It was another tough weekend for the East Gippsland United Football Club going down to Traralgon Olympians on the road in round 13 of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League.
It was a steady start for both teams with most of the play kept to the midfield. The first goal went to the Olympians who scored from a sneaky steal from keeper Lui Albornoz when he hesitated kicking the ball from the box.
The Eagles responded by scoring shortly after when Tom Forster drilled the ball past the keeper off an assist from Isaac Burgoine.
With the intensity of the game increasing, each side was working hard to keep possession.
Burgoine and Noah Price combined well on the left side of the pitch while Ben Gillard and Brandon Ginty showed the same persistence in the midfield as last week.
Jayden Steel was well positioned to score but couldn’t get enough foot on the ball to send it past the keeper, and Forster’s shot went wide of the net, with the score even going into the break.
The return of play started with Ginty taking aim at the end but the ball went wide.
Any hesitancy in the Eagles’ passing was pounced on by the Olympians who consistently created the turnover.
Within 10 minutes the Olympians scored twice and the Eagles had to fight hard to stay in the game.
With the Olympians in control, the Eagles worked hard to send the ball forward but the Olympians’ defenders blocked all attempts.
With the clock ticking, play became more frantic for the Eagles and rushing the ball saw them lose the accuracy in their passes.
Further goal opportunities were lost by the Eagles, who were also able to contain the Olympians’ attackers.
The game finished 3-1 in favour of the Olympians.
RESERVES
In the reserves, the Olympians took control early and the Eagles’ defenders had to work hard to shut the Olympians’ attack down.
An early chance at goal from Tyler van den Meiracker was blocked by the opposition keeper.
The Olympians scored early, after just 17 minutes.
They had a second chance from a penalty kick at 30 minutes but the ball was sent over the top.
The Eagles did their best to bring the ball into their forward half but were let down by the inaccuracy of their passes and the Olympians were able to easily get the turnover.
At 42 minutes, a fumble by the defenders in front of the net saw the Olympians take advantage and score their second goal before half time.
The Eagles lifted their intensity in the second half and were able to get more of the play.
A long ball from Sean Mamo saw Harry Padula come close to scoring but the ball went across the front of the nets.
The Olympians’ third goal came at 57 minutes when the ball hit the cross bar and the rebound bounced just behind the goal line.
With two minutes left on the clock, the Eagles finally scored when Josh West passed the ball to Sean Mamo in the goal square.
Mamo’s shot was blocked by the keeper but Lachlan Feather was able to score from the rebound.
Just a minute later, a long ball from West saw James Alder score the Eagles’ second goal.
But it was too late for any further scoring attempts and the Olympians were able to hold on to take the win 3-2.
UNDER 15
The under 15 Eagles took on undefeated Traralgon City White in an epic battle last Saturday afternoon.
Both teams fought for dominance with the Eagles having multiple chances to score in the early minutes.
Keeper Reagan Nash did an amazing job making many saves.
The chances to score seemed even but unfortunately Traralgon pushed back harder and scored in the ninth minute.
The Eagles’ defensive line was extremely strong using speed to their advantage.
At the 20th minute Traralgon snuck another one past the keeper, putting them ahead 2-0 in the first half.
In the second half the Eagles held Traralgon’s attackers back only letting one goal slip through the net.
The scoring shots were many and majority of play was kept in the Eagles’ half.
The game was extremely tough and physical with many hard knocks.
Hiranhi Hudson had an impressive match, taking the hits and keeping her feet with a couple of attempts at goal.
At the 50th minute Rafael Rodriguez had a free kick, taking a strike at goal missing to the right of the net.
The play continued hard on both sides neither team willing to give in, captain Mason Radley often bringing the ball down the wing with two to three attackers taking him on.
The final score saw the Eagles going down 3-0, with Spencer Bastian receiving the coach’s award.
THIS WEEK
The under 13s will play against Sale White in an away match this Saturday, while the under 15s are also away against Churchill. The men’s squad will take on Newborough Yallourn United Soccer Club at home this Sunday.
IMAGE: East Gippsland United’s Adam Cheesley competes for possession of the ball during his side’s round 13 Latrobe Valley Soccer League loss to Olympians last Sunday. (PS)
