Blue Mountains FC secure Robertson Cup
Blue Mountains FC put together a clinical display to take 2024 Robertson Cup (U21 Men’s) honours with a 2-0 victory over Collaroy Cromer Strikers at Cromer Park.
A goal either side of half time was enough to give them the victory with Ethan Szmytka and Noah Young both finding the back of the net.
It was the Strikers who started the better of the two sides however, controlling field position in the opening ten minutes. Their best chance early seeing Remy Reveyrand receive the ball centrally before his right footed shot from outside the area was hooked wide right, before the 10th minute.
Blue Mountains soon played their way into the contest and were only denied by some last ditch scrambling defence from their opponents back line on a couple of occasions
The best chance of the opening quarter hour came for the “visitors”, a mix up in Blue Mountains defence leaving an open goal which Liam Muir who couldn’t at short notice from outside the area, his shot going wide right.
Proceedings settled before Charles Gunn put a long range free kick from distance just over the top right corner before the 25th minute.
The breakthrough was to come at the other end though, Ethan Szmytka scoring for Blue Mountains from an overlap position on the right wing, his shot sneaking into the far left corner across goal, 27 minutes in.
Blue Mountains had further chances through Szmytka and Noah Young before the half time break.
In similar fashion to the first half, the Strikers came out well in the second half, with Justin George drawing a save from the Blue Mountains keeper.
But it was a case of the team from the Mountains being more clinical, extending their lead to two in the 53rd minute. Noah Young converted a one-on-one chance calmly past the keeper in the 53rd minute.
Collaroy Cromer looked to respond from set pieces, with Justin George and Kade Marshall-White putting dangerous balls into the area in the early stages of the second half.
However, it was Blue Mountains continuing to look more likely to score, and Liam Austin nearly had their third from long range, his effort saved by the keeper around the post.
A solid Blue Mountains defence did a good job at closing out the game throughout the second half to take home the Robertson Cup.
MATCH STATS
Sunday 14 July 2024
Cromer Park
Referee: Lucas Kloosterhof
Assistant Referees: James Chan & Shakeel Mistry
Blue Mountains FC 2 (Szmytka 27’, Young 52’)
Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC 0
Blue Mountains FC: 1. Elijah Hardy, 3. Aidan Burns, 6. Brayden Laing, 9. Ethan Craig, 10. Liam Austin, 12. Taylan Flanagan, 15. Daniel Welch, 27. Noah Young, 47. Ethan Szmytka, 50. Leo Campaner, 57. Christian Lia, 68. Lachlan Collier, 81. Harrison Burns, 83. Matthew Bax, 89. Mitchell Pledger, 92. Jacob Beasley
Yellow cards: Pledger
Red cards:Nil
Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC: 16. Luca Bellingham, 3. James Mcneil, 5. Jordan Figuiere, 6. Sam Gibbons-Maurer, 8. Remy Reveyrand, 9. Henry Dewar, 11. Liam Muir, 12. Brodie Powell, 13. Valentin Deda, 15. Charles Gunn, 20. Justin George, 34. Finley Wilkinson, 43. Henri Tremauville, 49. Kade Marshall-Witte
Yellow Cards: Powell, Gibbons-Maurer, Reveyrand, Marshall-Witte
Red Cards: Nil
