Top team in the division against the bottom team and although the outcome was predictable the emphatic scoreline was rather unexpected. It’s not often you get three players in the same team scoring a hat-trick but that’s exactly what happened today with Blair Dunn, Harrison Benn & Jordan Errington. It was almost four players but Christian Baade Mortimer settled for two goals instead. At HT the score was 0-4 to Russell Vale who had yet to find top gear but they certainly made up for it in the second half as they literally laid siege to the Balgownie goal.

It would be easy to write about some of the excellent goals that we saw and the near chances that were missed but from a coaching perspective I was pleased to see some of the methods taught on the training ground pay off. There were the fierce but fair tackles that came from Brody Armour and Clayton Walker. The sublime skills of Halley Waller and her inch perfect passes. The lung bursting runs down the flanks from Tom Curren and Baxter Bowler Prentice, the latter even went with the ball from end of the pitch to the other to set up the final goal of the game. The calmness of our sweeper Jack Donnelly to change the direction of play when under pressure. The concentration of our keeper Ethan Johnson although rarely called into action he remained focussed throughout. Lastly the 100% effort put in by Bailey Baade Mortimer and Ethan Larnach, although neither managed to score they both contributed to a fine performance.

Next week will be a far sterner test when we take on Oak Flats who are one of the top teams in Division III but we should have a full squad with Riley Hanlon back from injury by then.

YNWA

Coach