Match of the Round
Avoca 2 – 6 Terrigal
Five unanswered goals in the second half of the round 3 match of the round saw Terrigal come from behind to claim all three points and finish the weekend on top of the MPL ladder.
It was a very even start to the Derby with both teams feeling each other out. Terrigal started the game sitting off deep in their own half, looking to play on the counterattack and inviting Avoca to push players forward.
An innocuous foul outside the box about 15 minutes into the game, Terrigal caught Avoca off guard while setting up their wall, with Dean Heffernan bending the ball into the bottom left-hand side of the goal.
Avoca responded well, however, and grabbed their equaliser 10 minutes later after some nice build up put Tyler Wade through 1 on 1, who finished well to the right side of the keeper.
A confident Avoca would continue to carry most of the momentum in the first half and went ahead shortly before the break as Mitch Moody cut in onto his left foot on the far-right side of the pitch to find the net just inside of the left post to give his side a 2-1 lead at halftime.
The second half would prove a different game altogether as Terrigal came out firing in the second period. Just 5 minutes into the half, Kai Forshaw hit a bomb from long range to take the game back on level terms and set the tempo for the rest of the match.
Terrigal would then go ahead for the second time in the game just a few moments later after some great work tracking back from James Lee allowed Terrigal to counter with Haydn Harris finishing the play by smashing the ball into the net.
A few impact substitutions lifted the intensity even more for Terrigal and a quick attack allowed Haydn Harris to slot his second of the evening and double his sides lead.
With less than 10 minutes remaining, Mahkye Brownlie showed his skill to volley back across the keeper making it 5-2. Terrigal continued to attack and man of the match Kai Forshaw grabbed his second goal to make it 6-2 and a thumping Derby win to the O’lads.
“Credit to Terrigal for the way they responded in the second half of the game. They had us on the ropes and took full advantage of it. Well done,” voiced Avoca’s Joel Cangy.
Match Official – Trent Dickeson
Berkeley Vale 1 – 0 Kanwal
These two sides have a long history of extremely competitive and tight affairs and last Saturday was no different as only one goal was the difference in this fixture as Berkeley Vale continue their unbeaten start to the year.
Both sides started the game well and as anticipated Berkeley would dominate possession for large parts of the first half.
The bulk of the chances in the first half would fall to Berkeley but the Kanwal defence was up to the task and their determination and hard work denied Berkeley from opening the scoring.
It took until almost the half hour mark for the first goal of the game, and it was a penalty awarded to Berkeley that was converted by Jakeb Brownlow, but the Kanwal goalkeeper Kurtis Mahon was desperately unlucky not to pull off a great save.
Kanwal had a few half chances with their best opportunity of the opening period falling to Mason Lavery in the 39th minute but his well hit shot just sailed wide as the Wombats entered the half time break with a 1-0 lead.
Kanwal had an early chance in the second half when a Rory Rizzi shot was parried by the keeper who recovered just in time before Logan Moore could pounce on the dropped ball.
Kanwal would be rewarded with a penalty of their own in the 70th minute and Mason Lavery stepped up, however the Berkeley keeper Steven Grimmitt picked the right way and made a comfortable save.
Both teams would create a number of chances in the last 20 mins but both defences we able to nullify each attack.
A day of penalties saw Berkley awarded another in the 87th minute but this time the Kanwal keeper was able to pull off a great save, denying Jakeb Brownlow a second goal of the night.
Kanwal would get the last chance of the game but once again failed to convert from a Jason Cozens free kick that was placed wide as the full-time whistle sounded and all three points were awarded to Berkeley Vale.
“One team wanted to play football with the ball and one team was happy to play without it,” voiced Mark Pratt when reflecting on the win.
Coach Ryan Walker felt that if his team was more clinical they could have salvage something from the fixture. “Congratulations to Berkeley on their win and their good job nullifying our counter attacks. As for my boys, I am very happy with the way they played.
“We pride ourselves on our ability to turn up for one another and our scramble defence was exceptional; and to concede only a penalty is a good effort against a team like Berkeley with their attacking threats. On another day if we took our chances, especially in the second half we could have come out with a result.”
Match Official – Dylan Watson
Southern & Ettalong 3 – 3 Woongarrah
A beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon set the scene at The Den for the much-anticipated game between SEUFC and Woongarrah as the Wildcats let a 3-0 lead slip against a determined Lions side who fought until the very end.
Woongarrah after their opening round result were looking at getting back on track with their much talked about playing roster. The opening 10 minutes was played between the 18-yad boxes with both teams forced to take shots from distance in the early stages.
The Lions defence held strong for the first 26 minutes however it was Woongarrah with the majority of the momentum early in the contest.
The Lions threatened on occasions and reminded the Wildcats defence they needed to be aware of their attacking prowess for the full 90+ minutes throughout the afternoon.
It was Woongarrah who would get a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute when a long ball down the centre of the park was misread by the Lions defence which allowed Ashley Henderson to pick up the loose ball and create a one-on-one with the Lions keeper, making no mistake with a quality finish.
Woongarrah’s confidence grew and continued to pressure the Lions defence and were rewarded in the 38th minute when Jamie Witherspoon found himself unmarked on the right flank and received the ball in the box and slotted a composed finish to take the Wildcats to a 2-0 lead.
The Lions despite being down by two, started to get some better-quality possession and knew they needed to be next to score.
As the Lions pushed forwarded for their opening goal it would be Woongarrah that would put the Lions on the back foot when they would take a 3-0 first half lead in the 44th minute when Ashley Henderson carried the ball into the box and was brought to the ground by the Lions keeper.
Matthew Lewis opened his account for the season making no mistake with the spot kick, firing it into the top corner of the net.
Now down by three, the Lions from the kick off continued to push forward for their opening goal and were rewarded when Sam Webb drove into the box and was brought down by the Woongarrah keeper in the 45+ minute with Danny Horstead pointing to the spot for a second time.
Jacob Lepre stepped up, slamming a strong spot kick into the back of the net as they heading to the sheds at half time with Woongarrah leading 3-1.
Similar to the first half, Woongarrah started the better of the two sides, creating the more chances. The Wildcats failed to convert their opportunities into goals and as the second half went on and match fitness started to creep in.
Both teams traded attacking raids with both defensive lines holding strong. With the game being played at a frenetic pace box to box both, coaches looked to their bench and introduced fresh players into the game.
The Lions continued to chase the game and were rewarded in the 80th minute when Jack Elwood found some space in the Wildcats box with a good first touch, Ellwood turned and shot the ball with power into the back of the net.
The game entered injury time and after a probing run and pass from Jacob Lepre, a hand ball was conceded just outside the Wildcats box.
Jacob Lepre and Todd Balneaves both stood tall over the ball, and it was Jacob Lepre who would strike with precision inside the post to complete a spirited comeback to bring the score level at 3-3.
With still three minutes of injury time remaining both teams pushed hard right to end and but ultimately the points were shared in an exciting contest between two title contenders.
Southern’s fill-in head coach Augusto Terra was delighted with his teams comeback. “I’m very proud of our playing group. To come back from a 3 -0 deficit shows a lot of character.”
“At half time we felt that being 3 -1 down wasn’t necessarily a true reflective of the half, with a defensive error and a penalty decision that didn’t go our way, whilst we were far from our best, we knew with a few structural tweaks we could improve in the second half, and we did.”
“We have depth in our squad this season and picking teams each week is a difficult task and we will continue to introduce new players and combinations over the coming weeks.”
Terra also extended his gratitude to the opposition, “I would like to thank Luke and his new team for a high-quality game and I’m certain our return fixture at Woongarrah will be another high quality game.”
Wildcats head coach Luke Rogers also spoke post-match, voicing his contentment with how his team showed up after their opening loss. “Happy with how the boys responded after our round 1 defeat.”
“We controlled the game until about 20 to go until fatigue set in, then we started to make silly mistakes on and off the ball that let Southern back into the contest and full credit to them for snatching a draw. We need to build off that now and turn it into a full game performance.”
Match Official – Danny Horstead
Woy Woy 1 – 2 Killarney
Woy Woy failed hold on to their lead and record back-to-back victories as Killarney got their season underway with a gutsy and hard-fought comeback away from home.
It was a day to forget last year for the Terriers when they made the trip down south to Austin Butler Oval and failed to record a win in any grade despite Woy Woy fighting for their lives in a relegation battle.
The opening of this fixture saw Woy Woy working hard in defence to break down the Killarney build-up play, win the ball and work it into areas to create goal scoring opportunities.
Unfortunately, after 12 minutes, injury forced Woy Woy’s firebrand winger, Brady Holmes from the pitch, only to be followed 15 minutes later by another first half substitution.
The two teams traded goal scoring opportunities until the breakthrough goal when Matt Henderson-Brooks dinked a pass from the midfield over the top of a high Killarney defensive line to the top of the box with Jayke Browne slotting the ball into the goal with a silky first touch shot.
The second period saw Killarney make three changes just 10 minutes into the half as the Terriers looked to apply more attacking pressure on the tiring Woy Woy backline.
Killarney’s first goal came with a ball worked down the right channel and a cross into the top of the box. There was a battle for the ball with Killarney picking it up and lifting it to the far post for Nathan Baxter to put away.
Killarney’s second goal came 5 minutes later. While putting Woy Woy under immense pressure, Killarney worked the ball into the box and provided a neat pass across the 6-yard area for Ryan Gibson to guide it into the net.
The game again settled into a tussle with Woy Woy looking to counter and score the equaliser with one of their attempts even skimming the crossbar. However, Killarney were able to lock down the game and see out the fixture to take the win.
Killarney’s Chris Ackerley voiced his satisfaction as he now focuses on another tough encounter this weekend. “Pleasing to get the win and get the points. Big game next Saturday, grand final replay against Terrigal who have started the season well.”
“It’s always an engaging challenge taking on Killarney Vale,” stated Woy Woy’s Shaun Macey.
“We learned a lot today about where our game currently sits against a quality team, and we will continue to implement and progress the positive aspects of our play. We wish the best of luck to Chris and his squad and look forward to the return fixture.”
Match Official – Jasper White
East Gosford 1 – 2 Budgewoi
Despite being one of the two newly promoted teams into MPL this season, Budgewoi finished the weekend as the only club with a perfect winning record in all three grades after the opening two rounds, coming from behind in First Grade against the Rams in an extremely close contest.
The game commenced with a palpable intensity, as both teams engaged in a high-tempo exchange, carefully assessing each other’s tactics. Early attacks and solid defensive plays characterised the tightly contested match.
The home side East Gosford opened the scoring early with a well taken free kick in the 25th minute to Flynn Cosgrove who was also making his first-grade debut for the Rams.
As expected, Budgewoi would rally strong and hard after conceding and East Gosford’s lead was short lived with Budgewoi finding an equaliser in the 29th minute after Josh Swadling was placed on the end of a ball across the box and the winger made no mistake in front of an open goal.
After the second goal of the match, both teams had well and truly settled into the game, but the intensity was maintained all the way up until the open half concluded and the score remained 1-1.
The second period started no different to the first as both teams threw everything at each other trying to gain the upper hand.
60 minutes into the contest, East Gosford thought they had found another go ahead goal after a wayward corner saw the ball delivered back into the crowded box which was turned in by an East Gosford players only for his celebrations to be short lived as the assistant refereed signalled for offside.
Just moments later an under hit back pass from a Rams defender to his keeper was swarmed down by Ty Warby as he blocked the clearance which fell directly in front of his path into an open net as Warby calmly finished to give his side a crucial 2-1 lead.
Down but not out, East Gosford lifted and threw everything at the Budgewoi in the hopes of finding an equaliser.
Both teams kept battling all the way until the final whistle as some fantastic attacking football was met by even better defensive work shown by the two clubs as the score finished 2-1 in favour of Budgewoi.
“It was a tough win for us today,” stated Hayden Appo. “We had to show some character on arguably the largest pitch on the coast. The game was end to end with both teams playing strong attacking football.”
“Troy and his staff have a talented bunch of young lads onboard and we were very grateful for the win today,” added Appo.
Match Official – Preston Lorusso
Golden Boot Standings –
| 2 | Joshua Swadling (Budgewoi), Ty Warby (Budgewoi), Jakeb Brownlow (Berkeley Vale), Jayke Browne (Woy Woy), Dylan Watson (Avoca), Mitchell Moody (Avoca), Tyler Wade (Avoca), Logan Moore (Kanwal), Haydn Harris (Terrigal), Kai Forshaw (Terrigal), Jacob Lepre (Southern & Ettalong), Jack Ellwood (Southern & Ettalong) |
Points Table –
Club Championship –
Division 1
Round 3 Results –
Points Table –
Club Championship –
