Match report

Match report

After a wet week, the weather gods decided to crack a wry smile for round 8 of Hills Junior Soccer. At Woodside Fortress, they teased us with sunny skies early before covering the sun and chuckling as they sent cold scuddy showers to drench players and fans alike. But the standing water that covered the pitch only days earlier had receded to provide adequate conditions for open, entertaining soccer. And when Stirling Districts Blue turned up for their 11 o’clock showdown with Woodside Warriors U12 Gold, that is just what was delivered. 

Even before a ball had been kicked in anger, this one looked like a being a classic contest between two U12 sides playing their first year on the big pitch. And when the ref signaled for play to begin, both groups leapt out of the blocks to run, kick, tackle and compete with their mates. Ah Football! The Beautiful Game! Played for the simple joy of it! The 22 young guns on the park, their mates on the bench, their family and friends all smiled and cheered as they enjoyed just being part of the game. 

It was Woodside who dominated early, mounting several high quality attacking raids that demonstrated their willingness to share the ball to anyone in Red and Blue who was in a better position. This uncompromising team mentality allowed them to create space up front and get behind their opponents. And by the ten minute mark they had driven two into the onion bag to establish a commanding lead. But the young Stirling Districts players are a resilient bunch. Their defensive line regrouped and demonstrated a level of organization beyond their years. And by remaining calm, defending with intent and flooding back to help one another, they repelled a stack of Warrior raids. Their defensive efforts also delivered clean ball to the front-men, who were more than half-handy with ball-at-foot. Several times they made the Warriors goalie earn his coin, firing off a number of shots in their efforts to claw back into the match. The majority of these were released under extreme pressure, which denied them easy access to the net. But if you make your way into the box often enough, rewards will come. As the first half drew on a mis-skewed clearance by the Warriors defender was pounced on by the keeper, only to be called for a back pass. The home fans may have been dubious, but if they were they didn’t show it. They respected the refs decision and applauded as the indirect free was passed off and expertly finished by a powerful strike past the goalie. This took us into the break with Woodside up 2 – 1. 

The second half was even tighter than the first. Although Woodside appeared to have a slight edge, Stirling Districts continued to defend their net with will. And when they went forward, they looked every chance of scoring. But Woodside continued to show why they are rated one of the best defensive units in the comp. – shepherding, tackling and clearing like a well-oiled machine. This competitive spirit and keenness to keep their house in order delivered them a clean sheet in the second half. Adding to their defensive presence, the Woodside back 4 brought another skill to the table this week – when they cleared, they were hitting team mates up the ground. This created a transition from defense to attack that created repeat chances. Eventually one of these snuck through, taking their lead to 3 – 1 and delivering them a hard-fought victory. Big congrats to all and sundry for playing and watching the game with enthusiasm and fairness and in an atmosphere deserving of the Beautiful Game.