Match of the Round
Terrigal 2 – 5 Southern & Ettalong
Southern & Ettalong travelled to Duffys Road for their clash with last year’s Premiers Terrigal knowing that it was going to be a tough challenge, but they needed to bounce back from the loss to Berkeley the week before.
An important inclusion into the side was the irrepressible Keith Gumbs who missed the clash with the Wombats the previous week.
The game looked evenly set for the first 15 minutes as both teams created good chances early on, with Terrigal missing a clear-cut chance early in the contest.
Southern best chances came through Charlie Polson and Keith Gumbs but were denied by a scrambling defence from the O’lads.
However, in the 39th minute, Southern took the lead after a good sequence of passing between Ryan Brown and Keith Gumbs unlocked the Terrigal defence and Gumbs clinically finished to give the Lions the lead.
Right on half time, Gumbs made it 2-0 when he latched onto a through ball from Central defender Wyatt Elliott to round the Terrigal keeper and slot the ball away to go into the break with a well-deserved 2-0 lead.
Terrigal started the second half a little better but once again were caught on the break and committed a foul on Calvin Edwards in the box to give Southern Ettalong a chance to go 3-0 up.
It also gave the almighty Keith Gumbs the opportunity to register a hat-trick and he didn’t disappoint with a well-taken spot kick into the corner of the net.
Terrigal managed to pull one back through Aidan Bastick who found the back of the net after a scramble in the box.
But again, it was Calvin Edwards that created the chance for Southern to again go three goals clear of the reigning Premiers when he rounded the Terrigal defence and found Matt Caisley unmarked on the back post to make it 4-1 in the 80th minute.
Terrigal was able to again bounce back in the 83rd minute when Max Vegter scored a header from a long throw into the sun that blinded the Southern defence and debutant goalkeeper Cameron Moore to make it 4-2.
Just before the final whistle, Southern continued to put the Terrigal defence under pressure and again they were rewarded when Terrigal’s day was summed up when a back pass bounced over their keeper’s foot, resulting in an own goal to make the final score 5-2.
“I was impressed with our commitment and attitude for the entire 90 minutes, the positivity of our attack and the pressure we continually put on Terrigal all over the park,” commented Southern’s Dale Eggleton.
Dale also stated, “Special mention to Cameron Moore for his debut in goals for the side with a solid performance, Charlie Polson for a different positional change he had to play and Jacob Lepre who didn’t know would be fit to play until just before kick-off.”
Terrigal coach Pete Edwards admitted his side were merely just not good enough on Sunday. “Terrible showing from us. We simply were not at the races today. Credit to Southern for being clinical in their finishing.”
Pete went on to add, “Overall I’m more disappointed with the decision-making and overall effort from my players but we will work hard to address keys areas of the game before next week’s game to make sure we can bounce back and produce the form and quality we know we are capable of playing.”
Match Official – Hugo Fonseca
Killarney 7 – 0 The Entrance
The first instalment of the local derby between Killarney and the Entrance this year took place this past Sunday as the reigning champions would dominate their rivals and send themselves into first place with a emphatic 7-0 win.
Killarney got off to a perfect start and within the opening 6 minutes, they would have a 2-0 lead thanks to a brace by the clinical Andy Klijn who got both his goal from good team play that led to a cross in the box.
For the rest of the half Killarney continued to control the tempo but were denied any further goals thanks to good defending and goalkeeping from the Entrance.
The Terriers started the second half almost identical to the first as they were able to find their next goal after just 4 minutes of play resuming.
Ethan Hall was able to find himself on the end of a cross as he made no mistake of the opportunity to extend Killarney’s lead to 3-0.
Blake Silvers was next on the scoresheet as he powered home a shot from just inside the box to mark Killarney’s fourth goal of the day and his first goal of the season.
Veteran Tim Knight was injected into the game off the bench in the 55th minute as he was able to score not once, but three times to record a late second-half hattrick to round out Killarney’s impressive 7-0 win.
“It was a pleasing win with not conceding a goal also a big positive. On to next week where Kanwal will be extremely hard,” voiced Chris Ackerley post-game.
Match Official – Jason Blackwood
Kanwal 3 – 3 Woy Woy
Entering round 5 on top of the MPL ladder, Kanwal was looking to build on their hot start to the season as their opponents entered the contest at the bottom of the ladder with zero points next to their name.
After a very ordinary performance last week against the Entrance, Woy Woy looked to put that behind them and after a bubbly start, a defensive lapse saw the Roosters bring down Logan Moore inside their box as Kanwal were awarded a penalty.
James Scott stepped up for his side and converted to give his side a 1-0 lead and secure his third straight match with a goal.
Woy Woy slowly worked their way back into the game and after 20 minutes they were awarded a penalty of their own as Nathan Baker made no mistake from the spot and gave his side a crucial equaliser.
Conceding from a penalty seemed to spur Kanwal into action and within 5 minutes Rory Rizzi would feed a lovely ball into Logan Moore who finished nicely into the bottom left corner to reinstate the Bull’s lead to 2-1.
Kanwal would continue to dominate possession for most of the first half, but just couldn’t convert their chances until just before halftime.
Some excellent build-up play saw the ball played to Brad Porter who gave the opposition keeper no chance with a well-taken strike which saw Kanwal head into the break with a comfortable 3-1 lead.
Kanwal would be its own worst enemy in the second half, with Kanwal Keeper Kurtis Mahon giving away a penalty within a few minutes of restarting and compounding the problem by getting himself sent off.
Again, Nathan Baker would convert the penalty as Woy Woy also gained some momentum with Kanwal now having to finish the game with just 10 men.
Their advantage was rewarded in the 65th minute with a Woy Woy cross being nicely finished by Matthew Jacobsen to make the score 3-3 with plenty of time still left on the clock.
Not to be deterred, Kanwal would once again lift and create a number of good chances but all were wasted. There would be another twist to the game in the 81st minute with Woy Woy also being reduced to 10 men.
It was an entertaining last ten minutes, with credit to both sides who went all out for the win. Kanwal again creating a few chances which were all wasted, but the best chance fell to Woy Woy and fortunate for Kanwal their replacement keeper Ash Wilson would make a great one-on-one save to ensure the game ended in a 3-3 draw.
Kanwal coach Ryan Walker was extremely frustrated after the game. “You cannot let a 3-1 lead slip from poor discipline.”
“Again, I was happy with the number of chances we are creating but we need to start increasing our conversion rate. The number of missed chances is worrying and may hurt us in the next few weeks. Good Luck to Woy Woy, they never gave up and could have stolen the win right at the end.”
Neal Morris from Woy Woy was happy with how his team bounced back from last weekend’s disappointing result. “Once again, we showed that at our best, we can match it with any team. I was very pleased we turned our game around from our ordinary performance the week before and everyone played their part for the result.”
Match Official – Trent Dickeson
Avoca 0 – 0 Wyoming
Two teams looking for their second win of the year, Avoca and Wyoming met this past Sunday in a fixture that was more entraining than the scoreline suggests.
The opening 45 minutes saw few chances present themselves for either side. The best goal-scoring opportunities would come for Avoca who almost took the lead via two headers, but Wyoming’s defence and goalkeeper were able to thwart away any chances as the sides went into the break level at 0-0,
The second half saw Avoca control the bulk of possession as they were camped in the Tiger’s half for the majority of the second half.
Wyoming struggled immensely with the ball and getting their foot in the game and if it wasn’t for their back five including goalkeeper Tom Coventry, the Tigers would have left Erina High School with nothing to their name.
Once again Avoca could not convert on numerous half-chances as they would leave disappointed with only one point to their name.
Wyoming coach Ian McAndrew stated that his team weren’t at their best today and had high plaudits for Avoca who he thinks will beat a lot of teams if they can perform like they did this past Sunday.
“It was not a great game from us today, we were far by the second-best team but defended really well and held Avoca out. I have to say my back five including Tommy were the best players on the park. Credit to Avoca, if they play like that week in and week out, they will win a lot of games this year.”
Neal Hide declared his team were unhappy with not picking up the win and voiced that when they start converting their chances, they will be a major threat to the rest of the competition.
“Avoca were very disappointed to only draw but credit to Wyoming, they defended with great resolve and determination. Avoca continues to improve and when they start converting their chances, will be a match for any team.”
Match Official – Laura Hockings
Berkeley Vale 3 – 2 East Gosford
Having worked hard all week, East Gosford visited Mingara Oval full of confidence together as the line-up saw some forced changes as the Rams were chasing their first win against another tough opponent in Berkeley Vale.
The game started at a fast pace with the game moving from end to end. The majority of the opening in the match was played around the midfield area as East Gosford took the lead following some great work down the left wing which ended with a cutback in the box and a side-foot finish that saw them go 1-0 up thanks to Ciaran Simmons.
Berkely Vale looked determined to find an equaliser but was frustrated by some great midfield work. However, the Wombats got their goal when a ball just outside the box took a nasty deflection sending the keeper the wrong way to take the game to 1-1.
Not to be deterred, East Gosford continued to create from midfield and apply pressure when after some brilliant work from Ciaran Simmons who fought to win the ball from two players, he then cut across the outside of the box, lifted his head and guided the ball into the top corner to reinstate East Gosford’s lead to 2-1 where it stayed heading into the break.
The second half started the same as the first and was being played at a great pace. Both teams continued to make opportunities as they searched for that next important goal.
Similar to the first goal East Gosford conceded, a ball was played wide to the left by a Berkeley attacker who ran into the box and played a good ball across the face of the goal which was scrambled in to take them back on level terms again.
From that point, both teams went looking for the win with some great attacking football but with half-chances being missed by both sides the game looked to be heading for a draw.
With the last kick of the game, Berkely Vale drifted a ball into the box from a free kick and it was headed over an advancing keeper as the Wombats would secure all three points with a 3-2 victory.
“East Gosford will pick up points shortly because they are a much better team than where they currently sit on the table,” voiced Berkeley Vale’s Mark Pratt when reflecting on the game.
Ricky Sansom, despite leaving empty-handed, had nothing but high praise for his side after the ninety minutes. “I couldn’t be prouder of my team who to be fair matched an experienced team and deserved to get something out of the game and quite rightly was devastated.”
Ricky also added, “Congratulations though to Berkeley Vale for the win in what was a great game to watch played at a fast pace and in great spirit. We know we are close, and it will come as each week we learn more about playing at this level.”
Match Official – Christopher Robinson
Golden Boot Standings –
| 5 | Keith Gumbs (Southern), Tim Knight (Killarney) |
| 4 | Matt Caisley (Southern), Logan Moore (Kanwal), Jakeb Brownlow (Berkeley Vale) |
| 3 | Jacob Lepre (Southern), Ben Flakus (Terrigal), Cooper Ebrington (Avoca), Nathan Baker (Woy Woy), Andy Klijn (Killarney), Brad Porter (Kanwal) |
Points Table –
Club Championship –
DIVISION 1
Round 5 Results –
Points Table –
Club Championship –
