Match report

Match report

Hahndorf Soccer Club's Under 8s took on FC Summit in their second match as a team and showed incredible grit and determination in an exciting 2nd half comeback. Captain for the day, Brooklyn Karamanov, rallied the team before kick-off, encouraging them to work together and call out each other's names when passing the ball.

In the first half, Eric Jager was the goalkeeper, with defenders Will Neelawala and Brooklyn Karamanov putting in solid performances. Midfielders Art Neville, Charlie Kilpatrick, and Zeek Neelawala battled hard in the midfield, while attackers Carter Karamanov and Keenlan Atkinson made a number of promising runs forward.

The game was tight in the first half, with play often congested in midfield. Art and Charlie put their bodies on the line with some strong tackles and Eric made some excellent saves at the other end of the field to keep FC Summit at bay. Hahndorf were at their best when looking to exploit the space on the wings and at half time the team talked about spreading out to make it easier to find a team-mate with a pass.

In the second half, Carter swapped for Eric in goalkeeping duties. FC Summit began to gain the upper hand and found the back of the net twice with two unstoppable strikes from the edge of the box. The pressure continued to mount, and Carter had to make a number of excellent saves to keep Hahndorf in the game.

But Hahndorf never gave up and the team continued to battle hard. Zeek's well-placed pass set Brooklyn free from the chasing pack and he cut inside to bury his shot past the diving goalkeeper, keeping the Magpies in touch. The goal was just the spark Hahndorf needed to kick it up a notch. With renewed energy and determination the Magpies went on the attack and minutes later Keelan tore down the right wing, steadied himself, and smashed home the equalizer to the delight of the home crowd.

The team had shown incredible resilience and character to come back from two goals down against a skilful and well-organized FC Summit team. Brooklyn, who had captained the team on the day set the tone for the second half with his goal and Keelan's equalizer showed that the team has the ability to fight back against adversity.

All the players put in a great effort with Eric, Will, Brooklyn, Art, Charlie, Zeek, Carter, and Keenlan all contributing. Overall, it was a thrilling match, and the Under 8s should be proud of their performance and the heart they showed on the pitch.