AllStars Win Game Of Highlights

Written by Patrick Marzohl Thursday, 08 September 2011 12:44

Match Reports - Youth League Boys

MR AllStars 4 def Dunsborough Chargers 2

The AllStars travelled to Dunsborough for this decisive match without right wingers Aaron Locke and Jordan Stanbury and midfielder Oscar Howse. This was one of the most exciting matches of this season where highlight followed highlight.

Margaret River started strong, but Dunsborough came back strongly towards the end of the first half. The second half featured all goals and an entertaining end-to-end match that was finally decided by superior fitness and willpower of the AllStars.

The team in yellow took control from kick-off, recording several good moves and shots on target. The best one came in the 7th minute from Henry Rogers’ crossed to unmarked Mishka Marzohl. His shot just missed the goal. Mehdi Balkhi and the ever present Jake Graebner-Bond had more superb scoring opportunities.

It took Dunsborough 13 minutes to have a shot at Cade Thompson in Margaret River’s goal. They found Cade in fantastic form. In the 25th minute he deflected a shot, jumped and fisted away the rebound with Benjamin Smith finally cleared the ball from the line. Dunsborough was closer to the first goal at this stage of the game.

During the interval the coach stressed the need to fight for every the ball as the team started to do game watching. Dunsborough started with a fury, capitalizing on a rare defensive stumble to take the lead in the 37th minute. The AllStars rallied and the match became a fiercely competed end-to-end game. Dunsborough seem to increasingly struggle with the pace of the encounter, and when Jake Graebner-Bond received a cross form Benjamin Smith in the 47th minute, there was no-one to stand in his way. Jake ran the ball along the left wing, curving around two Dunsborough defenders before squeezing the ball past the Dunsborough keeper from an acute angle to equalize the score. Just two minutes later, Jake ran away from his marker again and upon receiving a precise cross from Mehdi Balkhi, gave the visitors the well-deserved lead. Mehdi had two great opportunities himself in the minutes that followed, but it was Dunsborough that restored parity of goals following a well-taken counter attack in the 58th minute. Margaret River substituted to bring back fresh legs, and with Dunsborough tiring, controlled the rest of the game. Two fortunate goals to Mehdi in the 61st and 63rd minute sealed the game. The players walked off the pitch exhilarated but exhausted knowing the silver medal is now in their grasp.

The whole team was congratulated for the resolute endeavor particularly in the second half. The player of the match award went to Mishka Marzohl for his running and chasing in midfield. Outstanding players were Cade Thompson for his season-best performance in goal, Benjamin Smith, Henry Rogers and Scott Phelps for a superb effort holding Dunsborough and directing play forward, and Jake Graebner-Bond for his determination and endurance.