Division 1 Youth League The Grand Finals Review
The pitch was in first-class order to give all the competing teams a chance to display their wares and the weather was once again magnificent.
On a day when top quality matches are expected, the teams involved really served up a treat for the spectators and it is certain that most observers will regard this day very highly indeed.
Clubs had taken the trouble to decorate the spectator areas in their colours and there was a real carnival atmosphere wherever you looked. The usual bouts of nervous laughter from the large groups of supporters were accompanied by hushed conversations and furtive glances. Ah, yes, this was most certainly a day of great importance for all involved and I, for one, was delighted to have been present.
Camden Tigers were very gracious hosts throughout the day, ensuring that the visitors to their ground were all treated very well and made to feel comfortable. Their hard working committee held to ensure that every aspect of the day flowed very smoothly. Football NSW has asked me to publicly thank the Tigers for their great contribution to the 2010 finals series.
Next week, as I always do, I will provide a complete club-by-club and team-by-team review of the season for your enjoyment.
Now, let?s have a look at what happened in each of the matches this week.
GRADE 13
Mt Druitt Town Rangers are the Premiers after they were twelve points clear at the completion of the competition schedule. They had posted eighteen wins from their twenty matches. They had the most potent attack in this age group with sixty-four goals and the best defensive figures after they conceded a miserly eight goals. The Rangers took the direct route to this match with a 2-0 win over Stanmore Hawks in the Major Semi Final.
Stanmore Hawks completed the competition in second spot with thirteen victories and three draws coming from their twenty games. Their path to this match involved a 2-0 win over Fraser Park in the Preliminary Semi Final, a 2-0 loss to the Rangers in the Major Semi Final and then a 1-0 success over Fraser Park in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action during the competition Mt Druitt had claimed all the points with a 4-1 win in the first round and then a 2-0 result in the second round.
Stanmore began this match with all guns blazing with a clear determination to take the game to Mt Druitt and put them on the back foot and that aim certainly appeared to be having some early success.
Every time the Rangers attacked the Hawks rallied their defences and launched a counter attack that broke the rhythm of their opponents.
Stanmore were rewarded in the 29th minute with a goal from Sallu Kamara and that gave them a deserved half-time lead.
When play resumed it was evident that both teams had increased the tempo of their play with one looking to extend their lead and the other seeking a vital equaliser.
The result was a match played at a cracking pace and the action came thick and fast but once again the Hawks held most of the aces and they took full advantage of that.
Stanmore added a goal in the 44th minute when Kamara slotted the ball home but Mt Druitt were far from a beaten side as they rallied once again.
The Rangers were given some hope of salvaging the match when Aidan van den Nieuwboer scored and that inspired his team to dig even deeper as they began to press forward, looking for a goal that would level the scores.
However, time ran out for the Rangers as they simply could not break down the determined and well marshalled Hawks? defence before the final whistle and so Stanmore Hawks were crowned Champions while Mt Druitt Town Rangers can be very proud of their efforts and their season.
GRADE 14
Mt Druitt Town Rangers had claimed the Premiership by a single point after they had registered fifteen wins and one draw from their twenty matches. They had the best attacking figures in this age group with fifty-one goals and they also had the best defensive record as the conceded only twelve goals. They reached this game with a penalty shootout loss to Hurstville City Minotaurs in the Major Semi Final being followed by a 1-0 success over Fraser Park in the Preliminary Final.
Hurstville City Minotaurs were placed second on the final competition table for the season with thirteen wins and six draws to show for their season. They qualified for this match with a 1-0 win over Southern Branch in the Preliminary Semi Final and then a penalty shootout win over the Rangers in the Major Semi Final.
In head-to-head action during the competition the Minotaurs won the first round encounter 2-0 and then the second round game was a 3-3 draw.
As expected this was a very close match indeed as the teams pulled out all stops in a very entertaining encounter that kept the folk in the spectator areas guessing from the first whistle to the last.
Play ebbed and flowed from one penalty area to the other as the teams seemed to take it in turns to create scoring opportunities but we had to wait until the 26th minute for the first goal and that came from Hurstville?s Massimo Carrabs.
Trailing at the start of the second half, the Rangers rallied and they were rewarded with a goal from Alex Moore after only five minutes of second stanza action to lock up the scores once again.
The teams continued to go at each other with skill and passion as the each sought to gain an advantage over the other but, despite a great many near things, the scoreboard remained at 1-1 when the referee blew the full-time whistle.
After a thrill-a-minute double period of extra time there had been no breakthrough and so it was off to the penalty spot to determine the winner and it was here that the Rangers came to the fore with a 4-1 win in the shootout.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers were crowned Champions and Hurstville City Minotaurs left the arena with their heads held high.
GRADE 15
Hakoah claimed the title as Premiers after they finished five points clear of their nearest rivals thanks to a record of sixteen wins and one draw from twenty matches. They had the best attacking figures with fifty-six goals and the best defensive numbers as they conceded only seventeen goals. Their path to this match involved a 1-0 loss to Stanmore Hawks in the Major Semi Final and then a 3-0 victory over Springwood united in the Preliminary Final.
Stanmore Hawks were placed second at the end of the competition and their record showed they had produced fourteen wins and two draws. They reached this match with a 1-0 win over Fraser Park in the Preliminary Semi Final and a 1-0 success over Hakoah in the Major Semi Final.
In head-to-head action during the competition Hakoah had taken out the first round clash with a 4-0 result and then the Hawks were 1-0 winners in the second round.
Stanmore began this match with a plan to take the game to Hakoah from the first whistle and so keep the premiers on the back foot for long periods to nullify the potency of their attack.
That plan forced Hakoah to rely heavily on an unfamiliar counter attacking style of play while it brought some success for Stanmore as they scored the opening goal two minutes before the break when Peter Yannopoulos found the back of the net.
The Hawks maintained the attacking pressure from the start of the second half and they doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute thanks to a strike from Andreas Enriquez.
However, Hakoah showed their class when they bounced back straight away with a goal from Sam Wrublewski in the 53rd minute.
That goal set the stage for a thrilling end to the match as the teams went at each other with renewed energy with one looking for an equaliser and the other for a goal that would win the match.
As a result the action came ?thicker and faster? and the goalkeepers need to work overtime to provide support for their very busy defenders.
When the final whistle sounded Stanmore Hawks were still leading 2-1 and they were able to claim the title as Champions while Hakoah can be very proud of their contribution to a very fine match.
GRADE 16
Fraser Park finished the competition in second position after they had posted eleven wins and eight draws from twenty matches and they had the best defensive record in this age group with only thirteen goals against them. They qualified for this match with a 2-0 win over Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Preliminary Semi Final and a 1-0 success over premiers Camden Tigers in the Major Semi Final.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers were placed third on the final table for the season with ten wins and four draws. Their path to this match involved a 2-0 loss to Fraser Park in the Preliminary Semi Final, a 5-2 win over Hurstville City Minotaurs in the Minor Semi Final and then a 2-0 success over Camden Tigers in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action during the competition Fraser Park had taken the first round points with a 1-0 result and then they second round match was a 1-1 draw.;
What a match this turned out to be as the back line and midfield players battled away for the duration of the game to create a plethora of scoring opportunities at both ends of the pitch but clearly both sets of strikers had left their shooting boots at home.
In many ways this was a frustrating match to watch as the play flowed smoothly between the penalty areas and there was much to admire about the application of the players from both teams in this area but when it came to finishing off the good work both teams were found wanting.
As a result, the first half ended scoreless and so did the second half and so we went into extra time with the hope that someone would find a way to rattle the net. However, it was not to be and so the penalty spot was needed to determine the winner.
It was here that Fraser Park were able to claim the crown as Champions as they won the shootout 2-1.
GRADE 18
Camden Tigers are the Premiers after their sixteen wins and two draws had put them seven points clear of their nearest rivals. They had the best attacking figures in this age group with seventy-one goals and their defensive record was also the best in this age group as they conceded only twenty-three goals. Their path to this match involved a 3-0 loss to Fraser Park in the Major Semi Final and then a 1-0 win over Gladesville Ryde Magic in the Preliminary Final.
Fraser Park were placed third on the table with thirteen wins and two draws to show for their efforts. They qualified for this game with a 2-0 success over Gladesville Ryde Magic in the Preliminary Semi Final and then a 3-0 victory over Camden in the Major Semi Final.
In head-to-head action during the competition Fraser Park were 2-1 winners in the first round and then the second match finished at 2-2.
This was clearly the match of the day as it had all the skills, application, passion and determination you would expect to find at this level of the game and the result was a real nail-biter.
While Fraser Park were deservedly the favourites based on their results, Camden Tigers were having none of it as they tried to gain the upper hand for the first time this season.
The opening exchanges were even and it was anyone?s guess about how the match would unfold as the teams produced some wonderfully engaging play that kept the crowd thoroughly entertained with loads of action in both goalmouths.
Fraser Park were the first to score after a superb attacking move but Camden were not about to throw the towel in and they manufactured a quality equaliser.
The standard of the football continued to improve throughout the match as the teams sought ways to break each other down without exposing themselves to a dangerous counter attack.
When the referee blew the whistle for the final time in the match the scoreboard still read 1-1 and so extra time was needed to find a winner. It was here that the teams really dug deep to produce some wonderful play that will not be forgotten by those fortunate enough to have seen it.
Just when it seemed certain that the match would be decided from the penalty spot, Fraser Park strung together a move of rare quality to produce a winning goal.
They claimed the crown as Champions while both teams will be remembered for providing a top quality match to conclude the season.
-By Barry Davis
