Category: F-League

F-League Round 10 Review

The final rounds of the 2015 national F-League competition saw the Boomerangs men and women take on Capital FC and Vic Vipers at home.

WOMEN

Capital FC

The Women’s first match of the weekend on Friday night was the second local derby of the year against Capital FC.

The Capital FC team had the best of the first stanza and took a 4-1 lead into the half-time break. The second half was a much more even affair at one goal a piece, meaning the local derby clashes for season 2015 were evenly split at one victory each. Continue reading “F-League Round 10 Review” →

F-League Round 9 Review

Round Nine of the 2015 national F-League competition saw the Boomerangs men and women travel to Brisbane to take on the two Queensland teams, South Brisbane and Galaxy FC.

In what was a weekend of three potential wins, the two teams returned home with no competition points, extending the men’s team to an eight game losing streak and leaving the women with only one win for the season, with three matches still to play. And both teams now definitely out of contention for the top four and any chance to take part in the finals of the 2015 F-League season.

WOMEN

South Brisbane

The Women’s team had the one match against South Brisbane on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading “F-League Round 9 Review” →

F-League Round 8 Review

Round Eight of the 2015 national F-League competition was played out over the weekend (26/27/28 June) with home matches for both the Boomerangs men and women against Sydney teams, East Coast Heat and Dural Warriors.

The four matches provided high quality futsal and some close and tight tussles; however, the results once again did not go the way of the Boomers teams.

WOMEN

East Coast Heat

The Women’s team kicked off the weekend’s matches with an arm wrestle match up against the Heat on Saturday morning at mPowerdome. Continue reading “F-League Round 8 Review” →

F-League Round 7 Review

Round Seven of the 2015 national F-League competition was played out over the weekend of 19/20/21 June with home matches for both the Boomerangs men and women against the strong Inner West Magic club from Sydney.

The two matches provided a great deal of entertainment and high quality futsal — however the men were on the receiving end of a switched on and well-drilled Magic men. The women though, somewhat atoned for their poor performance two weeks ago in the away match up against the Magic when they forced a draw (their third for the season) from the match, coming from behind late in the game.

WOMEN

Inner West Magic

The Women’s team kicked off at 1.00pm with a rematch of the rare sizeable defeat at the hands of Magic two weeks ago at Valentine Park. Continue reading “F-League Round 7 Review” →

F-League Round 5 Review

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.

F-League Round 4 Review

Round Four of the 2015 F-League competition was played out over the weekend of 29/30/31 May with away matches for both the Boomerangs men and women against Capital FC at the AIS Training Halls on the Friday night, followed by matches against the East Coast Heat at the University of Wollongong on the Saturday afternoon.

WOMEN

Capital FC

The Women kicked off their weekend’s campaign with the derby match against local rivals, Capital FC. The derby matches in season 2014 produced two cracking games with the honors split with a win a piece. The Boomer ladies were determined not to let the new kids on the block get the better of them this time round.

Alas though, their defence was found wanting early in the match and as a result the Capital girls kick off the scoring with a scrappy goal in the first ninety seconds. However, the goal sparked a lift in intensity in the Boomerangs and they evened it up again in the sixth minute with a nice goal by Nat De Marco.

The teams traded blows, without scoring, until the fourteenth minute when Capital scored a second to retake the lead. Again, this spurred the Boomerangs into action, with a nice reply finished off by Mikayla van Deyk within sixty seconds. The half time whistle blew with the teams all square at two goals a piece.

Both teams came out of the break with determination and a sense of purpose, but it was the Boomers, who at the six minute mark of the second half, scored a terrific goal with some great work by Corbett, Spinapolice and neatly finished by van Deyk to give her a second for the match. For the first time in the match, the Boomer ladies held the lead.

And they were very keen not to relinquish that lead – holding firm for the final fourteen minutes of the match which saw no further scores for either team.

A terrific derby win for the team, and a great start to the double-header weekend.

Boomerangs Women 3-2 Capital FC (van Deyk 2, De Marco 1)

Check out photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1cU9sPW

East Coast Heat

The Women’s team travelled down to the University of Wollongong early Saturday morning for their midday clash with one of the league’s hot teams, East Coast Heat. The Heat are considered one of the contenders for the title in 2015, so a strong performance was needed from the Boomer ladies.

The first half was played with great speed and intensity – but with no goals due to spectacular efforts by both Sophie Rolfe for the Boomerangs and Dana Buttigieg between the sticks for the Heat. You could sense that both teams were frustrated by their inability to open their account in the first twenty.

The defensive ‘battle royal’ continued into the second half, until an Erin Clout ‘special’ opened the scoring with twelve minutes to play in the match. As often happens, one goal leads to others as the game opens up, and in the twelfth minute of the second half, Rachael Corbett slotted calmly into the back of the net after a back court mistake from the Heat resulting from high court pressure from the Boomerangs.

With just five minutes to play in the match, Sabrina Spinapolice scored a long-range bomb from deep in the back court as the Heat left the goal unattended to playing a fifth man (fly keeper). Boomerangs by three with just five minutes to play. Despite conceding into an open goal, the Heat continue with the fifth man play and it payed off with Renee Tomkins scoring with a bomb from outside as the fly keeper. The Heat bagged another on the power play with three minutes to play bringing the match back to a single goal affair – and the momentum squarely behind them.

With a minute and a half remaining in the match, on the back of unrelenting pressure, the Heat score their third whilst playing fifth man, tying the match up at 3-3. A frantic last ninety seconds saw opportunities created – but not converted – by both teams leaving the final score, Heat 3-3 Boomerangs.

The girls will definitely see this one as ‘one that got away’ – holding a decent lead with five to play… But to the Heat’s credit, they played their fly keeper power play exceptionally well, with patience and a plan – and were not deterred by conceding one early. We look forward to the replay of this match back at mPowerdome in five weeks time.

Boomerangs Women 3-3 East Coast Heat (Clout, Corbett, Spinapolice)

Check out photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1cU9sPW

MEN

Capital FC

The first of the two men’s matches for the weekend saw the Boomerangs play an ‘away’ game at the AIS Training Halls against cross-town rivals Capital FC.

2014 saw two solid victories to the Boomers men in the F-League, but recent good form by the Capital lads meant that the Boomerangs needed to be at their best to ward off any challenge. And to their credit, the Boomer boys brought their A-Game to the local derby.

The match started cautiously enough with the teams feeling each other out, being cautious, and erring on the defensive. After Jono Ciminelli knocked in the first goal of the match in the eighth minute, the game opened up and became more free flowing. Ciminelli slotted home his second soon after, finishing off a perfect lay off after a strong determined run by Michael Reeve up the centre of the court. The Boomers began dominating play as the half progressed resulting in a third through Jake Wilsener.

After being brought down heavily in the front court with less than a minute until half time, Cal Smith knocked home the fourth from a rebound from the ensuing free kick. The Boomerangs men were up by four at half time and looking comfortable.

The break gave Capital a chance to re group and they held their own for the first period of the second stanza leading to a goal in the sixth minute. However, the Boomerangs would not allow them to settle any further and Smith scored a second – a smash from the narrowest of angles – in the eighth minute.

With six minutes left in the match Smith was given the opportunity to bag a hat trick when he converted a ten metre penalty – awarded due to Capital accumulating their sixth foul for the half.

Ciminelli picked up his hat-trick scoring into a keeper-less net as Capital resorted to fly keeper. As the game wound down, Kristian Collins bagged his first for the season, also into an empty net.

Another solid win for the Boomers men, keeping their unbeaten run against Capital in the F-League intact.

Boomerangs Men 8-1 Capital FC (C. Smith 3, Ciminelli 3, Collins, Wilsener)

Check out photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1F6E4c6

East Coast Heat

The second match of the weekend for the Boomerangs men was an early afternoon match at the University of Wollongong against the strong East Coast Heat. Games against strong opposition like the Heat are what the team measures itself against, and in this case, the team fell short.

A smaller travelling bench, injuries to key players (Ciminelli and Reeve) and only one ‘keeper meant that it was going to be a tough match. The first half was disappointing as the Heat were allowed to run rampant (6-1); however, in the second half the team showed a great deal of resolve and stamina – with less player rotations possible – to see out the second stanza 2-2.

Although the Boomerangs got off to the best possible start bagging a goal in the first ninety seconds (own goal), the Heat showed their intent levelling it up not two minutes later. A penalty shot – resulting from an infringement in the ‘D’, was saved by keeper van Aalst, but this only delayed the first half Heat juggernaut. They scored five unanswered in the remaining fifteen minutes of the first half, whilst the Boomers men – no matter how hard they tried – could not hold possession for any length of time, nor bother the scorer, even though they did create a few more scoring opportunities.

Ciminelli and Reeve played little part in the first half on the back of injuries sustained a week earlier, and aggravated in the Friday night game. Neither took the court in the second half, which makes the second period of play by the Boomers all the more impressive.

The half-time break allowed the boys to regroup somewhat and they managed to maintain a degree of control, indeed scoring first at the five minute mark with a tap in by Wilsener after some lovely lead up play.

The Heat replied soon after converting a set play from just outside the D. The Boomers countered once more with young Ben Basser scoring – a reward for putting in a huge effort running to all corners of the court.

The Heat scored for a final time to tie up the second half, 2-2, but after the first half deficit of five goals, an 8-3 final score was not good enough to take the points on the day.

Boomerangs Men 3-8 East Coast Heat (Wilsener , Basser-Silk, OG)

Check photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1F6E4c6

Across the F-League

In other matches…

Men’s

A fairly quiet weekend in the men’s division this weekend, with the Victorian teams given a break. Dural Warriors travelled up to Queensland and came home with a win (South Brisbane) and a draw (Galaxy). And like the Boomerangs, Capital FC travelled on the Saturday (to Sydney), and were defeated by the powerful Magic.

The men’s competition ladder is starting to take real shape as the season hits its straps. Top four positions are filled by Vipers, Dural, Magic and Heat with the Boomers sitting in fifth.

Women’s

The women’s division of the F-League also had a quiet weekend, with Capital FC being defeated by Magic in Sydney after their Friday night home derby match, and the Dural Warriors going down by a single goal to South Brisbane.

The women’s ladder has yet to take real shape as there remains a great disparity in the number of games each team has played over the first four rounds of the 2015 competition.

F-League R4 PREVIEW

Canberra’s local futsal derby kicks off this Friday night in the F-League as Boomerangs FS take on Capital FC.

The Boomerangs lads defeated Capital FC in both encounters last season, however recent bragging rights have definitely been with Capital FC (or more exactly, their major feeder team, the Untouchables) who have defeated the Boomerangs men in their past two encounters – at the pre season Bairnsdale Futsal Challenge and in last season’s ACT Premier League Grand Final. However it is the competition proper this time around and the Boomerangs lads will be ready and raring to win back the mantle of the Capital’s best futsal team.

In the Women’s match at 6.30pm, the Capital ladies have had two close losses to Vipers and Sth Brisbane, whilst the Boomerangs women have drawn their only match to date with South Brisbane last weekend. Probably too early in the season for any form to really be demonstrated by each team, so it will be a cracker of a match – with the local derby bragging rights up for grabs.

Big crowds are expected at the AIS Training Halls as these feisty rivals try to claim the top spot in the capital!

Saturday morning sees a quick dash down to Wollongong to take on the strong East Coast Heat sides (both men and women) at the University of Wollongong Sports Hub.

The Heat Men’s team currently sits just above the Boomerangs on the league table with two wins (Galaxy and Pirates)/two losses (Vipers and Magic) from its four games this season so far. Of added interest will be coming up against former Boomerangs and Futsalroo star, Daniel Fulton. The Heat can also count on goals from the likes of prolific converters, Chris Zeballos, Shervin Adeli and Jordan Guerreiro, and have plenty of scoring power through their roster.

The Heat Women’s team have played two games only so far this season for a return of a win (Vipers) and a draw (Magic). Many of these players were last season playing with the Scorpions – a team that defeated the Boomers ladies in the Grand Final. The heat will definitely be on between these two premiership contenders.

F-League Round 3 Review

Round Three of the 2015 F-League competition was played out over the weekend of 24/25 May with home matches for both the Boomerangs men and women against the travelling Queensland teams, South Brisbane and Galaxy FC (Gold Coast).

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon in the capital, and with the sun shining, quite pleasant outdoors and indeed inside the mPowerdome. However as the afternoon sun gave way to the evening chill, the air became distinctly icy, making both the players and spectators shiver through the three matches.

WOMEN

South Brisbane

The Women’s game was sandwiched between the two men’s matches and kicked off at 6pm, after the South Brisbane team drove across town from their earlier comfortable defeat of Capital FC.

In what was always going to be a close match – these two teams have rarely been separated by more than a goal or two – both teams brought their A-Games to the Boomerangs home court.

The match started not with a bang, but with control and discipline, as each team attempted to gain strategic advantage. The scoreboard opened after a goalless first nine minutes with South Brisbane knocking one home after a dominant period of play. It took little time though for the Boomer ladies to respond with Olivia Gurney smashing home from a rebound not two minutes later levelling it up at a goal a piece.

With three minutes remaining in the first half, the Queenslanders slotted home a second after the Boomerangs lost possession in the defensive third. Again the Boomerangs clawed it back almost immediately with a stellar goal by Nat De Marco which took the teams into the half-time break all squared up 2-2.

The second half commenced similarly to the first, with neither team looking to press goal-ward with any level of intensity, rather seeking to gain possession and momentum advantage. Some great work by goalkeepers at both ends allowed the scorer to remain idle.

Indeed it took until fifteen minutes into the second stanza for the arm wrestle to be broken with Becky Roche scoring from an Alex Marten assist. Boomerangs 3-2 South Brisbane with just five minutes to play.

However the lead did not take long to be cancelled out – as it had all game – with South Brisbane converting a free kick to bring it back square with just four minutes to play.

Both teams pressed for the winner, but neither could convert, leaving the match all tied at 3-3 as the final whistle blew.

Boomerangs Women 3-3 South Brisbane De Marco 1, Gurney 1, Roche 1

Check out photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1cU9sPW

MEN

South Brisbane

The first of the two men’s matches – against the South Brisbane team – kicked off at 4.15pm to open up the day’s proceedings at the mPowerdome. It took until nine minutes into the game for the Boomerangs to register their first score with a smashing shot by Grant Barlow – his second goal in just his second F-League match. In no time at all though, South Brisbane countered effectively to tie it up 1-1.

The Boomerangs coaching staff were forced to call a time-out as South Brisbane scored a second with seven and a half left in the first half.

On almost the very next offensive play the South Brisbane team had a player red carded for an infringement on Boomerangs first half goal keeper, Zac Sorenson. As hard as they tried though, the Boomers failed to convert the one man on-field advantage into scoreboard advantage in the following two minute period. However, not five seconds had elapsed after South Brisbane regained their full quota of on-field personnel, when a Cal Smith bomb smashed into the back of the net to tie it up two all.

The Boomers conceded another through an unfortunate own goal with just three minutes to play of the first half, ensuring the Queenslanders went into the half-time break a goal to the good.

The first eight minutes of the second half saw the Boomerangs pepper the South Brisbane goal for no return…. on the counter South Brisbane were busy throwing their best efforts at the Boomer’s defence. It took until eight minutes into the second stanza for a goal to come – and it was a cracker with Cal Smith taking matters into his own hands and slotting one home after beating most of the defenders along the way. Boomerangs 3-3 South Brisbane.

With five minutes remaining on the clock, the Boomerangs coaching staff called a much needed timeout after what had become a very physical period of play, resulting in several players being heavily knocked to the floor, including Smith, Ciminelli and second half keeper van Aalst.

Soon after the resumption, and for the second time in the match, Cal Smith took it upon himself to beat the whole South Brisbane team and smash home his third to make it a single goal lead with two and a half minutes to play.

Smith registered his fourth for the match from the ten metre penalty spot as South Brisbane incurred their sixth team foul of the physical second half. Ben Basser-Silk put a full stop on the game with just two seconds to play to wrap up a solid, and hard fought win over the courageous South Brisbane team.

Boomerangs Men 6-3 South Brisbane C. Smith 4, Barlow 1, Basser-Silk 1

Check out photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1F6E4c6

Galaxy FC

The second match of the day for the Boomerangs men was at 7.45pm, immediately after the women’s match and less than two hours after they finished their tough physical game against South Brisbane. From the earlier game, Jono Ciminelli sustained an ankle injury which prevented him backing up. Also worse for wear, but still able to take the court, were Michael Reeve and Cal Smith.

The lads though started the match in fine form, hitting their straps immediately and grabbing the early lead against the jet-lagged Galaxy boys. It took just four minutes of game time for Ben Basser-Silk to knock one past the Galaxy keeper from a killer Cal Smith assist.

Michael Reeve added to the scoreline not a minute later with a cracker of an individual goal – with the pleasure showing after not being able to register on the score sheet in the earlier match. Boomerangs 2-0 Galaxy with less than six minutes played, and seemingly on their way to another victory.

However, the Galaxy men grabbed one back with some nice passing and movement catching the Boomerangs defence out. 2-1 to the Boomers with eight minutes gone in the match. Two minutes later, the Galaxy add a second to tie the match up, which is where it remained when the half-time buzzer sounded. The Boomerangs looking to tire in the latter part of the first half, and the Galaxy boys starting to pick up their rhythm and flow.

The end of the half-time break couldn’t come quick enough for the players as the temperature started to drop to near freezing. Some five minutes into the second half and Galaxy, clearly thawing out more quickly, score a third – once again as some terrific passing and movement off the ball split the Boomers defence wide open. For a team in their first season of the top flight of futsal in Australia, the Galaxy lads play a high quality, slick brand of futsal.

No further goals and a time out called with five minutes to play; and the Boomerangs men decide to play fly-keeper in an endeavour to claw back the deficit. The Galaxy defense handled the extra Boomerangs field player effectively despite constant forward half pressure by the home team for the majority of the final five minutes.

With 42 seconds left in the match the Galaxy scored into an unprotected goal after intercepting a Boomerangs pass. Down by two, the Boomers lads threw everything into the final three quarters of a minute and managed to secure a ten metre penalty with only a few seconds left on the clock – which they failed to convert.

As the final whistle ended the game, it was Galaxy the victors in their first ever F-League trip to the capital 4-2 over the Boomerangs.

Boomerangs Men 2-4 Galaxy FC (QLD) Basser-Silk 1, Reeve 1

Check photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1F6E4c6

Across the F-League

In other matches…

Men’s

The traveling Vic Vipers did the seemingly impossible and won all three matches on their Sydney road trip, stamping their favouritism on the 2015 race for the title. Bayside Pirates did less well, losing all three on their trip north of the Murray, and conceding 31 goals in the process. As a result, the three Sydney teams all split their weekend games with a win and a loss each.

The Queensland travelling teams both split their ACT Road trips, but in reverse fashion — and Capital FC, like the Boomerangs also split the weekend.

Women’s

The Vic Vipers ladies lost all three of their Sydney games putting a dampener on their good season start. South Brisbane had an unbeaten road trip, defeating Capital FC and drawing with the Boomerangs women.

F-League R3 PREVIEW

The third weekend of the 2015 F-League season sees the second and third matches for the men and the first for the women. All matches are home games played at mPowerdome on Saturday 23 May.

Boomerangs Women

The Boomerangs women’s team have had to cool their heels over the first two weeks of the competition with byes both weekends. Saturday 23 however sees their first match of the season – and a match up against one of the competition favourites, South Brisbane.

The South Brisbane women’s team have already had a more than useful start to the season, winning the first two home games on the opening weekend at home (3-2 over the much fancied Magic and 4-1 over Vipers), but fared less well when travelling interstate to Melbourne last weekend – going down in the rematch to Vic Vipers 5-1 – in what was probably the upset of the round.

In season 2014, South Brisbane finished the regular season in second position, above the Boomer girls on goal difference alone. The Boomerangs though, dispatched the red and yellows convincingly in the semi-final 5-2 — this after Sth Brisbane had won both regular season encounters.

The Queensland ladies will have the advantage of a few games already under their belt, but the Boomers girls, playing at home for their first 2015 game, should be full of confidence after the positive pre-season they have had including two solid hit outs in pre-season matches.

The match is on at mPowerdome, 6pm, Saturday 23 May.

Boomerangs Men

The men’s team have two matches in Round 3 after a Round 2 bye, firstly against South Brisbane, and then soon after against the F-League newbies Galaxy FC (also from Queensland).

Unlike the South Brisbane women’s team, the sole Queensland representative men’s team had a poor season in 2014, losing 12 of their 14 matches. And this season in the first two rounds, in four games played, have drawn one (v Bayside Pirates) and lost three (Vic Vipers twice and Magic). A tough start to the season for the South Brisbane lads, and they will certainly be looking to register their first win for the season. This will not be an easy match for the Boomers men.

The Galaxy men’s team are a bit of an unknown quantity still this early in the season. Full of promise, they performed excellently in their first F-League weekend at home, drawing with Magic and defeating Vic Vipers. Their weekend road trip to Sydney last weekend though was the stuff of nightmares, where they came up against three of the competition’s strongest teams across the two days, losing all three. Again, they will look to atone for those losses, and register their first win away from home in their F-League career. The Boomerangs men will have to be at their best to defeat the newest of Queensland teams.

The matches are on at mPowerdome, Saturday 23 May.

v South Brisbane at 4.15pm, and
v Galaxy at 7.45pm

Across the F-League

In other matches…

Men’s

The two Victorian teams – Bayside Pirates and Vic Vipers, take the Sydney road trip from hell playing against all three strong Sydney teams over the two days. Six brilliant matches across the weekend at Valentine Park and Dural Sport and Leisure Centre. The two Queensland teams also match up against Capital FC whilst in the nation’s capital.

Women’s

Aside from the South Brisbane road trip to the nation’s capital, the Vic Viper ladies will be squaring up against the Sydney treble across the weekend.

This weekend – Round 3 – also is the first round of the season to see all nine men’s and all seven women’s teams compete.

F-League Round 1 Review

Round One of the 2015 F-League competition was played out over the weekend of 9/10 May and delivered a comprehensive victory to the Boomerangs Men’s team over F-League débutantes Bayside Pirates (Vic). The Boomerangs Women’s team had a Round 1 bye.

The match kicked off on a chilly Sunday morning in Fadden with the gusty winds buffering mPowerdome throughout the encounter. The Boomers men started the game with purpose, structure and discipline – an improvement over the fortnight since these two teams clashed in the pre-season Bairnsdale Futsal Challenge – a match the Boomerangs lads took out narrowly 6-4.

The Pirates, to their credit, also started the match with discipline and structure and it was both teams’ defensive structures that stood out across the first quarter of the match supported by some notable saves by both ‘keepers saving the scorer from registering any goals.

The second ten minute stanza of the first half though, saw the Boomerangs lift intensity and apply more pressure to the stretched Pirates defence. Two goals before half time ensued for the Boomers with Brad Sawyer flicking a header on from a wonderful Callum Smith pass, the shot just trickling over the line before the Pirates keeper could stop it, and a second only moments later thanks to a stabbed effort from Jono Ciminelli in front of goal in heavy traffic.

The team went into the half time break on the up seeing a scoreline advantage to go with the growing dominance across the court.

The second half could not have gotten off to a better start with Jake Wilsener netting within thirty seconds of the restart after a nice slick passage of play. This goal appeared to knock a bit of the confidence from the Pirates players and they spent most of the following five minutes on the back foot – with Sawyer slotting in his second in his first F-League match in a Boomerangs shirt – after some wonderful build up play leaving the score at 4-0 with fifteen to play.

The Pirates did their best to consolidate over the remainder of the half, but were no match for the more experienced Boomerangs. It seemed inevitable then that the Boomers finished off the match with a flurry with Ciminelli sweeping in a second off a rebound and Grant Barlow netting his maiden F-League goal within the final minute of play.

A solid win to start the season for the men’s team – but a match that identified a few areas to work on prior to the next set of challenges in two weeks time against Queensland’s South Brisbane and Galaxy FC.

Boomerangs Men 6-0 Bayside Pirates (Vic) Ciminelli 2, Sawyer 2, Wilsener 1, Barlow 1

Check out the video highlights HERE, and photos of the match at http://bit.ly/1F6E4c6

Across the F-League

In other matches…

Men’s

Sydney’s Inner West Magic travelled to SE QLD and came home with a win (v South Brisbane) and a draw (v Galaxy).

Vic Vipers also travelled to SE QLD and were defeated by Galaxy in the upset of the round and smashed South Brisbane on the rebound.

The travelling Bayside Pirates also went down to Capital FC 5-1 on Sunday afternoon.

No matches for Sydney’s Dural Warriors and East Coast Heat in Round One.

Women’s

Just two games for Round One women’s competition with South Brisbane at home – victorious against the travelling Inner West Magic and Vic Vipers teams.

No matches for the Boomers Women nor for Dural, East Coast Heat or Capital FC.