East Gippsland United played host to Newborough Yallourn United Soccer Club last Sunday with two tough Latrobe Valley Soccer League matches both ending in a draw.
There was a sense of determination from both teams as the seniors took to the pitch.
The battle for control was intense with both sides having plenty of time on the ball.
Newborough scored the first goal 14 minutes in and the Eagles had to play some catch up football to ensure they remained in the game.
Ben Gillard and Brandon Ginty were solid in the midfield, directing the ball to the side to allow the wingers to take the ball forward but the Newborough defence held form in front of the net, blocking the Eagles’ opportunities.
With play becoming a bit frantic the Eagles were rushing their passes and the loose balls allowed for too many easy turnovers.
But the Eagles’ defenders, led by centrebacks Tom Forster and Alex Padula, were able to clock the Newborough attack.
Returning from the break, the Eagles concentrated on slowing down the play and maintaining possession.
Scoring opportunities increased but were saved by the opposition keeper.
Forster and Padula held firm across the half way line, keeping the ball in the Eagles’ forward half.
A few loose balls strayed through but were stopped by the Eagles’ keeper Lui Albornoz.
With the clocking ticking, the intensity of play began to increase as both teams tried to break through.
At 90 minutes, a penalty was awarded for a hand ball in the box, and Jaydon Steele put the ball into the back of the net.
With only a few minutes of extra time, neither side was able to break the deadlock and the game finished with a hard-earned draw.
RESERVES
The reserves match started with Newborough in control.
With the younger Eagles needing to settle, Newborough was able to take advantage of easy turnovers and maintain possession.
Eagles’ keeper Brendan Dunstan was kept on his toes as the Newborough attack was unsuccessful in its scoring attempts.
Kyal Hood had a good run down the ground but with not enough power behind his shot, the ball went straight to the keeper.
Slowly the Eagles gained more of the play but continued to be plagued by inaccuracy with their passes.
Hood, Alex Davidson and Sean Mamo worked hard up front but couldn’t get the ball past the Newborough defence.
With neither side scoring in the first half there was a sense of urgency from both teams when they returned from the break.
Newborough’s early attempt was stopped by Dunstan.
A corner kick for the Eagles saw a scramble in front of the net, during which Harry Padula was able to slip the ball past the keeper to score.
The momentum was with the Eagles as they continued to create chances but were unsuccessful.
But Newborough also lifted and nearly scored from its own corner kick but Dunstan just stopped the ball from crossing the line.
With the ball flowing between both halves, each side did its best to break through the defence and create scoring opportunities.
While the Eagles’ chances continued to be blocked by the keeper, at 80 minutes Newborough was able to break through to even the score.
Despite the best attempts by both sides in the remaining time, the match finished in a draw.
UNDER 15
A cold, wet game at Churchill was dominated by the under 15 Eagles.
The first three minutes saw the Eagles having two strikes at goal.
Churchill were strong in defence keeping Eagles goalless until the eighth minute when Mason Radley took his chance to score.
With many chances to score, the Eagles netted another six in the first half.
Rafael Rodriguez put a strike into the back of the net at the 23rd minute but was unfortunately called offside.
Having the Eagles’ keeper out sick, Spencer Bastian and Dion Strydis took on the job and worked hard keeping Churchill to one goal.
Hirahni Hudson went down hard late in the first half coming off with a suspected concussion, leaving the Eagles down a player for the remainder of the game.
The second half started with an exciting strike by Cooper Claridge that hit the top bar and rebounded out of goal.
The next two goals were a shared effort with a pass out of defence from Caleb Till to Claridge and then set up Rayner Bonifacio to score.
The Eagles took the win 10-1.
Harrison Bramhall received the coach’s award for his defensive skills.
UNDER 13
In a valiant effort against Sale White, the under 13s faced a 1-0 defeat while only having eight players available against a full Sale side.
Having previously lost 4-0 to Sale, the team anticipated a challenging match against the ladder leaders. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Eagles delivered an impressive performance for the full 60 minutes.
In the first half, the Eagles’ defence and goal-keeper thwarted numerous attempts by Sale to find the back of the net. The Eagles’ midfield and striker mounted their own attacks, but the lack of an extra player on the pitch made it difficult to score.
Nevertheless, they managed to keep Sale goal-less at half time. The second half, played under rainy conditions, saw the Eagles maintaining their strong defensive stance with a commendable attitude. Sale continued to press hard, but the Eagles’ defence and goalkeeper repelled all attempts.
As fatigue set in, Sale finally broke through and scored.
Undeterred, the Eagles found a second wind and came close to equalising on wseveral occasions, narrowly missing the target. The final whistle blew with the score at 1-0.
The coach’s player of the match went to the Eagles’ goalkeeper, Jackson Cheesley. Cheesley’s outstanding performance denied Sale on countless goal-scoring opportunities, marking his best game of the year.
Despite the result, this match can still be considered a victory for the Eagles, who can hold their heads high and be proud of their remarkable effort and determination. All sides have a break this weekend, with no game scheduled for the under 13s and the men’s teams, while the under 15s have the benefit of an opposition forfeit.
IMAGE: East Gippsland United reserves player Craig Emery heads the ball to a teammate during his side’s Latrobe Valley Soccer League draw against Newborough Yallourn last Sunday.
