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Senior Women’s Div.1 – Rd.4 on Sat. 16th May 2015


SW1 Weekly Round Up  

Bringing back memories from a few years ago, the compelling contest between Westminster Warrriors and West End ended in an entertaining 2-2 as both teams couldn’t break the dead-lock and shared the spoils. As a result, these teams are equal 2nd on the ladder after 5 games, only separated by goal-difference.  

Salisbury Baptist travelled to Lowood and upstaged Brisbane Valley 5-0 for their first ever win in the SW1. The youngsters from Salisbury had their scoring boots on with a brace from Sally Worland and Ilone Hicks, and a consolation goal to Holly O’Connor.  

North Pine Baptist put in another excellent display to defeat the dogged Rosewood United team 4-0, who have lost two in a row after opening the season with three consecutive wins.  

With the Raceview v Logan Uniting game postponed until Wednesday, the final game saw two teams promoted from SW Div.2 last season, resuming their rivalry, and looking at improving their successful records in 2015. In what one can only describe as amazing, the Blackstone United girls defeated the home team, Logan Metro, by an astonishing 11-1, with 10 of these goals coming in an 8 minute period in the 1st half and in a 15 minute period in the 2nd half. {See match report below.}  

With this victory, SW Div.2 Premiers from last year, Blackstone United, have taken over the pole position, and the added pressure, that goes with it.  


Match of the Day  

Logan Metro 1 v Blackstone United 11 (H/T: 0-6)  
Ref: David de Ryck  
Coaches: Sam Escobar (Logan Metro) & Andrew Haywood (Blackstone United)  

Prior to the beginning of this game, both teams required positional changes due to injuries and other commitments; and it was envisaged that it would take a while for them to come to grips with these changes. The opening 20 minutes was an absorbing contest with both teams looking to assert themselves, especially since they were both in a five-way tie at the top of the QCSA SW1 ladder and playing confidently.  
Tamara Clarke and Teegan Gordon featured prominently in the attacking forays for the visiting Blackstone girls, whereas Ariane Uwiama and July Soe were proving to be a handful in attack for the Logan Metros girls. The ball was being moved from end to end with great speed, giving experienced referee David de Ryck a ‘baptist of fire’ on his return after a lengthy absence, post operation, on an ankle injury.  
In the 21st minute, July Soe made a penetrating run forward and a teasing cross to the near post was met by a desperate lunge by Trisha Bell with the half-volley scraping the near post in an “Oh so close moment!”  

The complexion of the match took a new direction with a masterstroke by Blackstone’s coach, Andrew Haywood, to introduce the exciting Nikki Hubbard into the action, after 22 minutes. At the same time, a couple of Logan Metro defenders came off on the interchange to receive treatment for knocks sustained in this pulsating and physically demanding match.  

Within a minute, Hubbard hit the crossbar with an audacious volley from a corner taken by Tamara Clarke. Moments later, the favour is returned with a dashing run by Hubbard and a neat pass to Clarke, who continued the charge forward and with a dipping shot which snuck under the g/k’s grasp heading towards goal.  A fleet-footed Teegan Gordon toe-poking the ball into the net from close range in front of the desperately retreating defenders to open the scoring.  

What followed was eight minutes of Blackstone United magic in attack (from the 23rd to the 31st minutes) as they blitzed a shell-shocked Logan Metro team.  A tantalising cross from Nikki Hubbard is met with a great header by Tamara Clarke for the 2nd goal. A wonderful through ball by Rachel Niven allows Nikki Hubbard to burn off the defenders and score after a 1 v 1 with the g/k.  

Another cracking shot from Hubbard brings a great save from Robinah Modong, but the rebound falls to Bianca Hubbard, who deftly chips the ball over the g/k and the defenders on the line for the 4th goal. Tamara Clarke returns to the fray and cuts out a defensive pass, and after a settling touch, shoots accurately from 25 metres out on a slight angle for the 5th goal. The 6th goal, and arguably one of ‘the goals of the season’ comes about after a corner by Teegan Gordon on the right comes back to hear from a defensive header and with a quick adjustment to the body, Gordon times a wonderful left-footed volley into the top, fizzing into the far corner of the net. The players and crowd alike, were simply bewildered with the skill and execution of such a marvellous goal.  

The home team coach, Sam Escobar, who spent a large part of this half treating his ‘wounded” players, remained optimistic and continued to praise the effort of his players and remained calm and positive throughout. In doing so, his players kept up their effort and put an end to Blackstone’s purple-patch and began to make attacking forays for the remained ten minutes of the 1st half. In fact, Ariane Uwimana came close with an audacious 35 to 40 metre shot that just missed the mark by a whisker. But the score remained 6-0 to the visitors as both teams went into the half-time break.  

As it was in the first half, both teams played frantic football, positive end to end action, until another 15 minute period (50th – 64th mins) where Blackstone went on another scoring spree. Goals to Nikki Hubbard, Cassandra Mohr, and two more to Nikki Hubbard, extended the score to 10-0. As the saying goes, “When you’re on a roll … it just keeps on going and you cannot put a foot wrong!”  

Finally, Robinah Modong scores a spectacular long range effort that bounces over the  

Blackstone g/k for Logan Metro’s 1st goal and a reward for their never-give-up attitude.  

Within the final minutes of the end of this match, it is quite fitting that, ‘player of the match’, Nikki Hubbard, rose high above the crowd of players in the penalty box and headed home a cross from Cara Tucker for Blackstone’s 11th goal.  It was one of those days when nothing could go wrong for the visiting, Blackstone United girls.  

Both coaches should be congratulated on their positive and encouraging manner throughout the day. The referee, David de Ryck, had an outstanding game with use of common sense, care for the players and wise judgment in dealing with the undulating emotions of players throughout the match. Nothing beats years of experience in refereeing, coaching, in the workplace, etc. For many of the up and coming referees, might be wise to heed the words of the likes of the Referees inspectors and advisers: Gordon, Don, Werner, et al and actually take note of their wise counsel. In the not so distant past, it was called ‘an apprenticeship’!!!  

Senior Men’s Div.1 – Rd.4 on Sat. 16th May 2015  


SM1 Weekly Round Up  

St Paul’s continued their charge with a tough 2-0 victory against a worthy opponent in North Pine Baptist.  

Blackstone United continue their goal-scoring spree from last week to win 6-1 against close rivals, Whitehill.  

Westminster Warriors edged out Mansfield Eagles 2-1 in another tight encounter for the home club.  

The Latin Golden Boys celebrated their first victory of the season in their first year of playing QCSA football with a tight 2-1 win over Logan Metro.  

Sunnybank Saints hosted Brisbane Athletic in a mouth-watering encounter that was worthy of a grand-final. The game went down to the wire and Brisbane Athletic snuck home with the points 3-1 in a late rally. Both these teams are in a rebuilding stage, with the potential of greater improvement as the season progresses. The exciting part of all this is that the competition is one of the closest in many years and there are no easy games!  


Match of the Day  

Sunnybank Saints 1 v Brisbane Athletic 3 (H/T: 0-0)  
Ref: Ross Donaldson  
Asst Referees: Ivan Horsey & Calvin Lewis  
Coaches: Keith Broome (Sunnybank Saints) & Carlos Ferreira (Bris. Athletic)  

This game was billed as the ‘Match of the Round’ and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Both teams have been assembled this year with the home team from scratch, whereas the Athletic boys have changed some of their personnel from last season and are slowly tweaking the best combinations.  

The game was fast and furious from the outset with contrasting styles of football, yet, such a fascinating match up with no less than 10 different nationalities represented on the park! The home team came out with a 1-4-2-3-1 formation, similar to the set-up of our national men’s team, the Socceroos. The typical Brazilian 1-4-4-2 was clearly evident on the team wearing Portugal’s red-green arrangement. Both coaches were instrumental in their team’s structure and maintaining their positional play. The Saints played out from the back as there were only two strikers ahead of them and generally built up play until they hit the congested midfield where the mass number of opposition players did not allow them to progress any further. On the other hand, there was no nonsense from the Athletic backline, as the directions from the bench were to move the ball forward quickly, in effect, play the counter-attacking game.  

The game was definitely on a knife’s edge throughout the first half, and the anxiety was evident on the park and on the benches as well. In the 15th min, after a long lay-off from the game, Carllo Castriotta produced a blistering free-kick from out wide and 30 metre out, that whizzed between the g/k and defenders agonisingly close to one of the Athletic strikers. The Athletic boys were pushing their defensive line high and a couple of tight calls of offside (albeit correctly called) had the Saints almost through one on one with the Athletic’s g/k.  

In the 23rd, 26th and 27th minutes, the Saints are provided opportunities through free kicks in the middle third of the park through over-aggressive challenges. Dan Discombe steps up to take them and on each occasion sends well weighted crosses but are cleared by the disciplined Athletic defensive line with headers out of the danger zone.  

The first clear opportunity falls to the Saints through Fabrizio Lallai as he runs on to a great through ball by Gary McSweeney in the 30th minute but he is put off slightly by a challenge by Marcelo Fagali and his shot bobbles wide of the uprights.  

In the 34th minute, in a typical one touch passing movement, the Athletic boys have an opportunity from 25 metres out as Castriotta rifles a powerful shot just wide with the g/k glad to see the ball sneak over the bar.  

A couple of minutes later, the action is at the other end as another long free-kick from Discombe finds Yonathon Qunitero whose strong header downwards towards the goal is intercepted by his teammate James Baker. With his back to goal he flicks it back to Quintero whose volley grazes the wrong side of the post and the scores remain level. The pressure is relentless and the intense atmosphere is definitely evident in each of the coaching boxes.  

In the 43rd minute, Saints counter-attack and Danijel Tosovic hits a great shot, but, just goes wide again. With half-time imminent, the hard-working and creative Murilo Gomes dribbled past a number of defenders but was disposed as he was about to shoot from inside the penalty box.  

All in all a pulsating first half with two cagey coaches, Keith Broome and Carlos Ferreira, playing a game of chess, with the outstanding array of talent on show.  

Moments from the start of the 2nd half, James Baker is upended just outside the penalty box on the right side of the goals. Dan Discombe’s shot is cleared away by tide of red jerseys in the wall.  

The next five minutes is brought alight with some wonderful wizardry on the left wing by Athletic’s Leonardo Felix. Beautiful dribbling skills and ball techniques creates some concern on Sunnybank’s right flank. With all the focus on Leonardo, Carrlo Castriotta finds Leonardo in the central attacking position. A deft turn with the ball and lightning speed to elude the line of defenders, he is eventually bundled over about 25 metres out from goal on a slight angle. Murilo Gomes sizes up his options and bends the ball magnificently down low to the g/k’s left and into the net. Athletic are 1-0 up!  
The next quarter of an hour is highlighted by desperate defending as both teams go all-out attack!!!  

Wave after wave, end to end action is the result of the passion shown by both coaches on the sidelines and their masterful use of the interchange benches. There are many one on one physical battles in midfield and the spectators are treated to a gladiatorial contest.  Murilo Gomes (Brisbane Athletic) and James Baker (Saints) are the lynch-pins in attack and are in the thick of it at either end.  

Disaster befalls the visitors as an inswinging corner by a Saints player slips through the grasp of Simon Moir (who had been on his game until now) and finds a more than grateful Gary McSweeney to tap the ball into the net from a metre out. Would the Athletic boys drop their heads after this???  

To the contrary, the game continued with end to end attacking forays with McSweeney orchestrating from the heart of Sunnybank’s midfield, and Castriotta doing the same for the visitors.  

In the action again, Carllo Castriotta releases the livewire Leonardo in the 75th minute but his shot squirts just wide again. A minute later it’s Dan Discombe’s turn to shoot at goal, and with a deft back heel from Danijel Tosovic, sends Simon Moir the wrong way, but, the ball trickles wide again.  

A piece of Brisbane Athletic brilliance in the 82nd minute breaks the deadlock again and it’s 2-1 to Athletic. A quick one-touch interchange of passes from Marcelo Fagali, Murilo Gomes, Marcos Bohn and then Murilo again, with a deft toe-poke past the sprawling Sunnybank g/k, Amjad Alkharsan. Simply brilliant and the defenders could only stand and watch!!! With the Saints pushing for an equaliser, the Athletic team threaten in the 89th minute through a powerful shot from Murilo again. The g/k does well to parry away but the rebound ends with Marcos Bohn. He passes to Luis De Carvalho who blasts the ball home from close range to finish of the match with a 3-1 score-line to Athletic.  

There aren’t too many games of this standard, in any form of football competition. For those who saw it, you have been blessed to witness this spectacle. Credit must be extended to the 30 players who contributed to this wonderful exhibition of football, to their coaches and support staff, and to the three men who officiated.  

The referees were outstanding, with Ross Donaldson guiding the players from the middle and ably supported by Ivan and Calvin on the sidelines. Experience is invaluable as the game produced a fantastic spectacle not ruined by some over officious whistle-blower. Listening to Craig Foster talking about the players on show in the A-League Grand Final, he was adamant that all the starting players are experienced players who can handle their emotions in such big occasions. The referees go through the same pressure and emotions and it is paramount to have the best and most experienced referees handling some of the top games in our association.