1st XI Soccer report – July 29, 2015

ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE- 3 d MT CLEAR COLLEGE 1

GOALS – Ben Hutchins 2, Brayden Baker

BEST- – – – – Ben Hutchins, Jake Selby, Marco Farrell, Billy Munter, Brayden Baker

Back on our home ground, which is certainly not our best playing surface, we never looked comfortable against a very quick Mt Clear side featuring the Haraza players. It was cold and windy but the play was essentially kept on the ground and Mt Clear at times controlled the play. Jake Selby was one who began brightly enough and he was busy clearing the ball out of danger while our centres Miles Baker and Leighton Parkinson tried to wrestle the ascendancy from their classy midfielders. Parko was involved in an impressive jump over an opponent which was rewarded with a free kick.

We were lucky with the first goal and you would have to classify the defensive stop of a strong defender’s clearance by Jack Reinhardt as an assist of a kind and the rebound came to Ben Hutchins who was able to score. Very soon afterwards, Brayden Baker headed defensively but their attacker gathered the ball centrally and ran the defence wide before hitting a perfect ball over Henry Wine’s head for an equalising goal.

Miles was working hard in the centre to curb their Ibrahim and Jake Selby was again prominent before he received a poor tackle that sent him off with snake wounds. From a Miles corner, Brayden Baker clipped the ball first touch and it just went over the bar for a close one. A further corner play came to Jake and his shot was tipped over by their keeper. Marco Farrell playing a top read of the play intercepted and gave Brandon Lauton a run into our 18 yards and a close chance before the half.

Brandon and Josh deVoogel did some double passing allowing a strong drive by Josh which took a good save form their keeper. Jake set up Ben Hutchins allowing him to break through and his high ball just went over the bar. Marco and Josh worked the ball into our congested danger area and their tall defender was this time pinged for a hand ball. Brayden Baker delivered from the spot for our second goal. Jack Reinhardt was pushed fair in the back and was awarded with a free from a dangerous spot and the opposition feigned innocence.

Then for the -‘piece de resistance’ from a superb one off play by Ben Hutchins. Down the left wing he touched the ball past a defender and rounded him before he could react. Ben ran down the flank and with defenders corralling him against the line he managed to use the outside of his right boot to kick a curving ball from 30 metres high and cutting sharply in a perfect arc into the back of the net!

Billy Munter and Dennis Heinke were doing their best at the other end to quieten their frenetic attacks and Billy especially was able to turn some dangerous moments away. Jack Reinhardt went close to scoring: firstly via a Jake Selby pass which saw his little touch miss closely on the left; and Brandon playing a little cameo act against a number of opponents set up Jack again for a shot which again drew a strong keeper save.