Division One Youth League Grand Finals
The hard-working committee form Mt Druitt Town Rangers proved to be the perfect hosts once again as they effortlessly catered for the needs of the players, officials and spectators alike and that made everyone feel very comfortable indeed.
To add to the prestige and glamour of the day, three players from Western Sydney Wanderers ? Dino Kressinger, Marteo Polial and Jerome Polenz ? were present and they spent their time signing autographs, chatting to the youngsters and the supporters as well as participating in the presentation ceremonies. As a special treat, the Wanderers players were engaged in a live interview with Rangers? versatile ground announcer Nick Verdos.which was broadcast across the ground
Before taking a look at what happened on the day, a reminder that next week The Youth League Report will present a review of Season 2012, looking at the performance of each club and every team throughout the year.
Grade 13
Mt Druitt Town Rangers claimed the title as Premiers when they finished the competition seven points clear of their nearest rivals. They had the most potent attack in this age group, scoring seventy goals in their twenty-two matches and they also had the tightest defence as they gave up only fourteen goals all season. The Rangers reached the Grand Final by taking the direct route with a 2-1 win over Gladesville Ryde Magic in the Major Semi Final.
Gladesville Ryde Magic completed the competition in third position with twelve wins and four draws coming from their twenty-two matches. They qualified for the Grand Final after they posted a 4-2 extra time win over St George in the Preliminary Semi Final, a 2-1 loss to Mt Druitt in the Major Semi Final and a 2-1 victory over Camden Tigers in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head competition matches the Rangers won both contests, 2-1 in the first round and then 3-1 in the second round.
This match started as a very even affair with both teams going in search of ways of breaking down their opponent?s defence and the result was a very fine display of quality football.
The Rangers made a breakthrough in the 18th minute when a top class build up on the right flank culminated with a strike from Christian Long finding the back of the net.
Six minutes later Mt Druitt doubled their advantage when Jacob Newman caught Gladesville?s defence napping with a shot from outside the penalty area which easily beat the goalkeeper.
Magic continued to show that they were far from a spent force as they continued to seek ways of getting themselves back into the match but their very best attacking movement were consistently thwarted by a well organised defence coupled with some great goalkeeping.
With four minutes remaining on the clock Rangers? John Roberts began a dribbling run that saw him beat four defenders and the goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball away to give his team a 3-0 lead.
As if to prove that they were not going to give up, Gladesville found the net in the very last minute of play when Aryan Vatandoust pounced to take full advantage of a rare opportunity.
Mt Druitt stepped forward to claim the spoils as Premiers and Champions while Gladesville Ryde Magic left the ground with their heads held high with the knowledge that they had given everything to the match.
Grade 14
St George were declared the Premiers after they finished the competition thirteen points clear of their nearest rivals. They had the stingiest defence in this age group as they conceded only ten goals all season. They reached the Grand Final after suffering a 1-0 loss to Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Major Semi Final and then bouncing back to post a 2-1 extra time victory over Nepean in the Preliminary Final.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers finished in second spot and they had the best attacking figures in this competition, scoring forty-seven goals in twenty-two matches. They had recorded fourteen wins and four draws over the course of the season. The Rangers qualified for the Grand Final with a 2-1 win over Schofields Scorpions in the Preliminary Semi Final and then a 1-0 win over St George in the Major semi Final.
In head-to-head competition matches the first round match ended in a 2-2 draw and then the Saints took the second round points with a 3-1 result.
What a match this proved to be as they teams went at each other with skill, commitment and determination and provided a superb exhibition of everything that is good about our great game.
Chances to open the scoring came thick and fast at both ends of the ground and both goalkeepers were kept on their toes throughout the match. There was absolutely nothing between the teams during the first half and it came as no surprise when the scoreboard read 0-0 at half-time.
In the second half the Saints began to gain the upper hand as they continued to press forward and while that put the Rangers on the back foot for long periods, they refused to crack and even managed to make some raids into the enemy territory.
However, the pressure applied by St George eventually paid off for them as they found what was to be the winning goal in the 57th minute when a strike from Dean Xenos found the mark.
So it was that St George were able to step forward to collect the awards as Premiers and Champions while Mt Druitt Town Rangers won many fans for their never-say-die approach to the game and that contributed much to the overall quality of the match.
Grade 15
St George won the competition by a margin of seven points and they were the leading goal scorers, netting remarkable seventy-one times in twenty-two matches. They posted nineteen wins and a draw from those matches. The Saints reached the Grand Final after they suffered a 2-0 loss to Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Major Semi Final and then recovered to defeat Gladesville Ryde Magic 4-0 in the Preliminary final.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers were the competition runners-up and they had the best defensive figures in this age group, conceding only nine goals from their twenty-two matches. They recorded sixteen wins and two draws during the competition. They qualified for the Grand Final following a 3-1 win over Gladesville Ryde Magic in the Preliminary Semi Final and then a 2-0 success over St George in the Major Semi Final.
In head-to-head competition matches St George collected the first round points with a 1-0 win and then the second round match finished in a 1-1 draw.
This was truly a match for the soccer purists as the teams adopted very patient approaches to each other throughout the game, consistently and patiently probing for a weakness that may be exploited.
The match became fascinating as the teams seemed to take turns to have a go at finding a weakness and that meant that the play was flowing smoothly from one end of the ground to the other and back again.
In the end it took a second half strike from Mt Druitt?s James Henry to determine the winner in a game that seemed destined to end in a stalemate of exceptional quality.
St George were declared Premiers while Mt Druitt Town Rangers were crowned Champions and can be enormously proud of their season and of their contribution to this match.
Grade 16
Southern Branch were the competition runners-up with seventeen wins and two draws coming from their twenty-two matches. They qualified for the Grand Final with a 1-0 win over Stanmore Hawks in the Preliminary Semi Final and a 2-1 victory over Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Major Semi Final
Stanmore Hawks finished in third position with twelve wins and seven draws to show for their twenty-two matches. Their road to the Grand Final involved a 1-0 loss to Southern Branch in the Preliminary Semi Final, a 3-1 victory over Hakoah in the Minor Semi Final and a 2-1 success over Mt Druitt in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head competition matches Southern Branch picked up all the points with a 2-1 win in the first round followed by a 1-0 second round result.
What a match this proved to be as the end-to-end action was perfectly matched with the delightful skill and high level energy on display throughout the game.
Stanmore drew first blood when a Jed Moroney header found the mark in the 10th minute but Southern were far from a spent force at that early stage as they fought back to find an equaliser thorough Brodie Miles just ten minutes later.
The match then settled into a very even contest where the teams showed great skill and enterprise in attack only to see their very best effort thwarted, sometimes at the very last moment, by well marshalled defences and some terrific goalkeeping.
The second half was full of heart-stopping moments but neither team was able to find a way to add to their tally and so it was necessary to go into extra time to try to find a winner.
The first period passed with loads of nail-biting action but no goals but in the second period a breakthrough finally appeared. Southern?s Brian Jamb went on a mesmerising dribbling run into the Hawks? penalty area and he unleashed a power-laden shot from an acute angle which somehow found the back of the net for a goal that proved to be decisive.
Southern Branch stepped forward to receive the awards as Champions while Stanmore Hawks can be enormously proud of their efforts in this wonderful match?
Grade 18
Gladesville Ryde Magic finished the competition in first place on goal difference in a very tight age group. They reached the Grand Final by taking the direct route with a 1-0 win over Camden Tigers.
Camden Tigers were placed second on the final table for the season and they had the best defensive figures in this age group, conceding only twenty-five goals. Their path to the Grand Final involved a penalty shootout win over Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Preliminary Semi Final, a Loss to Gladesville Ryde Magic in the Major semi Final and then a 2-1 come-from-behind success over Mt Druitt in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head competition matches both contest finished locked up as 2-2 draws.
As if the other matches on the day were not enough to have the nerves well and truly jangling, this one was something out of the box and a fitting way to end a terrific day of football.
It was clear from the kick-off that there was very little between these teams, confirming the results they had posted in their earlier clashes. This was a contrast in styles with Magic preferring the direct approach while the Tigers displayed a more sophisticated and patient style.
Gladesville?s style reaped an early reward when a cross from the left flank was superbly met by a precision header from Oscar Lewis and that gave Magic a 1-0 lead.
However, Camden seemed to meet that as a challenge rather that a setback as they continued to press forward in search of an equaliser but they could not find it before the interval.
However, eighteen minutes into the second half Camden?s Jayden Russell went on a solo dribbling run that saw him beat three defenders and the goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net to take the scoreline to 1-1.
From that point onward the Tigers appeared to have slightly the better of play and the longer the match went the more their confidence appeared to grow while Magic seemed to take some time to recover from the goal scored against them.
Camden persisted with their game plan and their reward came when the referee awarded a spot kick after an attacker was clearly brought down from behind in the Gladesville penalty area. Sadly, the defender was sent from the field of play as result of this incident. Jayden Russell stepped forward to convert the kick and that gave his team a 2-1 advantage.
The ten-man Magic continued to battle away as they went in search of a way to square the scoreline but Camden not only held on but they continued to apply pressure to their opponent?s defence.
There was to be no addition to the score before the final whistle and so Camden Tigers were declared the Champions while Premiers Gladesville Ryde Magic can hold their heads high after giving absolutely everything they had to this terrific match.
-By Barry Davis
