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JUNIOR Reports
A number of junior teams are providing us with feedback on their progress during the season, and with blow by
blow reports on their games. Have a look below.
If you want your team's reports here, email them to Ross Wakelin
each week.
10th Grade Premiers
Have a look at these photos from the games here.
19th Grade Girls
After our 4-2 loss to Mid Canterbury there were mixed emotions from the team on how well we were going to perform as the season progressed. The girls knew that they were well out played that day especially in the 2nd half, for many it was the first time in 19th grade football and they didn't realise how much faster and stronger the game was from 16th grade football. I was fully expecting only to see 3 guys at training on the Monday but the response from the team was...Amazing! Every guy was there and everyone wanted more and for a coach, i was touched!
We played 8 man Western next only to be a goal down at half time, not good, but within 70 seconds of the restart it was 1-1 quickly followed by a 2nd goal from Lucy and we comfortably won 2-1 (we could of had 5 more!). Next up was Waimak Utd. We were bouyed from our win against Western but the problem was, football can be cruel sometimes. Sophie took one for the team and played keeper for us and apart from being 'scared' she played really well pulling off a fantastic save in the first half. On 30min we won a penalty only for Lauren to blast into the Clubrooms so at HT it was 0-0. We continued to pressure Waimak in the second half and won 9 corners resulting in various versions of penalty box ping pong before the ball was cleared or the Waimak keeper would make a great save. On 70min 'it' happened. Waimak have a free kick, floated into the box Sophie failed to hold the ball and it was a goal. Final score 1-0 Waimak.
So onto this weeks game against Cashmere, "we are not going to be a nearly team, lets put into the game what we do in training" was the pre match team talk. It worked, Shape and positioning when defending was 1st class (you all can have a gold star) still need to work on attacking priciples even though we were 3-0 up at HT!! For the 2nd half 4 players from the 14th grade came on to make their debuts this season, each one performed brilliantly but special praise goes to Chelsea who played the difficult role of Defensive midfielder like a seasoned pro. The game rolled out with Avon winning 3-1.
The harder games are to come and we cannot let our standards slip from what we have achieved so far. We can be good, really good but it will take 3 components to make us have a great season. 100% dedication from the players, 100% dedication from the coach and a full time Goal keeper!!
Keep the good work up guys!
Chris
12th Grade Boys - Division 1
Game 1: Avon United A 2 v Woolston Tech A 1
Match Report:
A very good performance today where we still maintained our great attacking features and unlike previous games where we allowed the opposition some easy scoring opportunities, we tighten up in defence.
Credit for this must be given to goalkeeper Tim Ahn who provided us on the sideline with some great saves. The best was where the ball took a deflection and he had to adjust quickly going to his left and he still managed to hold the ball.
The back three of A.J Salmon, Ribu Dhakal and Will Gillespie managed to absorb a lot of Woolston Techs attacks. A.J Salmon drifted alittle bit out of position but was able to recover. Ribu Dhakal was the strength in defence committing himself to the tackle and looking for the opportunity to switch to an attacking movement. Will Gillespie showed why he has earnt a place in the squad and also the player of the day.
In the mid-field losing Jacob Apeldoorn early was a major blow and I hope he has a speedy recovery. James Changs commitment was shown today as he made himself available once he knew that we had a shortage of players.He managed to last the game through even though he was carrying an injury.Renta Yamamoto showed why he is one of the fittest players in the squad. His clever back heel pass to Alexander sealed our win.Jackson Brady used the width of the pitch and fulfiled his roles in defence and attack. I believe Jackson will score quite afew goals for us this year.
Up front James Jeong was in a role that he is unaccustomed but he never complained and worked away. Alexander Bakx showed absoulute class. Everytime he received the ball we felt that he would provide us with magic.The goals that he scored were well finished.
Kai Lee when he returns from injury will give us more skill and an attacking wide player. Thank for supporting the team today Kai.
We still have areas to work on and I will discuss this with the players at training. Well done team. You can all pat yourselves on the back. Remember one thing always want to win and come off after every game having done your best.
Regards Dave Coster
Note: Selwyn 5 v Burnside 0
Game 2: Avon United A 2 v Burnside A 2
Match Report:
Avon-Burnside games are always played with a lot of passion and determination and today was no different. During this game we always found ourselves playing catch-up unfortunately. After Burnside scored with a little bit of luck early on in the first half it was left up to Alexander Bakx to put away a well struck penalty when a Burnside defender was seen to handle the ball in their goalbox. So both teams came off at half time with the scores locked at 1-1. The second half was perhaps one of the most frustrating that I have seen for a long time. Burnside only had two shots on goal, one just going wide of the up-right. The second shot was well struck and went over Tim Ahn into the top right hand corner. With one minute to go Renta Yamamoto was our hero scoring from an almost impossible angle to lock the scores at 2-2 which proved to be the final outcome. The score wasn't a fair indication of the game as we dominated in attack and if not for Burnside having their fair share of luck we could of easily come away with a win.Repeatly we found ourselves in front of goal and if not for some desperate defending and great goalkeeping we would of scored more goals.
Tim Ahn had a fairly quiet game in goal. His goal kicks are proving to be a real headache to opposition teams as he kicks well and gets good distance. My defence were in a position where they when tested mainly from quick breaks. Most of the time the back line of Will Gillespie, Ribu Dhakal and A.J Salmon proved too strong and absorbed the attacks. Jacob Apeldoorn had a great game and linked well with the other players. Renta Yamamoto is the engine in the mid-field and is an assess with his attacking runs. Kai Lee worked well in the mid-field and showed that we can push him into a forward role. Jackson Brady kept position well and attacked wide.Up front Alexander Bakx found it a lot tougher this week as the Burnside team knew that they had to close him down. James Jeong has the physical strength to play up front and will develop through time he just needs to get hungry to score. James Chang can play just about anywhere as he proved that today after spending time as a defender and a striker.
Where did we go wrong?
- We failed to expoit weaknesses in their defence out wide.
- Too many times, they had seemed to find space from a quick break away.
- Our comittment to score goals when the opportunity arose fell short.
- We were caught off-side too many times as players were slow dropping back.
As i've said a number of times, that every point that we get won't come easy. Often we will find that games will come down to one error or one goal. The main thing to remember is that today we were the only team out there playing consist attacking football.Today was the first time that we have taken a point off Burnside over two seasons, so well done.
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 1 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 1 |
Game 3: Avon United A 1 v Cashmere Wanderers A 2
Match Report:
On Saturday we played Cashmere Wanderers on Barrington Park. I always realised that this would be one of the toughest games of the season. At the end of the game even though we were defeated everyone of my players could come off with their heads held high. I was so incredibly proud of them. In the last 15 minutes of the game the squad showed the ability to make a team who won 11th grade div 1 look average.
The first half of the game had started with us camped in our own half for long periods, generally soaking up their attacks.We concided a lot of corners to Cashmere but they weren't able to find any easy scoring opportunities. As the game continued we had one or two reasonable chances. When we came off at half-time the scores were locked 0-0 with Cashmere showing signs of frustration at not being able to find the back of our net. The second half started and even though we all defended well Cashmere did score fairly early on. It was unlucky that they managed to find a second goal through a quick break on the left hand side. Any other team would of let their heads go down but not us. We pushed Ribu Dhakal up field from his central defence role to give Alexander Bakx some support. This proved to be a very good move as Cashmere had no answer for someone of Ribu's size and skill. Eventually he broke through and slotted away a goal to the left of the advancing keeper. With Ribu working on the right flank Alexander was given alittle more room. James Jeong played up front and i'm seeing that even though James is a good goalkeeper playing him in the out-field is developing him into a more rounded player.
The supply of ball from Jackson Brady, Kai Lee, Jacob Apeldoorn, Renta Yamamoto to our strikers was first class. Jackson and Kai both showed strength in attack and often caused problems for Cashmere out wide. Jacob Apeldoorn closed down Cashmeres wide attacking players through tight marking and determination. Renta Yamamoto was amazing and even though anyone could of won the player of the day award I believe he deserved it. He has the gift of being able to keep tight control of the ball as he weaves his way through the opposition.
My defenders, Will Gillespie, A.J Salmon, James Chang and Ribu Dhakal kept a tight defence and gave Cashmere very few chances. We are not conciding many goals and this has to be credited to the combination of this four players and of course Tim Ahn in goal.
I,ll talk to the players at training with regard to individual performance. Don't forget indoor training as normal on Tuesday. Renta can your please bring the indoor player of the day trophy on the night.
I know that sometimes I can give the impression that I get grumpy, but I would just like to say that I see taking this great team as being an honor. You are the best both on and off the field.
Just remember you showed on Saturday that you're a very skilled classy team who when they fire up are unstopable.
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 3 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 1 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Coastal Spirit 4, Selwyn 2.
So start preparing for another tough game.
Game 4: Avon United A 7 v Coastal Spirit A 2
Match Report:
On Avonhead Park this morning the parents, spectators and anyone who was passing witnessed a football game where our boys outclassed and demonished a Coastal Spirit team, who before today thought that they were a top three side. Within the first four minutes we had created five chances to score. However we found ourselves conciding a soft goal from a corner. After that wake-up call we fired up, attacking from every angle. Coastal Spirit had no answers as we scored goal after goal. By half-time we had found their net five times. In the second half we still dominated, however finding goals became more difficult, but we did net twice to their one goal. The final score as we came off was 7-2 in our favour.
This by far was our finest game, where every part of our game was prefect.We retained possesion, won tackles, scored goals and most importantly wanted to win. The goalscorers this week were Alexander Bakx (4), Jacob Apeldoorn (1), Jackson Brady (1) and James Chang (1) congraulations. One interesting fact about our team, is the ability of any one of our players to score when the opportunity arises. In defence even though we are conciding two goals a game we are defending well, making the important tackles when we need to. The mid-field are and have dominated their area. They all play tight quick passing football and attack quickly from the break, often catching opposition teams off guard.
I want all the players to enjoy this win as they earnt it. Realise, however that today we announced that we are serious contenders for the 12th grade div1 title. As a team these are some points that I want all the players to consider.
- We need to always be aware that every game is going to be a challenge and we must not live on memories of past victories.
- Every player should always focus on playing to the best of their abilities.
- Make the comittment to attending training.(Tuesday and Thursday)
- Encourage other team members either at training or during the game.
- Win with honour by showing good sportsmanship.
- Want to win!
| Alexander Bakx | 7 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 1 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 1 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 1 |
| James Chang | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Game 5: Avon United A 11 v St Albans Shirley Galaxy 0
Match Report:
I would like every player to gauge their performance today and assess two things:
- What did I do well?
a/ tackling or preventing the oppositions movement forward.
b/ passing when the option arose and not getting caught with the ball.
c/ talking to players.(telling them to mark up or pass the ball)
d/ maintaining my position.
e/ running on and off the ball. - What do I need to work on?
Goalkeeper James Jeong wasn't called upon to make any difficult saves and tidied up well any long through balls quite easily. In defence, A.J Salmon ( player of the day) was far to quick for their strikers and covered when needed. Will Gillespie and James Chang tackled well, then often passed the ball onto the mid-field.
The engine room of this team in mid-field were, Jackson Brady and Renta Yamamoto (captain for the day) who both added another goal to their total and Jacob Apeldoorn who came close but was unlucky not to score. We dominated in mid-field but this is to be expected with players of this calibre.
Up front, Ribu Dhakal put four goals away, as he did his weaving runs through the St Albans Shirley Galaxy defence and showed that he can do any job asked either as a defender or striker. Alexander Bakx continues his great goal scoring form by scoring five goals and taking his overall total to twelve so far for the season after only five games. Both these players created a large number of chances which came close and could of added to our score even more.
Some noticeable features of this team, are the ability of every player to do the job required of them, whether as a goalkeeper, defender, mid-fielder or striker. Also the common overall drive of the team too want to win. Lets not also forget the parents and supporters on the sideline who encourage the boys on.
Next week we come up against Selwyn at their home ground so lets focus on that game and work hard at training.
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 12 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 5 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 2 |
| Jackson Brady | 2 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 1 |
| James Chang | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Game 6: Avon United A 4 v Selwyn 0
Match Report:
One famous line comes to mind when I think about Saturdays game against Selwyn. We came, we saw, we conquered. This, in my opinion sums up our performance. Selecting the player of the day after the game is becoming impossible as every player impresses with their gifted abilities. The team is playing football which has supporters from other teams in ore. Yesterday yet another coach commented to me after the game on how well we played. At training this week I want to continue with developing our passing game and then to sharpen up our finishing.
The first half was all ours, with James Jeong (player of the day) in goal showing safe hands. He was consistent throughout the game and even though when he made the odd mistake, he was able to recover and stay focused. In defence the back three of Will Gillespie, Ribu Dhakal and A.J Salmon kept to their task of not conceding a goal. Its now been over 120 minutes since we had a goal put against us. A.J Salmon tackled well, but more importantly in this game provided an option for the right half to pass to when required. Ribu Dhakal's strength and speed as centre back is amazing. He controls and holds the defence together. Will Gillespie is proving to be the most improved player in the team. Will anticipates the oppositions passes and often intercepts the though ball.
Renta Yamamoto had another memorable game, where he dominated the centre half. His best passages of play came when he played that quick one or two touch passing game. Lets not forget however Rentas goal where he dribbed through the Selwyn team. Jackson Brady and Kai Lee both worked well in midfield, making run after run out wide past their opposite numbers in the Selwyn team. With Jacob Apeldoorn also in the mid-field we must have the best mid-field in the league.
Alexander Bakx is a rarity. No one can deny his ability to score goals. Another three on Saurday with the last being one of the best that i've seen. Alexander had a tight angle and had to jump up in the air to volley the ball. He managed to strike the ball giving the goalkeeper no chance. James Chang was my other striker and played well. James played his position but did drift off-side, but its just one of the problems with being in the front line. James commitment and determination was outstanding.
Next week we welcome Tim Ahn back from injury. This means that we'll be back to full strength for our away game to Halswell. The Halswell game has been rescheduled for this weekend to complete the round and thus allow St Albans Shirley Galaxy the opportunity to be dropped to div 2. Start preparing for a very tough game, as Halswell lost 2-1 to Cashmere in the weekend and a second lost would mean that their chances of winning the league are gone. On Saturday I want our team to show everyone that we are the best. Remember what I said at the beginning of this report. We came, we saw, we conquered. (Julius Caesar)
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 15 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 5 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 3 |
| Jackson Brady | 2 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 1 |
| James Chang | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Game 7: Avon United A 3 v Halswell 2
Match Report:
When we play like we did on Saturday and still come away with a win I can only say that luck was on our side. It would be easy to criticise the poor refereeing, but at the end of the day we have to accept the fact that we made some bad mistakes. We, as individuals and as a team have to analysis the errors that occurred, whether it was bad tackling, not releasing the ball quickly, or just not being focused mentality and then minimize the chances of those problems re-occurring.
Halswell were always going to be difficult on their home ground. For both teams a lot was at stake, as whomever lost the game would struggle to catch-up to Cashmere. We found the very physical style of play that Halswell had adopted difficult as we had always encountered teams that knew how to play football using skill rather than all out aggression. During the build up to this game, at training much emphasis had been put on the Halswells goal keepers inability to deal with low shots and one or two key players that they had, who we would have to contain.
We never looked settled in the first half, but full credit to the our Avon 12th grade team as we managed to come off at half time with the scores tied. Halswells goals came from continuous pressure and were finished from close range. Halswell showed commitment, through strong tackling and by doing so they won alot of possession. Most of their attacking chances came through Sean Muchay who played in a number of positions. The Halswell defence showed a lot of pace, but occasionally when stretched, showed weaknessess.
Jackson Brady was the first to find the back of the net, driving the ball low into the bottom left hand corner then Renta Yamamoto levelled the scores late in the first half.
My half-time talk was to the point and maybe the message got through, as our second half was a big improvement on the first. Back was the confident team that could attack and defend. Halswell still battled away, but we were cracking their defence. It was Alexander Bakx who broke the dead lock late in the second half with a well placed shot into the bottom left hand corner. After that, standing on the sideline, I must of aged ten years as we defended our lead. Finally after what seemed to be forever the referee blew his whistle for full-time.
This is by far, the best team that I have ever worked with. Every boy adds something special to the team. Whether it is skill or humour the boys are truly a team. Never selfish and this is shown by their style of play and the celebrations after each goal we score. I congratulate all the players that will be representing Canterbury this year as I know how hard they've worked to achieve their goal.
To all the other players in the team, whether you were nominated or not, in my eyes you are also some of the best players in Canterbury for your age groups.
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 16 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 5 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 4 |
| Jackson Brady | 3 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 1 |
| James Chang | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Game 8: Avon United A 3 v Burnside A 1
Match Report:
In very cold and wet miserable conditions we outclassed an average Burnside team on Burnside Park. After the first round, where we drew 2 all nothing but a win would be acceptable. At the completion of the game we had achieved victory and by doing so had beaten Burnside for the first time. Even before kick-off, gone was the nervousness that had plagued previous encounters. It can be very hard beating teams like Burnside, as they are more prone to play a very defensive game, as they endeavour to try and get something from the game, such as a draw. From the kick-off we put immediate pressure on the Burnside goal, with yet another game where we could of found ourselves ahead within the first five minutes. The Burnside team did defend well and it proved to be quite a difficult task getting through and shooting for goal let alone scoring goals. For most of the game we dominated in their half and contained their attacks. James Jeong scored our first goal and his first for the season, which came from a Renta Yamamoto cross. The Burnside goalkeeper fumbled the ball and James got a toe to the ball and nudged it into the back of the net. The second goal came late in the second half, just seconds before half-time when Alexander Bakx scored. The first half performance could only be faulted by our weakness in moving to meet the ball, otherwise the play in general was pretty good.
In the second half we continued to control the game, so when Jackson Brady scored our third goal it was time to release Tim Ahn ( Player of the Day) on the Burnside defence. Up to this point Tim had played very well in goal and on occassions when the ball was played back to him by a defender he had no trouble clearing the ball up field and away from danger. All the defenders tackled well with A.J Salmon playing centreback when Ribu Dhakal had a run up front. The outside backs of William Gillespie and James Chang closed down most of the wide runs from Burnside and didn't look troubled. The mid-field continued their dominance with Kai Lee, Jacob Apeldoorn, Jackson Brady and Renta Yamamoto making it almost impossible for Burnside to create anything. Up front, on attack Alexander Bakx managed to confuse the Burnside defence by switching sides. This not only gave him room and opportunites, but created space for other players to run into. James Jeong played up front before returning to goalkeeping duties late in the second half. In the dying minutes of the second half James Jeong was unlucky when Burnside were able to get a consulation goal from a corner to finish the game at 3 -1 to Avon.
Today we experimented with positions, as I think most of you would be aware of. This was always going to be a game where I could move players around without weakening various areas. Overall the result was good and i've noted where we suceeded and when we need to work on. Next week we play Cashmere at home on Avonhead Park, basically to decided who will win the league. In my opinion we are the only team capable of beating them. Do your best next week, not just for yourselves but do it to prove once and for all that you are the best team in the league.
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 17 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 5 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 4 |
| Jackson Brady | 4 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 1 |
| James Chang | 1 |
| James Jeong | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Game 9: Avon United A 5 v Cashmere Wanderers A 3
Match Report:
You guys were awesome today. The main feature today was not only did you put five goals past a team that up to now had only conceded seven goals all season, but you beat a team who had only lost two games in two seasons. This was your best performance all season, where you showed maturity and never forgot the game plan. Every individual player could and should have been player of the day. I won't single any one player for special mention as it was a total team effort. Goal scorers today were Ribu Dhakal (2), Renta Yamamoto (1), Jackson Brady (1) and Jacob Apeldoorn (1, also player of the day).
This is going to be a brief match report, as to be honest, you've actually left me speechless! I know that every supporter from either team knew that there was only one team that deserved to win today and we achieved that. The photo which was taken at the end of the game sums up this unique and special team. Congratulations, remember every moment of this game.
However, remember also what I said that after Tuesday we focus only on our next game, not our previous results.
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 17 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 7 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 5 |
| Jackson Brady | 5 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 2 |
| James Chang | 1 |
| James Jeong | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Game 10: Avon United A 3 v Halswell A 3
Match Report:
I know that on Saturday I got pretty wound up, but unfortunately that is part of my make up, as I am very competitive. Even though, at times it may seem like I focus on the bad aspects of our game, there were a lot of positives. I would go as far as say that both teams on Saturday deserve to be in first and second place on the table. We didn't play badly, it was just that we struggled to play the game at a faster pace. Halswell is one team who play a very quick, sharp game and there were many times that they got to the ball quicker than us and exploited our mistakes in the first half, in particular. One of the other main differences that I see between the teams, is that we have in our team a number of players who can score goals, whereas they relie on one player to find the back of the net.
The other results from our division in the weekend didn't really surprise me, as with the combination of school holidays and the Ashburton Tournament often upsetting teams and players by removing their focus from their Saturday football, as shown by Woolston Tech beating Cashmere 5-2 and Burnside beating Coastal Spirit 2-1. Our result on the weekend, in comparison to the others was good. We robbed Halswell from achieving a result that they were desperate for.
As I said, before in the first half, we were guilty of not getting to the ball first and chasing shadows and that sums up how Halswell scored their goals against us. To be honest when the score was 3-0 to Halswell I thought that we would be up against it. Then the magic occurred, where that never give up attitude shone through yet again, with Jackson Brady finding the back of the net with seconds to spare until the whistle blew for half-time, thus keeping us in the game.
The second half was a real battle with both teams having and creating a number of chances. Renta Yamamoto took us to 2-3, after working hard in the centre half, when he managed to sneak the ball into the bottom left hand corner. After we pushed Ribu into a striking role, Halswell made in my opinion an error which cost them victory. By putting Sean Mulcahy into goal it showed that they had decided to try to protect their lead, by defending and thus sacrifice their attacking options. Our Avon team then dominated the out-field and applied more and more pressure, until Ribu Dhakal slotted the ball past the Halswell keeper to level the score at 3-3.
Just to finish with, I would like to say that, don't allow yourself to be distracted from the role that you, as an individual play in the team, as this teams strength is in its ability to work together and overcome any challenge. Stay focused, looking only at one result at a time and remember, never count your victories before you've played them. I expect to see a full team turn out at training on Thursday, as we will still have a friendly game this weekend!
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 17 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 8 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 6 |
| Jackson Brady | 6 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 2 |
| James Chang | 1 |
| James Jeong | 1 |
Dave Coster.
Game 11: Avon United A 4 v Selwyn 2
Match Report:
On Saturday we played Selwyn, who even though we beat them 4-0 in the first round, could surprise as was shown in their resent results against both Cashmere and Woolston Tech. The odds were in our favour, as Selwyn was playing us on Avonhead Park and having a track record of conceding and scoring a goal a game. Our track record is proof of a great team especially on attack, having only lost one game all season.
The game started well with us with dominating. With the amount of pressure that we were applying it wasn't long before we won a corner. Alexander Bakx placed the ball and crossed an inch perfect ball which connected with Jackson Bradys head as he charged in to give the Selwyn keeper no chance. We didn't let up and it wasn't long before Kai Lee added to our total, his first for the season and well deserved. Selwyn showed great courage and determination and were rewarded with a penalty. It was struck well and James was able to block it but unfortunately the ball rebounded back to the Selwyn player who made no mistake the second time. As the second half continued, Jackson Brady was able to return us back to our two goal cushion, but this proved to be short lived as almost from the Selwyn kick off they forced their way through to drive a low shot past the advancing James Jeong into our goal. So there we were at 3-2, with me as usual a nervous reck on the side line, until Ribu Dhakal received the ball in front of the Selwyn goal, turned and lost his marker, then slotted the ball away into the Selwyn goal to make it 4-2.
The second half was scoreless, but there were chances for both teams. The Selwyn keeper was continuously required to pull off save after save. James Jeong in goal played well. The defensive line up of Will Gillespie, A.J Salmon and James Chang defended like a well organised drill team moving in formation and talking to each other. In mid-field Jackson Brady, Renta Yamamoto, Kai Lee and Jacob Apeldoorn worked hard and as I've said above was proven by two of them appearing on the score sheet. Up front Alexander Bakx had a quiet game and wasn't given as much space as he had in the first game. Ribu Dhakal was very strong up front and later on in the second half was required to play centre back. He is reliable and can adapt to any position. Tim Ahn (player of the day) started to show his old self. Tim has the strength and speed to be a great striker.
You played well today guys. Selwyn couldn't stop us and I don't believe anyone can from winning the 12th Grade title. You are now starting to show in patches that you can play football well above your age group. Throughout the season you've worked hard to prove that you are the best and I'm very proud of your efforts both at training and on Saturday. We have two games remaining and I want us to get two wins and that should be our main focus at the moment. At training we will still work on speed work, as I still see this as being a weakness in our game, but we will move towards improving creation of our goal scoring opportunities.
Seasons Goalscorers:
| Alexander Bakx | 17 |
| Ribu Dhakal | 9 |
| Jackson Brady | 8 |
| Renta Yamamoto | 6 |
| Jacob Apeldoorn | 2 |
| James Chang | 1 |
| James Jeong | 1 |
| Kai Lee | 1 |
Dave Coster.