2017 has been a memorable hockey season so far, with the Club celebrating its 40th Anniversary and continuing to grow in strength. With only a few weeks to go before the finals, we may have lots more to celebrate if this week’s games are anything to go by.

Kookas

With the return of Charlie and Emily this week, the game was played at a fast pace and with some great skills on display. Emily’s reverse stick trap was again on show, allowing her to quickly pass to team mates in good position. Braydn as always is keen to get to the ball first and to create space in front of goal, and with some great passing to and from his team mates, there was some fantastic hockey played. Justine continues to show great skills and understanding of the game, despite having played only a few games. Lennie’s passing is good, with some lovely co-operation with those close to him.

Under 8

Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Spirit

Rebels had another fantastic match this week, playing extremely well against Newtown Spirit. Both teams kept their positions well throughout the game and everyone contributed well, making it a great game to watch! In the first half Rebels got off to a strong start, moving forward well and dominating the opposition. The team was relentless in their pursuit of the ball and showed amazing persistance, never giving up when Spirit had the ball.

At half-time Colleen praised the team’s efforts, particularly their positioning and excellent team work. In the second half, Rebels continued to move forward but also had to fight off some strong attacks from the Spirit team. Despite this, Rebels remained the dominant team in the game. All in all, Rebels again displayed excellent team work and they keep improving and gaining confidence with each game played.

Aiden was awarded Subway Player of the Week for most improved player, particularly his strong attacking skills.

Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Rebels

Spirit battled valiantly against an attacking Rebels outfit in the latest round of Under-8 competition at Lloyd Reserve on Saturday. Spirit had to lock down its defence against the talented opposition right from the starting whistle, with full back Michael capably and calmly repelling many hits on goals. Juliette positioned herself well out wide on the wing and used her stick effectively to block Rebels’ forward runs while Drew and Braydn were also determined in defence. Baxter, who managed to control the ball beautifully, was a workhorse in shutting down the fast-moving opposition. Michael took some great free hits including a powerful one to centre forward Pollyanna, who trapped it cleanly before setting off into attack. Neve, on loan from Rebels to even up player numbers, was a welcome addition to Spirit and added strength to the team across right half.

At half time Coach Kellie praised the Spirit players for their great work under pressure, applauding their marking and second efforts. She urged them to use their ‘’clock face’’ positioning to give Michael more options when taking free hits deep in defence. She also called on them get back and defend again if the ball got past them. Spirit sprang into action in the second half, enjoying more of the attack than they had in their opening stanza and putting pressure on their opposition’s backline. But Rebels were keen to add further to their goal tally and kept on battling. Spirit centre half back Drew stood strong and Baxter and Michael worked hard to keep the ball clear. All Spirit players dug deep, keeping their sticks down, putting in second and third efforts and marking opposition players despite Rebel success in goaling again.

After the game Coach Kellie applauded her players for their work ethic, marking and determination to control the ball. She also paid tribute to strong decision making by Spirit players in free-hit taking and positioning. Baxter received the Subway Best Team Player award for a fantastic two halves, characterised by smart decisions, slick skills, strategic play and a never-say-die attitude. Well done Baxter on a great match and thanks Neve for filling in for Spirit.

Newtown Strikers vs College Green

Strikers this week took on a large College team. The first half saw great passing out wide and calling for the ball. All players had many touches of the ball with it being moved around well. Stella once again was great in defence stealing many balls from the opposition. Strikers this week were hungry for the ball and in search of goals. Unfortunately just could not get them through the cones.

In the second half, Strikers held their positions, which meant plenty of passing opportunities, enabling passing from wing to wing. The boys (Alex, Sam and Will) attacked strongly, with the only Strikers’ goal coming from Matilda who ran onto a great pass from Alex from the wing, it was so quick and smooth the College goalie didn’t even see the ball. Great hockey. Stella finished off the game in goals fending off several goal attempts and Bella and Lucinda handling plenty of the ball in the centre and wing areas.  Unfortunately Alex left the field after a hit to the hands.

It was a great game to watch this week from the side lines with great passing and holding positions, which made passing the ball to players in space very easy. Matilda received the Subway Encouragement award for hungry attacking and scoring a goal. Well Done.

Newtown Raiders vs Kardinia Kookaburras

A great game by Raiders this week some good examples of focus on the ball proving its benefits. Jesse gained possession with his stick on the ground on a number of occasions and continued to move the ball forward to his team’s advantage. Hannah and Issy were everywhere, and good strong passes by Oscar and Hannah allowed Oliver and his team mates to take the ball into attack. Chloe and Lily provided great support in midfield and thoughtful disposal to Raiders players. Great work by Lily in defending the goal in the second half, even though she wasn’t feeling well. Subway Best Team Player award to Jesse.

Under 10

Newtown Strikers vs Golden Plains 0-0

Thank you firstly to Seb for volunteering to help Strikers.

Saturday saw great play from everyone and quite a few attempts on goals and lots of short corners for our team to attempt to score goals. Great play from Jai and Charlie running down the field and making strong passes to open up the play. Amelia and Eliza May made good decisions passing out wide to each other. Eliza consistently stopped the run from Golden Plains with her tackles. There was great persistence from everyone in front of goals, creating goal scoring opportunities. The team also spread out in front of the opposition goals to defend. Seb showed some great stick skills throughout the game. Emma had great calling from the wings and knew when to move in closer to gain the ball. Ruby made great decisions when under pressure and Alex kept the game moving by taking quick penalty shots. Amber in goals successfully stopped all the short corners by Golden Plains. Well done team, you have all come so far this season as we had previously lost 0-5 to this team.

Best Team Player awards were presented to Jai, Charlie and Amber.

Newtown Spirit vs Torquay Tornadoes 0-2

This week we had Lucy as our Captain and  Hamish (on his birthday) as the Goalie, again! The game saw us needing to take the ball out wide, and not through the middle, constantly mark our players and have a good go at getting to the ball first. Kellie did identify that there were times when the Torquay players were unsure where to hit, because we had our opposition marked so well. We were also doing well at taking our “frees” quickly which meant the opposition were not in the position they needed to be in, and we then we had a much better play at the ball. We needed to work on big sweeps and starting to move ourselves on an angle not directly into “Jakarta”.

Kellie gave Best Team Player awards to Hana for always being in a position “ready to go” and to Grace for a great game all round.

Under 12

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 2-0

Great game Strikers!

The weather conditions were near perfect for playing hockey with only a slightly icy wind, but lovely blue skies and sunshine. The kids enjoyed the game and the parents enjoyed watching with lots of encouragement and positive feedback being given. Jack scored in the first half and Ruby scored her first goal of the season midway through the second half with a lovely pass by Tom. Kenna did a great job as goalie for the first time. With our back line on fire in defense they gave her great support.

Congratulations to Torquay who played a great game and were very competitive with an undermanned side. Cameron worked hard all game earning him a well deserved best on field with Jack and Archie also playing an outstanding game.

Newtown Rebels vs Bellarine Lightning 4-1

Rebels  started strongly against Bellarine Lightning with 3 first half goals to nil.  Sharp passing in the ‘D’ kept Lightning under tremendous pressure.  Despite Lightning not having a goalie, their excellent defence made Rebels work hard for each goal.

The second half saw Lightning score an early goal, but Rebels kept their composure to score a fourth goal. Rebels finished the game winning 4-1.  Hoalscorers for the Rebels were Kiah, Pat, Lachlan and Isobel.  It was an all-round great team effort.

Newtown Spirit vs Geelong College 5-2

Spirit had a full team and a bench until half time when Oli had to leave us. Mitchell took to the goals with great enthusiasm and as it turned out with great skill!. It was a wonderful game by all the Spirit players. Some wonderful passages of play saw us score comfortably which lifted the spirits greatly. Positions were held well and the ball was kept out of the middle for the most part of the game.

The most thrilling part of the game came when Daniel found himself in the perfect position to score a goal. The whole team were just so excited for him and there were hugs and high 5’s all around.
Maggie, Mia and Matilda had a fabulous triangle going through the game and used each other really well. Gus was solid in full back although Pete did tell him to play high. He played so high he scored twice….! Edie cemented herself as a very competent full back with not much getting past her the entire game and once again India was unlucky not to score. Harry had a great game with some great runs with the ball which pushed the team forward. Lachie also had a great game and moves confidently into different positions. Well done everyone on a great 5-2 win.

Under 14

Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Strikers 2-1

Spirit hosted Strikers in a Newtown derby for Round 11, and with the players on both teams sharing some good friendships, it was fitting for the game to be held during the “Fair Go Sport” round.

The game was off to a fast start, with some nice passing from Jamie enabling Harry to reach the top of the D, but his reverse-stick hit on goal was deflected by Strikers’ goalkeeper Gus. Spirit then drew a short corner but Strikers’ defence cleared the ball. Strikers then took the ball into attack and Ben dribbled quickly past Spirit’s defenders and Lotte was in perfect position to get the ball past Max to take Strikers to a 1-nil lead.

Strikers had the momentum and another push forward reached the D but Spirit was able to hit it clear and then take the ball into attack, through a nice pass from Riley up to Will. Unfortunately, Will’s reverse-stick hit at goal was wide. A mix-up in defence nearly resulted in Ben scoring another goal for Strikers, but Spirit’s goalkeeper Max defended well. And on the opposite side of the field, Gus also defended well to keep Jamie’s reverse-stick hit from scoring. Spirit kept the pressure on Strikers with some excellent tackling from Harley, and we saw great passing under pressure from Riley, Claudia and Harley to close out the half.

Newtown Strikers vs Golden Plains 5-1

There was a cold icy wind blowing at the start of the game so it was no surprise to see lots of Strikers leading for the ball (or were they just trying to keep warm?).  Whatever the reason, it doesn’t really matter because there was plenty or hard running on show.

It was another great game in defence.  Corey, Ollie and Rachael V combined very well once again without a goalie to make sure that Golden Plains couldn’t get the ball into our defensive 25m area which they did superbly; only letting the ball through once in the entire game and that was in the first 5 minutes of the game.  They were very well supported by Rachel S and Declan who seems to have found a new strength as a half back reading the play and dropping to fill gaps in defence.

Meanwhile, the midfield led by Callum kept driving the ball into our offensive zone.  Scoring was not easy because our forward D was always congested.  However we managed to get 5 goals on the board, with some great set ups from Tom, Jonah and Erin.  There was a good spread of goal scorers (including a 3^rd goal from Sam in 3 weeks) which shows that we’re not too dependent on any individual.  In fact the Golden Plains coach complemented us after the game on our constant passing and 1-2’s which he very much envied.

Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 0-1

Division 1 Men

Newtown Strikers vs Saints Black 0-6

Another competitive game from the Strikers and as usual the final score line doesn’t do justice to the way that we played.  Throughout the game we were able to clear our defensive line well, giving us a number of opportunities to push up the field and have some opportunities on goal.  There were some gutsy efforts from Hudson playing most of the second half after taking a hit to the knee and Jimmy was on the wrong end of a deflected ball into his nose (luckily no stitches required, just some magic glue). With 3 games left in the season, versus Falcons, Geelong and then Torquay Tornadoes, it will provide us with a great chance to gauge how much we’ve improved this season and hopefully put some goals in the back of the net.

Newtown Falcons vs Geelong Jaguars 2-2

Falcons were once again at a disadvantage with limited player numbers, and thanks to Beau, were able to get 11 players on the field. The game started without a full team, but as players took the pitch, the game settled. This was a great game by both teams, with plenty of ‘Ooh, ah’ moments for the spectators. There was plenty of calling, switching and passing, but both defences played strongly against the pressure applied by the opposition attackers. Hamish scored the first goal for Falcons from open play with the ball crossing from right to left and back again. The score at half time was 1-2.

A quick chat at half time and advice to slow down and hold the ball until support players were in position before passing was effective. Falcons followed this advice time and again, creating plenty of attack and a number of short corners. Falcons tried a variety of moves on the short corners and one of these proved successful, with Zed scoring to tie the game at 2-2. This was a fantastic effort by the Falcons defence and attack combinations, leaving the coach very happy with the efforts of the team.

Division 1 Women

Newtown Falcons vs Newtown Strikers 2-0

A very enjoyable match between these two Club teams. Falcons began well with some excellent running up forward by Nicole and Hailey and close support from team mates allowed them to pick up rebounds and intercept misdirected passes. Emma P and Ainsley pushed up high and pounced on any loose balls, denying Strikers the chance to score. Midfield play by Deb, Shannon and Bec showed control and good vision to send the ball back into attack for Falcons. Great play by Eichelle in goals for Strikers prevented Falcons from capitalising on chances earned from quick play, and she was well supported by Hannah, Meg and Penny.

The second half saw Strikers continue to work hard, and advance the play to the circle on a number of occasions. Elese, Julie, Erin and Dom created pressure for the Falcons defence but calm controlled play was the order of the day. Claire, in her 700th game for Newtown, was in position in goals for Falcons if needed.

Division 2 Men

Newtown Spirit vs Golden Plains 3-4

Division 2 Women

Newtown Spirit vs Torquay 0-3

 An excellent game by Spirit against a fast and strong opposition. Confident defence by Eichelle, Tracey and Hill prevented many more goals, and with Andie, Jacinta and Beth taking proactive positions in midfield, Torquay were not able to totally dominate the game. Excellent work by Phoebe, Katelyn and Kellie created links between defence and attack, and passing the ball forward saw Katie and Deanne working hard to lead to space and put pressure on the Torquay defence. There were a number of attempts by Spirit to score, unfortunately without result. Overall, this was a great game by Spirit, who with the benefit of a full team have improved in recent weeks.

As the hockey season progresses, it is pleasing to see the effort which players are putting in for their teams every week.

Kookas

Team Orange started the game well,with Tom making good position and Lennie seizing possession of the ball before Team Red could reach it. Great passing by Lennie to team mates running into space. A great double back by Tom saw Team Orange move the ball into the scoring zone and pressure the Red defence, finishing off well with 3 goals resulting.

The second half saw Team Red working hard and good passing by Braydn and Ebony created attacking opportunities, and found players in front of the goal. However the shot went just wide on a number of occasions before they found the target. Great defence and ball control by all players with excellent switching and running in support of team mates.

There will be no Kookas hockey game this week, due to the start of the school holidays. The Kookas program will continue for the remainder of the winter hockey season, beginning again in Term 3.

Under 6 Joeys

The Under 6 players are showing great dribbling skills and working on learning to pass accurately and firmly. Thanks to our ‘targets’ who joined in at the risk of their ankles, the players enjoyed being able to pass the ball through the target.

Both of these skills were on display in our game of keepings off this week. Zeph, Alexander and Lachlan showed some excellent dribbling skills and great passes to team mates. Harrison, Jasmine and Maia concentrated very well on the ball with sticks on the ground to trap well. Amelia, Cate and George found some great spaces away from the opposition for team mates to pass to them, and Braxton was fantastic in calling to let his players know that he was ready.

The Under 6 Joeys program is a great precursor to the next hockey season, when we anticipate that many of these players will move up to the Under 8 teams, having learnt both skills and strategies in a fun environment.

Under 8

Newtown Spirit v Kardinia

Spirit tried a ‘clock face’ approach to get around their talented Kardinia opposition in an exciting Under-8 game at Lloyd Reserve on Saturday.

After Coach Kellie asked them to position themselves “like a little clock” when they won free hits, they spread out across the field to open up play and work the ball around Kardinia. With wings Braydn and Pollyanna hanging wide at `3’ and ‘9’ on the clock and centre Summah up high at the `12’, defenders had clearer options to successfully pass the ball forward.

Half backs Michael, Avah and Juliette put in a big effort to shut down the fast-moving Kardinia outfit, which made the most of its attacking runs. Spirit’s defenders produced some clever square passes to avoid their opposition and used the width of the field when they could, firing the ball up the sidelines and into attack. There were some clever skills on show as well as great marking, with Summah and Juliette getting in front time and again to block the ball from Kardinia.

Drew, at full back, put in a pearler of a game. He combined well with Spirit’s hard-working half backs and stopped several certain goals by blocking the ball calmly and sending it out of the danger zone. He also did a great job of coming out and meeting the attack when in a one-on-one battle to protect the goals.

Drew won the Subway Best Team Player award for the game after listening carefully to Coach Kellie’s instructions, putting them into play and making good decisions under pressure. Well done Drew.

Newtown Rebels v Torquay Tornadoes

Rebels had another great match this week and are continuing to improve their skills with each game played.

In the first half both sides started well with strong attacks from both teams. Rebels kept their positions well and there were lots of opportunities for them to move forward and score. Aiden and Tommy played tirelessly, always chasing the ball and tackling well. Annabelle also took some excellent free hits. At half-time Colleen praised the team’s strong performance and stressed the importance of Rebels keeping their sticks down, calling to one another and finding space.

In the second half Rebels again moved forward well and kept up the attack. Both Sophies and Audrey worked well together, constantly chasing the ball. Neve worked well in goal, helped by Paddy who defended brilliantly. All in all, Rebels again displayed fantastic team work and had an amazing match!

Sophie B was awarded Subway Player of the Week for most improved player and never giving up.

Newtown Raiders vs Newtown Strikers

Another excellent game this week by Raiders, with concentration on the play and covering the opposition both highlighted – things we have been working on during this hockey season. Excellent defence by Lily in front of the goals stopped a number of Strikers attempts to score. Keeping sticks on the ground saw Raiders gain possession and with excellent ball control, Charlotte was able to spearhead attacks and move the ball forward. Chloe and Isabelle found some good position on the wings and Oscar made himself available in the centre. Jesse made some nice interceptions and good passes to team mates, denying Strikers the opportunity to move to the goals.

Subway Best Team Players this week went to Lily and Charlotte.

Under 10

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 0-11

What a fantastic effort from everyone this week as it was a completely different game compared to last time we met Torquay Tornadoes. We never gave up throughout the game.

Isla did a fantastic job in goals with some fancy foot work. Anna put into practice what we have been focusing on in training with making great passes and her trapping. Jai and Charlie had great calling to each other and worked well together passing along the side line. Amelia and Thamindu never gave up and continued to support Isla. Isabel, Eliza May and Elliott worked together brilliantly with Brandon with great tackles and passes. Amber and Ruby made a great pair through the centre field creating turnovers for Torquay. Alex had great strong passes of the ball. We caught the opposition off guard with how quickly we took our penalties.

Great game from everyone, enjoy your break and stay safe.

Newtown Spirit vs Geelong College 1-0

Will (in his first game for Spirit) with great persistence and a great pass from Nate saw the only goal of the match scored on the whistle in the first half of the game. Another great game watched from the sidelines by the parents. It was a really fabulous first half with great 2nd and 3rd efforts, fabulous positioning, picking up and controlling the ball.

There were some great improvements in marking our players and Kellie spoke about working on this in the second half. We needed to ensure that we could see our players, making sure they were in front of us so we knew where they were and then when the get the ball and turn we are right there to defend the ball.

The second half saw us hit the ball out wide, a technique we have talked about for weeks. Moving our bodies to ensure we were able to clear the ball out to the sides then allowed us to be in control of the ball with the defence in front of us. She wanted us to continue to work on holding the ball for 2-3 seconds longer before having a shot. Great game Spirit, enjoy the break.

Under 12

Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 0-1

This week Spirit came up against Kardinia who were very competitive, and it was a game that proved more difficult than the team anticipated. The first half saw Kardinia crowding which meant we also crowded and  did not play our positions. We were a little frazzled to say the least and as a result Kardinia scored but not before some desperate defence from our backs and Angus who was goalie this week. Despite being frazzled our team never gave up and were persistent.

The second half was much better and the team came out raring to go. Right from the start spirit played their positions well and took a couple of seconds to look up before passing off which was lacking in the first half. The panic had disappeared and there was much more thoughtful play by everyone.

Angus had some great saves and Mia, Maggie, Edie and India were very unlucky not to convert at least twice! The perseverance from the entire Spirit team was just wonderful to watch and despite being 1-0 down they never ever gave up.  Mitchell and Lachie were solid in the back line, Daniel tackled really well in the Center, Matilda playing her 25th game ran her heart out and held onto her player really well. Oliver was solid in defence and in attack. Harry was always in a great position and ready to receive the ball. Liam received a ball to his head (off his own stick) but continued to be strong in his play. Well done everyone.

Newtown Strikers vs Newtown Rebels 0-5

The first half started out well for Strikers with some great play shown on both sides in the first 5 minutes. After that the ball constantly seemed to be in the Rebels half of the field testing our defensive players. Jamie, our goalie, did very well, saving 3 attempts at goal, however Rebels finally broke through with a goal later in the first half.

In the second half Rebels seemed even more confident with their dominance on the field and although Jamie saved another 3 attempts at goal, Rebels eventually found the gap another 4 times. Despite the odds, and to their credit, Strikers did not give up and finished strongly in the last 5 minutes. We were all very proud of their good attitude and positive body language.

The things we learnt in this game was to trap the ball first and take a second to find a teammate before passing. We also learnt that we need to go wide and in some cases even wider to find that perfectly positioned player and we learnt that we need to put pressure on and tackle the opposition for that ball.

A big thank you to Oliver from Spirit for helping us out as we were a bit short of players this week. He played a great game and put in a lot of effort.  For our best on field we couldn’t go past our amazing defence of Thomas, Tom and Jamie. They were really pushed to the limit, but didn’t give up and kept on trying. Their hard work saved many more goals.

We are all looking forward to a nice break over the holidays and look forward to coming back with more determination and a full team once again.

Under 14

Newtown Spirit vs Kardinia 7-0

Newtown Spirit hosted Kardinia in their Round 8 clash at Stead Park on Saturday. Max was unavailable to play, so Spirit had one player back as a kicking defender. Coach Carl in his pre-match address asked the team for possession hockey, to practice transitioning the ball around the back, and to take some time to look up and see who’s available.

Spirit had plenty of possession and a few short corners early, with some good work from Riley, Harry, Ella, Charley and Jamie keeping the Kardinia defenders really busy. Our first goal came from a short corner, with Jamie receiving the ball and then passing back to Ella on post for the goal. This was followed by 2 goals to Harry, one from the top of the circle and another after dribbling from the mid-field right in close to goal.

Kardinia had some attacking opportunities too, but were repelled by Spirit with some good defending by Bailey and some clearing hits to the side from Ella. Harry also did some great defending at full back, then took the ball up forward to give Amelia a chance which went just wide of the goal. Amelia then got a score on the board with a nice pass from Nick, taking us to 4-0, and Jamie followed up with a pass from Ella to make it 5-0.

At half time, Carl called for quicker passes to catch the defenders off guard because we were holding the ball a little too long, and to work on the transitions from the backs. The team responded with excellent ball movement and running with numbers into attack up the wings. 2 more goals were scored, with Will hitting in to goal and Harry in great position for a deflection past the goalkeeper, and Riley scoring his first goal of the hockey season with a great strike. Final score was Newtown 7-0.

Newtown Strikers vs Golden Plains 1-4

Under 17

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 3-0

With Torquay the only team to have defeated us so far in this hockey season, this was always going to be an interesting game.  The aim at the start of the game was to focus on our defence and not let them score any cheap early goals, particularly since Torquay have a handful of fast strikers.  As it turned out, they needed to be wary of us as Tom M scored a goal in the first couple of minutes.  Our defence stuck to their objectives, with Byron, Angus, Rachel, Ella and Tom C guarding the Torquay forwards and not giving them any easy opportunities to score.  We went into half time with a handy 2-0 lead after some good short passing around the D resulting in a goal for Erin.

We expected Torquay to come out hard in the second half and we had to make sure that we didn’t become complacent with a 2-0 lead.  The second half was tightly fought with both teams holding tight defences.  With few opportunities to score, Corey and Jamie combined to create an opportunity out of nowhere when Corey saw Jamie alone up in the D and sent a long ball through heavy traffic which Jamie used to drag the Torquay goalie out of the goals and set up another goal.  Great effort by the Strikers – we worked hard, helped our team mates and won the game.

Newtown Spirit Bye

Division 1 Men

Newtown Falcons vs Geelong Jaguars 2-7

Lack of players again saw Falcons grateful to Tom M, Beau and Alex who were willing to fill in. Falcons could not find their mojo for this game and Geelong began strongly. Falcons gained possession of the ball but were unable to get the game flowing and Geelong took advantage with 3 goals in the first 5 minutes. A great cross from Adham to Gus resulted in a goal and Falcons were 1-3 at half time and hoping for a reversal of fortunes.

Half-time discussions focused on positive actions to improve the game, with more calling and switching of play required. Geelong continued to attack and pressure the defence, finding spaces to pass to team mates and Falcons were unable to counteract the forward moves. There were some good passages of play but not enough to take control of the game. With a few minutes to go, and the score at 1-7, another great cross saw Adham finish off with a goal, making the final score 2-7.

Division 1 Women

Newtown Falcons vs Newtown Strikers 2-0

An excellent game by both teams. Falcons began well with fast running, quick free passes and excellent use of space. Great overlapping by Tiahna created space down the right side, and with Tiahna, Jess and Nicole working as a well-oiled team, Falcons had much of the play in their attacking circle early in the game. Some great crosses to the left narrowly missed their targets with Georgie and Hailey both honing in on the ball with determination.

The second half in particular saw some great defence for Strikers by goalkeeper Eichelle, keeping out many 2nd, 3rd and even 4th shots by Falcons. Great positioning and strong clearances from defence by Peta and Kylie saw Strikers gain some forward momentum, and composed play by Erin and Elese made the Falcons defence work hard. Lead by Deb with calm, controlled play and great stickwork, the Falcons defence team of Ainsley, Emma, Bec and Kellie responded to the Strikers pressure and held their positions, working well together to clear the ball from danger. Great work for Strikers by Rachael in her first Division 1 game, showing she wasn’t fazed by the opposition and making some great interceptions and passes to team mates.

Division 2 Men

Newtown Spirit vs Golden Plains 3-2

With 20 minutes before game time a slightly anxious Coach Fitzy was waiting for balls, face masks and some late comers (who for now will remain nameless). Add to this the news that Marty was resting at home after a big week of hockey and that there was some doubt about a Goalie turning up. So who do you call? Don was mentioned but he was also resting. Brodie Birse was also mentioned but unable due to double up rules.

Gwyn had been asked but due to some technical glitches his phone wasn’t able to pick up Gordo’s smoke signal the night before. In a dire situation it takes a special person to step up when needed. Enter James Wood. But where was the goalie gear? Gordo was dispatched forthwith back to the cage. Stu was dispatched forthwith to get the balls from the cage.

Rodan made a welcome return to the team and was very polite and only displayed mild bemusement at the shenanigans going on. With help from sympathetic spectators Woody was fitted out with his armour and looked somewhat like Ned Kelly as he tottered out onto the ground to face a hail of shots from the Golden Plainsmen. As the game progressed our new GK warmed to the task with a couple of great moves that amazed all involved. Many sincere thanks to Woody. He made a significant contribution to the team winning a tight game.

Goal scorers: Joe, Beau and Ian

Next week. EVERYBODY be there by 1.30 for a 2pm start.

Division 2 Women

Newtown Spirit vs Golden Plains 0-2

With Jacinta, Katelyn and Tracey returning to the team in recent weeks, Spirit are showing some great play and good teamwork. Strong defence at full back by Rachel and Tracey stopped many Golden Plains forward moves, and great marking and positioning in the midfield by Wendy and Andie saw Newtown gain possession. A first goal by Golden Plains did not dampen the enthusiasm and the effort of the Newtown defence line up who matched the speed of the opposition well.

With some improved trapping and ball control, Spirit were able to launch a number of attacks. Tireless running by Phoebe and Katie was well supported by De and Katelyn running to space to receive the ball. Peta and Kellie worked hard to contain the opposition forwards and made great passes to team mates in space, with determined play and second efforts to gain possession.