Highlights for this week included:
⭐ Fantastic games by U10 Spirit and U17 Strikers to earn their first wins for the season.
⭐ A 3 goal improvement for U14 Strikers since their first round game against Geelong.
⭐ Well done to both U12 teams, who are consistently showing great efforts.
Under 10 Lloyd Reserve
Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Dynamos 2-0
Newtown Spirit played Dynamos on Saturday. Spirit started well and won several short corners. After a few corners, Hugo scored our first goal of the season, and then scored a second goal late in the game. We stuck to our positions, which helped us in both attack and defence. Most importantly, everyone had fun.
Newtown Rockets vs Newtown Rebels 0-3
There were 5 players today for Rockets: Austin, Elspeth, Harry, Nora and Tom. There was no fill in available.
Both Rockets and Rebels were bunching up a lot this game and taking the ball off their own teammates.
At half time Claire talked to the team about the need to spread out, support each other and call for the ball if you were free but as well if you were going for the ball.
There was no score for Rockets this game, but they didn’t give up and kept going. Rockets will focus on looking for options when you have the ball and hitting the ball out wide.
Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Rockets 3-0
Rebels came up against Rockets this week without the guidance from their coach Adam who was away. We were very fortunate to have Geoff step in to help, so a huge thank you to Geoff!
It was a great game that had it all, short corners, lots of tackling, some great passes and everyone practicing creating space and spreading out. Rockets defender, Tom was in great form facing off against Dad Geoff who was assisting Rebels. Florence and Charlie were working hard, tackling, running and getting the ball down their end to shoot for goals, they both had a few attempts that were stopped by Tom. While again this week Harry showed some great skills in defence, as well as some great passes to teammates. Rebels scored 1 goal in the first half.
Rebels all came back energised from half time and we immediately saw some great tackles in the centre from Abbey and Beatrix. Abbey also did a great tackle defending after a short corner. Beatrix showed amazing teamwork by passing the ball to her team mates. Florence was running hard to move into space and did a great job calling for the ball. Freddie did some wonderful chasing in the 2nd half and showed us his sharp passes again. The whole team’s passing game is improving each week. Charlie scored another 2 goals in the second half that came from some great work from the whole team. Well done Rebels!
Under 10 Stead Park
Newtown Strikers vs Geelong Jaguars 2-2
A very even match between U/10 Strikers and Geelong Jaguars in Round 4. Jaguars came out of the blocks strong and their offensive pressure led to an early goal slipping past our defence. However, Jaguars were soon on the defence, with Thomas and James combined really well up forward, leading to a couple of Newtown short corners. Great tackling by Harry, and strong clearances by Harry, Felix and Henry, kept the score to 0-1 at half-time.
Some excellent team play led to a Newtown goal early in the second half, with Harry making a beautiful pass to James to score. Great team defence was also on display, with Felix and Edward in particular laying some very strong tackles. Another goal to Jaguars was followed shortly afterwards by a great passage of Newtown play, with passes from Felix to Thomas to Harry resulting in a goal! Dot had a great second half along the wing, making some strong stops and ably supporting Felix who displayed some impressive stick skills. A fantastic short corner effort from Harry and Thomas, with Dot on the post, was unlucky not to result in another goal. In the end, it was a draw 2-2!
Under 12
Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia 1-0
A tough fought 1-0 win over Kardinia. Scoring goals was a real challenge. The defence of Kardinia was extremely solid and stopped countless number of shots on target. It was great see Alex, Mitchell, Eliza & Georgia playing their positions well, and used their passing to spread the defence to create goal scoring opportunities.
Despite our dominance in territory and possession, Kardinia were able to break through our defence and create great attacking chances which was against the trend of the game. If not for our Goalie Albie, who made 2 great saves , the outcome of the game could have been very different. Goal scorer- Joey.
Newtown Spirit vs Torquay 3-1
Spirit played with 10 players again this week. Torquay got off to a good start but Spirit defended well. Slowly Spirit got dominance in the first half. Jack smashed the ball into the goal from outside the circle but unfortunately no one got a touch. Torquay got a run against the play lucky goal and Spirit went into half time 0-1 down.
Spirit played the second half much better. Ved had a great attack from halfway and beat several defenders for what would have been goal of the season but shot went wide. Chelsea dribbled into the circle from a free hit and shot from the edge of the circle to equalise. Then goals to Ishe and Georgia quickly followed.
Under 14
Newtown Strikers vs Geelong Jaguars 1-8
U14 Strikers faced Geelong Jaguars this week, going into the game with high-hopes of improving on our Round 1 result against the same team!
Whilst Jaguars came out big and scored 2 goals in the opening minutes, Strikers responded strongly to stop them getting away. By the midpoint in the half the ball was down our end more and more, and despite some great team work and attempts on goal we just couldn’t find the back of the net.
Our defense stayed strong in the remainder of the half, and in the final minutes our plans came together. Jess and Cormac both attempted to goal without luck, however Maidie had made her way into the D for the third attempt and broke through! A great goal and Maidie’s first for the year!
At halftime and only 1 goal down, it was great to hear all the ideas coming from the players around what we needed to focus on in the second half. Isobel, Binuli, Lucas O and Parker all contributed their thoughts and ideas in the huddle – thank you team, and keep it up!
Back on the pitch for the second half and Cormac was on fire – taking the ball for a long run towards goal. Despite Maidie being ready in the D again, the early equalizer eluded us.
Geelong then started another run, and added 5 unanswered goals to their score. Tough stuff to watch, but the run was slowed thanks to an awesome save in goal by Kassidy off some very fast patches of play.
Later in the half Strikers had a few more unsuccessful attempts at goal – a nice display of team work from Parker, Cormac, Jess and Isobel; as well as a short corner moments before the end.
Whilst we couldn’t get another goal on the board in the second half, the team definitely improved on their round 1 performance against the same team. Had it not been for the Jaguars run-of-5 in the second half, it might have been a very different scorecard at the end. Plenty to take away for the next round!
Under 17
Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 2-1
In a thrilling match, U17 Strikers secured an impressive victory, marking their second win of the season. The game was a significant rematch against Torquay, a team that had dealt them a harsh 0-6 defeat in the season’s opening round. Determined to turn the tables, Newtown made strategic adjustments, particularly strengthening their midfield and defence to counter Torquay’s threats.
The first quarter was intense and closely contested, with neither side able to break the deadlock. Torquay managed to break through in the second quarter, taking the lead momentarily. However, Newtown remained resilient and quickly responded with a goal from Max, drawing the game level.
Throughout the match, Max and Surry demonstrated exceptional control in midfield, dictating the pace of play. Meanwhile, Kayla and Winter showcased their defensive prowess, winning critical one-on-one contests in the deep defence.
Will’s precise passing out of defence was instrumental in transitioning the ball forward, while Serena, Brandon, and Ollie maintained a relentless forward press. This pressure eventually paid off when Brandon executed a superb reverse tomahawk goal, putting Newtown in the lead and ultimately securing the victory.
The win was a testament to the team’s dedication, adaptability, teamwork, and communication skills. It showcased their ability to learn from previous defeats and implement effective changes on the field. The players now look forward to a well-deserved break during the JCC this week, celebrating their hard-earned success.
Division 1 Women
Newtown Falcons vs Geelong Jaguars 1-3
Division 2 Women
Newtown Strikers Bye
Division 2 Men
Newtown Falcons vs Saints Black (D1) 0-8
Newtown Falcons played Saints’ D1 team on a sunny Mother’s Day. It was a struggle to get players to play this week, but we managed to get 11 on the pitch. Thanks to those who played.
We worked hard and put substantial pressure on. However, the Saints were too strong and were able to pass more fluently and convert opportunities around goal. Despite losing 8-0, it was an enjoyable game to play and we learned a lot from playing a very strong team.
