Round six of the 17/18 FNSW Premier League 2 competition had the club at home against the Eastern Suburbs Hakoah Club from Sydney. After round five, Hakoah had a narrow lead in the Club Championship and look to be strong across all age groups. The challenge for the day then would be to see how the Boomerangs club measured up once again against one of the stronger clubs in this season’s PL2 competition.
To check out the photos of this round head to the Boomerangs photo site.
Development Squad Matches
Hakoah brought with them the full complement of development squads to play games against the ‘Baby Boomers’ in 10s and 11s boys and 11/12 girls. Three very close matches ensued again providing great opportunity for further development of the pre-competitive age groups of Boomerangs players.
12 Boys: Boomerangs 0 – 4 Hakoah (ht 0-0)
The 12 boys matched it for most of the game with this strong team from Hakoah; one that had lost only one match in the opening five rounds of the season. The first half saw free flowing futsal from both teams, resulting in many shots on goals – and with both teams’ keepers playing starring roles making numerous saves to protect the scoreline. The second half saw an energetic Hakoah team get the first mark on the score sheet, and this opened the way to them scoring several more. The Boomers could not match the scoring power of the visitors, with the effort of ceaseless defending leaving them little in the tank for the offensive end.
Ladder Position: 6th
13 Girls: Boomerangs 1 – 0 Hakoah (ht 0-0)
The 13 girls were definitely up for this match against a previously undefeated Hakoah team (with three wins and two draws). Neither team managed to get the ball into the back of the net during the first period, and it was indeed the closest of tussles, with the final – and only – score of the match, a generously deflected shot on goal by Sofia Palywoda in the final minute of the match which saw the Boomers young girls take out the match and secure the three competition points. Hakoah could be considered unlucky, as a draw would probably have been a fair result.
Goal to Sofia Palywoda
Ladder Position: 5th
14 Boys: Boomerangs 4 – 6 Hakoah (ht 0-4)
The 14s knew this was going to be a tough match against an undefeated table-topping team (five wins from five rounds played to date this season). The Hakoah lads came out all guns-a-blaze in the first period scoring four and defending ruthlessly. The 14 boys regrouped over the half-time break and came back into the match in the second period, but could not do enough to overcome the four-goal first-half deficit – even though they won the second half 4-2 chasing a result. A reasonable effort by the lads against the top team in their division – but one from which they will take some learnings.
Goal to Noah Dowling (2), Keiran Allen and Tom Barbatano
Ladder Position: 3rd
15 Girls: Boomerangs 3 – 2 Hakoah (ht 2-1)
The 15 girls continue to see off all comers this PL2 season with yet another competent display against a top four team. Indeed the Hakoah 15 girls had, prior to this round, suffered only one defeat, but the girls were certainly up for the challenge scoring two goals early in the first half (both by Alex McKenzie) to ensure that the travelling opposition had to work hard to even get back into the game. A slender 2-1 half-time lead kept the playing group on their toes, and it was only the third goal from Stella DeMarco, that again gave them the two goal buffer which was enough for them to secure the three points and retain top spot on the competition ladder.
Ladder Position: 1st
Goals to Stella De Marco, Alex McKenzie (2)
16 Boys: Boomerangs 4 – 4 Hakoah (ht 2-1)
Before the long drive to Canberra, Hakoah would have pencilled in a victory in the 16 boys with their third-placed team taking on the seventh-placed Boomers. However, this Boomerangs team has come along over the past few weeks and are working hard at both ends of the court to lift their game (with only one win from the previous five rounds). Hard work in the first period saw them take a single goal advantage into the break. The Hakoah lads knew they needed to lift in order to beat the Boomers on their home court – and lift they did. They opened the scoring in the second half to even up the match before the Boomers took the lead again soon after. However, two in a row to the visitors in the 33rd and 34th minute saw the 16 boys needing to overcome a one-goal deficit with only a few minutes to play. A goal to Will Manalo squared it up at four goals apiece with just a few minutes to play.
Ladder Position: 7th
Goals to Leon Michl, Will Manalo and Fabian Olivares (2)
18 Girls: Boomerangs 0 – 2 Hakoah (ht 0-1)
The top-of-the-table Boomers 18 girls may have taken this match a little lightly against a determined Hakoah team that has not been far off the pace this season (and in fourth position on the ladder). The home team appeared a little ‘flat’ and could not muster enough energy in the front half of the court to bother the scorer. The travellers netted a single goal in each stanza – enough to take the three competition points from the home team. Two losses in a row for this team that needs to regroup over coming weeks to get back into a winning frame of mind.
Ladder Position: 2nd
Youth Men: Boomerangs 4 – 1 Hakoah (ht 2-1)
The Boomerangs youth men again showed their class with a solid win against a quality Hakoah side, with an early goal to Dylan Aitolu setting the tone of the match. a second mid-way through the first period capped off some dominating periods of play, however, the home team left the door ajar by conceding in the death throes of the first period of play. That was, however, the only goal the visitors were allowed to score with a solid defensive performance from the home team, and goals exactly when they were needed. They re-established their two-goal buffer quickly in the second half and put the game to bed with a fourth with six minutes to play. The win sees them grab first place on the ladder after the Central Coast were hammered 12-3 by an inspired Raiders team.
Ladder Position: 1st
Goals to Dylan Aitolu, Elie Darwich, Takuto Kojima and Rob McKay
Open Women: Boomerangs 4 – 1 Hakoah (ht 2-1)
The open age women have been a little hot and cold this season – winning some games effortlessly (and by big margins), and in others losing by the narrowest of margins. This home game though, against the top of the table Hakoah women’s team, saw them switched on with the result never really in doubt after two early goals in the 3rd and 4th minutes. A half-time advantage of 2-1 was converted to a 4-1 full-time result and takes them to second on the ladder behind Hakoah, after bottom placed Mt Druitt, drew with Sydney Futsal Club. An intriguing competition – one in which goal difference (far superior for the Boomers at +19) might make all the difference in the top four ladder positions for the season.
Ladder Position: 2nd
Goals to Alex Martens, Nicole Jalocha, Liv Gurney and Michaela Day
Open Men: Boomerangs 3 – 6 Hakoah (ht 3-3)
Hakoah has traditionally had a strong men’s team, and this team visiting the AIS in November 2017 was no different. Several injuries in recent weeks to key players – Jason O’Dwyer and Brad Sawyer, have meant the Boomerangs men have been a little depleted and lacking a little firepower.
The first half was evenly balanced with both sides having opportunities at the offensive end, complemented with intense efforts at the defensive end. For the home team, a cracking solo goal by Daniel Fulton in the 7th minute, followed by a ‘highlight reel’ worthy finish to Daniel Giovinazzo and a second to Fulton, saw them stay on par with a team who could also put three into the net in the first period of play.
The fourth minute of the second half saw the visitors net a fourth to take the lead; a lead which they protected until some five minutes left to play when the home team resorted to the fifth-man power-play in order to wrest back some offensive momentum. However, Hakoah pressed against the power play not letting any numerical advantage accrue to the home side. That pressure and subsequent turnovers, saw the visitors score into an unattended goal twice in the final few minutes – providing them with a flattering 6-3 victory.
A second consecutive defeat for the Boomerangs men to drop them slightly off the pace at the top of the competition ladder.
Ladder Position: 3rd
Goals to Daniel Fulton (2), Daniel Giovinazzo
A reasonable day for the club, despite a couple of disappointing losses that could well have been wins. Splitting the points at four wins and a draw each with the Club Championship topping Eastern Suburbs Hakoah, was not at all a bad result and will set the Boomerangs up for a shot at topping the Championship after round seven away matches against Mt Druitt next weekend. Check out the Club Championship after six weeks into the 17/18 competition.
To check out the photos of this round head to the Boomerangs photo site.