Match Reports - June 09
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02/07/09: U15's Round 10: Blacktown Spartans vs. Northern Tigers - Tues 30/6
30/06/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Canterbury - 28 June 2009
30/06/09: U12's: Northern Tigers v Canterbury - 28 June 2009
30/06/09: U15's Round 15: PCYC Parramatta vs. Northern Tigers
23/06/09: U15's Round 14: Northern Tigers vs. Macarthur Rams
19/06/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Nepean - 16 June 2009
19/06/09: U12's: Northern Tigers v Nepean - Tuesday 16 June at Mills
16/06/09: U12's: Northern Tigers v Gladesville Hornsby - 14 June 2009
15/06/09: U15's Round 13: Central Coast Lightning vs. Northern Tigers
15/06/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Gladesville-Hornsby - 13 June 2009
10/06/09: U15s Round 12: Northern Tigers vs. Dulwich Hill
02/07/09: U15's Round 10: Blacktown Spartans vs. Northern Tigers - Tues 30/6
Thanks to Jarrod for staying back to support the U15's.
Match Report: First Half:
We took the kick off and gave away possession early. Blacktown were fired up for the game and were immediately in our faces. We were pinned in our territory for the majority of the half as Blacktown piled on the pressure.
We suffered repeated attacks on goal as their determination to score first had us on the back foot. We had the odd break and shot on goal but couldn't get into any rhythm. We struggled to move forward because our passing options let us down.
Blacktown were rewarded with two goals as their intense pressure and hunger to win was more apparent.
Second Half:
After a half time chat we lifted our game and started to compete for the ball. The second half was more of an even contest as we created a few chances up front but couldn't make any hit the target.
It was end to end Football which saw Blacktown make a break to seal the game in the last quarter and make it 3-0.
In summary, sickness was rampant in the team and we could only field eleven players on the night, many playing that were still sick, plus Jarrod from the U14's. It was a must win game against the team sitting on the bottom of the table, but the mid week clash didn't suit us on this occasion and we were punished for producing a lacklustre performance.
Let's hope the boys make a full recovery for the weekend and return to their improved form.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
30/06/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Canterbury
- 28 June 2009
A cool but pleasant day greeted us at Pratten Park for our first match against a southern conference team this season.
Our boys took the pitch in their white strip having no regard for their mothers who would be washing the mud from the oval off their gear.
In any case, again, our boys had a hesitant start with Canterbury pressing against us in our half. This early rush gave way to a quick goal by Canterbury in the first couple of minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the boys didn't learn from their mistakes and continued this style of play, which in the ninth minute, gave Canterbury a second goal.
Finally the penny dropped in about the 15th minute and they worked out that they had to go forward if they wanted to score.
This proved successful as Alex D bolted out of the blocks and chased a ball to the goal. Canterbury's defence came to him and trapped him, wherein he flicked the ball back to the waiting AP who slammed in the ball to the top corner. Being his 11th birthday that day, he was extra pleased.
The first half finished with a flurry of action, but no change to the score.
The second half started well with the ball up the opponent's end for the beginning. There were a couple of half chances, however, the sticky ground proved tricky to control the ball. Both teams found the going tough and equally missed some chances where a dry pitch may have given a different result.
With no further movement on the half time score, the referee called time with the score 2-1 to Canterbury. Whilst disappointed, AP's birthday cake and lolly bags at the end of the game helped somewhat to bring a smile back to a few faces.
Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 11 Metro's
30/06/09: U12's: Northern Tigers v Canterbury - 28 June 2009
On Sunday 28 June the Tigers headed south to take on Canterbury at Pratten Park, the former home ground of the infamous Western Suburbs Magpies Rugby League Team before their move to Lidcome Oval and then on to a merger with another Tigers team, the Balmain Tigers.
They say that it is not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog, and when the game started it was perhaps fitting on a ground of such past heroics that the two most diminutive in the Tigers ranks being Mo and Will imposed themselves in the midfield and outmuscled their Canterbury opponents, providing a stream of quality possession for the Tigers attackers.
Seb also started the game like a house on fire, and it was not surprising when he pulled of a great tackle and came up with the ball in the middle of the ground and had the vision to find Anthony who found Aiden on the left who crashed the ball into the back of the net. Tigers 1 nil.
Another crucial point in the game followed when one of the Canterbury Strikers looked to have levelled the scores with a beautifully placed shot into the corner of the net, but somehow Fergie dived across and managed to deflect the ball past the post. Mark Schwarzer would have been proud of that one and you could see the Tigers lift.
The Tigers continued to dominate in the middle and shortly before half time Zac found George loitering on the penalty spot and he calmly stroked the ball in. Tigers 2 nil.
The Tigers came out firing in the 2nd half with Buddle inspirational at the back. Aiden then scored the goal of the year from wide out, but was denied by the assistant referee. It was a pity he was not on the sideline last week when the last Gladesville goal was scored. Even the mothers were seen discussing the off side rule on the sideline, although I'm not sure that anyone was the wiser at the end of that conversation.
Finally Aiden got the ball to Mo, who made a lovely pass to George, who scored his 2nd. Tigers 3 nil.
A free kick on the edge of the box saw Seb make a rare trip into the opposing penalty box, accompanied by some very loud yelling from the sideline that sounded something like "Go Sebastion get a goal". Unfortunately he then got a bit excited and knocked about 3 Canterbury players over trying to get the ball and copped a free kick.
He then returned to the back where Chopper was seen giving him some counselling about the bad things that can happen when you cross the half way line.
Canterbury then made one last advance on the Tigers goal, but when the Canterbury striker was about to shoot Will launched himself at the ball and saved the day. Buddle and Josh then finished strongly each outrunning the Canterbury attack with good pace and athleticism, and Chopper was solid in the air, as usual.
All in all a great performance from the Tigers.
Report by: Lachlan Gyles
30/06/09: U15's Round 15: PCYC Parramatta vs. Northern Tigers
Thanks to James, Erol and Morio for staying back to support the U15's.
Match Report: First Half:
PCYC took the kick off and we won possession of the ball early. Pliskin, Taka and Millsy were playing quick balls, Dogman was creating chances and Dela was keeping it simple. Chapman was laying off some good balls with Hatzi, Sameer, Skunk and Jack looking solid in defence.
PCYC made the odd break but we held them in their half for the majority of the half. Taka set up Mav with some through balls but our shots were off target as we went into half time scoreless.
Second Half:
The second half continued in much the same fashion with Tigers playing a good passing game, holding possession and keeping the ball at foot level. Dela was playing well and applying constant pressure down the left flank. Pliskin and Millsy took free kicks but couldn't hit the target. PCYC had little ball and were getting frustrated as tempers started to flare. Zac made a great save as PCYC caught us on the break and had a good all round game.
With eight minutes to go PCYC had a player sent from the field after lashing out at Mav after a solid tackle. PCYC made another break against the run of play and slotted one home to make it 0-1. We continued playing smart Football and were rewarded minutes later after Jack, using his height to great advantage heads home the equaliser from an excellent cross all the way from Japan (Taka).
In summary we dominated and held the opposition in their territory for most of the game. Even though we were clearly the better team on the day we didn't create enough attacking chances on goal and had to settle for a draw. However, it was a great team effort that shows signs of constant improvement with every game. Well done boys - keep up the good work.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
23/06/09: U15's Round 14: Northern Tigers vs. Macarthur Rams (MR)
Thanks to James, Luke and Morio for staying back to support the U15's.
Match Report: First Half:
After a first round scoreless draw we knew this was going to be a physical tussle and were mentally prepared for the contest. We took the kick off which saw Jackson make a charging run down the left flank. We were competing well for the ball and it was MR that were applying some early pressure with Hatzi, Sniper, Jackson and Skunk closing down any real threats.
Dogman and Pliskin were battling to win the ball and were having to recover and support in defence, whilst Chapman (now known as Captain Slow) was relishing the slippery wet conditions and keeping it simple but effective. Taka, Millsy and Dela were upfront and had some cracking strikes on goal that just topped the crossbar. Mav came on for Dela and had an immediate impact on the left flank, outpacing and dominating the play with his physical presence. It was a pretty even half with no goals from either team.
Second Half:
The second half continued with the same level of play. We were creating even more chances on goal, but it just didn't seem like our day for scoring on a waterlogged pitch that held up the ball and made it a difficult passing game. Taka was playing well and beating his opponents in nearly every challenge and Captain Slow almost scored his first goal of the season sending the ball just over the bar.
We didn't win too many high balls but it was end-to-end Football with MR missing a few open goals as they broke through our formation on several occasions. With approximately 10 minutes to go MR crossed in a ball and finished with a neatly placed header to make it 0-1. We reacted immediately and piled on the pressure, as it was all Tigers for the remainder of the game. Taka and Millsy were playing some early balls and set up Mav who hit a rocket but missed the target. Zac wasn't too busy but had to make a few crucial saves when MR were on the break.
In summary it was a pretty even game with equal chances from both teams. Even though we were on the wrong end of the score sheet all the boys put in a great effort. We can certainly play better Football and move forward to our next challenge.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
19/06/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Nepean - 16 June 2009
For those avid followers of the Metro 11's Match Reports, you will recall that the last time our boys played Nepean (a 1 all result), the final whistle blew with 2 minutes left to play, leaving us all with the question "What if?". After the return match was washed out some weeks ago, the fixture was finally played under lights at Mills on a cold Tuesday night. Our boys were still smarting from their defeat 2 days prior at the hands of Gladesville-Hornsby, and we were all wondering if they had it in them to bounce back.
From the kick off, our boys had a lot more determination than their previous game, albeit that they still had a cautious start, which found them hemmed up in their own half for the first few plays. This led to the first goal of the match when a partially cleared ball saw a Nepean player belt it from about 40 yards out and, as if it were in slow motion, the ball arched its way through the night sky to land well outside the reach of a leaping Josh into the very top of the net. Certainly not the start that we wanted.
From the restart of play though, the Tigers found some roar in them that had been missing in their recent games. The team started pushing forward which saw Alex D sprinting towards the goal with a solo effort, and clearing the goalie with a strike into the bottom corner to bring up the equaliser. That was the turning point, as just a few minutes later, Will had a cracking long range shot that was too good for the diving goalie to take the boys to a 2-1 lead.
Just before half time, the team’s commitment and determination was encapsulated in the effort that Jos made with seconds to go in the first half. The ball was slowly rolling towards the Nepean goalie, but Jos continued to sprint towards him, which made the goalie fumble. Whilst off balance, Jos threw his leg towards the ball which saw it slowly trundle over the line into the goal. His 'never say die' attitude sent the team into the sheds with a 2 goal lead.
The second half started with the same determination, and within the first 5 minutes, Nepean's scrambling defense saw an accidental hand ball in Nepean's penalty box. Will, who was well up to the challenge, pumped the penalty into the back of the net to take the team to 4-1. Some 10 minutes later, a free kick just outside the Nepean penalty box gave Tom (TVK) a chance to score his first Tigers goal. Given a bit of a false start from the ref, TVK made no mistakes in piloting the ball into the net.
Nepean, however, is not a side to lie down, and even late in the game, they applied pressure from a Nepean corner kick which saw their second goal come up, and a 5-2 score line. Not to be out done, in the dying part of the game, a lovely through ball from AP saw Cal running towards the goal, and with poise and composure, he side-stepped the goalie and planted a great goal to give a final score of 6-2 to the Tigers.
This game concluded the Northern Conference section of the season, and because of this win, saw our boys become the NORTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS by goal difference over Central Coast. A fantastic achievement for the boys, and as was rightly deserved, the team song got a thorough workout in the sheds after the game.
Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 11 Metro's
16/06/09: U12's: Northern Tigers v v Nepean - Tuesday 16 June at Mills
Tigers took the field eager to make a come back from Sunday's game. A good start would be crucial for the team's overall confidence and an early goal could affect the outcome greatly.
GOAL - Tigers off to a great start when in the fifth minute Anthony beats a couple of players and chips it over the keeper's head.
Nepean had a couple of chances created by good skill in their midfield. A couple of free kicks just outside the box were expertly saved by Fergie and another headed clear by Buddle.
Aiden whips in a great cross from the corner flag to find Alessi and the score moves on to 2-0 Tigers.
The back four are solid throughout the half with Chopper and Fergie running the show from behind.
Now well into the first half Zac places the ball down for a corner. He expertly drops it in just past the near post which was perfect for Anthony to flick into the top of the net. 3-0 Tigers.
Shortly after the Tigers third, Nepean put one past the keeper. A bit of confusion in the box causes Nepean to get a foot on it and slide it in so we go to half time 3-1 up.
The second half saw Tigers under a lot of pressure with the Nepean midfielders playing particularly well. Tigers held strong though and George and Connor had a few shots but just couldn't get past the in form Nepean keeper.
A scoreless second half and 3-1 victory to Tigers.
Report by: Will Gyles - #6
16/06/09: U12's: Northern Tigers v Gladesville Hornsby - 14 June 2009
Sunday 14 June will not go down as the high point of the season for the u/12 Tigers. They came up against a Gladesville Hornsby side which showed that commitment and effort go a long way towards winning football games.
The game started with the opposition playing a very physical game and clearly looking to unsettle the Tigers midfield, and they managed to score the first goal about half way through the first half.
Daniel and Anthony were then spurred into action and starting matching it physically with the big Gladesville midfielders, and the Tigers started threatening the Gladesville goal. Aiden nearly scored firing off a rifle shot which the keeper just managed to save, and George was trying hard without luck up front.
Finally Conner found the back of the net from a similar position to last week, seconds before half time, and the Tigers went to the sheds on even terms.
In a game like this often the team scoring first in the second half will win, and that is how it turned out. Gladesville came out with similar intensity to the first half, and an upset looked as though it may be on the cards.
An uncharacteristic error at the back saw Gladesville score a second, then another shortly afterwards. Some were expecting to see the offside flag as the third goal went in, but unfortunately all they saw was the Gladesville goal celebration - which is itself an experience which could put you into therapy for a week.
The Tigers then battled on gamely but the Gladesville defence held firm. A goal at the end to Daniel with a lovely header off a corner saw them pull one back, but in the end the score remained 2-3 and no-one could say that this was not a fair result on the day.
The loss was the first of the season for the Tigers boys, and their season will depend upon how they bounce back. If they do come up against Gladesville again, let's just say that they have some unfinished business.
Report by: Lachlan Gyles
15/06/09: U15s Round 13: Central Coast Lightning (CCL) vs. Northern Tigers
Thanks to James, Dom and Morio for staying back to support the U15's.
Match Report: First Half:
We were pumped for a win and started the game with great vigour. It was all Tigers as we took the game to CCL. Dela, Mav and Taka were making runs down the wings and planting the ball in the box. Jackson was overlapping up the left side of the park and making runs into the CCL danger zone creating chances on goal with TV's and Mav's shots going wide.
CCL made a few breaks, hitting the post on one occasion and putting us under pressure, although the rest of their shots were off target. Hatzi 'the wall' was controlling the back line, with Sniper winning a lot of high balls, Jackson strong to shut down the play and Skunk mixing things up and playing some simple but skilful Football. Dogman was wading through tackles and laying off some good balls and we looked in total control.
Our pressure was relentless with a countless barrage of attacks putting CCL on the back foot. The immense pressure paid off in the 32nd minute when Jackson laid off a square ball to Millsy waiting outside the D, who unleashed a scud missile that would have had Suddam running from his bunker, to land the ball in the top left pigeon hole. CCL were stunned and never really recovered.
Second Half:
We attacked CCL from the kick off and maintained the pressure, with Mav, Dela and Millsy playing off each other. We were awarded a penalty when Dela was brought down in the box, but the CCL keeper made a fine save pushing the ball over the bar, denying Dela the goal.
Pliskin came on, switched the play and created some good chances on goal. Nick Chapman had another solid game holding the play and laying off some good balls. About ten minutes from full time Mav flicked on a ball to Millsy the burglar who struck the ball at the same time as their defender, sending the ball into a gyroscopic spin, around the keeper, off the post and into the net to seal the game and make it 2-0. CCL looked shell shocked as we pinned them in their half for the remainder of the game. Jackson made a last minute dash and hit a screamer that rebounded off the post.
There were passages of great one touch football that made CCL chase shadows.
Our focus on making simple passes to each other and our improved defending across the park will continue to reap rewards!
In summary, we played great football on the day, probably the best we have played all season with each and every player giving their all, although a special mention to Jackson who had the game of his season so far.
Remember boys that wins are infectious, so it's onward and upward from here as this win puts us in 7th place with two games in hand.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
15/06/09: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Gladesville-Hornsby
- 13 June 2009
Today saw the rematch against Gladesville-Hornsby at the Tigers home ground. Weather was good and the pitch was fine for a good game against these neighbouring rivals. Gladesville-Hornsby were still stinging from their defeat at the hands of the Tigers during the Frank Broughton Cup last weekend and were out for revenge.
From the start, the Tigers team was timid, and almost nervous, against a side that was physically taking it up to them, resulting in the ball rarely getting over the half way line. Our passes were being picked off and our players seemed to think that running the ball themselves was better than a pass up the wing.
Needless to say that the main attack was down one end with Josh being called upon to guard his goal more than usual.
However, in the 15th minute, a good attacking run from the Tigers boys found them taking a corner. AP stepped up and floated a lovely ball into the goal box. With no path to the goal between the many Gladesville-Hornsby legs in defence, Sam popped the ball back out to AP who again floated the ball, this time into the back of the net for a Tigers goal. This lifted the boys to finish the half with a bit more "zing" in their game.
The second half found the Tigers boys back where they were in the first half, with the ball being given away too much and the fire in their bellies reduced to an ember. The result was an inevitable goal from Gladesville-Hornsby who used the width of the park and slotted an equaliser in about the 8th minute.
Even this didn't fire up our lads as more pressure by the opposition pushed our players back further and further. This relentless pressure resulted in yet another Gladesville-Hornsby goal in about the 14th minute. The Gladesville fight was reflected in one of their boys getting two yellow cards, which resulted in a red card send off at about the 15th minute.
The Tigers finally lifted in the last 10 minutes and reversed the pressure back on to the Gladesville-Hornsby team, with some good runs and unlucky chances. However, their run was too late and the final whistle blew giving the Tigers their second loss for the season at 1-2.
Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 11 Metro's
10/06/09: U15s Round 12: Northern Tigers vs. Dulwich Hill (DH)
Thanks to James, Max and Morio for staying back to support the U15's.
Match Report: First Half:
We started off in the Dutch 4-3-3 formation and applied the pressure on DH, controlling possession and moving the ball across the park. DH had an early break but Zac came out and shut down the angle to force the shot wide.
We were dominating the play, Hatzi, Jack, Sameer and Chapman solid in defence, Taka, Pliskin and Dogman were creating havoc in midfield and Mav, Dela and Millsy creating chances upfront.
TV came on in the 23rd minute in an attempt to unsettle the DH play and to good effect, with quick and direct ball movement down the right side of the field. It was a very positive first half with the boys adapting extremely well to the new playing formation.
Great teamwork and control was good to see, as it was a pretty even half with chances from both teams missing the target.
Second Half:
DH came out and scored two goals within the first six minutes and caught us by surprise. The first goal was a deflection off a Tigers player that ricocheted off the cross bar from a corner kick. The second goal came from a defensive mix up when we thought the ball was going out behind the line, but a DH player was quicker to react and played the ball back into the middle for a supporting DH player to finish off.
Not the start that we spoke about in the change rooms at half time. Lack of concentration, half asleep, call it what you want, we were on the back foot early. However, we never looked back and took control of the game. DH was under constant pressure from both sides of the park.
Our intense pressure was rewarded in the 64th minute as Millsy picks up a loose ball and slots it in the corner to make it 1-2. We lifted and pushed DH back into their half but couldn't find the equaliser before full time.
In summary, we played good football on the day and came away with a defeat. DH are top of the table and have only conceded 3 goals so far this season, all from the Tigers. So heads up boys, we can beat any team in the competition if we maintain the hunger and passion to win.
A great effort by all the players.
Report by: Sylvio, Ross and Richard
