opportunity to test our high press, which was executed perfectly with Jett winning the ball and squaring it to Flynn for a tap in. Well done lads! From here on in the Grange played long from all of their goal kicks.

We were dominant for most of the match, in the first half Sam and Flynn in particular were linking up very well down the right-hand side. Fair play to their keeper who made some great saves. As we were peppering their goal, we had a lot of corners but couldn’t convert from these opportunities. Generally, either the crosses weren’t there, or the box was too crowded, something to work in training for sure. It took a wonder strike from the left-hand side by Eli to land our second goal, a high looping shot that went over the goal-keeper and just under the crossbar. Even Eli was surprised it came off.

Even though we were dominant, the Grange team did create chances and tested the defence. At one point, Jonah successfully punched the ball out from a corner kick, good to see some positive goalkeeping. Given the fact that the game was looking pretty comfortable, we experimented with inverting and mixing up the wingers. This year we are blessed to have naturally left-footed players; Jakub, Jett and Jack, triple J’s!!! Jakub and Jett both had spells on the right wing, with the view of cutting inside to get shots off. Jakub nearly scored with a great effort.

Dex was out, but having only 8 players on the pitch meant we had 3 subs. A couple of things were noted and communicated from the sideline, namely ensuring attackers take up spaces in front of the goal to score and to take the heat out of the through balls to ensure the forwards could get onto them. The adrenaline was clearly high and there were a few stray passes in the final third. The advice was heeded, Flynn played a lovely through ball to Theo to set him up for the third goal!

Half-time 3 – 0 up.

The half-time team chat centred around 3 focus areas, weight of pass (as mentioned for through balls). Ensuring attackers or supporting midfielders take up positions in the goal box to score when teammates are dragged out wide and getting shots off quicker to keep testing the goalkeeper. It was also noted to keep the intensity up and ensure we don’t concede a goal and allow a momentum shift. Theo swapped with Jonah in goal for the second half.

The second half started lively, and the Grange were a little more buoyant than the first half. The boys must’ve been cursed by the half-time talk, as they did concede the next goal. It was somewhat unfortunate as James defended one of their attackers really well, but tripped when trying to get out and gave him an opportunity to sneak one in at the near post. Later in the game a similar situation arose, this time Theo intelligently covered the near post making the save.

Eli was having a great game, winning most 50 / 50 balls, nailing passes, dribbling well and getting lots of shots off. At one point there was a transition from box to box involving great link up play from Eli, Flynn and Finn, with Finn shooting just wide. The entire move took less than 8 seconds, great transition play! Eventually the 4th goal came, courtesy of a great through ball from Sam which Eli duly slotted into the corner with a sliding toe poke. A great striker’s goal and a type of finish we have been looking to see more of.

The boys weren’t shy of getting shots of either, in total we hit the woodwork 6 times over the course of the match. Dash had an awesome second half, he played down the left wing for a solid period and was clearly enjoying the opportunity to move up the pitch. He played an awesome through ball to Jett for the 5th goal, which started with a great switch of play from Jack. Jett slotted the ball using his left foot from the right wing. We were definitely home and hosed by this point.

The boys kept pushing to the end, Dash hit the crossbar and hit one just wide at the end, very unfortunate. Jonah played through the middle in the second half and stopped a couple of counter attacks with great tackles. James was really good as usual, and we look forward to utilising him more in midfield. At one point he executed a goal line clearance, and as usual he was quick to apply pressure to the opposition, delaying attacks and winning the ball back in most cases. His through balls are coming on as well, that could be decisive for us in future fixtures.

It ended up a 5 – 1 victory, a solid performance all round. Some work to do in terms of attacking / taking corner kicks, headers in general and defensive cover.

Eli and Dash taking out the Player of the Day awards.

U13 Div 5

Great match by the U13 Bears against Moggill with our defenders doing a great job and keeping the ball away from the goal. For the most part, the game was played in the oppositions end of the field, with the forwards creating so many great chances on goal. Both Michael and and Max scored in the second half to finish the match with a 2-2 draw.

Player of the Day awards went to Cody and Max

U15 Girls

What a thrilling Wednesday night it was for our team as we kicked off our first home game of the season against The Gap! The energy was electric as we took to the field, ready to showcase our skills and passion for the game. Facing off against a similarly placed opponent on the competition ladder, we knew it was going to be an exciting match from the get-go.

From the very start, our girls showed incredible determination and teamwork. Our training had paid off as we seamlessly executed our game plan, focusing on moving the ball into wide open spaces and pressing forward with relentless energy. The excitement was palpable as Elise’s precision throw found Ava darting into a gap, perfectly timed to beat the defence with Ava sending the ball soaring over the keeper’s head for an early goal! Talk about an exhilarating start to the game!

Throughout the first half, our team continued to impress with their improved plays and creative teamwork. Despite The Gap managing to score a couple of goals, we remained unfazed, responding with our own impressive strikes, including a brilliant goal by Asha after Mia’s perfectly timed cross. The halftime pep talk was all about building on our strengths, maintaining our defensive structure, and believing in ourselves.

As the second half kicked off, our spirits were high, and the determination to secure the win was evident in every play. With our midfield and defence working tirelessly to shut down The Gap’s attacks, and Kate guarding the goal with unwavering confidence, we dominated the field. Ellary’s anticipation and interception skills were on full display, setting up multiple opportunities for our relentless attacks.

And what a sight it was when Ava intercepted a pass, flicking it over the defence to Yasmin, who dashed down the field with lightning speed, setting up Asha for yet another spectacular goal! The energy was contagious as our team celebrated each goal with infectious enthusiasm, showcasing our unity and passion for the game.

In the end, the final whistle blew with a resounding victory for Westside, with a scoreline of 5-2 against The Gap. It was a night of firsts and triumphs, from playing under the floodlights on our new home field to securing a convincing team win.

As we reflect on this memorable night, we can’t help but commend the outstanding efforts of every player on the field.

Final Score – Westside 5 – The Gap 2

Winners of awards

Leadership – Asha for excellent communication and running for the ball in wide open space demonstrating impact of training. Sarah for being a first season player starting to hit her stride with aggression in tackles, improved field positioning and passing.

Effort – Elise for working the midfield in both attack in defence all night. Relentless effort.

Skills – Ava for great vision and timing of runs on multiple occasions which setup attacking plays and goals for the team.

Other callouts

• Mia: Improved positional play and releasing of the ball early in key moments.
• Ellary: Consistently involved in the play and great anticipation in defence.
• Amber: Excellent calling and field position in open space.