Match Reports - April 09
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28/04/09: U15s Round 6 - Southern NSW Vs Northern Tigers
27/04/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Eastern Suburbs - 26 April
23/04/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Gladesville-Hornsby - 19 April
21/04/09: U15s Round 5 - Northern Tigers vs Granville Rage
08/04/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Vs Blacktown - 05 April
07/04/09: U15s Round 4 - Northern Tigers vs PCYC Parramatta
28/04/09: U15s Round 6 - Southern NSW Vs Northern Tigers
Thanks to James and Robert for staying back to support the U15's.
Match Report: First Half:
SNSW took the kick off and tried to land an early goal from a set move, but we were quick to respond and closed down the attack. Our stronghold of Hatzi, Kai, Jack and Sameer always looked in control, winning high balls and feeding the midfield. Our midfield of Taka, Michael, Pliskin and Dog Man were creating some good options with Millsy and Dela upfront. We looked in control of the game and strung together some good passing moves and attacks on goal that won us several free kicks around the edge of the box.
TV came on and was involved straight away, using his agile skills to get around his player. TV made a great break and pushed the ball out wide to Dela who used his pace to streak past his opponents and then lay off a ball across the goal to find Millsy 'the burglar' who is poised on the far post to slot it home and make it 1-0. Zac Hicks entered the field and started harassing the SNSW defence. He always looked dangerous but couldn't get any clear shots on goal.
Second Half:
After a rev up from the coaches at half time we continued playing some good football and were keen to find another goal, which came soon into the half. Michael received a ball in the corner of the park and was immediately under pressure. Michael used his physical strength to get past his opponents with only the 'keeper to beat. His shot is dropped by the 'keeper and Michael still on the ground reached out and slots the ball in at the far post to make it 2-0. What followed can only be described as controversial, with Michael receiving a yellow for his celebration dive and a subsequent yellow (for no apparent reason) and red.
We were down to 10 men and we quickly re-shaped into a defensive formation. We were still in the game when SNSW caught us on the break and managed to slot 1 home to make it 2-1. We were still pushing forward and had a few more chances on goal, but a defensive error resulted in a SNSW player being brought down just outside the area. The Referee who was some distance away ran in and awarded a penalty. Unfortunately an incorrect decision cost us an away win as SNSW equalised from the spot to make it 2-2. We managed to hold out the opposition to the final whistle but a disappointing result for the team.
In summary it was a good team performance with everyone giving their best under the circumstances.
We must learn to be more positive & aggressive in our defensive third of the field, we are too nice to our opposition, which is the reason why we are leaking soft goals late in the game. We need to improve our 'Mental Toughness'.
We were clearly the better team on the day and look forward to the return leg at home.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
27/04/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Eastern Suburbs
- 26 April
The start of the second round in the Northern Conference found us playing Eastern Suburbs at their home ground at Hensley Athletic Field. Our boys played this team as their first official game for the Tigers and went down 1-3, though two of our goals were disallowed due to off-side. The boys have long memories and just because Eastern Suburbs are top of the ladder, they were determined to avenge their previous loss.
From the kick off, their game was more determined than in previous games, and Eastern Suburbs knew that this was a different team to the one they played before. Both teams were playing a tough, no-nonsense brand of football with plenty of push and shove, intertwined with a couple of referee whistles for hard tackling.
And the tough yards paid off around the 15th minute when the ball was quickly played from the left side of the field to the right side and found a sprinting Sean who, whilst being pressured by a defender, put a hard strike into the right side of the net and scored first blood for the Tigers. Sean had been selected from the development squad to assist the team for a couple of games, and not only did he do himself proud, he put the team up a goal as well.
The end of the first half looked a little tense with a number of opportunities given to Eastern Suburbs, however, the whistle blew with the boys protecting their one goal lead.
The second half was a very hard battle. Both sides had opportunities to score, but dogged defense and great goal keeping prevented either side from taking early supremacy. The wind had come up against our boys, which made progress twice as hard as Eastern Suburbs. On numerous occasions all the parents had heart flutters as again and again Eastern Suburbs attacked our half of the field.
With two and a half minutes to go, an opportunity came up the left side which AP took advantage of and sent a shot towards the goal. The Eastern Suburbs goalie knocked the ball away, however, the ever present Cal must have taken his 'cool' pills this morning, as he got control of the bouncing loose ball and turned it into the goal taking the Tigers to a 2 nil lead. By this stage, both teams could read the writing on the wall and the whistle called a halt to proceedings.
A wonderful win by the boys against the top side, which should stand them in a positive frame of mind for the next game. Thanks again the Sean for not only stepping up to the mark, but also making his mark for the team.
Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 11 Metro's
23/04/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Gladesville-Hornsby
- 19 April
As all the 12's were at a tournament, the eight Metro 11 teams were playing their games one after another at Francis No. 2 Park at Blacktown. Our 12 o'clock game this week was against Gladesville-Hornsby. This team has been very successful this season and with three players away from the Tigers, it was going to be a tough ask for the boys. Assistance from Sean from the development squad was gratefully received today. (We look forward to having Sean play with us again next week too.)
The weather was unpredictable as the whistle blew to start the game, and the Tigers were very nervous and tentative in their game which resulted in early raids by Gladesville resulting in close misses and calling on Josh's skills to keep the ball out of the net.
The Tigers slowly started to hit their straps, however, and few good passes by Gladesville saw them draw first blood against us. The Tigers continued through the first half with a lot of attacking raids stopped by good Gladesville defense.
With seconds to go in the first half, Brad had obviously had enough and decided to launch a punishingly hard strike from just outside the penalty box which the poor goalie could not stop, and equalized just before the half time whistle.
The second half started with more enthusiasm from the boys as they started to take it up to Gladesville with a few good through balls, some close strikes and attacking play. Unfortunately, around 10 minutes into the second half, a chip ball from Gladesville put them 2-1 in front.
Undeterred, the boys dug deep and continued to push the Gladesville defense. And finally, after yet another great through ball from Brad, AP was put in a good position and his favoured and ever faithful left boot didn't let him down, equalizing in the 15th minute.
The remainder of the half had opportunities from both sides but with no further success, and the final score of two all continued the run of draws the boys have against their name this season.
A great effort having a few players down, and against a side that, prior to the commencement of the game, was running second on the ladder. Congratulations to all the boys.
Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 11 Metro's
21/04/09: U15s Round 5 - Northern Tigers vs Granville Rage
Firstly, thanks to James, Max, Robert and Morio for staying back to support the U15's.
Congratulations to Dela, Millsy and Pliskin who were selected to sit on the bench for the U18's trial game Vs Manly on Easter Saturday. Whilst they got limited time on the park they played some good football and got a taste of what it is like to play with and against young men who play at a higher more elite level.
On Saturday afternoon I found Millsy loitering around and arranged for him to again sit on the bench for the 18's as we were short a striker and the 16's strikers were injured. Again he was given a run towards the end of the game - unfortunately the 'Burglar' couldn't sneak in like a thief and bag one for us.
Millsy I'll try and give you more warning next time so you don't eat 3 steak sandwiches, drink 2 cans of coke and a bag of red frogs.
NOTE - all players should remember the club's policy and certainly Sylvio's, mine and Dok's (U18's coach) is the development of all players and those who deserve it will be given opportunities such as Dela, Millsy and Pliskin received.
Please note it's important to make yourself available when asked to play for the 16's or 18's and to have an attitude and willingness to play wherever the coach asks you to.
We had three boys backing up for the U16's. A good effort by Zac (GK) who played a full game, Michael scored a goal and Zac Hicks chipped in with an assist also.
Match Report: First Half:
Rage were straight into us from the kick off but their possession was shortlived. We won the ball back and sent Michael charging down the left flank outpacing his opponent. Pliskin, TV and Michael were quickly moving the ball around. Hatzi, Sniper and Skunk were winning loose balls and shutting down any potential threats. We made several breaks from midfield with Pliskin, Dog Man and Millsy combining well and Taka breaking down the right flank.
Shortly into the game Pliskin hits a long range shot that sees their 'keeper back peddling to recover. The ball hits the underside of the crossbar and bounces down in front of Millsy the 'Burglar' who slots it away to make it 1-0. Pliskin and Michael had a few more shots on goal but they were off target or saved by the keeper.
After a defensive build up, Sniper passes the ball to Millsy who lets the ball run through his legs, turns and beats his marker, then lays off a great ball for Zac. Zac on the left side of the 18 yard box runs in and curls the ball over the 'keeper to land the ball in the back of the net and make it 2-0 going into half time. The first half was all Tigers, showing outright dominance on the park. We were confidently moving the ball around and holding possession.
Second Half:
We took the kick off and immediately applied the pressure on Rage, however, Rage were soon down our end of park and there was a slight mix up in defence. Rage were quick to react and slot home a goal to make it 2-1. As the second half progressed we dropped off in intensity and handed over possession too often, which saw our dominance taper off.
Even though we still made a few breaks and had shots on goal we were a different team to that in the first half. We could see from the bench a win slipping away and with little time left in the game, Rage ended up with a corner and found the equaliser to make it 2-2.
In summary it was a game similar to our last where we won the first half but lost the second. The first half was an impressive display of Football but for our future games we will need to lift and maintain the intensity for the full 70 minutes and be rewarded with the wins that this team deserves.
We have again learnt a valuable lesson that we must maintain our intensity, discipline and game plan for 2 halves of football.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
08/04/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Vs Blacktown - 05 April
Our boys had the pleasure of playing on their home ground for the first time this season with their clash against Blacktown. The weather was perfect for football and the parents were busy ensuring the ground and amenities were ship shape for the game. After having played a number of draws up to this point, the team was anxious to make an impression for their first home game and went at it from the opening whistle.
Within the first 30 seconds of the match, the ball was sent down to AP on the left wing who put in a beautiful cross to a perfectly positioned Jos, who made no trouble in opening up the team's score by putting it into the back of the net. Somewhat shell shocked, Blacktown regrouped, however, our boys didn't allow them to have too many attacking runs. Unfortunately, the Tigers scoring efforts for the rest of the half were not on target, and the count was 1 nil at half time.
The second half started with renewed energy from Blacktown, who took it right up to our players with a no-nonsense style of play. By about ten minutes into the second half, the parents were hoping for another "comfort" goal to put a buffer between the teams. This second goal came from a solid lead up and continued pressure by the Tigers when Will found himself at the right place at the right time and buried the ball into the opposition's net to go up 2 nil. Continued pressure by Tigers started to wear down the opposition when Cal capitalised on a through ball and knew exactly where to place it in the net as we went 3 nil up.
As they say in the classics "but wait... there's more!" With about 5 minutes to go, the ball found itself on the left side of the pitch at the feet of AP. Choosing against his favoured left foot, AP floated a ball from his right foot over the goalie's outstretched hands to take the score to 4 nil. To put the icing on the cake, with about one minute of time left, Alex D found some space on the right side of the goal after artfully dodging around an opposition player to bring the game to an end at 5 nil.
Certainly a wonderful way to open up the boy's account at their home ground, and the photo below shows the joy on their faces as they ran after the No. 1 supporter, DH7, to receive their thoroughly deserved accolade from the cheering supporters.
Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 11 Metro's
07/04/09: U15s Round 4 - Northern Tigers vs PCYC Parramatta
Firstly, thanks to James the U14's keeper, Dominic and Morio for staying back to support the U15's.
Match Report: First Half:
After a week of torrential rain, ground closures and mixed training, Mills Park was cleared for what turned out to be near perfect conditions for football.
We took PCYC by surprise with an all out attack on goal straight from the kick off. Only minutes into the game and Zac wins a corner. Jake crosses the ball deep into the box and Zac just hits it over the bar. Five minutes into the game and Dela lays off a ball to Pliskin. Pliskin sees the keeper off his line and hits a lofty shot that causes their keeper to scurry back but he was too late and the ball drops just under the bar and into the net to make it 1-0.
Our defence of Hatzi, Skunk, Jack and Sniper were looking solid but PCYC piled on the attack and managed to equalise soon after with a powerful shot across our goal. A well-taken free kick saw another opportunity headed over the bar by Zac and a ball to Millsy just going wide. Hatzi takes another free kick, which is deflected for a corner. Pliskin takes it and plants another in the box, Dela receives and lays it off to Zac who shimmies past two and finds a hole in the PCYC defence, to land the ball in the net making it 2-1.
The half continued with some great runs from Dela and Taka with all shots on goal going behind. TV and Dog Man were busy in midfield as PCYC were breaking through and testing our keeper Zac who made some inspirational saves. The half ended 2-1 and we were certainly playing the better football.
Second Half:
We started the second half as we did the first with some attacking football. Sniper sent a long ball down the line to TV but we were unable to make any headway. PCYC started to build up some momentum and broke through our formation planting more shots on Zac. The flow of football started to reverse, seeing us under more and more attacks from PCYC. We started playing some panic football and gave away a free kick on the edge of the box. PCYC hit the ball which deflects off the upright & spins across the goal line to make it 2-2.
The half continued with PCYC applying more pressure and we started to lose some shape, but Zac was there to make more amazing reflex saves. As we edged closer to the final whistle PCYC managed to score again to make it 2-3 from a well-placed header off a corner. We responded with a few more shots on goal but couldn't make any stick. With only a few minutes remaining PCYC received another free kick on the edge of the box. A well taken shot was saved by Zac but they were too quick on the pick up and delivered the killer blow to make it 2-4.
In summary it was a game where we won the first half but lost the second, our first defeat for the season. We turned over the ball, gave away too many free kicks in our danger zone and lost composure and structure when under pressure. But we will be back, hungry for a victory in our next game.
Nick Chapman who was on track for a return this week incurred a stress fracture in his foot after our game last week and will be sidelined for several weeks. The team would like to wish Nick a speedy recovery.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
