By Sarah Bailey
Healesville U9 Redbacks 8:0 Mooroolbark Teal
At Don Rd the Redbacks continued their winning streak at home against Mooroolbark.
The game started evenly, with both sides moving the ball around and getting good opportunities to score.
The Redbacks attacked hard, and some great individual runs from Max, Teddy and Ben helped set up plenty of chances for strikers Will and Louie.
Birthday boy Jamie stood tall in defence and did well in controlling the ball and weighing his options before sending the Redbacks back into attack.
At half time the score was 3-0 in Healesville’s favour.
The second half was a bit more one sided as the Redbacks took control of the game.
The twins, Karl and Kai, did a fantastic job in both defence and attack and helped set up plenty of goals.
It was pleasing to see the boys take some time, assess their options and look to pass to a teammate in a good position.
Five team members contributed goals to the winning scoreline.
Once again, the whole team contributed to the victory and deservedly enjoyed the celebrations.
Healesville U15 Mixed 3:0 Knox Strikers
The U15s took to the pitch in only their second home game of the season looking to turn their fortunes around.
Again with players out, they started strong, earning a penalty that saw the team call in defender Connor, who was appearing for the first time this season after injury had kept him out.
With no nerves showing, he converted, putting Healesville 1-0 up in the second minute of the game.
The first half was an arm wrestle, with both sides taking control and going forward for short periods, Nick R doing an amazing job as Healesville keeper.
Sam K slotted a nice goal that helped the home team to a 2-0 lead at half time.
The wrestle continued in the second half, but about 15 minutes in, Healesville gained the upper hand and started peppering the goals.
After several corners and narrowly missed chances, Hamish M knocked in Healesville’s third.
Healesville stayed on the attack to the final whistle.
Healesville U13 Girls Hearts 2:1 Berwick United
Playing away against Berwick, the Hearts turned in a solid first-half display with all the possession and a lot of chances, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.
Counter-attacking, Berwick took their only shot on target late in the half.
Undaunted, Healesville battled hard in the second half as Berwick found their rhythm. Ava H and Tilly W set up a tense finish, superbly slotting home two quick goals midway through the
half.
Desperate defending by all the girls saw the game end with a well-deserved Healesville win and a move up to fourth on the ladder for the Hearts.
Ava H, Isla L and Henrietta IM were standouts on the pitch.
Healesville U10 Ninjas 5:4 Berwick Spirit
The Ninjas encountered a very evenly matched opposition in their away game against Berwick.
Back in the line-up, Jacob V was instrumental to the team, bringing strong play down the wing and scoring some crucial goals.
Archie B and Willis K were excellent in defence, cutting off many forward plays by the Berwick team.
Jaxson and Hayden T were again active at both ends of the park.
It was great to see the team hold good structure and support each other to nab the win.
Healesville U11 White Wolves 0:2 Mooroolbark Burras
A chilly morning bloomed into a glorious day at Healesville Soccer Club as the undermanned Wolves faced a very skilful and disciplined Mooroolbark team.
The visitors gained the ascendancy early in the match, surging through the Wolves’ defensive line to take the lead. In response, the Wolves got busy and displayed great determination and
teamwork to not only fend off their opponents but create multiple chances of their own.
The on-field wrestle was a sight to see as the Wolves faced an uphill battle against the Burras’ defence, which thwarted many advances.
A shining light in the forward line, Austin A drifted past the defenders a little early according to the officials – his goal was disallowed for being offside.
The keeping quality from both teams was top notch. As the intensity around the contest escalated, great (fearless) keeping was needed more than ever, and the onlookers weren’t
disappointed. Special mention to Austin A and Harley T, whose stunning saves gained applause from all in attendance.
In an attempt to grab a late goal, a change was made structurally to help our forwards, and this left a hole in our defence that was soon exploited.
A late goal from the Burras sealed their win in the final moments of the match as the Wolves conceded their first defeat of the season.
Healesville U10 Goats 2:5 Berwick Blues
With Griff captaining the side away at Berwick, the U10 Goats played their most balanced game yet against a bigger, more physical team.
With some sensational defensive pressure from William, and goals from Arlo and Ryder,
topped off with a magnificent save from Patrick, both teams were evenly matched.
Berwick’s super-striker was too much to contain in the second half, which resulted in the game going Berwick’s way.
Healesville U8s 0:4 Berwick Blues
An amazing game was played by Healesville’s U8s, with a huge effort by Jude and Olivia in goals.
Strikers Zach and Reese did us proud, staying forward and nearly hitting the back of the net several times.
The rest of the game was up to the defenders, and they had a battle on their hands.
