Round 12 of the 17/18 Premier League 2 season was at home, played in the air-conditioned comfort of the AIS sports halls against a club sitting second in the Club Championship for the season, Raiders Futsal.
To check out the photos of this round head to the Boomerangs photo site.
Development Squad Matches
There were two development squad matches played as a precursor to the competitive matches against Raiders. The first was an intra-cub match between the 10 development boys and the 11/12 development girls followed by the 11 boys playing in a terrifically competitive match against local side Gungahlin.
12 Boys: Boomerangs 1 – 0 Raiders (ht 0 – 0)
The 12 boys were up against a Raiders outfit that has struggled a little this season and like the Boomer’s youngest competitive team had only had two wins prior to this round. A very close match was expected; and was delivered. No goals were created in the first period of play, and whilst the second saw more shots on goals, the conversions were limited to one goal by the home side’s Nick Pratezina giving them a win by the slimmest of margins. The two remaining matches of the season for these lads are against top four teams, so they will need to be playing their best to record more competition points for the season.
Goal to Nick Pratezina
Ladder Position: 6th ( – )
13 Girls: Boomerangs 0 – 2 Raiders (ht 0 – 2)
The 13 girls were expecting – and received – a tough match against second-placed Raiders – a team that has lost only two matches this season. The home side certainly put in a terrific effort, especially in the second half, to limit the goal-scoring opportunities to a minimum for the skilful visiting team that will do well in finals. The final two matches of the season sees clashes with a top-four team in Hakoah and bottom-placed Mt Druitt. The girls will need to be more productive at the offensive end to record wins from these final two matches.
Ladder Position: 5th ( – )
14 Boys: Boomerangs 6 – 7 Raiders (ht 3 – 3)
This was a cracker of a match played at top speed for the entire 40 minutes. The teams sat one position apart on the competition ladder and this was reflected in the closeness of the match. Some cracking high quality goals from both teams saw a highly entertaining, end to end game. The final result could have gone either way, but as the whistle blew the visitors had done enough to secure the two points. With results of other matches favourable, the Boomers 14s are finals-bound but will need two good outings from the final rounds to give them momentum going into the finals series.
Goals to Bailey Sorenson (2), Odhran Traynor, Ethan Yuen, Keiran Allen, Thomas Barbatano
Ladder Position: 4th ( – )
15 Girls: Boomerangs 3 – 0 Raiders (ht 1 – 0)
The 15 girls just keep improving every week and even this, the most difficult of contests against a team that has lost just one match all season (to the Boomers in Round 5), proved that they can lift above the level of the opposition when called on. An arm wrestle of a first half saw only the single goal to the home side, but an increase in defensive work rate and offensive pressure in the second stanza saw two further goals scored and none conceded, letting the Raiders girls know that the finals battle will be a tough one when they no doubt meet in the post-season championship series. It will take an extremely good team to knock these Boomerangs girls off the high platform they have built for themselves this season.
Goals to Stella De Marco (2), Ellen Brown
Ladder Position: 1st ( – )
16 Boys: Boomerangs 4 – 1 Raiders (ht 3 – 0)
As regularly reported, the 16 boys have had a fairly ordinary season based on results to date. Prior to this match, they were one solitary win, three draws and seven losses from the eleven rounds played. Raiders, on the other hand, had only lost two matches prior to this round 12 clash and were sitting comfortably in third place on the competition ladder. However, when the whistle blew to start the match, the form guide was thrown out the window as the home side blasted to an early three-goal lead, and from there controlled the game across the court to not allow the visiting Raiders back into the match. A superb defensive effort in the second period stopped any chance of a resurgence by the Raiders, who, with this loss, have dented their hopes of a top-two finish.
Goals to Lachlan Choundary, Ollie McCarthy, Andrew Noack, Fabian Olivares
Ladder Position: 7th ( – )
18 Girls: Boomerangs 5 – 4 Raiders (ht 1 – 3)
It was a definite case of ‘a game of two halves’ in this top-of-the-table clash with the visitors getting off to a great start in the first 20, with three goals (all to Cassidy Chidgey) to a single by the home team. Not to be outdone though, the Boomerangs 18s came out from the break fired up and with a deal of positiveness that saw them defend strongly and convert their opportunities in the front-court. A great team effort across the board by the girls saw them take the second half 4-1 and the match 5-4, with Jacqui Alferink matching the four-goal haul of the visiting Chidgey. A super effort from the girls against the other serious contender for the premiership and grand final championship. The result though did not change the ladder and sees the Boomers 18s now within a slim two points of the Raiders who remain atop the competition ladder despite this loss.
Goals to Jacqui Alferink (4), Ellen Brown
Ladder Position: 2nd ( – )
Youth Men: Boomerangs 2 – 3 Raiders (ht 1 – 1)
The youth men have known for a while that they have a fairly tough road home and needed two out of three wins as a minimum to be sure of a finals spot for season 17-18. Unfortunately, the start of the post-Christmas portion of the season did not go to plan and the visitors forced their way to a win by the slimmest of margins. There was little separating the teams at half-time with a lot of ‘niggle’, both on and off the ball and four yellow cards meted out by the officials during the opening stanza. This loss to Raiders sees the visitors retain their top spot on the ladder, while the Boomers youth slip down to fifth and will need results against both Hakoah in Round 13 and Mt Druitt in the final regular round of the season if they wish to participate in finals futsal for season 17-18.
Goals to Elie Darwich (2)
Ladder Position: 5th (down from 4th )
Open Women: Boomerangs 2 – 1 Raiders (ht 1 – 1)
This clash saw the top of the table Boomerangs up against a team in fifth place and keen to win to get themselves in the frame for finals. The match opened with both teams looking conservative and focussing on defence rather than scoring. An opening goal to Miki Day in the tenth minute saw the game open up slightly, resulting in a reply by the Raiders some three minutes later. It remained one all as the halftime break was called. The Boomerangs women started the second half with intent and it was Liv Gurney who slotted one past the Raiders’ custodian just two minutes into the period. The game was an arm wrestle for the remainder of the second half with both teams creating opportunities, but not converting due to the strength of the respective defences. The final score – a narrow win for the Boomers – sees them retain top spot on the ladder and leaves the Raiders looking for additional points to leapfrog Sydney Futsal Club into the top four.
Goals to Miki Day, Liv Gurney
Ladder Position: 1st ( – )
Open Men: Boomerangs 2 – 3 Raiders (ht 0 – 0)
Matches between these two teams are always exciting, full of speed, and often with a bit of rough and tumble. It’s important to note though, that the while the matches are played hard and with a high level of energy, there is always a great respect and appreciation for the quality of the opposition.
Prior to this round, the tight top five of the competition ladder had the Boomerangs and Raiders on the same points (8 wins/3 losses), with the slight advantage to the Boomers by way of goal difference. Both teams were a mere two points adrift of Sydney City Eagles on 26 points and only two points ahead of Phoenix and Hakoah on 22. Wins at this time of the season are critical to ensure a top-four finish (with the five top teams still in contention), and indeed for the battle for the minor premiership.
It was in this context that the encounter took place, ensuring that the first period of the match became an arm wrestle where neither side wanted to concede goals or be on the wrong end of the match momentum. As is usually the case though, the second half saw the match open up as both teams stretched themselves, seeking goals and a win.
The visitor’s captain opened the scoring five minutes into the second period to take the lead – which sparked the home team into action, countering with two quick-fire goals in reply, to first level it up, and then take the lead themselves. The following ten minutes saw some powerful and physical futsal with both sides throwing themselves into the task of winning the match. The Raiders drew level with a goal to youth player Jalloh Hassan with a tense nine minutes remaining to be played. Multiple opportunities for both sides were parried by the respective keepers, or off target as defences looked to hold firm, until two minutes from the final whistle when Raiders took their unassailable lead.
A cracking, physical match which provided the Raiders with the three competition points to take them to second on the competition ladder with the Boomerangs men slipping to fourth with two tough matches to finish the regular season to ensure they lock in a finals spot.
Goals to Michael Rinaudo, Elie Darwich
Ladder Position: 4th (down from 2nd)
A winning day for the club with five wins and four losses against the club that sits one spot above on the Club Championship table. Wins consolidate finals aspirations for the 14 boys, 15 girls, 18 girls and women with both the youth and men’s teams still needing wins from the final two rounds to shore up participation in a finals campaign.
Check out the Club Championship after twelve rounds of the 17/18 competition – it sees the club hold on to the third spot, still behind Eastern Suburbs Hakoah and Raiders Futsal.
Round 13 sees the Boomerangs club travel to Alexandria to take on Eastern Suburbs Hakoah before a final home round on February 3rd against Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
To check out the photos of this round head to the Boomerangs photo site.