Match report

Match report

For Round 6, the high flying Hahndorf Magpies U13 travelled to Woodside to face Warriors U13 Red. The Magpies have averaged over 10 goals a match this season and with Woodside missing a few due to injury entered the game as favorites. But the locals were primed for the challenge and took to the field intent on playing good football and committing wholly.

The first ten minutes of this match were played at breakneck speed as both sides threw hammer, tongs and the kitchen sink at one another. Every time Hahndorf looked set to score, Woodside pressed hard, denied time, pilfered possession and rebounded down the ground. In fact, it was Woodside who created the first real chance of the match, as their center mid drove hard at the keeper, only to be out-bodied by a much larger back-man and denied a clean shot. Eventually, after sixteen edge-of-your-seat minutes Hahndorf broke the shackles to score a stunning goal and take the lead. As if freed from bondage, the Magpies lifted their level after this goal, playing with a confidence bred from five weeks of watching goals rain like confetti. But the pride of Woodside was on the line and the locals too rallied their courage, defending harder than ever and continuing to create half chances. This brought about a temporary stale mate as the clock ticked towards half-time. But as so often happens, the relentless pressure exerted by Hahndorf steadily began forcing cracks through the Blue-and-Red dam. And try though they might, these cracks could not be permanently darned – occasionally opening into fissures through which Hahndorf forced a flurry of late goals to take a commanding four – zip lead into the break.

This would have been enough to break most teams – but not this lot of Hills-dwelling Warriors! The lads and lasses from Woodside walked out from the break ready to fight back and show the assembled crowd what they were made of. Again, the game felt in the balance. OK Hahndorf were unlikely to be defeated, but the young Warriors were surely giving them the fight of their lives! For nearly twenty minutes neither side could find a way through. Chances were created at both ends, but no-one could stretch the net… Finally, a deflection from one of Woodside’s intrepid backs wrongfooted the keeper and increased the Hahndorf lead, giving the visitors a welcome boost and deflating the home side. But again the home side rallied, only conceding one more goal in regular time. Unfortunately, a time-keeping error allowed Hahndorf to put on a few late goals as the short-staffed locals were unable to continue their press.

All in all, this was a great contest, and if Woodside could have found a way to finish when in front of goal it would have been much tighter on the score card.