11th May 2019
U7 Red
Dandenong City Wallabies 0 v 12 Mt Eliza Red
When I was told Dandenong had some young players
and from the outset it looked like it would be tough for them. Mt Eliza had great possession from the outset with several shots just
missing, the opening opportunity fell to James who slotted the ball into the top right corner, goal of the season contender and the opener.
Mt Eliza continued to press with Jack and Ryan also scoring. At half time it was 6-0 with Mt Eliza goalkeeper and a defender not having
touched the ball.We allowed Dandenong to field an extra player to try and even the game and they came very close hitting the woodwork.
With Jack, James, Ryan, Zane and possibly others scoring, the defence working well clearing any attacks it was a one-sided game where Mt
Eliza showed class and respect containing their excitement over the score line. Well done to Dandenong for continuing to try and showing
spirit and enthusiasm.
U8 Green
U8 Red
Mt Eliza U8 Red 2 v Skye United 0
The Mt Eliza U8 Reds were promoted from ‘Joeys’ to ‘Wallabies’ level and the team secured its fourth consecutive win for the season with
a 2-0 win at home to Skye United.
Relishing the contest, ‘The Reds’ got off to a great start with Callum Helmore and Thomas Allison forming
a tight defensive unit and playing together beautifully at the back. They held their formation well to repeatedly win the ball and repel
Skye’s attacks with some nice link up passing.
It was the constant pressure of these defenders that forced the ball forward for the ever dangerous Austen Bettess, who
swooped on a loose ball and, with some nice control, steered the ball into the back of the net to open the Reds’ scoring account at this
level.
Mid-way through the half, the substitution of Callum and Thomas rattled the Reds defense as they lost
their structure and Skye was able to press further upfield. This forced others players to provide defensive cover down the pitch - but Ewan
Barnes had
a great game and helped to keep the scores at a 1-nil advantage at half time.
In the second half, Max Silk was unleashed from the goal mouth and terrorized the Skye Defense constantly winning the ball
and weaving skillfully through Skye defenders. Max was soon rewarded with a well-deserved goal to cap off a great game and
secure the 2-0 advantage. However, Skye had their chances and it was often the ever reliable Angus Goodinson (who had a
great second half in attack and defence) and a stunning reflex save from a diving Austen Bettess that kept the Reds lead in
place.
Overall, it was a good win for the team who all played well and the boys seemed to enjoy the step up in competition. The player of the day
award was a difficult decision for the coaching team but in the end it was the defensive positioning, poise and passing of Thomas
Allison that
won the day – and a well-deserved sausage sizzle (with mustard). Well done Thomas! Go Reds!
U8 Yellow
U8 Blues
U8 Girls
U9 Orange
We played against Skye United, it was a win for us but a close game 4-3. We had 2 goals from Noah
H, 1 goal from Ethan S and 1 goal from Tadhg. Our defence were fantastic couple of goals nearly made from defence line by Matin. Great
game, shame about playing on a smaller pitch as under 9's is to hard and the bigger pitch is alot better, but everyone still had a good
time.
U9 Yellow
A great effort by the boys and another fantastic win.
The boys applied a lot of pressure on the opposition which allowed a number of scoring opportunities.
Some memorable highlights included Ben’s outstanding goalkeeper save, Phoenix’s incredible weaving run from the midfield to score (to cap
off a great game) and Tom’s long range goal. It’s great to see the boys continue to develop as a team.
U9 Gold
U9 Blue
U9 Green
In rather challenging conditions, our 'pizza eating dragons' played their first game at Wallabies level on Saurday.
The day didn't begin well as our fixtured time changed midweek and some parents missed the update.
Eventually, in a free flowing game against the well schooled Casey Scorpions, the ball was in the net far too often. The eventual score 5-6
was a good indication of the hard fought contest. The boys learnt very quickly that passing the ball is much easier than chasing the ball
all day !
The boys are learning that teams are clearly being taught to used arms and elbows to gain any advantage.
We are looking forward to our next game...
U10 Kangaroos v Mount Martha
This week’s game began with five minutes of pressure from Mount Martha which saw defensive skills from Nigel, Gidi and Toby leading to a
great goal from Woody as the ball sneaked into our forward half. A throw in from the Reds was then turned over but a shot on goal from
Mount Martha was saved by the excellent hands of our goalie Lachlan M. A pass forward for us was quickly turned over as we lacked numbers
in the attacking line. A couple of corner opportunities for Mount Martha were well managed by our defence and good persistence from Marley
lead to some time in our forward half. Shortly afterwards the ball was back amongst our defence and a great shot from Mount Martha couldn’t
be saved by a dive from our goalie. The Captains were then on a roll and scored another 2 quick goals making it 3-1 at half time. The
second half started with the same level of pressure from the opposition and a few goal kicks from Mount Eliza were quickly turned over
before Paul was able to create a turnover of our own for another throw in. Mount Martha continued to fight for the ball and despite good
defence by Sammy they got one through lots of legs to score their fourth soon to be followed by their fifth making it 5-1. At this point we
had a good run forward and a shot on goal from Kourosh and the parents were impressed by the boys’ determination to keep chasing the ball.
Mount Martha continued to show great formation with their play and although Lewis was tireless in the midfield Mount Martha eventually
scored another couple of goals. The Mount Eliza boys seemed to have the whole of the opposition team around them whenever they got the ball
making it hard to pass effectively and Mount Martha finished the game with more goals and did a great job against us with a final score of
10-1. After the game the coaches congratulated the boys and are looking at this as an opportunity to learn some new tactics and teamwork
skills for future games.
U10 Yellow v Chelsea
Chelsea were very strong today. They were consistent, strategic, quick, passed well and
scored some amazing goals. It was a well deserved win. We matched them well throughout the game with clever passing and our defence line
was strong. The final score of 3-5 reflected a great game between 2 strong teams. Big welcome to Xander Pearce who played his first game
in our team.
U10 Green
U10 Blue
U10 Gold
U10 Girls
Mt Eliza U10 Girls 5 – Peninsula Strikers 4
In our second game at home, the girls showed that they love a home
ground advantage when taking on the Peninsula Strikers. The girls played well in the first half scoring a goal from Indi Bryant early on,
however it was quickly matched by the Strikers. This pattern was to continue for much of the game as the teams traded goals. A great
attribute of the girls is that they don’t get discouraged when scored against but keep plugging away. Hannah Murton debuted in goal doing a
great job. Gemma Gilchrist was in fine form tackling the opposition at every opportunity and Leyla Ay showed excellent dribbling skills to
baffle the opposition again! Lily Rivett was fantastic up forward showing an unselfish awareness of crossing the ball to other players in a
better position to score in front of goal. The second half saw Alex Ewart launch a ballistic attack at the goalkeeper for which, on the
third attempt, she was rewarded with an awesome goal from 5 metres out with a power kick past the goalie and into the corner. All the girls
kicked harder this week and with more precision as shown by Chloe Morgan, Stella Smith and Alex Ewart. The girls showed some major
improvement with their movement of the ball down the wings when they spread out into space which was fantastic to see! It could have been
Manchester United at times in that second half! Bring on the signing fees! Indi Bryant continued to be tenacious in her goal scoring,
bagging 4 for the day. Whether on the ground, in the air or at full pace, Indi goes after those goals and has been vital in our two wins
this season! Gemma Gilchrist took out Player of the Match. In the second half, Mount Eliza was able to maintain a one goal lead to take the
game at full time. Thanks to Ollie Rivett for refereeing the game!
U11 Green
MESC Green v Berwick
The Greens played some top shelf football today against a very impressive Berwick team.
We came into the game aware that the opposition had reportedly beaten a team 12 nil who we beat 2 nil recently.
Our game plan was to close them down and defend tightly, and despite 2 soft goals we stuck to it and went into half time with 2 goals each.
Harrison scored from a perfect curling corner and Riley scored a cracker from outside the box. The almost indestructible Tom S was badly
winded in the first half but didn't take long to get his strength back. In the second half the Greens tried to keep the pressure on but
with one sub and some tired legs it proved hard to maintain the focus. With Indigo resting an injured knee and Will recovering from illness
we could have done with some fresh legs. We gave the Berwick players too much space and got caught on the break giving away 4 second
half goals. The greens were very unlucky with a misunderstanding in defence and an own goal and deserved more from the final scoreline.
There's still work to be done on staying composed and keeping the pressure on until the final whistle. The Berwick coach was very
complementary about our team which is testament to the amazing effort they are putting in at training and at games. They are
inches/millimetres away from mixing it with the best and should be very proud of themselves. Riley was a stand out today however player of
the match went to Benji for pulling off 3 world-class flying saves in the second half. Full credit to all the players today - Keep up the
great work!
U11 Yellow
U11 Red
U11 Orange
What a cracker of game as a cold and rainy Saturday morning cleared into the perfect conditions for an old
fashioned hit out. The game could not have started any better with a slightly different formation of 3-2-3 creating opportunities up
forward and a goal (Ashton) in the first three minutes of the game. This set the tone for a confident and organised outfit to constantly
create space, pass whenever possible and work hard for each of the team-mates.
The boys played beautiful, team football all afternoon with Kai and Joe (Captain) linking on the wings to create so many opportunities for
the three prong attack. The first half saw another Goal by Ashton, Joe and most pleasingly a sneaky goal at the death of the first half by
Massimo, who came out of defence to crowd the box in a corner and followed coaches instruction to a tee. From there, he did the rest! The
second half saw a much more organised Strikers outfit and with the wind behind them they created many chances. Mitch was brilliant in goals
in the second half, turning defence into attack and he was supported brilliantly by Evan (the master of centre back) and Max, who has just
mastered the 100% committed diving tackle. But it was a first year player in Tom that surprised us all with brilliant headers and defensive
efforts that crushed the opposition spirit. An effort that we all agreed earned him the man of the match award! From defence, more
opportunities were created with Luis finding great form on the wing and Christian playing a spectacular game that saw him run with the ball
and take on opponents everywhere. Nathan, found heaps of the ball up forward and along with Sam created so many opportunities for their
team mates and narrowly missed out on scoring themselves. The Strikers snuck in a clever goal, but from there, the boys took control with
Ashton scoring his hat trick and Joe closing off the day with the teams sixth's goal and his second. As per usual, Kevin was just brilliant
officiating the game and keeping it fair for all. A great game to coach and an awesome game to watch.
U12 Blue
U12 Green
Green vs Apendale 9-0
Having beat this team 8-1 a few weeks beforehand, and undefeated by Aspendale in the last season, it is not surprising Apesndale were
dreading this game.
Within mins of kick off, the Greens took the lead. And for next the 10 mins continued to put goals away.
Aspendale already had their heads down after the 1st goal. The Greens played some amazing football with plenty of passing and supporting
roles to see the game
7-0 at 1/2 time. 2nd 1/2, Aspendale finally found some courage and came out ready to play, and for next 15mins both teams were locked in the
Battle of the Midway.
Neither side could find clear advantage until our player Malik came back to the Mid field. With 10 mins to go, Malik put another 2 goals
away to bring it to 9-0.
There were outstanding performances by all the Green players, with our newest player Lockie getting his 1st goal ever. Unlucky not to had
been 2 goals.
Well done Greens.
U12 Red
Mt Eliza 7 - Hampton park 3
Excellent all round performance by the boys on a
chilly day at EM Reserve. With 4 first half goals by Mathew (2) including 1 direct from a corner, Noah & Alastair the boys are starting
to play as a team & work hard for each other. They came in at half time with their confidence up.
All credit to Hampton park though who continued to battle for every ball & managed to score 3 second half goals themselves. But in the
end 3 further goals by MOM Billy, & 2 wonderful headers from Marley sealed the game for the Reds.
U12 Orange
Hampton Park 4 - 5 Mt. Eliza Orange
We traveled out to Hampton Park searching for our first win of the season on
Saturday morning and the boys certainly put on an entertaining game for the spectators. Although playing some good football, we found
ourselves 4 nil down a couple of minutes into the second half. A ridiculously offside goal that was paid to Hampton and a fantastic goal
from us that was ruled out for a non-existing offside didn't help us. Again, I am impressed by this team's resilience and never give up
attitude. Our forward line of Jimi, Josh, Ollie and Jeremie started to click with some great passing moves and they put on 5 unanswered
goals to notch up a win. The backline of Nate, Coby, Ben, Josh W-E and Manny, led by an inspired display from Billy, held a solid defensive
line which allowed the forwards the freedom to do what they do best, score goals. A special mention to our goalie Dom, who kept us in the
game and one particular save where we came out off his line and saved a certain goal that would have swung the result the other way. A
great effort boys, I am very proud of today's display.
U12 Navy
U12 Gold
Skye United FC 3 - Mt Eliza U12 Gold 8
Today’s match was a great one that represented the effort and determination shown by the boys during the match today. The new start to the
season has really shown that the boys are ready to get going and get regraded back to wallabies.
Brilliant effort in defence to everyone who played there and especially to Innes for keeping for the whole match and making some great saves
in the early stages of the game to keep us in it. There are a few things to work on in defence but great effort.
To the midfielders who scored some great goals but mostly got the ball from the opposition and creating great opportunities, well done. Good
job Danny for getting the MOTM award and scoring three amazing goals!
Excellent job by the strikers for creating
opportunities to score and scoring themselves, we just need to work on not getting drawn to the ball and not going back to help defend on
corners.
Also a great job to Liam, Luca, Ernie and especially Matt (as captain) for communicating to the team which was really helpful and played a
vital part in our win today.
Great job everyone and see you at training on Thursday :)
U12 Girls
U13
Red vs Bunyip 5-1 win.
Interesting game this one.
1st goal came 3 mins after kick off with another 2 to follow shortly after.
The Reds showed some fine form and dominated the pitch entirely denying Bunyip any chances.
It is great to see these lads performing well above their expected level.
2nd 1/2 Reds came back out an entirely different team, and they resemble an AFL team rather than a Football team.
With the Reds going into bunt the ball style of football they made it easy for Bunyip and hard on themselves.
Although Bunyip did not look too threatening, the Reds lost their style of passing and giving the ball back to Bunyip every time.
A VERY VERY lucky fluke lob clearance from Bunyip found the ball sitting with the wind and to sailing above our keepers head to make
it 3-1.
With Bunyip now thinking they could stage a come comeback, the Reds decided that wasn't going to happen and returned fire
to make it 5-1. Bunyip were lucky not to have been sunk at the final whistle by at least by 8-1.
Lesson for the Reds, do not play AFL style footy when playing Football.
Hard game coming up next, for the Reds against Casey Panthers, who are 2nd contender on the table.
U14
U15
