Round Five of the 2015 national F-League competition was played out over the weekend of 5/6/7 June with away matches in Sydney for both the Boomerangs men and women against two of the front runners in this year’s competition – Dural Warriors (at Dural) and Inner West Magic (at Valentine Park) across Saturday afternoon and evening.

The matches certainly didn’t play out the way the club would have wished – coming home without any competition points after the four games – but there were some promising signs amongst the less than favourable match results — especially for the men’s team.

WOMEN

Dural Warriors

The Women travelled to Sydney on Saturday morning already three players short – Michaela Day and Olivia Gurney with injuries sustained against Capital FC eight days earlier and Mikayla van Deyk having suffered a calf injury against the Heat  in Wollongong. It was a devastating blow then when Captain and senior player Michelle Aurousseau lasted less than five minutes in the first match of the weekend.

The players, to their credit, did lift and increase their individual efforts to make up for the shortfall in numbers. However, this arm wrestle of a match only produced a single goal in the first 35 minutes of play – to the Warriors – a spectacular volley from a long throw by the Warriors keeper, Tani Rosekelly. The defensive efforts of both teams to that stage – including by Boomers keepers Sophie Rolfe and Jess Giovinazzo was tremendous.

Looking to level up the match, and perhaps steal a win, the Boomers women resorted to a fly-keeper power play with Erin Clout donning the keepers top for the roving assignment for the final five minutes of the match. As is usually the case, implementing the powerplay generally causes goals to be scored – but alas in this instance it was the Warrior ladies who benefited from their high press, making a number of steals and intercepting passes to dispossess the Boomers and then calmly and accurately slot into the open goal (three times) from distance. It could have easily gone the other way.

So not the best start to the day’s matches – losing one which was in the balance with five minutes to play.

Boomerangs Women 0-4 Dural Warriors

Check out photos of the match HERE

Inner West Magic

The Women’s team travelled to Valentine Park (Glenwood) after their Dural match to prepare for their match against F-League debutantes Inner West Magic.

Prior to the season commencing the Magic did their best to build a championship winning team and successfully recruited no fewer than six players that had previously donned the Boomerangs playing shirt. The match had all the hallmarks of a ‘grudge match’…

For the majority of the first half the match was an evenly contested affair, with opportunities for both teams to register on the scoreline. The Magic converted two of those opportunities – in the eighth and thirteenth minute taking a two goal buffer into the half-time break.

In a classic ‘game of two halves’, the Magic came out of the sheds on fire and were unstoppable during the second period of play. The Boomer ladies – try as they might – could not match the energy, determination, and bench depth of the Magic and were quickly facing an uphill battle to get back into the match with Magic scoring two goals within the first minute of the resumption.

Five minutes later the teams traded goals, but it was the final ten minutes of the match that ruined the day for the Boomerangs women. The Magic converted a further four goals in the final quarter of the match to hand the Boomerangs women the biggest defeat in their short history (by margin) and the most goals conceded by any Boomerangs Women’s team in an F-League match.

Some work needs to be done – including repairs to some bodies – before next weekend’s match against Vic Vipers.

Boomerangs Women 1-9 Inner West Magic (Watts)

Check out photos of the match HERE

MEN

Dural Warriors

The first of the two men’s matches for the weekend saw the Boomerangs play F-League and FNSW Premier League powerhouse the Dural Warriors. Dural have won the F-League twice in previous seasons – in 2014 without losing a game and in the process demolishing the Boomerangs men in the semi-final.

However, even against a team with such a dominant record, the Boomerangs men always relish the opportunity to play Dural, and generally match up well with the team that has such quality and depth.

The start to the match was not what was needed though as Dural scored within 21 seconds, and then converted a second not three minutes later. From that point on though, the Boomerangs were switched on and competing well, against a team that was freely rotating its full bench to share the court time and load.

But to give a team like Dural a two goal head start…. makes the task of winning all the more difficult.

The Warriors racked up ‘Barcelona-esque’ possession stats throughout the first half and a super defensive effort was required by the Boomerangs lads to ensure no more goals were conceded.

The second half started to see the Boomerangs men work their way back into the match, and around half way through the second period, Grant Barlow continued his fine scoring form in his debut F-League season, by scoring off a rebound from a Cal Smith shot.

The pressure and intensity lifted as both teams sought to establish their dominance and score again… the Boomerangs to level it up and the Warriors to seal it. Unfortunately for the Boomerangs lads, the Warriors managed to  score again with five minutes to play, virtually securing the match, with the hard working and tiring Boomerangs unable to crack the Warriors defensive wall before the final whistle blew.

Another classic encounter between these two well-matched teams – but yet another encounter that sees the competition points go Dural’s way.

Boomerangs Men 1-3 Dural Warriors (Barlow) 

Check out photos of the match HERE

Inner West Magic

The second match of the weekend for the Boomerangs men was against the Inner West Magic team – a team which has been dominant in the NSW Premier League (along with Dural) for many years, and that prior to this season were a feeder club into the now defunct Scorpions club.

As with their Women’s team, the Magic have assembled a vast array of talented futsal players from within their own junior and senior ranks, and from other NSW Premier League clubs – including two former Boomerangs, Daniel Bennett and ‘keeper, Angelo Konstantinou.

But perhaps the biggest signing of all for the club has been former Australian Futsalroo’s coach Stephen Knight. This match demonstrated the impact that Knight has had on the team in the way they approach the game, and the way they play with patience, persistence, structure and discipline.

This new style of play though, better suits the match up with the Boomerangs, and the match delivered a visual spectacle of futsal quality.

For the second time in two matches though, the Boomerangs men were caught short in the opening few seconds with a smashing goal from a tight angle by the Magic’s young Michael Blancato putting them ahead within a minute of the start of play. And for the second time in two matches, the lads were required to play catch up futsal to get back into the game.

From the 2nd minute of the match until the 38th minute, the match was as close and intense as you would see a high quality F-League match. The defence from both teams was superb as they parried the offence of their opposition time and time again. And both teams’ keepers did a fantastic job. If it weren’t for Konstantinou in the Magic goals, the Boomers would have scored a couple – and both Stroh and van Aalst for the Boomers made some tremendous saves against quality shooting to compliment the on court defensive efforts of their team mates.

As it was, a resurgent Boomerangs was dealt a savage blow with a late second by Magic who then managed to control possession for the final minute or so to take out a tremendous match 2-0.

As a couple of the Boomerangs players were heard to say after the two intense high quality games – “it’s a shame we come away from those two huge efforts with nothing to show, and no competition points”.

Boomerangs Men 0-2 Inner West Magic 

Check photos of the match HERE

Across the F-League

In other matches…

Men’s

In the Queensland derby, Galaxy pipped South Brisbane 5-4 to take the sunshine state honours; Magic and Dural played out an intense 5-5 draw on Friday night; Capital FC – like the Boomers, also on a Sydney road double – lost both to the Heat and Dural and the Vipers downed the Pirates in the Victorian derby.

At around the half way mark of the season, the top four on the ladder now sees the three Sydney teams (Heat, Magic, Warriors) join Vic Vipers, with Galaxy and Boomerangs some work to do to climb into finals contention. The Heat and Boomers have games in hand.

Women’s

In the women’s division of the F-League, Magic pipped Warriors 1-0 on Friday night; the Heat defeated Capital FC, who then upset Dural later on Saturday afternoon.

The Women’s ladder also starts to take some shape with South Brisbane and the three Sydney teams holding the top four slots, with Vic Vipers, Boomers and Capital with work to do to make finals.