Round Nine of the Football NSW State League Futsal competition saw the nine Boomerangs teams head to Penrith to play against the West City Crusaders.
On a day where portions of two games were lost due to the severe Sydney storms (via a leaky roof), a return of six wins and just three losses was creditable; but there is a sense that a couple of opportunities were missed for more points for the club and to increase the chances of some of the teams to make finals this season. With only three rounds left to play, it is crucial that all possible wins are converted.
12 Boys
Boomerangs FS 2 – West City Crusaders 9
The 12 boys were without a number of their regular starters for this match. The team that fronted though, performed admirably and tried their hardest throughout the match, however after matching their opposition for most of the first half (down 2-4 at the break), they faded somewhat in the second half. It was a draining humid day (before and after the storms), and played on a smaller court than the boys were used to. Credit to the Crusaders though, who had, before this match, won only one of the first eight round matches.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 4th
13 Girls
Boomerangs FS 2 – West City Crusaders 0
If the opening game was somewhat of a disappointment, the 13 girls once again showed their development and skill levels were improving rapidly. Two wins in a row now sees the youngest Boomers girls on a roll, with the strong possibility of more wins in the final few rounds of the season.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 9th
14 Boys
Boomerangs FS 7 – West City Crusaders 4
The 14 boys looked comfortable against their West Sydney opposition for most of this game. A 3-1 lead at half-time, can sometimes be a narrow lead, but the sense was that the boys would deliver. And they continued in a positive fashion throughout the second half, taking a 6-1 lead before the West City Crusaders lads got serious with about ten minutes to play. They lifted their intensity and managed to score three in a row in a short space of time, bringing the match back to 6-4 and threatening to bring it back to 6-5 and then 6-6 before the game was over. This was not to be as the Boomers settled and managed to take control (to a degree) of the ball and of possession, with Connor Falusi’s third goal of the match sealing it for them at 7-4.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 4th
15 Girls
Boomerangs FS 2 – West City Crusaders 1
It’s not every day that an indoor game, like futsal, is interrupted by rain delays. However this is what happened in the 15s girls match. A solid first half saw the girls take control with their steady, steely determined style. 2-1 at the break was looking to build to perhaps a 3-1 or 4-1 win. However, before five minutes of the second half was up, the skies rumbled and the storm threw down more rain than the stadium roof could handle. Several drips (not large, but enough to make the floor slippery in several spots), persisted while the storm was at its most intense, meaning that play could not continue. The clock continued to count down and the girls finally shook hands on the referees whistle.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 5th
16 Boys
Boomerangs FS 5 – West City Crusaders 7
The 16 boys took to the court with around 15 minutes left on the first half clock once the referees had determined the court safe for play (with the wet spots dried and the dripping having stopped). The first half was intense and fast paced, and a kind of ‘offense-first’ match where attack trumped defence as a play style. The Boomer boys took a 3-2 lead into the break. The second half continued in much the same fashion, with the Boomerangs 16 boys unable to stop the fast frenetic flow of the match to grasp and maintain some kind of disciplined play style. The smaller size of the court didn’t suit the possession style game, and the lads from both teams were keen to fire off shots at the earliest opportunity in possession, In this shoot-out style of game, the Boomerangs were out done by the WC Crusaders who managed to slot home 5 second half goals to the Boomerangs 2.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 10th
17 Girls
Boomerangs FS 8 – West City Crusaders 0
The 17 girls were determined to build on their recent success and put to the sword a team that had only had one win to date this season so far. The girls were dominant from the outset with all players getting into the action – but none more than Alex Martens who managed to slot home five of the eight goals scored in the match. A 5-0 comfortable lead at half-time was converted to a solid 8-0 lead with the final ten minutes of the match allowing time for the 15 girls (playing up) to have more of a run, and a few minutes at the end practising a fifth man play. More solid and comfortable wins like this will ensure a finals berth for this team.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 4th
Youth Men
Boomerangs FS 4 – West City Crusaders 1
The youth men possibly went into this game thinking it would be an easy win from the outset given that the WC Crusaders youth had won a single game only so far this season. However, the lads were not about to replicate the victory of the previous round and had to work the entire 40 minutes to get on top of this solid Crusaders unit. A 3-1 lead at the break converted to a 4-1 victory was comfortable enough, but didn’t reflect the effort the boys had to put in. The WC team played to their strengths, and again, the smaller court probably nullified some of the Boomerang’s advantage, in being able to control the ball and spread the offence.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 2nd
Open Women
Boomerangs FS 4 – West City Crusaders 1
The same scoreline (at half-time and at full-time) as the youth men, but an entirely different game. The Boomers women were in complete control of the match and dominated across the court. The 3-1 half-time score looked set to be converted to 6 or 7 goal win by the end, but the Crusaders ladies lifted their game in the second half, especially their intensity and physicality. This stopped the flow of the game, and flow of goals for the Boomers women, but did not impact on their defence that held firm to not concede a second half goal.
Another great match by the ladies (and the 17s and 15s that played up) and helps them retain top spot on the competition ladder.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 1st
Open Men
Boomerangs FS 5 – West City Crusaders 7
For the second time this match day, a Boomers male team took a lead into the half-time break, but could not convert this to a victory. The WC Crusaders team (with prior to this game only 2 wins in the season) deserves a great deal of credit, taking it to the table topping Boomers men. The men won the first half 4-3, but lost the second 1-4, and saw the men, and youth players who all played up, hobble away from the stadium with a raft of injuries, from ankles to groins knees.
And again, it was likely that playing on a smaller court contributed to the loss, and the fact that only four of the regular men’s team could make the trip to Penrith. As a result the men slip off the top of the table back into second position.
Current ladder position after nine rounds: 2nd
Six wins and three losses, builds on the the recent few weeks of positive results for the club. What was most pleasing was the wins by all four of the female teams this round, the first time this has been done this season.
The challenge remains to build on the current momentum and maintain the accrual of Club Championship points through the final rounds of the 14/15 competition (including a bye in January), as well as ensuring that as many teams as possible are in contention for finals (still in contention, 12, 14 boys and youth and open men; and the 15, 17 and Open women).
The Club Championship after this round sees the club climb to equal third place in a congested ladder.