Metro 12′s v Granville Draw 1 all.
Friday night on a slippery pitch, I was not expecting high quality football from the team! I am proud to say that I was wrong, the boys turned on one of their best performances of the year, against a side that gave us a football lesson last year; we turned the tables on Granville giving them a lesson in passing football with not a challenge lost or a contest conceded.
The instructions for the game were simple, win every 50/50 battle and don’t let the ball hit the ground as it will skip away from you. We competed well retaining large amounts of possession in both halves, we did play narrow but I think that was due to the sand pit in the middle of the park, Granville to their credit dug in and defended to the last man and counter attacked on a couple of occasions. I think they only had something like two long range shots and maybe three corners, scoring from one of these corners, it curled into the top corner out of reach and untouched, too high for any twelve year old keeper to save.
That is Metro football, you have all of the play and large amounts of possession and then a long range bomb or high angled set piece can allow the other side to gain the upper hand. With Granville scoring against the run of play, Dragan and I thought the team might drop their heads but as evidence of their improved self belief they come back with even more determination. This determination shown with a length of the field passing sequence resulting in one of our wing backs getting in behind Granville’s defence and slotting the ball in the back of the net from a very acute angle, great team goal with a touch of individual determination and flair in the finishing.
Boys once again you made Dragan and I proud, especially the way you played and behaved during this game. I think a win would have been a just result for the team, particularly with the large amount of time we spent in our oppositions half. Tonight a number of things not helping our quest for a win, an away game on a Friday night, with most of our players having competed at athletics carnivals all day. Also the slippery pitch and a ground appointed referee with Granville parents as linesmen, to be honest, I was happy to come away with a point.
Hopefully we will have proper officials at Harrie Dening and enough petrol left in the tank to give Central Coast a good game on Sunday morning, well played tonight a good tough battle under trying conditions, see you Sunday, regards Coach Stuart Blake.
