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U13B Team
Team Coach: John Szabo
Team Manager: John Kotsanas
Team Captain: Peter Szabo
Vice Captains: Rajan Prakash, Chris Siwek
Fixture and Roster: click here
Training: 5:45pm to 7:30pm Wednesday and Friday nights at JW Manson Reserve, Wantirna
(Melways map 63 J 3)
Players are expected to bring a drink with them to every session, along with the right attitude. Parents are always welcome to stay and participate in their child's development.
Team News
Match Summary: Ringwood City U13B’s vs Senior Allstars 5 September 2010
The Father's Day Massacre!
Finally the major event of sporting calendar had arrived. The build up over the weeks leading up to the game was massive with postings on
Facebook, Twitter and or course the old fashioned communications method - physical talking.
The Allstars had been flooded with requests to play, however there were only limited spots available in the team. Herman "Don't mess with Me"
van Niekerk, as coach, headed an all star cast. The starting line-up saw Paul "Killer" Williams and Michael "Didak" Abbott playing up front,
with John "Coach" Szabo and Dodgy (no other name suffices) in the middle. Steve "I can Run" Kernohan started on the left wing with Glen "What's
this game called" Jacob on the other. The strong backline had Nick "No Smokes Today" Caven, Peter "Try getting around me" Krnic, Nick "I need
my caffeine" Siwek and Trevor "Where's Leftback" Pyman lining up. John "Stuff the Oranges" Kotsanas, Craig "Speedy" Jean planted themselves in
defensive midfield. Robert "I hate mud" Russi positioned himself in goals with Sudesh "I
can also Coach" Prakash and Tony "You got to be kidding" Lahy starting on the bench.
Tomas "No Red Cards Today" Szabo was assigned the refereeing duties for this all important
match.
The U13's had an almost full strength side with Cain "I can coach better than John" Lahy
taking on the coaching duties.
The game began and immediately from the start the All Stars took control. There was nothing
getting around Krnic in the backline and a rampant Dodgy was controlling the ball from the
back, middle, wing, upfront. Dodgy was everywhere! To even things out, Dodgy even wore flat
soled shoes at the start but that did not stop him from dominating play. At the ten minute
mark it was five shots to one in favour of the all stars. Great play down the middle saw
Didak score the first of two goals. The Keeper had no chance. Sensational play between
Szabo and Williams saw a second easy goal to the All Stars. Another great pass by Szabo to
Didak made it three nil. Just before the half time whistle, the U13's got a lucky break and
somehow managed to squeeze the ball past Russi into the goal. At 3 - 1 up the All Stars
were confident of bringing the coveted trophy home.
There were no oranges at half time but the All Stars did not mind (although a bit of
dencorub would have helped). A mix up saw Killer Williams head for the Changing Rooms where
he delivered a killer half time speech which unfortunately was not heard by anyone. That
did not matter as the team was ready to go anyway.
The second half started and the U13's caught the All Stars napping and within the space of
about 5 minutes had slotted in two quick goals. Prakash was playing well down the wing and
was well supported by his fellow All Stars. Dodgy was still dominating but it took another
great cross from Szabo to Killer Williams who put away his second goal to see the All Stars
reclaim the lead. The rotations by this stage were coming thick and fast in an attempt to
confuse the opposition, but the young guns stuck to their plan and held firm.
The final five minutes were a tough tussle and a goalkeeping blunder by Russi saw the ball
dribble through his arms, past his belly then through his legs into the back of the goal.
The conditions certainly were not favouring the All Stars and the young 13's sensed a major
boilover. With one minute left on the clock a final move forward saw the U13's slot in
their fifth goal to win the epic match from the devastated All Stars. Immediately after the
goal, referee Szabo blew the whistle to end the game.
After dragging themselves from the muddy pitch, the All Stars headed back to the pavilion,
knowing that this was an opportunity missed. Plans for a rematch are already underway
pending medical clearances and other contractual obligations.
Feedback
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the Under 13's web pages - click here.
Archive - the season that was ...
Round 1 - Croydon 26 April 2009
The first game of the season finally arrived after a strong pre-season. The team said goodbye to several players and
welcomed four new additions to the team. The team list was expanded to 16 to cover the absence of Michael whilst on
holidays (10 weeks) and any other injuries to players. Defence, Midfield and Attack were bolstered with the new signings.
We said goodbye to our long standing keeper Vicente, and welcomed back Connor to the team who had played with the U13’s
last season.
The start of the game was disrupted just before kick-off due to an errant ball hitting one of the parents in the head. This
seemed to distract the whole team as they started quite flat and were under pressure from the start. The team conceded a
soft goal in the first half due to some poor marking in defence. A half time rev up from the coach saw the team lift and
with the introduction of Paul on the wing resulted in the momentum swinging back to Ringwood resulting in two goals being
scored by one of our new players, Tyrone. A mix up between defence and the keeper resulted in another soft goal to Croydon.
The end result a 2 all draw. Not one of the better games from the team as they were constantly second to the ball and
beaten in the air.
Round 2 - Boroondara Eagles 25 April 2010
With no distractions at the start of the game the team got straight into gear against Boroondara. Great work upfront by Cain
and finishing by Tyrone resulted in an early goal to Ringwood. The first ten minutes belonged to Ringwood but Boroondara, to their
credit, came back hard and with another lapse in defence by Ringwood, the equaliser was a great strike into the top right
hand corner of the net, giving no chance for the keeper to save. The keeper and defence however were working a lot better
with not a lot of balls getting through. A second goal from another lapse saw the Ringwood team go into the half time break
2-1 down. The second half saw the Ringwood team grind itself into dominating more of the play. The introduction of Bailey
into the midfield brought plenty of physical pressure which the Boroondara players struggled with. A fine finish by Tyrone
saw the scores levelled. There was time to score the winner however the forwards failed to capitalise on several golden
opportunities. The end result, a 2 all draw.
The team must now make the most of opportunities up forward and score more goals as the opportunities are being created.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 3 - Box Hill 2 May 2010
Having been promoted to the B division, we are finding that we have no “easy’ games and our round 3 match saw us travel
to Box Hill. We started the game without Alex (injured) with an injury cloud also over Peter who had strained his
hamstring earlier in the week during training. The first half was evenly balanced with both sides threatening in
attack. The Ringwood forwards failed to capitalise on numerous good through balls as many shots went just wide of the
goals. Box Hill on the other hand took their chances and scored two goals in the first half against our single goal.
At half time being 2-1 down we did not think we were out of the game, however due to Peter’s injury, the second half
started with a modified defence. The Ringwood team continued to create opportunities up forward and again came close
to scoring. A quick rebound from a Ringwood free kick saw the Box Hill forwards make a fast break and slot a goal in
making the score line 3-1. Peter was brought back on into the central defensive position late in the half. Following
up on a free kick (which rebounded to him) Peter kicked the ball long into the Box Hill goalmouth. The Keeper failed
to hold onto the ball and quick thinking by Cain, slotted the ball into the back of the net. At 3-2, the game was
still up for grabs and the Ringwood team moved up a gear and looked the more desperate to score, however with solid
defending from Box Hill, we had to settle for a 3-2 loss. This was another game that got away from us but the team
played well and should consider themselves unlucky not to have at least scored an equaliser. Connor in goals put in a
great display and continues to grow in confidence. Our next game sees us play Nunawading who have kicked 19 goals in
three matches. A challenge for our defenders is on.
Round 4 - Nunawading 9 May 2010
The game against the in-form Nunawading was always going to be a tough assignment. Coming off a narrow loss the week
before the Ringwood team was keen to get back on the winning list but knew that it would not be easy.
From the kick-off the Nunawading team took control of the game with great passing and immediately put pressure on the
Ringwood defence. A move down the left wing followed by a sharp cross to the front of the goal to an un-marked player
produced the first goal to the visiting team. Why we left a player unmarked in front of goal is a mystery. Going a
goal down did not deter the Ringwood team and they slowly got into the rhythm of the game.
Possession was still had to maintain but the pressure on the Nunawading players by the Ringwood team began producing
results. A great move forward resulting with a back pass to Paul allowed the Ringwood team to score a valuable goal.
Nunawading kept pressing and were awarded a soft free kick just outside the penalty area. With his wall set, Connor
managed to block the direct shot on goal, however the Nunawading team was the first to react and slotted the loose
ball into the back of the net. At half time we had restricted the visiting team to two goals which was a mighty
effort. The second half started again with Nunawading controlling the game with impressive passing. The Ringwood
defence soaked up a lot of pressure and did not allow any cheap shots at goal. Unfortunately for the Ringwood team,
the ball was not cleared off a corner kick and somehow got past the keeper.
At 3-1 down, we still kept pressing and we managed to put a lot of pressure on the Nunawading defence. A well taken
corner by Alannah was cleared by Nunawading but the ball ended again with Alannah who rocketed the ball back in to see
Peter cleverly knock the ball into the back of the net. At 3-2 the Ringwood team was still in the game and kept
pressing. At the other end Nunawading also came close to scoring hitting the crossbar on one occasion.
A hand injury to Connor in goals required Michael to swap positions and in the dying minutes pulled off a great one
handed save from a great shot on goal tipping the ball over the bar. In the end we ran out of time and had to settle
with the 3-2 scoreline. The Nunawading team clearly set the standard for the competition but the Ringwood team did not
allow them to totally dominate and we look forward to our next challenge.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 5 - Eltham 16 May 2010
Our away game this week took us all the way to North Eltham against a new team in our zone, the Eltham Redbacks. We were greeted by a brand
new synthetic pitch which would provide a taste of things to come when the Ringwood club finally gets its new pitch next year. The team
were eager to get into the game and began the first half with some poise and great determination. With Jamie pushed up into a defensive
midfield role, Peter was able to mop up defence and repel any major threat going forward by the home team. The midfielders worked hard and
began providing good options for the forwards to latch onto. Tyrone worked himself into a front position from one of these through balls
and found the back of the net barely five minutes in. The Ringwood team continued to push and won a number of corners for their efforts.
Alex took on the duty of taking the corners and produced a great floating cross on one occasion that found Paul waiting at the back post
allowing him to fire in a goal from a first time strike. Not to be outdone, good work down the right wing with a clever back-pass from
Corey allowed Jamie to run in and chip the goalkeeper for our third goal. At 3-0 up at half time, the job was not over as the Eltham team
were certain to re-group for the second half. Re-group they did, but our defence held strong with Peter still controlling the backline.
Another corner taken by Alex beat everyone except for a perfectly place Cain to put the game beyond doubt with a neat goal. Apart from
some confusion at stages of the game where more than one person was going for the ball, the team worked well and were looking to play
smarter football. A great result after a few weeks of frustration with a balanced contribution from all the players.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 6 - Brandon Park 23 May 2010
Following our opening win for the season the prior week, the Ringwood team was looking forward to its match against Brandon
Park. The game got off to a late start as the match day support crew had to set up the second pitch from scratch.
Fortunately this did not distract the team and from the start they settled into a pretty good rhythm of play. The
combination of Tyrone and Cain up front throughout the year has troubled many teams but our lack of a good ball through to
these guys had meant we did not always capitalise on that strength. This weekend however, saw Alex move up a gear and
provide that good quality through ball we had been expecting. The result from one such pass was a well taken goal by
Tyrone who, once past a defender is very difficult to catch. At half time Ringwood was sitting on a slender 1-0 lead.
Going into the second half, the team began a little flat and our inability to clear the ball from a goal mouth scramble
saw the Brandon Park team poke in a soft goal. That goal seemed to awaken the Ringwood players and they all stepped up a
gear. A free kick awarded to Ringwood in front of the goals was well taken by Tyrone who neatly curled the ball around the
human wall into the back of the net. The last ten minutes saw the Ringwood team build attack after attack and came close
on many occasions, with Alex hitting the side bar and Bailey just missing after a great set of passes put the ball out
wide to Bailey playing on the right wing. The end result was a hard fought out 2-1 wind against a very strong physical and
skilled team. Improved performances by all players over the past two weeks has been the most pleasing.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 7 - Doncaster Rovers 30 May 2010
After winning our last two games, we travelled to Doncaster with high expectations. With Paul and Ben unavailable due to
sickness and injury, it meant that everyone would be getting plenty of game time. The first half was a scrappy affair as
both teams struggled to get into any rhythm due mainly to the strong cross-wind that was favouring the end we were
attacking. The team slowly began to put together some forward moves and a fortunate hand-ball in the penalty by a Doncaster
player gifted the Ringwood team a penalty. The captain decided that he would take the spot kick and neatly slotted the ball
into the bottom left side of the goal. 1 nil up at half time, the players were frustrated and began the second half in a
much more positive mood. The defence remained strong linking up well with the wings. Several great balls were played
through to the running attackers. Tyrone managed to get onto two such great balls and neatly slotted the ball into the back
of the net. Other players also got into good position to score without success, but it was pleasing that the opportunities
were being created. Highlights from the game were Chris back to his best at left back and improved games from Tim and Bailey
and the overall continued improvement of all players in general. Special mention must go to John Kotsanas who took great
delight in seeing a training drill he ran during the week being effectively executed during the game, who despite Paul
staying at home, was at the game to support the team.
Round 8 - Bulleen 6 June 2010
Having won our past three games, the game against Bulleen would tell us how much we had improved over the past few
weeks. With two games being played at Bulleen at the same time, we were the fortunate ones who got to play on the
synthetic surface. Several Ringwood players came into the game carrying minor injuries with Paul also recovering from
Bronchitis. The game began with Ringwood looking the more dangerous up forward. Several corners were earned by the
strong pressure of Cain and Corey up front. Peter came close to getting his head on the end of a great cross by Alex
but just timed his run too early. The game soon developed into a tough contest with Bulleen beginning to build in
confidence. They were giving us grief down the right wing and on the rare occasion that they did get through the solid
defence from a poor clearance, they kicked strongly to open their account. Tyrone up the other end had a golden
opportunity to slot a goal past their keeper but somehow the keeper managed to get a touch on the ball and the
defenders cleared off the line. At half time we were one goal down but definitely not out of the contest. We began the
second half a little bit slowly and through a bit of luck, the Bulleen forwards capitalised on a loose ball in front
of goal to kick their second. The Ringwood team dropped their heads momentarily but their fight and determination came
back and the team looked the stronger in the last ten minutes of the game. Unfortunately for the Ringwood team, we did
not create enough scoring opportunities. With both Ben and Tyrone hampered by minor injuries, we were missing that
spark up forward. In the end, you could count the number of shots on goal by both teams in one hand. Although the
scoreline read Bulleen 2, Ringwood 0, the game was very competitive and the Ringwood team showed that it had improved
but on the day lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. Our next game in two weeks will see us come up against the
Sherbrooke team that we have had many great battles against over the past two seasons.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 9 - Sherbrooke 20 June 2010
The past two seasons had seen the Ringwood team play some tight games against Sherbrooke and the pressure was going to be
on for this match. We were greeted with wet conditions for the first time and a new home pitch to play on as we were
requested to give the other pitches a “rest”. The ground was heavy and the ball was skidding so it was important for the
players to get their bodies behind the ball on all occasions. The first half belonged to Sherbrooke as they played the
conditions better and had a few boys who could kick the ball long. Their go to man up front was creating a lot of havoc and
midway through the first half found space outside the 18 yard box to fire in a shot at goal which the keeper had no chance
of stopping. The Ringwood team was creating its own chances but most of these went straight to the Sherbrooke keeper. Not
one of our better halves of football.
After some encouraging words from the coach, the Ringwood team responded by playing
some attractive passing football. Players coming off the bench were making an instant impact and the energy levels were up
considerably from the first half. Our first goal came from a defensive intercept with the ball being passed from Peter to
Bailey to Paul to Tyrone who finished well to put us level with Sherbrooke. The Ringwood team continued to apply pressure
with the team winning many corners. In the wet conditions it was hard to get a good ball into the goal square. With just
over a minute to go, a left footed cross from Alex into the goalmouth took a slight deflection off a defender and the ball
dribbled into the back of the net.
2-1 to Ringwood was a great achievement given we were well beaten in the first half, but took the honours both on the
field and on the scoreboard in the second.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 10 - Croydon 27 June 2010
For the second week running we were at home and due to the condition of the grounds, we again set up on oval pitch. Due to
the consistent rain during the week, the grass had not been cut but the ground remained relatively firm (but heavy)
underfoot with a good covering of grass in front of goals as well. The team was keen on taking all three points from the
Croydon team that they drew with in the opening game of the season. Our task was made slightly harder by the late withdrawal
of our gun forward Tyrone, but the team was confident it could create goals nevertheless. As per usual our start was not the
most energetic and the heavy ground seemed to have a more negative effect on the Ringwood players. Good forward pressure by
the Croydon team resulted in a goal to the visitors. This seemed to have woken the players and they responded almost
immediately with a well taken goal to Paul after the team won a corner. The team continued to apply pressure on the Croydon
defence following that first goal and with a great follow-up to his own shot at goal, Paul drove in his second. Several
other opportunities were being created and the team finished the first half the more dominant.
The second half saw the visiting team dig in and in the process creating several scoring opportunities themselves with
several shots at goal just missing their mark. The Ringwood defence was under pressure but did not waver and on one
occasion good work out of defence by Peter and Chris saw the ball move down the ground with great speed almost creating a
scoring opportunity. The Ringwood team did not create as many chances to score as in the first half but kept the Croydon
team from scoring with the end result a hard fought 2-1 win to Ringwood.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 11 - Boroondara 11 July 2010
The Ringwood team travelled down to Macleay park to take on the Booroondara team for the second time this season. The first
game, at home, ended in a 2 all draw and the team was keen to again prove to everyone and themselves that they had improved
since that last match. Due to the unavailability of our regular keeper, Connor, we asked Scott to fill in with little
notice.
Whilst the Macleay park surface was in generally good condition, part of the pitch overlapped with the oval’s turf
wicket area. The team again began the game very slowly and the home team dominated the first ten minutes. Luck was on our
side and an indirect free kick paid in front of goals for a back pass almost gifted Booroondara an opening goal, but a goal
line clearance from the captain saved any embarrassment. The team slowly woke up and began to exert themselves on the game.
Peter down back was mopping up and assisting his fellow defenders and the midfield was starting to put a few passes together
and feeding the forwards. A beautiful throughball from Alex to Tyrone set up the first goal. 1 nil up at half time and the
game was not won yet.
Again the team began the second half the slower but clawed their way back into the game. A nice pass to the top of the 19
yard box by Tyrone allowed Paul to chip the keeper. At 2-0 up we still had work to do and with clever passing the home team
was putting pressure on the Ringwood team. Several close chances went wide and on the one occasion that the ball did end up
in the back of our net, it was called offside. Apart from the slow start, the team was looking to pass the ball around and
whilst these passes did not always reach their intended target, the intent was there which is the most pleasing aspect.
Another good solid performance before a tough two weeks against Box Hill and then Nunawading.
Round 12 - Box Hill 18 July 2010
Going into the game against Box Hill, the Ringwood team was keen on getting on the front foot and putting a few goals into
the back of their opponents net. Unlike previous weeks where the players began the game slowly, it was completely the
opposite this week. The Ringwood players took the initiative and even with an early injury to Alex (who looked sharp and on
fire) the team continued to press forward and create issues for the Box Hill defence.
Sharp work up front and a great pass from Alannah to Cain, who finished well under pressure, resulted in a team boosting
goal. The Box Hill forwards were well held by the solid defence who continue their solid run of form over the past few
weeks. At half time it was 1-0 to the Ringwood team but it was going to be tough in the second half playing into a stiff
breeze flowing down the ground.
Again the team started the half well and with their confidence up were playing some nice
football. A great intercept by Peter in defence followed up with a great lobbed ball forward, allowed Tryone to run on and
take on the Box Hill defence resulting in a one on one with the keeper. His shot was slightly deflected by the keeper
allowing Ben to tap in his first goal for the season. At 2-0 up time was running out for the Box Hill team. The home team
hung on till the end and managed to keep a clean scoresheet for the third week running. Another great team effort resulting
in a good win against a quality opposition.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 13 - Nunawading 25 July 2010
Going into the game against Nunawading was always going to be a tough assignment, however it was even tougher as our first
choice keeper Connor, Alex and Ben were all unavailable due to illness or injury. Scott was given the daunting task of
putting on the gloves and standing in for Connor. With only one on the bench, the rotations were going to be all the more
important to ensure that players were given a small rest before going back on. The Ringwood team started confidently and
put the home team under pressure for about the first ten minutes. The backline was solid and the forwards were putting
pressure on the defence. The Nunawading team however didn’t take too long to get into rhythm and began controlling
possession and putting numerous passes together. The first goal came from a rebound off the keeper who had done well to
save the first shot with the ball landing at a Nunawading player’s feet who neatly put the ball into the back of the net.
Two quick follow up goals in the space of five minutes and the game was almost over. The Ringwood team lost a bit of
confidence and gave the home team too much space allowing them to pass the ball around without applying too much pressure.
Three nil down at half time was always going to be tough to claw back and the home team again began dominating play. Three
more goals were put into the back of our net in the second half. The player rotations and positioning duties were given
over to the assistant coach, Tomas, who swung a few changes putting Peter upfront with Cain and Corey in the middle. Rajan
assumed the sweeper role. The new positions almost created a few goals for the Ringwood team with both Paul and Peter
making great runs to create one on ones with the keeper only for their shots to go wide. Looking back, we played a team
that is well drilled and disciplined and clearly setting the benchmark for our team and others in the competition. Scott
battled manfully in goals the whole game and grew in confidence as the game wore on. The score line could have been worse,
but the whole team did not give in and battled hard all day.
Click here for all the action from the game.
Round 14 - Eltham 1 August 2010
It was always going to be a tough game against Eltham, with our team coming off a big loss the week before and again having
three key players missing from the starting line-up. Connor, Alex and Cain were all unavailable due to injury. Scott again
was asked to fill in as goalkeeper and we supplemented the list by getting young Julian (playing for the U14’s) to play for
us. Early indications during the warm up and immediate kick-off were good, however as the game wore on, it was the Eltham
team that showed greater spirit, commitment and endeavour on the pitch. Our inability to clear the ball effectively out of
defence came back to haunt us again as a poor clearance set up Eltham’s first goal. With Tyrone well covered by a very fast
defence, our options for scoring were drying up. Our skill level again showed signs of weakness as many players mistimed
kicks and lost the ball easily to the opposing team. One goal down at half time was a fair indication of our effort and a
rev up at half time by the coach and some tactical advice by the assistant, Tomas, was given in the hope of triggering
something in the players. At the start of the second half, Peter was given a role up forward alongside Tyrone with Rajan
taking on the role of centre back. This move seemed to have the desired impact with a bit more pressure being put on the
Eltham defence, however another poor set of kicking in the back half by the Ringwood players gifted another goal to the
visiting team. The end result a well earned 2 nil win to the Eltham side.
Not one of our better days with most players down on form, however we are now focussed on our next opponent and hope to
rebound positively and show the opposition how well we can play.
Round 15 - Brandon Park 8 August 2010
Travelling away to Brandon Park was again a tough assignment for the Ringwood team. Connor and Alex were given the all clear to play on the
field however we lost Tyrone to a season ending hand injury, and Cain a had confirmed broken toe. With Chris also away, it left us with one
player on the bench with our two main strikers injured. Peter chose to kick into the very strong wind and the plan was to keep Brandon Park
scoreless. The plan succeeded, but only because the Ringwood team had come to play which was a great turnaround from the week before. The wind
was creating havoc making it difficult to kick long to the forward line, however the team pressed on. The backline again was working well with
Tim taking the right back position, and Bailey the left back. Ringwood was lucky not to concede a goal with a shot hitting the side bar,
however apart from that shot, they were not really threatened. The half time score was nil all, and with a strong wind behind them the team was
confident of getting back on the scoresheet. As expected, the wind did help with the Ringwood team winning more and more corners. Using the
wind a well taken corner by Alannah managed to evade both defender and keeper to bounce into the back of the net. Not to be outdone with that
corner, Alannah continued to provide great crosses into the centre. Taking another corner kick from the opposite side of the field, Alannah's
corner kick was deflected back to her which she crossed high back to the top of the goals. All the stretching hand of the keeper could do was
to knock the ball into the back of his own net. The game ended with a 2 nil win for the Ringwood team and marked a return to form for the team.
Round 16 - Doncaster 15 August 2010
With three games to go, our goal was to finish the season strongly. The Doncaster team would also be hungry for a win after coming close the
past few weeks. We were again without our key strikers in Tyrone and Cain and started with Alex and Ben upfront. On a heavy pitch the Ringwood
team started brightly and seemed to have the measure of Doncaster. The Ringwood defence was on top with Peter delivering some excellent
clearances from the back. Bailey and Tim provided help down back with Corey and Alannah on the wings. Jamie, Rajan and Paul were given the task
of filling in the midfield. After the opening ten minutes, the Ringwood team began to slow down with their skill level also dropping. Passes
were not hitting their targets and the desire to win the ball went missing. Chances up forward were not being created with the forwards
struggling for cohesion and not managing to hold the ball in our forward line. At half time, the score was again nil all giving some hope that
we could turn things around in the second half. This was not to be and the Doncaster team showed a greater desire to get a result out of the
game. An unfortunate push on a Doncaster player gave them a penalty which luckily for us was not taken well. In an attempt to get some greater
physical presence up forward, Peter was pushed up into attack with the hard working Paul pushed back into defence. Passes out of midfield
however were very poor with the ball rebounding back to the opposing team. Another shot by Doncaster hit the cross bar and another was well
saved by Scott in goals. The end result a nil all draw. We were lucky to walk away with a draw and we now need to re-group and figure out a way
of creating more chances and taking shots on goal against a strong Bulleen team next week.
Round 17 - Bulleen 22 August 2010
With only two games to go for the season, it was going to be interesting to see which Ringwood side would show up on the day. After the previous
week’s performance, we were all hoping that it was the fighting team that had come to play against a strong Bulleen outfit. The last time the
two teams met, the highlight was a lack of shots on goal by both teams. Unfortunately for us, it was the Bulleen who put away their chances
when it mattered most. Before the game, we welcomed back Michael from a long holiday overseas and Chris from a shorter trip. A surprise to
everyone in the team was the sight of Tyrone who, despite a broken hand, had decided that he would play as well. That left only Cain on the
sidelines with his broken toe. Whilst John Kotsanas and the team of parents went about setting up the pitch, the Captain took the team through
their warm ups before the coach addressed the team, imploring them to take shots and put in a solid effort for the whole game. The first half
started brightly and aided by a slight breeze down the ground, the Ringwood team began putting pressure on the Bulleen defence. All players
were well focussed with great drive coming from Corey on the wing who seemed to be a ball magnet in the first ten minutes. Great work upfront
by Tyrone, who was back to his strong bustling and fast self, resulted in a well taken shot on goal. At 1 nil up the Ringwood team did not stop
and continued to apply the pressure, so much so that a parry from the Bulleen keeper was knocked into the feet of their defender who
unfortunately kicked an own goal. 2 nil up and things were looking good, however the Bulleen team was awarded a very soft free kick about 25
metres from our goal following a strong tackle from Peter, who did get the ball but the Bulleen player fell over! Bulleen were always going to
be dangerous from this range and they cleverly took the free and cleared the heads of the defending players to score a neat goal. This goal
again did not deter the Ringwood team and on they pressed. Our corner count was looking good and Alex was sending in some great balls which we
almost got onto the end of. On the third or fourth occasion, Alex again struck the ball well allowing Jamie to get his foot onto the ball and
hit it into the back of the Bulleen net. 3-1 to Ringwood and the whistle blew immediately after the goal was scored. The real highlight was
that we had taken more shots on goal than our previous game and this showed on the scoreline. The second half began with Bulleen on the
offensive and the pressure on the Ringwood defence was mounting. All the defenders were called on to make vital blocks and saves but the
visiting team kept pressing and eventually managed to score. At 3-2 it was still anybody's game and again Bulleen mounted attack after attack,
however our defence held firm. There may have been a few close calls, but the home team absorbed the pressure to win the contest 3-2. With one
game to go, it will be important to repeat this effort to secure 4th spot on the ladder. We have done well to defeat two teams who will finish
above us on the ladder and it was a good comeback from the team following the previous week’s effort.
Round 18 - Sherbrooke 29 August 2010
Our last game of the season saw us travel away to Wandin East Reserve to play Sherbrooke. The Sherbrooke team had run into a bit of form over
the past few weeks and we were expecting a tough hit out against a team that was out for revenge following our last meeting some ten weeks ago.
On a pitch that could best be described as “interesting” we began the match with four on the bench, with all players available except for Cain.
We started the game slowly but as the first half wore on we began to press forward. Great play up the middle saw Paul latch on to a great ball
only to see his shot roll wide of the goals. Another great cross by Bailey, who started the game up forward, was narrowly missed by Paul
running into an open goal. The chances were being created, we just couldn’t score. Some poor defending at the other end midway through the first
half saw the Ringwood team concede another soft goal. At half time the score was Ringwood nil, Sherbrooke 1. We weren’t playing our best
football, however we did create the better chances without showing on the scoreboard. The second half opened with the Ringwood team a bit more
determined to finish the season on a positive note. The defence was put under pressure but held firm. We still had holes in our midfield but
our forwards were starting to apply pressure on the home team defence. A great ball forward by Tim to Alex who then passed it to Tyrone resulted
in a deserved goal to the Ringwood team. The team continued to press forward with the home keeper making a few crucial saves leaving the end
result at 1 all. Although we didn’t walk away with the three points, the team won the second half and showed that when focussed it can play
quality football. We need to learn to bring our “A” game every week regardless of the opposition, as the previous week against Bulleen, we
played a great first half which set up the tight win in that game.
The final placing for the Ringwood team was fourth on the ladder below the Champions Nunawading, and with Bulleen and Box Hill above us. We
ended up with nine wins, four draws and five losses, a fantastic effort given the quality of opposition and number of injuries to key players
throughout the season, not forgetting that we did move up from C to B division.
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