Match report
| Season | Date | Round | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 U16 | 26th September 5:00pm | League Round 14 | MB Beatty Tce |
Stirling United 2
Murray Bridge 5
Match report
On the last weekend in September, Stirling United and Murray Bridge were vying for second place in the U16 league, with Hahndorf already assured of top place. The previous match between the teams was a tight affair, with Stirling the victors in a 1-0 scoreline that had supporters of both teams on edge throughout the match.
With a later than usual 5.00pm start, it was going to be interesting to see whether the teams were switched on, but both teams started with great intensity that was to continue for the rest of the match.
Stirling appeared to have an initial slight edge, but a long ball allowed Murray Bridge’s talented forward Edward Mato to run on and score the opener. Their lead was short lived, with a great assist from Ky Henry, providing an opportunity for Araby Phelan to open the scoring for the visitors.
The remainder of the half was tight, but Stirling clearly had more opportunities and looked the most likely to break the deadlock.
After the break, the control of play for Stirling continued, and with first Nik Smith and then Matthew Silcock hitting the cross bar, it seemed only a matter of time before they would take the lead.
Against the run of play, Stirling were again caught out on the fast break, and Mato’s second resulted. Not long after a contentious handball decision went against Stirling, and with Jayden Vokes calmly slotting the resultant penalty, it appeared the match may be over.
However once again, Stirling were able to almost immediately counter, with a stunning cross from Kye McDonald falling for Emily Bouchereau to give Stirling hope of a dramatic comeback. Shortly after Yuto Okada made a powerful run into the box, but his shot that would have drawn Stirling level cleared the crossbar.
With only minutes remaining, a freekick for Murray Bridge deflected off the wall into the goal, and with Stirling throwing players forward in an attempt to score, a final goal for Murray Bridge saw them finish the game comfortable winners 5-2 in a tightly fought contest between two strong sides.
All in all a great exhibition of football for the final game of the season, with players from both teams now looking forward to 2021.
