U16A
Never underestimate the value of psychology.
…pitch side … 10 minutes before kickoff …. nine players absent through injury, sickness, suspension, a wedding, overseas … half the players with cough’s and sniffles ….
“There are only 8 of you today boys …. so… just have some fun, treat it like training .”
How to set them up? What instructions to give? Never done this before … oh, wait …its kind of like 7-a-side ‘cept on a big pitch …OK.
Lets try this: 1-2-3-2 …stay compact in the middle, give them the outside lanes, play the ball long and wide at every chance to the pacy strikers. The keeper’s the sweeper …
Strathdale must have thought they had died and gone to heaven when their coach counted & realized we only had eight on the park…and then scored the first goal after 10 minutes. Easy…
Except Castlemaine were enjoying themselves, playing neat little triangles, letting the ball do the work, supporting each other.
Michael & Owen were outstanding at the back, intercepting, harrying, calmly playing out – Mick communicating brilliantly with his defenders.
Spencer & Rainer K. wide and Kaspar in the middle were dropping back to support, and then pushing up with the ball. Kaspar continuously finding space to turn and run, or lay the ball off long to the strikers…
And then Eli broke through in the middle against a high line, 1v1 with the keeper and slotted it home…1-1… really? Maybe we could compete against 11 players? This IS fun…
Ten minutes later and the wide ball found Eli breaking in again, driving through from the right, firing a powerful shot inside the near post which the keeper parried, ball spinning and…parried again into his own net…2-1!!!???? Leading at half time…what?
The Strath players were stunned, nervous, anxious.
In their hurry to try to equalize Strath were shooting from outside the box, playing long balls desperately through … but Sam was in complete command in goal! Sweeping up long balls behind his defence, casually beating the strikers and dribbling out of the box, parrying shots wide of the post or onto the bar or playing it long to the strikers – he was brilliant.
The Strath keeper was also playing up close to the edge of his 18-yard box, trying to match Sam’s sweeping style, but it proved to be Strath’s ultimate downfall.
The 2nd half began with the Maine in control, but tiring rapidly and the ball over the top was the smart play in this kind of game.
With instructions to lob the keeper and James too quick for his defenders, he brilliantly struck the 3rd goal from a half chance on his left foot, spotting the keeper off his line and firing over him from 30 yards out to make it 3-1 up!!
Maine were tiring visibly and this sparked Strath into life. A goalmouth scramble from a corner made it 3-2, and with 18 minutes to go tired defending resulted in a 12-yard equalizer, 3-3.
Strath had all the momentum but not enough patience to break through, even as Maine reorganized with Mick pushing into midfield and Eli dropping into centre-back.
Desperate tackling, crucial interceptions, good fortune, offside flags – all came to Castlemaine’s aid in those last minutes.
With 90 seconds to go a long ball just short of half way was deliberately handled by a Strath defender. With the referees arm staying down, a quick “look up” call saw Eli glance at the Strath keeper off his line, nonchalantly place the ball as if to play wide and then drive the ball 50m over the desperately back-pedalling keeper … who could only parry it over his head into the net!!!
The ensuing scrum of eight bodies on the ground will never be forgotten, and when the referee blew time from the kickoff the 16s had won their 2nd game of the season in EXTRAORDINARY fashion!!
A coach has never been so proud of his players.
You’ve got to love this game …….
U12B
Castlemaine faced a determined Golden City at home in a match of two distinct halves. The first half saw the Mainers move the ball quickly through midfield to the feet of the forwards; by half time Himal, Hugh and Miro had found the net while Obie, Monty and Kane kept City’s attackers far from Henry in goal.
The second half saw City decide to pack the box with ten defenders. Sam and Remy took complete control of midfield, Henry made the right wing his own, but their strikers struggled to find time and space in a thick forest of white shirts. Shots were taken too late or straight at the keeper; Fionn, alone, scored with a firm deflected shot. Elouise and Pegs pressed City whenever they gained possession while Daniel beguiled City with his sorcery.
Though frustrated by City’s tactics, Maine showed plenty of verve and creativity in attack. Earning a well-deserved three points, the Mainiacs tightened their grip on the Championship title with ten wins from ten starts.
Castlemaine defeated Golden City Rams, 5 – 0.
Goal-scorers: Himal (2), Hugh (1), Miro (1) and Fionn (1).
U10
Just as the Swift Parrot, Lathamus discolor, is preparing to wing its way from the local bush back to Tasmania, its Goldfields FC namesakes face their own Bass Strait at the end of a long season.
All right, that’s a tad over the top, but with a big derby to come as well as games against the top Spring Gully sides, the U10 Swift Parrots, aka Castlemaine Green, still have the task ahead of them.
In the meantime, the Swifties did just enough to win their home game against the Epsom Scorpions, who proved a disciplined if defensive outfit. The game’s single goal resulted from a free kick, very well taken by Monte and tapped in by Ciaran.
Swifties of the Match: Jack and Dimitri.
