Match report
| Season | Date | Round | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 U17 | 21st August 11:30am | League Round 18 | HSC Main Pitch 1 |
Stirling United 1
Hahndorf 1
Match report
Stirling travelled to Hahndorf for a late season clash with the grounds starting to dry out and the sun shining brightly. Whilst still playing with no substitutions despite the recent recruitment drive, Stirling were able to field a well balanced side for the clash.
Stirling started well, controlling the play and having the ball in their front half for most of the first 10 minutes. Hahndorf at the other end always present a threat with Kyle Fenlon in particular surging forward but Lachlan Stein in goal was commanding the box.
On 15 minutes, Araby Phelan received the ball from Henry Monaghan and made a great run to find an opening and give Stirling the lead with a powerful finish. Stirling continued to have the best of the chances, but Hahndorf’s goal keeper was doing a great job keeping the ball out of the net. Stirling didn’t have it all their own way though. At one point Kane Gibbs took a free kick from well outside the box that hit the crossbar and went over but could easily have dropped in.
Going it a half time with the slenderest of leads, and handing over the slight downhill advantage to Hahndorf for the second half, Stirling knew they needed to keep the pressure on, with Kye McDonald at centre back leading the team with his attack on the ball. Whilst Hahndorf had chances, Stirling continued to focus on keeping possession with quality passing which saw them continue to look like the team most likely to score.
Ky Henry almost forced the ball through but again the keeper managed to keep it out. Phelan had a number of chances but couldn’t quite find the back of the net. As the teams tired, both teams resorted to long balls which were easily controlled by the keepers at either end.
Then, just when it seemed that Stirling would hold on for a well deserved victory, Hahndorf took the ball from the back all the way forward, and Kyle Fenlon managed to slide the ball past Stein in goal to level the scores with a minute to go. Hahndorf had one final chance to take the victory which went wide leaving the teams with a draw that would have felt like a win for Hahndorf given the overall play of the game.
