The game started off at a hectic pace and it was evident that a friday night game for teenage girls is a much more attractive proposition than getting out of bed at 7.00am and travelling down south for a 8.30am kick on a sunday morning which we have had to endure over the last 2 weeks. The first half was all Russell Vale and the game plan that we discussed prior to the match was executed to perfection!! We spoke about moving the ball to the flanks and attacking them where they were most vulnerable. The key points of pre match discussion being:
* Team work
* 70 minute game
* Confidence
* Belief
* 2nd effort
* Positive talk
With a 2-0 lead at half time thru goals to Meg Taylor( Great 1st career goal Meg!!!!!!!!) and Chloe (Goal scoring machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Apps the stage was set for a massive second half after our best half of football that I can remember for a long long time. Unfortunately the second half didn’t play out as we discussed as some girls were thinking about the result and not the process and performance that was required over the next 35 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Learning’s from this is that we need to stick to the game plan for 70 minutes not just 35minutes and if we can achieve this, we will have a very successful and enjoyable year.
Individual performances from all the girls were outstanding tonight- particularly in the first half and then to have the courage and character to guts out a win in the second half (without even sticking to the game plan) was amazing!!
Kylie our goalie is getting better and better with each game and while her courage and skill has never been questioned, her decision making tonight was spot on. Her kicks out of her hand are enormous and once she develops the goal kicking side of her game she will be the best goalie in the comp!
Jasmine who is our captain and 1st game sweeper was sensational tonight. Her positive talk and defensive efforts and clearing kicks were outstanding. With her and Kylie as our last line of defence the opposition attackers are going to be in for a torrid time each and every game!
Chloe J is a confident girl who is in her 1st year with the cobras but watching her play and listening to her speak, you would think that she has been at the Club for years!! She is skilful, tough and competitive and has all the attributes of a great leader. With more game time and experience she will be one hell of a player!
Sarah’s confidence and belief in her ability has improved out of sight this year. She has always had the skill and pace to her burn and this year she is backing her ability and her 2nd efforts on the ball and in defence is up there with best in the team!
Candice has made left fullback her position. Her clearing kicks and work on her opposing player were great tonight. Candice had last year off soccer, but watching her play over the last few weeks, it is hard to believe that she had any time off at all! Composure under pressure is the key to a defensive position and Candice showed plenty of that in tonight’s game- especially in 2nd half! Just remember not to rush the throw ins…
Hannah who got out of her sick bed to play tonight was inspirational in playing the centre mid position for the first time! She was everywhere and set up many attacking raids and defused many opposition attacking raids especially in 2nd half. With her competitive nature and skill this is a perfect position that she will grow into and make her own.
Shania is in her 1st year with the Cobras and the more I watch her play the more I like what I see! Her play in the mid field when linking with the forwards was great for the level of experience that she has and as her game awareness and experience improves so will her impact on the outcome of a match! Keep up the good work Shania!
Paige was great in the mid field tonight and it is a position that she can showcase her knowledge, skill and speed on a permanent basis. Her positional play was near faultless tonight as was her defence and linking up with the forwards with crisp clean passes. Paige also has one of the best throw ins in our Team and it started off many attacking raids on the right side.
Meg who is relishing the opportunity of playing up front scored her first goal this year and 1st goal since the formation of our team 3 years ago! Her vision, passing and positioning will develop the longer she spends in the role and she was unlucky not to score a few more goals tonight! Great game and 1st goal- Meg!!!
Chloe is scoring a goal every time she plays in the forwards and it is safe to say that she is making left wing her position. She scored a cracker of a goal and was a constant threat every time the ball came her way. Chloe who was our Best and Fairest player last year and can play any position but with her form she will be seeing more off the action up front!
Alyse is one of our most skilful players and all her skills were showcased tonight! Her dribbling and passing game were near perfect tonight as was her support play! What I was most pleased about tonight was Alyse’s decision making when in possession- when to pass, when to run was faultless. Alyse was another to get out of her sick bed and watching her performance and the way she pushed herself was a great boost for team morale and confidence!
As mentioned earlier, we were very fortunate to have Samantha and Eden from the under 13’s play. They were outstanding for the Team for the second week in a row and watching their performance no one would pick they were borrowed from the under 13’s!! If they had not been playing victory would of been very difficult tonight. Great work and thank you girls!!
