Match report

Match report

With a late morning start, no rain and even the sun shining, the stage was set for an exciting Hahndorf vs Mount Barker White game. Mount Barker won the toss but within the first 3 minutes a fabulous assist from Louis Moran to Cohen Whinfield led to the first score on the board going to Hahndorf. The ball moved back and forth fiercely, with Jack Gaskin and Eli Parkyn running down the lines well and Caleb Earley demonstrating clever clearing. With a few more throw ins, Emlyn Gilroy saw an opening and took off, setting Lawson Shotton up for a wide shot at goal which was a great effort, but just off the mark.

Mount Barker approached the goals, but Chris Haynes displayed excellent defence, stopping it in its tracks. Jackson Bidgood, who played Goalkeeper for the whole match, had his first touch and with a big boot, sent it towards E Gilroy who used its’ advantage by setting up the team for an excellent attack. 4 shots at goal were made; credit to the oppositions goalkeeper who saved them all. However, this defence would soon be broken when Moran made a shot at goal, it was deflected, rebounded and Shotton was there to take the opportunity to see Hahndorf’s 2nd goal for the match.

It was an exciting sequence of events that followed, where the oppositions keeper was belted by two more shots in quick succession. A helpful header by Sonjae Cook, Earley crossing to Haynes, R Gilroy and E Gilroy running down the lines saw Shotton attempt another goal, which rebounded for two more attempts by Moran and E Gilroy. Mount Barker made a break, but Hahndorf’s defence quickly shut it down thanks to Jacob Gerber, Harry Wood and Earley. After a corner kick, the ball centred to Cook who fed Ashon Broadbent-Shaw the perfect set up, complete with excellent skills, blasted it through the back of the net for a well earnt 3rd notch on the scoreboard.

By standers observed excellent communication and defence between Haynes and Earley to the midfielders to keep the ball firmly in Hahndorf’s possession and after a quick loss of the ball, Parkyn was there to stop Mount Barker’s momentum with a strong display of skills. Hahndorf’s defence was impenetrable, it was exciting game play! A long shot from Shotton rebounded off the post and the ball remained in play, being fiercely fought over. Broadbent-Shaw found a clearing, shot but found the goalies gloves. A solid half time effort.

The second half saw our boys shooting uphill and almost instantly Bidgood was keeping the goals. With it sent back up, the boys worked well together, halting the oppositions forward play, turning it around and after a thrown in by JGaskin saw lines being run, quick footwork and the boys were fighting hard in what became a highly contested goal box. Mt Barker White found their legs, quickly sent it down and took a quick shot with was well kept by goalie Bidgood. With the ball then being launched into the midfield Broadbent-Shaw did well to negotiate 3 onto 1, to clear to E Gilroy who then saw the line. A corner kick resulted in Mount Barker running away and with a firm strike at an acute angle, it was just out of reach for our leaping goalie.

An unfortunate Hahndorf handball resulted in a penalty shot right in front of our goal which fortunately for Hahndorf was sent high over the goal posts. Solid play followed, with another shot from Mount Barker, being unsuccessful. The next minutes that followed were excellent efforts of shots at goal by our boys, the ball being sent back down where our defence worked very well and we never halted in motivation, leading to R Gilroy offering a cross to Shotton who kicked the 4th goal.

The opposition felt the heat now and we felt the efforts of their forward, but Moran cleared well, and Gaskin showed an impressive block. With pressure on us, shots at goal ultimately became successful for Mount Barker’s 2nd goal, albeit by excellent efforts by defence and Bidgood’s outstretched dive. Not to be disheartened, E Gilroy scored Hahndorf’s 5th goal within the next minute. All boys on the field tried their hearts out and it showed. A great game and Hahndorf would like to thank Mount Barker White for the match.