It was a tough day at the office for East Gippsland United Football Club last weekend with all five teams recording losses for the round.
The men’s squad played host to the Traralgon Olympians at West Bairnsdale last Sunday
and the seniors’ match is one they would rather forget.
The Olympians took control of the game from the start, consistently in their attack as they kept the ball in their forward half.
Lacking cohesion, the Eagles struggled to maintain possession as the pressure from the Olympians consistently forced the turnover.
There were few scoring opportunities for the Eagles and the Olympian defenders were quick to block anything that looked a remote chance of slipping through.
Despite the best efforts of the Eagles’ defenders, the Olympians found the back of the net four times during the first half.
There was a stronger performance from the Eagles in the second half but they still couldn’t find the answers required to stop the Olympians’ domination.
Maintaining possession, the Olympians were a force to be reckoned with and nothing the Eagles did seemed to make a difference.
But they didn’t give up and persisted until the end, light rain made the ground slippery but it didn’t stop the Olympian onslaught.
They scored eight goals in the second half, finishing with a commanding 12-0 victory.
The reserves was a more even affair with possession shared at the start and play mostly staying in the middle of the pitch as both teams tried to break through the respective defences.
Despite lacking composure on the ball and rushing their plays, the Eagles continued to work the ball forward to create opportunities, unfortunately their shots on target were saved by the opposition keeper.
The Eagles’ defence worked hard to block the Olympians’ attack and keeper Brendan Dunstan made some great saves.
There were some early chances in the second half for the Eagles, working with Mason Radley and Ky Phuoc Le, Harry Padula came close a couple of times, only to have his attempts saved by the keeper.
However at 67 minutes into the game, success finally came to the Olympians when they were able to slip the ball past Dunstan to score the first goal of the match.
For the remainder of the match the Eagles had more scoring chances than the Olympians but weren’t able to convert.
An own goal right before the final whistle saw the game go to the Olympians 2-0.
The under 16 Gold Eagles took on the unbeaten Traralgon Olympians at West Bairnsdale Oval, going down 4-0.
As the match started the Olympians demonstrated a commanding presence, dominating possession in the early stages.
The Eagles’ defenders responded diligently, consistently clearing the ball from their defensive line led by captain Rustan Bazley, who put his body on the line going into contests without any hesitation.
Thirteen minutes in Harry Storer took a corner kick and Leo Kantzides made contact with the ball, sending it just to the right
of the goal.
At the opposite end Caleb Till cleared the ball which then deflected off an opposing player and went over the Olympians’ goal, while shortly after an unmarked Olympians player scored.
The Olympians then dominated with
several shots on goal, but Jackson Cheesley made key saves before the Olympians
scored again at 35 minutes.
Jesse Williams responded with a fast break, but his shot was saved, only for the Olympians to respond promptly by securing their third goal.
In the second half the Eagles’ defence applied effective pressure, Williams consistently advanced with strength, outpacing opponents. At 57 minutes he passed to Lucas McDonald, whose shot went just left.
The Olympians maintained a clean sheet against the Eagles and secured their final goal at 67 minutes while the Eagles demonstrated determination and effort throughout the concluding minutes of play.
The under 16 Blue team had a tough game against Fortuna at Crinigan Road in Morwell, eventually succumbing 3-2.
Despite several early shots, the Eagles trailed 2-0 at half time, unable to capitalise on some solid chances.
In the second half the Eagles made several positional changes including the moving of Seth Giuffrida-Love to defence while Robbie Christie switched to striker.
More effective midfield play with key steals from Harrison Dingwall and Rahsa Long helped the Eagles strike back with two quick goals, tying the game.
The Eagles pushed on, but Fortuna clinched the victory late in the match despite the
efforts of Ben Bodsworth, the Eagles’ goalkeeper who was named best afield for his strong performance.
The under 13s suffered a 1-0 loss against Newborough Yallourn United Soccer Club at Burrage Reserve in Newborough.
In this week’s final round of matches
the senior squads will do battle with
Churchill United at Hazelwood South Reserve on Sunday.
On Saturday the under 16 Gold side will play Traralgon City Purple at Harold Preston Reserve in Traralgon, while the Blue team
will host Traralgon City Black at the West Bairnsdale Oval.
The under 13s will host Sale Green at Howitt Park this Saturday morning.
unable to convert. (PS)
