Match report

Match report

Woodside hosted Hahndorf on a wet and slippery track at the Warriors’ Fortress for Round 15 of the AHJFA U15 league. The first time these two sides met, Hahndorf came out on top with a 4 – 1 win, while the cup game that these sides contested went down to the wire, with Hahndorf taking the game in the dying minutes of play. Today was another tight match, in which the ascendancy see-sawed throughout the day, and at times it looked like it could go either way.

The first 30 minutes belonged to Hahndorf. They scored five goals to one in this time to really put the hurt on Woodside who, although neat with their passing and solid across the park, appeared to want it a little less than their opponents. Where the Magpies were entering each contest like a team that expected to win it, Woodside were just a shade off their best – sometimes committing wholly, sometimes fading away at the last second to allow their opponents an easy possession. And for 30 minutes, that was the difference between the teams. (That said, one goal came from what appeared to be a clear off-side, and another came when the keeper lost his footing in the mud). But a Warriors goal on the 34-minute mark changed the game. Suddenly, a spark went through the home side. They found a thimbleful of self-belief. And that was all they needed. Four minutes later they goaled again to give themselves the momentum and a real sniff going in to half-time. But with a two-goal deficit, it wasn’t going to be easy!

To get over the line in this one, Woodside would have to score first after the break. Against Hahndorf, they simply couldn’t go down by 3 goals and expect to come back. Five minutes into the second half, it looked like they would do just that. As they drove the ball forward, they created a clean shot on goal, forcing the Hahndorf keeper to come up with something special. He did. It was a cracking save that arrested the home side’s momentum and kept his team on top. On the back of this save, Hahndorf gained some composure. Where they had been going a little one-out through the first half and early stages of the second, they now found their short passing game. They were playing wide, playing back, controlling the tempo and cherishing the ball. They were patient in their attack and were building pressure on the Warriors. Eventually they broke through, scoring a scrappy goal from a corner after 55 minutes of play to seal the game. But with 25 minutes left to play Woodside redoubled their efforts. They knew they were capable, and they were never going to back down. If only they could break through... Another great opportunity came with 20 minutes left on the clock, but again the keeper in black and white spoilt the party, making another terrific save. Woodside did score in the last ten, when their tireless centre-mid completed a well-earned hat-trick. But it was just too late for the dogged Warriors. They had staged a great fight back to outscore their opponents through the final fifty minutes of play. But that opening thirty just gave Hahndorf too much of a head start.

For Hahndorf, it was another great win to really concrete themselves in to third on the ladder.  For Woodside it was a case of what might have been…