Match report

Match report

Round three of the 2025 AHJFA U12 season pitted Woodside Warriors against Stirling districts at the Warriors Fortress. And, so far this season, it has been a fortress. This was their third home game, and having won their first two, they carried an air of confidence onto the pitch. It’s been a different start to the season for Stirling, who went into the match with an 0 and 2 record from their first two forays. But if the young Warriors thought a win would be easy pickings, they were in for a shock.

It's fair to say that Woodside dominated the early passages of play. They kept the enemy out of their area through patient jockeying. They won the ball with well-timed challenges. And they distributed with precision. This gave their midfielders quality ball and time to create, which is precisely what they did. Across the midfield, Woodside showed an unrelenting willingness to share the ball. They were passing and moving to create numbers forward of play and then releasing their strikers behind the line. It was lovely to watch, and looked sure to keep the scorer busy, but despite their fine efforts and superb execution, they were repeatedly thwarted by desperate defensive pressure and a yellow-shirted keeper with long arms, long legs and the reflexes of a cat. In fact, the Red and Blue Warriors managed to create no less than twelve shots on target during the first term alone, with not one stretching the onion bag. It was unbelievably frustrating for the home fans, but relief after relief for the visitors, whose fans had nearly wiped the brows from their faces by half time. But that wasn’t all! With the whistle about to blow and call and end to the first term, Stirling sent a long ball behind the Warriors’ line. This created a race, and although the Warriors’ backman was first there, he turned the ball back inside, allowing the Stirling Striker to pounce and send a long ball goalward. It swung through the air and spun awkwardly off the deck to beat the keeper and put Stirling ahead. Here was a chance for the youngsters from Woodside to crack the sads. They’d played so well, only to concede a goal against the run, and now, somehow, they were behind. But they didn’t crack it. These youngsters were better than that. Not a single head dropped. They took a deep breath, regrouped, and prepared to do it all again, only this time they would be precise in front of the net and get past yellow brick wall.

And so, the second half began with Stirling leading 1 – nil. The question on everyone’s lips was simple, could Stirling continue their goal-defying antics and defend their lead for the next 30 minutes, or would Woodside find a way through and get themselves in front? The Warriors believed the latter. With the opening whistle, they were back to work, fighting for the ball, sharing it for the greater good, encouraging one-another. And it paid. After 4 minutes they did what they’d failed to do in the whole first half, finally sneaking one home from a ripping toe-poke, to stretch the net and bring themselves level on the score card. Then, six minutes later, they took the lead for the first time in the game with a well-placed shot that took the impeccable Stirling gloveman out of the picture. Both goals were the culmination of the Warriors’ all-for-one mentality, as those in Red and Blue worked like dogs to defend and attack as the situation required and played with an unselfish desire to make their contribution felt. Another Woodside goal in the last five minutes put the game to bed, with the home crowd breathing a much-appreciated sigh of relief. 

The final result was a solid 3 – 1 win for Woodside, but at times it felt like this one could have gone the other way.