Tag: matchreport

Jets Shoot Down Aces: 23/07/2016

Round 12 of the SAASL saw Stirling Districts travel to Modbury to take on the Modbury Jets. Weather conditions were perfect, unlike the state of the pitch which had been chopped up from the reserves game beforehand.

From the outset the game was expected to be somewhat of a scrappy encounter with the centre of the pitch resembling more of a mud pit rather than a deck suitable for football. This meant the majority of the play would be focused down the wings which provided plenty of action for Brian Stephens, Leigh Kuerschner, Martin Nitschke and Sean Lang. It was a game of who could take their chances and unfortunately for Stirling the Jets took both chances in the first half to go into the break with a two goal lead.

Like numerous times this season the Aces did not deserve to be behind but had to dig deep to try and get something out of the game. This showed in the second half with Stirling keeping possession and pressing for a goal to get back into the game. Arnie Barnard dominated in the midfield with some creative weaving runs with Lewis Coulls interceptions and passing abilities on display.

The breakthrough came half way through the half after some intricate passing down the left had Lang running onto a perfectly weighted ball on the top of the box. Without hesitation Lang curled his shot around the outstretched keeper into the top right hand corner. Fresh legs of Michael Henn, Paul Teteris and Craig Fraser were introduced while Scott Matter ran everything down up front in search of an equaliser. Chances came and went but ultimately the Jets ran the clock down and were happy to take the 2-1 result.

Goal scorer Sean Lang (number 5) watches his curled shot sail up and around the keeper and nestle into the top right hand corner against the Modbury Jets, in Round 12 of the 2016 SAASL season.
Goal scorer Sean Lang (number 5) watches his curled shot sail up and around the keeper and nestle into the top right hand corner against the Modbury Jets, in Round 12 of the 2016 SAASL season.

18/6/16: Aces Display Fight

Stirling Districts A’s were aiming to shake off a tough start to the season with the visit of BOSA in their Division 1 encounter at Bradwood Park. Second on the table and unbeaten, BOSA were going be a tough proposition and the talk before the game was for Stirling to impose themselves on their opposition, play with intensity, and force them to play on parts of the pitch where we wanted them to be.

The game didn’t start well however; in the second minute of the game a BOSA break down the Stirling left side led to a cross that was finished neatly and it was 1-0 to BOSA. Stirling didn’t let that setback unsettle them and it soon became clear that they were not going to let BOSA have an easy day. Cutting off their supply channels down the wings, central midfielders Lewis Coulls and Joel Byrth got the better of their opposition counterparts and BOSA were forced into a long ball game as Stirling began to win their battles and dictate the game. With the pace and movement of Sean Lang and Scott Mather causing problems up front, chances began to come. Two big opportunities from corners went narrowly wide before another partially cleared corner was knocked back in and Kaylem Short applied the faintest of touches past the keeper and Stirling were level at 1-1.

The game continued to be a tightly contested and even battle with tackles flying in. But with 10 minutes left in the first half, BOSA pressure in the box led to a scramble where their left midfielder knocked in their second.

At half time the talk was that the result was in our hands and that with hard work chances would come our way. That proved to be the case and the second half was just as hard fought as the first. Chances for both teams, plenty of hard tackles with Stirling showing an appetite and ability that surprised BOSA. Chances came for both teams with Stirling keeper Butler pulling off a handful of high quality saves whilst Simon Dawe at right back produced a virtuoso display of tackling and intensity. A couple of substitutions ensured Stirling maintained their energy to push hard for the equalizer and they were rewarded in the second minute of stoppage time when Scott Mather won possession of the ball 25 metres from the goal and drilled a well-aimed shot into the far corner of the BOSA net. With little time left, Stirling still had time to fashion one last chance but the game finished 2-2.

All in all it was a good result for Stirling against a strong opponent and a performance full of effort and skill which will provide great confidence for the games ahead. There were good performance across the park but special mention must go to keeper Butler for a brilliant performance whilst hampered by injury.

16/04/2016: Slow Start Costs Aces

Stirling Districts senior men’s side headed into the SAASL Premier Division Round 2 fixture away to Adelaide Uni. The Aces were confident after last week’s performance and looked to bank the team’s first points of the new campaign.

From kick off the home team dominated the opening twenty minutes of the game with the Aces on the back foot and looking very flat. Uni took advantage of this and capitalised with an early goal after the ball was cheaply given away. Soon after it was 2-0 with the defensive unit of Simon Dawe, Lewis Coulls, Brian Stephens and Kaylem Short left exposed once again. Keeper Gareth Butler pulled off a great penalty save after a weak penalty was awarded to Uni, however the referee ordered the spot kick to be retaken and the Uni striker hit his shot wide. Still lucky to be in the contest, Stirling woke from its slumber and begun to get into the game but lacked possession up front with Jonathon Gomez constantly dealing with multiple defenders. A passing error as the ball was played out of defense late in the first half was punished by the home team, which now led 3-0 going into the break.

The second half was a much closer affair with Gomez replaced by Luke Marquis, and Josh Lushington spear heading the attack. The half time change saw the Aces mount a lot more defensive pressure on the home team and it finally took its toll halfway through the half with Burden being fouled in the box. Josh Hill took the responsibility and calmly converted the spot kick. Michael Henn and Martin Nitschke worked up and down the pitch all game and B’s captain Josh Goldsworthy entered the game with 15 to go. Chances were created up at both ends in the final 15 minutes but to no avail.

A good second half for the Aces but work needs to be done on maintaining consistency for the entire 90 minutes which has hurt the team in the opening two rounds. This week the Aces will look to open their account when hosting the Modbury Jets at Bradwood Park, who have also lost the opening two rounds of the 2016 season.

Goal scorer Josh Hill looks to send the ball forward during the 2016 SAASL Premier Division Round 2 fixture against Adelaide Uni. Adelaide Uni prevailed 3-1.
Goal scorer Josh Hill looks to send the ball forward during the 2016 SAASL Premier Division Round 2 fixture against Adelaide Uni. Adelaide Uni prevailed 3-1.

09/04/2016: Set Pieces Prove Costly for Aces

 

Stirling Districts were eager to snatch three points in the opening round of the season. Under the guidance of new A grade manager Stephen Spencer, the Aces wanted to set a winning precedent for the year.

With ideal conditions, the stage was set for a highly consented battle against Sturt Marion. The game began with a high tempo style of football with both teams laying a number of tackles early on. As both teams traded attacking blows, a Sturt Marion player struck goalkeeper Jarrod Thrun in the head with a late challenge. After treatment to stop the bleeding, Thrun bravely returned to see out the remainder of the game. The defensive four continued to counteract Sturt Marion’s advances as debutants Brian Stephens and Kaylem Short showed confidence alongside Simon Dawe and Lewis Coulls.  Collectively, the Aces looked dangerous with a number of attacking opportunities. Both Martin Nitschike and Richard Dawes provided bursts of speed on the wing and this attributed to Stirling’s overall momentum. Following a terrible passage of defensive play by Sturt, Jonathon Gomez won a contested battle to allow Nitschike to fire away a thunderous strike. The Aces compounded the pressure against Sturt through the work rate and tenacity of Michael Henn and Joel Byrth in the midfield. Josh Hill supplemented the Ace’s overall attacking movement through his speed and awareness. Stirling entered the half time break with confidence.

Lewis Coulls rises for a header against a Sturt Marion striker as goal keeper Jarrod Thrun stands by during Round 1 of the 2016 SAASL Premier League season.
Lewis Coulls rises for a header against a Sturt Marion striker as goal keeper Jarrod Thrun stands by during Round 1 of the 2016 SAASL Premier League season.

Unfortunately, the second half did not reflect the first and Stirling found themselves falling victim to three goals from defensive corners. This was beyond disappointing for the playing group but all 11 players on the park maintained an incredibly high work rate. Late substitution in James Laughton and Luke Marquis provided final burst of energy but it was to no avail. Late in the second half, Gomez found himself in a scoring position to open is goal count for the year. Although a sub-optimal start to the season, the Aces can take a number of positives from the encounter.

Richard Dawes holds the ball up against his Sturt Marion opponent.
Richard Dawes holds the ball up against his Sturt Marion opponent.

 

04/09/2015: Survival Hopes Still Alive

Stirling Districts hosted the Modbury Jets in a round 17 clash of the SA Amateur Soccer League at Bradwood Park. It was one of the first home games in at least half a dozen weeks due to the fixtures and the rescheduling of home games due to the poor pitch conditions in the middle of winter. However the pitch was in good condition for the vital clash in which the Aces desperately needed to take all three points in a bid to fight off relegation.

Winning the toss, Stirling Districts attacked away from the clubroom end in the first half and took the game to Modbury within the first 20 minutes, dominating possession and putting pressure on the visitor’s defence. Josh Berger and Tim Cookes in the middle of the park were distributing balls to wide men, Richard Dawes and Sean Lang who made defending for Modbury incredibly hard at times. The pressure soon paid off when Lang took on the fullback and once again got past to the by-line and as he entered the box was fouled by the defender. Berger stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty into the bottom corner. After the restart a number of attacking plays again came down the left hand side via Ryan Gore and Lang, while Josh Lushington and Michael Henn made some great runs but were unable to get the ball past the keeper. Lang assisted the second goal from the left hand side with a cut back to Berger who drove the ball into the underside of the crossbar and into the net.

Moments after the restart a diagonal ball was played into Stirling Districts defensive area and a penalty was awarded to the away team after the attacking player had his heel clipped inside the area. The home side entered the break 2-1 up after having had a relatively quiet first half for defenders Simon Dawe, Gore, Joel Byrth and James Laughton.

The start of the second half was tightly contested between both sides with Modbury seeing more of the ball in their attacking third. Early in the second half Modbury equalised in the most unfortunate circumstances for the Aces as not one but two deflected clearances from outside the box ended up in a pin point cross to a Modbury striker who managed to poke the ball through Josh Clifford’s legs in goal. Cookes and Berger had to be replaced by substitutes Matt Hawthorn and Adam Gore with about 20 minutes to go as the Aces pushed to create a winning goal. With this came a change in formation as the back four turned to three with R.Gore being pushed into the left midfield position. With the attacking formation came chances and a number of goal mouth scrambles which didn’t fall to the home team’s advantage. The best chance fell to Lushington after link up play from the Gore brothers, but the keeper pulled out a reflex save to deny the big red head. Craig Fraser replaced Henn in the dying moments for his first game in the first team since his injury late last season.

Stirling Districts felt as though they deserved a win but a 2-2 draw was the final result. With two matches remaining in the season, it is vital that the Aces win to keep their survival hopes alive.

08/08/2015: Relegation Woes Continue

Round 14 of the SA Amateur Soccer League saw Stirling Districts take on the Wanderers in Findon, but were comfortably defeated 4 – 0.

The squad went into the game confident of capturing 3 points and early in the game things were going to plan as both teams struggled to gain ascendency. Half chances occurred at both ends in the opening 20 minutes but it was on an attacking set piece that things started to go wrong for the Aces. With players committed in the box, a free kick was left short which let the backline of Ryan Gore, Sam Papini, Simon Dawe and Louis Coulls vulnerable to the counter attack. The Wanderers took their chance and placed the ball passed a hapless Christian Burden in goal. Within minutes of the restart the home team struck again after a long throw was flicked on into the net. Just before the break Stirling Districts thought they were back in the game after a ball was whipped into the back post and headed over the keeper by Coulls’s. Controversially the goal was disallowed after the referee had a long discussion with his assistant referee on the line.

Not long after half time Stirling Districts suffered another blow with an early goal to the home team making the task of coming back much more difficult. Wide midfielders Sean Lang and Scott Mather got more involved in the second half while Tim Cookes was at his tackling best in the midfield. To make matters worse Gore and soon after Coulls were forced off with injuries sustained in challenges. Joel Byrth and Josh Berger replaced the injured duo as Matt Hawthorn was soon replaced by Andrew Wendelborn. Josh Lushington and Jonathon Gomez up front struggled to get into the game which seemed disjointed at times. Fifteen minutes before time it was 4 nil to the Wanderers with a toe poked finish. Late on Gomez had a golden chance to grab a late consolation but luck was not on his side as the ball narrowly went wide from close range. The result summed up the season so far, very little luck and always punished for any mistakes. The fight will continue this week at home to fight off relegation.

01/08/2015: Disappointment for the Aces

Stirling Districts faced a top of the table BOSA side in Round 13 of the SA Amateur Soccer League played at Charles Cane Reserve.

The away side faced a number of forced changes in the starting eleven due to a number of suspensions and injuries. The back four was the hardest hit with the sole survivor from the previous week Lewis Coulls pairing up with the returning Captain Ryan Gore in central defence and promoted reserves players Paul Teteris and James Laughton taking up positions in right and left back respectively. The midfield was made up of Tim Cookes, Joel Byrth, wide players Scott Mather and Daniel Wilby and defensive midfielder Matt Hawthorn. Vice-Captain Jonathon Gomez was the lone striker up front while Christian Burden took charge in goals behind the back four.

The order of the day from manager Peter Cottle was not to play pretty football, but to play a disciplined defensive game on a heavy pitch against a well drilled outfit. The home team kicked off and immediately controlled possession as the Aces kept a compact formation which was designed to frustrate the opposition and force them to play the long ball. Early in the first half BOSA tried to play the ball down the wings and managed to break through on occasions on the left hand side. However Stirling Districts defence mopped up any loose balls that threatened the goal and at times Burden was called into action, pulling off some great saves. Playing on the counter attack the Aces only clear chance of the half fell to Hawthorn after the team pressured BOSA’s ball carriers, causing a turnover. With a two on one situation Hawthorns pass to Gomez didn’t hit its mark and with it the most clear cut chance of the half. At the half time break the teams went in level with surprisingly only one yellow card shown in the first half.

The second half started in the same way as the first with BOSA controlling most of the possession as Stirling Districts remained compact. The Aces style of play often meant that the only outlet was Gomez up front, who worked hard all game but was constantly hounded by the opposition defence. The deadlock was broken by BOSA on the 50 minute mark with a top volley from just inside 18 yards. All of the hard defensive work from the Aces had come undone by a moment of class and this meant a goal was needed to get anything out of the game. Unfortunately fifteen minutes later the second BOSA goal went in after a deflected shot looped over Burden. Moments after BOSA were reduced to ten men due to the strikers numerous coming’s together with Gore. This allowed Stirling Districts to attack more and bring on fresh legs in Josh Berger and Martin Moran. In the closing stages of the game the Aces looked more threatening but the final ball was always lacking which meant the keeper had little to do. The Aces look forward to taking points next weekend away to the Wanderers.

 

19/07/2015: Reserves Back to Winning Ways

Stirling Districts reserves side got back to winning ways with a well-deserved 2 – 0 victory against Old Ignations in Round 12 of the SA Amateur Soccer League.

Poor pitch conditions at Bradwood Park forced Stirling to play all three grades at the league headquarters in Grange. The with a strong squad on hand, including the return of Richard Dawes and Craig Fraser from injury, along with Ryan Gore from prolonged work commitments, meant Coach Steve Spencer expected a win. Stirling begun the game positively with a number of attacking moves down the left hand side from Philippe Bastouil and attacking players Fraser and Gore, but the final ball was often lacking. The back four of Nic Schultz, Josh Goldsworthy, Paul Teteris and James Laughton were relatively untroubled in the first half, cleaning up everything that came their way.

Veteran Gary Thwaites was vocally dominant in the midfield and found plenty of time and space on the ball to distribute to wide areas. The breakthrough came straight after Schultz and Gore swapped positions 30 minutes into the game. Some good hold up play from Martin Moran, saw him beat two players before passing to Schutlz who slotted the ball home from an acute angle. Stirling’s biggest threat in the half was set pieces, with Old Ignations having a number of tall players getting heads on the ball first.

After the break Stirling gained control again and continued to play possession football. Pressure began to mount on Old Ignations defence as attacking players such as Moran ran at the defence and forced them to concede numerous set pieces. On the third set piece Stirling were reward as a well weighed ball found Moran’s head which was directed into the corner. Fraser ran himself ragged up front and was substituted for a well deserve rest. Late on in the game Simon Lovell, Alex Lang and Hugh Hopton were introduced to provide fresh legs. However Stirling lost composure late on, which meant its passing game disappeared and put a lot of pressure on the defence as Old Ignations pilled on the pressure making keeper Josh Clifford make some crucial saves. The defence and namely Goldsworthy were brick walls and nullified all attacking moves to help give the side a much needed victory.

18/04/2015: Aces Win on Premier League Return

Round 1 of the 2015 Amateur Soccer League Premier Division kicked off on Saturday afternoon at a sodden Bradwood Park. Following a long and gruelling preseason and two seasons in Division 2 provided plenty of ammunition for Stirling Districts to begin their 2015 Division 1 campaign with a victory against the travelling Adelaide Comets.

With Coach ‘Peter Cottle’ in charge for his second successive year, it was clear to players of what was expected and what style of football he was after. A number of talented players joined the club in the offseason and this was evident when the players took to the pitch against the Comets, as six of the starting eleven were making their Stirling Districts debuts. Of these six were Scott Mather and vice-captain Jonathon Gomez up front, Lewis Coulls, Josh Hill and Joel Byrth in the midfield and Sam Papini in central defence. The remaining 5 consisted of Josh Clifford in goals, Andrew Wendelborn and Matt Hawthorn in defence, Adam Gore in the midfield and captain Ryan Gore in defensive midfield.

After winning the toss and kicking away from the clubroom end, the Comets kicked off and soon after the Aces gained possession of the ball and began to play the ball around in testing conditions. The first clear chance at goal came just ten minutes into the match as Hawthorn sent a free kick down the wing to A.Gore and with an outstretched leg, flicked the ball into the middle of the box and an oncoming Gomez was able to pass the ball into an empty net. The early goal appeared to ease any nerves that the Aces were feeling and begun to dominate possession whilst looking dangerous in front of goal.  Coulls fired over the crossbar after some good build up play from Mather and A.Gore down the right hand side. Soon after Gomez made a great defensive challenge to set up a counter attack which ended in Mather hitting a low driven shot which was poked around the post by the keeper’s outstretched leg. Stirling Districts went into the break with a deserved 1-0 lead.

A.Gore was substituted at half time with a strained hamstring which meant Daniel Wilby would start out on the left sided in the second half. With Coulls and Byrth dominating the midfield it provided numerous chances on goal but the Comets keeper was first class and kept out everything. Wibly was quickly into the action and soon saw his shot blocked after getting onto the end of a low cross, while Byrth too had an attempt blocked as the ball then ricocheted out, for yet another Aces corner. Moments later R.Gore got his head onto a set piece and flicked it toward the far bottom corner of the goal and amazingly the keeper stuck out a mitt to again deny the home team.

After looking solid most of the game, the Aces defence conceded after poor communication at the back allowed the Comets striker in on goal to level the scores. It was a bitter blow as Stirling Districts knew they deserved to be in front but reacted well to conceding by going on the attack again. The game became scrappier with tackles flying in from both teams and chances at either end as the Comets confidence grew after levelling the scores. However with five minutes remaining a great ball from Hill found Gomez who controlled the ball, then sweetly hit his left foot shot low and hard across the keeper and into the net. In the closing stages Martin Moran replaced Byrth to provide some fresh legs toward the end of the game. At the final whistle a 2-1 win was a deserved result and Stirling Districts will look forward to an away clash against St Peters this Saturday at Lloyd Oval.

Lewis Coulls slides in to block an attacking move while Adam Gore watches on.

 

Defenders Andrew Wendelborn on the right and Sam Papini (Number 7) on the left.

14/09/2013: Jets Title in Thriller

The 2013 Division 2 Amateur League season ended in dramatic fashion at a packed Bradwood Park, as a last minute penalty won the game and ultimately clinched the title for the traveling Modbury Jets.

A large crowd of visiting Modbury supporters begun to build on the far side of the pitch in the lead up to kick off. Conditions at Bradwood Park were near perfect for football, with the sun out on what was a wet pitch. Stirling had nothing to play for as promotion hopes were dashed the previous week but to their credit they were determined to fight for the win and ultimately have a say in which team would take the title and be promoted. The Aces had to slightly reshuffle their line-up from the previous week, as playmaker Josh Lushington was forced to miss the clash due to work commitments. This then pushed Daniel Wilby up front and put Ryan Gore onto the right side of midfield.

In the opening minutes Stirling came out hardest and quickly took the lead within five minutes from a long ball which was flicked on by Wilby to Adam Gore at the back post, who volleyed the ball into the net from close range. The Jets looked to be in shock after the Aces took the early lead which also helped silence the vocal Modbury crowd. The goal then lifted the Jets as they needed nothing less than a win to take the title. The added intensity created a number physical challenges and put more pressure of the back four of Simon Dawe, Josh Goldsworthy, James Laughton and Jean-Pierre Bastouil. Modbury then equalised part way through the half, with a move down the right hand side as a low cross was calmly slotted past a stranded Danny Prince. Following the goal, Coach Alan Evans made a tactical change by switching R. Gore and Bastouil for the remainder of the game. Unfortunately goal scorer A. Gore limped from the field and was replaced by Martin Nitschke after friendly fire in the box from the Gore brothers. The Aces were on the back foot for the remainder of the half as both teams put in a number of late challenges which would have been punished by another referee on another day. The teams went into the break locked at 1-1.

After the break the both teams begun the half at a similar pace as playmakers Matt Hawthorn and Tim Cookes started pulling the strings in the center of the midfield. Stirling then took the lead after some good build up play allowed Sean Lang to pick up the ball and dribble to the edge of the box. His tame shot ended up landing in the muddy goal mouth right in front of the keeper and subsequently went through his legs as the ball skidded through. The Stirling and travelling Cougar crowd celebrated as Modbury once again trailed. However Modbury again hit back 15 minutes later after a dubious off side decision in which the referee and linesman discussed the decision for some time before awarding the goal to the visitors.  Not long after Lang was unlucky not to put Stirling ahead from a free header in the six yard box, which ended up straight in the keeper’s arms. This was Lang’s last involvement as he was replaced by Richard Dawes up front. The game was being stretched as Modbury were looking for a winning goal, while Stirling were hitting on the counter. Banter between the Cougar’s and Jets supporters continued throughout the game giving the game a great atmosphere. In the dying seconds of the game as a Modbury player fell in the box and was awarded a penalty. With the league title hanging on this kick, the Modbury opponent calmly curled the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Seconds after the restart the final whistle blew and the Jets players and fans celebrated. Stirling left the field disappointed having believed they earned at least a draw and were unlucky to go down 3-2.

Stirling will be aiming to come back stronger next season and return back to the premier division in 2015. Stirling District Football Club’s senior presentation night will be held on the 27th of September at the clubrooms. Stirling Districts Twilight competition starts on the 15th and 16th of October. For senior and junior team submissions please contact stirlingfc@gmail.com, or stirlingfcjunior@gmail.com.