Grand Final (22 Aug)
RESULT: Win 1-0
SCORERS: Alex Genovese 1
We drew the first game with West Ryde Rovers (WRR), lost the second 2 – 1, won the round robin game 2 – 1, we knew this was going to be a tough game against the minor premiers.
And so it was, on what could only be described as a dust bowl of a pitch and a ball as hard as a rock the boys set out to claim their first grand final and as per usual the opposition had something to say about it. WRR started the game well in attack and pushed our defenses to the limit early in the game. A penalty shot to WRR just outside the box had the nerves on high alert and the relief when it went wide could be felt all the way down the sideline. This seemed to wake the boys up and for the rest of the half it was a scramble in the middle to try and get the ball going forward. This was becoming increasingly hard with Marshall being marked out of the game and our midfield slotting into the defence.
At half time the boys were pumped and the confidence sky high (for those that know our team this means they were picking up grass asking silly questions and basically ignoring Mic and myself) and yet again this seemed to work as the struggle for the next 25 minutes was intense with a couple of opportunities for both sides but no reward for either team.
When the whistle went for the end of the second half the seriousness of the occasion and what could be their first grand final win seemed to sink as they lifted to a point where they were able to clear the ball out of our half and start to apply pressure on the WRR defence.
At around the 3rd minute of extra time the ball was stuck in the WRR box going absolutely nowhere and then the ball materialized out of the mass of players and straight to Alex who was just hanging around outside the box and this is what it all came down to, all he had to do was control the ball steady himself and put it back over the keepers head which is exactly what he did, WE WON 1 – 0 3rd minute extra time, what a relief, what rush what a season.
Mic and I would like to congratulate and thank the boys, parents, family and friends for such a wonderful season and we should all be very proud of what they have achieved this year (and they had all better be back next season).
This week’s player of the match went to all the players, parents and friends who have had a great season.

Round Robin 2 (15 Aug)
RESULT: Win 2-1
SCORERS: Zachary George 1 Marshall Luke 1
Quote of the day goes to Mic 1 minute into the game “why haven’t they scored yet to make me feel better”. Thankfully he didn’t have to wait too long as Zac put a great corner kick into the mix of players and we were up one nil. This was a great start against Pennant Hills as the honors during the season were one win each and they were ready to remind us.
Pennant Hills had some good opportunities with a shot just clearing the cross bar and a few breaks but once again our defence and midfield continued their season of keeping it tight and clearing the ball and with Sam making some great saves in goal the pressure started to build. This pressure led to another of Marshall’s great runs forward which put us up two nil and gave us a nice lead at half time.
At half time the boys were told that they needed to maintain the tight defence and positive attitude as Pennant Hills would come out fighting for their season which is exactly what happened with them now applying the pressure and scoring around 10 minutes into the second half.
This only spurred our guys on with even more determination to keep Pennant Hills from getting another shot and clearing the ball out of the danger zone. A couple of late opportunities to our forwards towards the end of the half just couldn’t find their mark and after a torturing 15 minutes on the side line the Ref blew the whistle to put us into the grand final. Another great effort by the boys and Mic to finish off the Round Robin with 2 wins.
This week’s player of the match went to Jack who didn’t stop defending the midfield and kept pushing the ball up front.

Round Robin 1 (8 Aug)
RESULT: Win 2-1
SCORERS: Marshall Luke 2
Up against the minor premiers who we had drawn with nil all in the 1st round and had a close 2-1 loss in atrocious conditions in the 2nd round meant that we knew we were in for a tough game. And so it was to be with West Ryde Rovers coming out and dominating the first 10 minutes but strong defence and great goal keeping again from Sam kept them scoreless. It was at about this time that the boys got their rhythm and started to apply the pressure to the opposition.
With the pressure mounting Marshall latched onto a ball and took it half the length of the field and put it high and wide of the goal keeper giving us the lead which we took into half time. The second half began more like a tennis match going from one end to the other with more great saves by both goal keepers.
It wasn’t until about half way through the second half that WRR had a penalty just outside the box and to the left of goals which they sent sailing over Sam’s head to level the scores (Mic was heard to say that not even he could of saved that one and that Manchester couldn’t of scored a goal like that).
For a change the boys must have been listening at half time as their heads didn’t drop for a second and after some more great defence Ben lobbed a ball up front which Marshall ran onto and punched it into the back of the net to the cheers and roars of the spectators. The next few minutes seem to drag on forever until the final whistle blew and a deep sigh was heard around the ground with a 2-1 victory the result.
This week’s player of the match went to Zac for his great clearing kicks and corners.

Week 6 (1 Aug)
RESULT: Win 3-0
SCORERS: Marshall Luke 1 – Jack Dickenson 1 – Sanjeev Desai
Having not played the Sharks during the season due to a washout and a forfeit by them the boys went into the game not knowing what to expect.
The sharks came prepared with some big kicking players that kept punching the ball back into our half but the determination of our midfield and attack was enough to see Jack put the 1st of our goals in the back of the net and was then heard saying “did you see that dad, it was my left foot”. Soon after that with some beautiful lead up work and a great cross to Sanjeev we were soon up 2 – 0.
The call went out that Marshall was yet to score a goal and no sooner had this been said that Marshall found a ball in the breadbasket, he went to go down but looked up and saw an opening and put it in to give us a 3 nil lead at half time.
The sharks stood up again in the second half and with their big defenders frustrating our attack by continually turning us around they did a great job to keep us scoreless in the second half.
This was a good win to finish off the regular season and to also boost the confidence of the boys heading into the round robin playoffs.
This week’s player of the match went to Sam for his great effort in goals in the first half and his defence as a back in the second.

Week 1 (25 July)
RESULT: Win 4-0
SCORERS: Marshall Luke 3 – Jack Dickenson 1
With almost all the team back from holidays this week the boys started the game with confidence and enthusiasm.
After about 5 minutes it was clear we could push our defence up to the halfway which forced All Saints in to a tight if not bunched defence. This proved to be a problem for our attack in the 1st half as the play was compressed which made it difficult to get a good shot on goal.
All Saints were able to make the odd break past our midfield and it was after one of these breaks that Marshall was able to make one of his breakaway runs and almost knock the goalkeeper over with a screaming shot just over his head and into the goal.
A number of chances early in the second half but the boys were still finding it hard to penetrate the compressed defence.
It wasn’t until about the halfway point of the 2nd half that Jack took a ball to the right of the goals and was able to turn back and slot it in. Marshall quickly followed this up with 2 more goals of his own which secured a good solid win.
This week’s player of the match went to Chris for his determination in defence.

Week 14 (18 July)
RESULT: Loss 1-2
SCORERS: Marshall Luke
With a number of our defensive players missing we were down from our usual 14 players to eleven plus our super sub Caden (U8).
The first half was an even affair with shots by both sides and strong defence from both teams. As the half went on the tension was building all around.
At half time with the scores locked at nil all we knew we had to come up with something special to get on top. Unfortunately Pennant Hills had the same idea and lobbed a ball from the side of the box to go 1 up.
The boy’s heads never went down and after another Pennant Hills raid our goalie Simon booted the ball out to Sanjeev on the right who laid on a beautiful pass for Marshall who took it all the way to even things up.
This was short lived with Pennant Hills lobbing another ball over the top to give them a 2 – 1 lead. With only a few more chances for both teams the game was kept tight once again by good defence which turned out to be the winner for Pennant Hills in the end. This was only our second loss of the season which I am sure the boys will bounce back from.
This week’s player of the match went to Simon for his great effort in goals.

Week 12 (4 July)
Result: D 0-0
In a complete turnaround weather wise from our last game it was the top of the table clash in beautiful sunshine to see who would lead the comp after this weekend, well so we thought. WPH hills came out strong sending waves of 4 or 5 players forward putting our defence under a lot of pressure early handling this barrage for the first 10 minutes. Our defence continued to hold and we were able to turn the tables for some welcome relief for our defence. WPH had a couple of good chances but with shots to the side of the goals and a few good saves the score remained nil all at half time.
The second half started the same as the first but after a short time we managed to put pressure on their midfield and started our own attack. A long range shot mid way through the half looked certain to go in when a WPH boot came out of nowhere and saved it. Chances for both teams continued to miss and with the tension rising and the voices on the sideline getting louder telling both teams what to do a sigh of relief was heard as the final whistle blew ending what was a very enjoyable and encouraging defensive game against a strong attack.
Now the only question left is where we will be placed on the table when all the results are in as there are only 4 points separating the top 5 teams
This week’s player of the match went to Daniel for a brilliant defensive game getting back and blocking many raids and then clearing the ball well.

Week 10 (20 June)
RESULT: Lose 1-2
SCORERS: Marshall Luke 1
In atrocious conditions where a water polo match would have been a better sport to be playing, the boys set out to maintain their lead on the top of the table but the opposition had other ideas. After a fairly even start one of the West Ryde Rovers (WRR) players got away and put a great ball from the back line over everyone’s head and into the goal to give them a 1 – 0 lead.
We responded well and after some fairly messy lead up work Marshall managed to get the ball past the defence and goal keeper and it literally trickled over the line to make it 1 – 1. A great long range shot from Zac that just missed the goals and 1 of Marshall runaway shots and our confidence was up but the score remained 1 – 1 at half time.
As the rain pelted down in the second half it became harder to move the ball around. A penalty to WRR in the box 10 minutes into the second half gave their goal keeper a chance to put them up which he did. Despite some late attacks by our forwards and midfielders we were unable to level the score and thus suffered our first loss of the season (better to get it out of the way now – I hope).
This week’s player of the match went to Ben for his determined effort in the midfield in tackling and delivering the ball through to the forwards.

Week 9 (13 June)
RESULT: Win 7-0
SCORERS: Sanjeev Desai 2, Marshall Luke 2, Jack Dickinson3
Against an opposition of only 9 to start with the boys put into practice the night before training drills and spread the ball out wide and stopped bunching as with last week. This paid off with 3 good goals in the first half and a much happier coach and manager at half time. Gladesville made a few breaks which turned our midfield and defence around but we stood firm.
In the second half Gladesville continued to make small breaks but with their numbers now at 10 we managed to break through 4 more time including a hat rick of goals to Jack to have a final score of 7 – 0. A much improved performance and a game where the boys concentrated on the basics and stayed focused for the full 50 minutes.
This week’s player of the match went to Dominic for his strong defence around the back and through the midfield.

Week 8 (6 June)
RESULT: Win 2-1
SCORERS: Alexander Genovese 1- Marshall Luke 1
With confidence high from our 4 - 2 win against Pennant Hills last week the boys went into the game full of energy and ready to play. Unfortunately no one had told All Saints of this and with their strong stacked defence it squashed our free flowing game and made it very difficult to get a shot on goal. After what could only be described as a game where you could throw a blanket over the majority of players, Alex got onto a ball outside the box and managed to clear the congestion to put us one up. A disallowed goal to All Saints due off side left the score at 1 – 0 at half time.
With some determination and with our defence pushed up forward All Saints got away and leveled the scores soon after half time. A rare shot on goal from Marshall out of the middle of about 10 players gave us back the lead. A late disallowed goal to Sanjeev for offside held the score at 2 – 1 at full time.
This week’s player of the match went to Alex for his all round performance in defence, attack and some good leads.

Week 7 (30 May)
RESULT: Win 4-2
SCORERS: Ben Luker 1, Sanjeev Desai 1 Marshall Luke 2
Up against one of the leading teams in the comp the boys started confidently and after a brilliant run by Ben we were up 1 – 0. This lead was short lived when Pennant Hills struck back a few minutes later. The boy’s heads never went down for a minute which paid off as Marshall sprinted away from the opposition to score the 1st of his 2 goals for the half.
With the absence of Mic who was too busy playing his own re scheduled game, Mark Genovese spurred the boys on at half time to get back out and keep playing hard for the ball. A scare midway through the 2nd half to make it 3 – 2 gave Pennant Hills the momentum but the boys dug deep again and after a brilliant save by Sam to his left and on the line the momentum swung back.
After a few close shots towards the end of the game Sanjeev got onto a bobbling ball and scored his 1st goal for the club and the goal to secure the game. A great win boys and a very exciting game to watch.
This week’s player of the match went to Brayson who played his first game in the backs and made an immediate impact to the game with some great tackling and big kicks forward.
On a sad note we bid farewell to Bailey who is off overseas with his family next week. We wish them all the best and we will hold a spot open for Bailey when they return.

Week 5 (16 May)
RESULT: Win 1-0
With the wind blowing an absolute gale the decision to run with it in the 1st half paid off within just 5 minutes of the whistle. A high ball lobbed over the defence gave Marshall the chance to sprint through collect the ball then shoot and after a bobble off the goal keeper we were up 1 – 0.
A number of chances, good control in the middle and some good keeping from Zac our lead maintained as we went into half time.
West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook came out firing in the second half with a number of early raids on our goals but with strong defence and more good work this time from Bailey in goals we continued to keep them goalless. With a couple of great chances in the second half, one from Brayson across the goals and another from Marshall just missing to the right, the boys were trying very hard to finish it off.
With a few minutes left the excitement on the side line was building and with a few late runs by WPHC the nerves were being tested. As the final whistle blew the very excited and stressed contingent of PHDSC players and parents were relieved to see our 1st win of season against a very strong and determined WPHC side.
This week’s player of the match went to Marshall Luke who made some great leads and ran on to the ball effortlessly to score 1 goal and create other great opportunities.

Week 3 (2 May)
RESULT: Draw 0-0
An early shot on goal gave the boys a lot of confidence and this showed as the game went on with many raids into the oppositions half.
The kicking practice Mic has been doing with the boys is paying off with one great long range shot by Zac and another great drive forward thanks to the boot of Alex.
Overall the boys played very well, dominating the bulk of the game but were just unlucky not to be able to put a winner in the back of the net.
A second draw for the season will build the team’s confidence and will increase their hunger for their first win for the season.
This week’s player of the match went to Josh Batchelder who showed a lot of grit and determination in his chasing of the ball and his tackling.

Week 2 (18 Apr)
RESULT: Draw 1-1
SCORERS: Zac George 1
After a quiet start to the match the boys started to get a bit if roll on with plenty of time spent in the opposition half.
A penalty midway through the first half after some great lead up work gave us a one nil lead.
Unable to take advantage of our field position we offered up a runaway goal against the run of play to level the scores part way through the second half.
After what seemed to be an eternity in the oppositions half and not being able to get a shot on goals due to some tight defense the final score was 1-1.
This was not a bad result for our first outing in Division 4 and it has given us some areas to work on at training.
One of our newcomers Sanjeev Desai received the trophy today for great work down the right wing with great passing, tackling and a close shot on goals.

Trial games vs Redfield College will be held on Saturday the 28th March

Notes:

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