MATCH REPORTS: 10 August 2019 

AYL Round 23: CCU v St George FA & AYL Round 17: CCU v Blacktown Districts

U13 2-1 Win St George

U13 1-5 Loss Blacktown

For the Saturday game in our double header weekend the CCU13’s started with a home game at Pluim Park against St George. 

The 13s came out firing with James Lee scoring in the 2nd minute and Tirryn Daniels scoring in the 4th minute. They continued the heat for most of the first half however they couldn't find the back of the net.
Second half was much the same till St George scored in the 41st minute showing them a way back into the game, which they almost took having several opportunities to draw level. The 13's held on to win 2-1.
Coach Fitzy said, "They were fantastic in the first 10 minutes and then just took the pressure off a bit, the second half they let St George back into the game. The lesson for them this game is to maintain your performance and go until the final whistle".  

For the Sunday game of the double header weekend the CCU13’s had another home game at Kariong Oval against Blacktown.

The windy hills of Kariong seemed to suit the opposition as the 13s played their main threat to finals football and Blacktown took an early 8 minute lead, doubling it after 14 minutes. The CCU boys weren't out of it though and continued to create chances getting one back in the 20th minute and looking like anything was possible heading into the second half.
The second half had the CCU boys look like they could win even at 2-1 down taking the game to Blacktown in the early stages of the second half however a 38th minute counter attack goal soon doused that surge and despite the 13s efforts Blacktown scored again in the 49th and 55th minute leaving the CCU boys out of finals with a loss of 5-1.
Coach Fitzy said, "As unfortunate as the loss was today for the boys they never gave up during the game and were always looking for a way to win. Even though we are out of finals with two games to go we can still show everyone what we can do"

U14 5-1 Win St George

U14 2-2 Draw Blacktown

We entertain St George at Pluim, with the intention of keeping up the good form, the boys got straight to it looking comfortable on the ball and dominating possession. With a lot of injury’s we had a few 13’s who stepped up to the plate and it would only take until the 10th minute, with a great ball into the box from Luke one of our u/13s boys, to Euan who turned his man brilliantly to a great strike on goal 1-0. A minute later we gained a penalty, once again Euan steps up and drills it nicely bottom left 2-0. St George really struggled with the quality of our boys all over the park and it would take 25 mins for Euan to get his hattrick after a fine solo run and finish.

Second half much of the same, 37 mins in Gryffyn raids the ball and a great pass to Euan, Euan crosses, Ethan heads it in 4-0. St George managed a goal but in the 57th minute. Ethan then collects a ball from a throw and charges down the left, cuts into his right only to lose the ball which comes out of the box and Callum strikes it first time bottom right, cracking strike.

Coach Chris said,” A 5-1 win with quality football and very pleased with the way we played, couldn’t be happier a special mention to those boys from 13’s not one of you looked out of place.” 

 So, we get moved to Kariong for our second game in as many days and it was blowing a gale. After a scrappy start we started to play some football, Zayd delivers a through ball from Isaac to Ethan who scores. We continued to high press and our second would come from that, again Ethan bagging his second. It was a bitter cold and windy day with the boys feeling it from the day before, again with more 13’s helping out. Second half wasn’t much different with Blacktown opting to go long and eventually pulling one back then in the 57th minute and they would equalise so 2-2 the final score.

Coach Chris said, “I thought we were by far the better team, an ok performance, I won’t knock them as they had back to back games and I’m proud of the lads thank you 13’s.”

U15 8-1 Win St George

U15 3-1 Win Blacktown

Our last home game for the season, which turned out to be a one-sided game. 

A good week at training with everything to play for in the League Championships we knew we had to get goals, and win. 

1st 10 mins were very eventful, both teams creating chances but unable to score. After this we broke the dead lock and didn’t look back from there. Ryan Richards, Ryan Brown, Chase Huxtable and Mitch Wallace all got on the scoresheet, although it was a Bailey Holt masterclass, scoring 4 goals and getting 1 assist. 

 On Sunday we had our catch-up game against Blacktown in windy conditions against a difficult opponent and we ended up 3-1 winners.

Coach Corey said, “Two games in two days is never easy and the boys have pulled out strong performances closing in on one of our goals with 2 games to go.”

 U16 1 - 0 Win Blacktown

On a bitterly cold & windy Sunday we hosted Blacktown Association Round 18 catch up game. Blacktown have been on a winning streak pushing for a finals birth and, we knew this game would be a tough fought game with unpredictable weather conditions a concern. 

That said, we started the stronger, settled quickly and, our early pressure paid off in minute 11 when Luke Dargan reacted the quickest in the area to sweetly hit a volley which gave the goalkeeper no chance to put as 1-0 up. We continued our dominance and, our disciplined pressing game caused Blacktown to go long which, in the windy conditions caused us no concerns. 

The second half was a carbon copy of the first as Blacktown continued to play long whilst we continued to play quick via wide areas and, we should have scored another 3. In the end It was a just victory as Blacktown had 3 shots on target the whole game, which clearly showed our dominance.

Coach Chopo said, “I was happy with how quickly we settled in trying conditions, although the aspect that pleased be the most is how we controlled the tempo of the game from start to finish.” 

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 21: CCU v Western Condors

U18’s 3 - 1 Win 

With only the finals left to play for the 18s went into the weekend knowing they could wrap up the League Championship no matter what result, however going out with a win was always the goal. It wasn’t our cleanest game with half time locked at 1-1 with a penalty going against us and Condors clearly coming out looking for the upset. A bit of a wakeup call was required at half time and it had good effect as the second half had a lot of improvement scoring a goal through some scrappy play falling to Cayleb Murray on the edge of the box and a classic Pete Stewart goal to finish it all off.

Coach Gomez said, “It was a great day for the boys and a good result to get against a competitive side who were up for the challenge. We will need to be better for finals, but the boys have well and truly earned the League Championship and the well-earned rest over this next week.”

U20’s 3 - 2 Win 

Top sides don’t lose two games on the bounce… After last weeks upset against Hurstville there was extra motivation amongst the squad to bounce back and beat a strong Western Condors side. A bright start from CCU saw them create some really good opportunities through some great link up play between Bayley Appo and Corey Atkinson. CCU continued to dominate, but just as it looked as though they wouldn’t break the deadlock a thunder strike from Liam Broughton put CCU 1 up. It looked as though it would stay that way before half time but a quick break away attack from Condors saw them snatch a late equaliser just before half time. Half time 1-1

Second half Condors continued to spoil CCUs momentum and through another error in our defensive third Condors took full advantage and took the lead through their #9. Now in these moments you get to see what type of players you have, do they hide and accept it’s not going to go their way or do they role up their sleeves up and give it all they have. Well CCU produced the latter, a super equaliser from Pete Stewart gave the team hope and then right on the death captain Tyson Cosgrove snatched a late winner. A superb come back from our U20s boys.

Stand in Coach Crowell said “I really, really believe in this group of players, we had an honest chat at halftime about what I believed we needed to do to be better, then to go down early in the second half you might of thought it wasn’t going to be again. However this is when you get to see what your players are really made of. How they fought back to win the match just reaffirmed why we think so highly of them, they are going to come out fighting in finals that’s for sure”

1st Grade 1 - 2 Loss 

An unorthodox starting line-up this week due to several first team regulars in card trouble and I showed with a slow and disjointed first half. The opposition were content to play on the counter and we couldn’t leverage our full backs effectively enough to create an overload and get behind their defensive line.

A couple of positional changes at half time at least saw more of a threat in the second half and we certainly dominated possession. We were eventually rewarded with a goal courtesy of a great cross by Jack Ragen being turned in by the opposition. With only 7 minutes remaining Condors scored from our own corner and then in the final minute we somehow allowed them to secure the win with what can only be described as naivety.

The Gaffa said, “It’s extremely disappointing not to finish our last home game with a win but it’s a lesson for the younger players in the team about game management. With a +16 goal difference advantage we have all but secured the League Championship to compliment overall promotion and the entire squad deserve a lot of credit to be so driven and motivated for the last 2 seasons. We will now freshen up and look toward the finals series where we hope we can give the Central Coast Football community more to be proud of, after all, these are Central Coast boys giving their all for the Region.”

 MATCH REPORTS: 03 August 2019 

AYL Round 22: CCU v Gladesville Hornsby FA

U13 1-2 Loss 

Having gotten an away win Tuesday night against Nepean the CCU 13's were looking for more points at Christie Park against Gladesville.

During the first ten minutes Gladesville had the more of the ball but were really unable to creating anything that should be hitting the net. CCU remained patient and were rewarded with a 16th minute goal from Callum O'Connor. Despite chances for both teams there were no more goals before the end of the half.
Gladesville finally cracked the CCU defence in the 32nd minute but CCU looked like they could still come away with the win however Gladesville had other ideas scoring again in the 52nd minute. 
The final score finishing Gladesville 2 CCU 1.

Coach Fitzy said, "It was a little bit disappointing to have come away from that game with a loss but we've got to pick ourselves back up and show we deserved more in the Saturday and Sunday games next weekend".

U14 2-1 Win 

Fresh from a midweek clash at Nepean, which I could not of have been happier with the performance regardless of the score, we wanted to carry that level of performance straight into this game. 

We were hungry to take charge of the game early on and we did just that, Euan was a handful winning challenges high up the park then delivered a good cross to Liam who’s shot on goal was saved by the keeper. We continued to play in there half, Lloyd delivering a nice ball to Euan who was in space, great strike on goal just over. Gladesville would high press us all first half with our two centre backs being tightly marked as we would try to play out and we did. Our goal would eventually come in the 10th minute with a good strike from Euan after great anticipation, bottom corner finish, 1-0 up.

Harrison was menacing down the left overlapping Kaiden, combining well. Harrison getting those crosses in and hitting his targets every time, creating so many chances on goal. Gladesville had a great chance with a strike on goal only to be denied by Harrisons superb clearance off the line. Just before half time Matt made a surging run through the middle to play a great through ball to Ethan, a 1v1 on the keeper only to put slightly wide, so 1-0 up at half time. 

Second half we addressed the high press and a couple of other issues so the plan was in place now to execute, we started off dominant again with attacking football in their half our second would come in the 42ndminute with Euan winning the ball high up the park to bury it in the back of the net  2-0 up. 6 minutes later we would concede a penalty, 2-1. We continued to attack Gladesville with Ethan and Euan linking well, Xavier and Logan providing great balls to these two, again another two 1v1 s with the keeper for Ethan putting them wide, so a 2-1 win.

Coach Chris said “How that score stayed at 2-1, I will never know! The boys played good football today against an improved physical team, we wanted it more and it showed, very happy with both performances.”

U15 5-3 Win 

A beautiful day for football sees us travel down to play GHFC, in a game which takes us back to top spot!

In a tight and intense previous encounter with GHFC we came into this game fired up for a result and we came away with just that.    

It took us 3 mins to break the deadlock with winger Ryan brown breaking the defence line and putting in a lovely chip for goal number 1. Shortly after the boys switch off and a GHFC shot hits the post and bounces back out to play and CCU not reacting leads to Gladesville goal. 1-1. 5 mins later we concede a foul just outside the box which leads to a GHFC header and down 2-1. Just before half time we take the lead back with two goals from Bailey Holt, this sees us 3-2 up at half time. 

2nd half sees us concede first for GHFC to bring it back to 3-3. Shortly after our captain Kai Forshaw steps up and hits an absolute rocket from outside the box and puts it in the top bins for our fourth of the day 4-3. Moments later a brilliant run from Mitch Wallace sees him tackled in the box, penalty! Mitch calmly takes the pen and scores to make it 5-3. 

With the game put to bed after this point as we hold possession and control ball play like we know we can. 

Coach Corey said, “This was one game I really wanted the boys to overcome as we had a 1-1 draw with them last time out. This win puts us back in 1st spot with a game in hand. Bring on the next 3 games, everything still to play for.”

U16 4 - 0 Win

Important game and, keen to see the boys reaction after a midweek set back going down to a determined Nepean 3-1. For only the third time in season 2019, we have all boys fit to play which is welcomed due to midweek game and upcoming double header. 

First half was a good contest from both sides who showed they were both on their game. A few chances to both sides but I could see towards end of first half that we were starting to settle into our rhythm and thus dominated last 10 minutes although we finished 0-0 at the break. 

We started the second half as we left off, piling on the pressure. We welcomed back Zac Pezzutto from a 6 week absence and it only took 2 minutes for Zac to add to his already impressive goal tally after coming on in minute 40 & finding the net in minute 42 to put CCU in the lead 1-0. Zac would get his brace by minute 42 when once again showing his ability in front if goal to double our lead to 2-0. We continued to increase the pressure and another brace for Jack O’Callaghan sealed our victory in minutes 57, 68 and finishing the game 0- 4. 

Coach Chopo said, “Very happy with the reaction from the midweek setback to get us back on track and keep on piling pressure on our chasers. Pleasing to see long term injured players coming back which is timely and welcomed at the back end of the season.” 

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 19: CCU v Hurstville FC

U18’s 8 - 1 Win 

The boys went out wanting to make a statement, knowing that a win was within our capability but considering last round was hard fought, we started the game with a hunger for goals. This mentality paid off early as our attacking 4 linked up well all game to score 3 goals in the first 45 minutes. In the second half we knew this game was ours to lose and so the aim was to go out the same as the first half looking to put the game to bed. A further 5 goals against a defeated Hurstville side saw us comfortable and looking for more. A late consolation penalty would be the only blot on this excellent team performance. 

Coach Gomez said, “The 18’s were brilliant all game and really showed why we deserve to be playing at that higher level next season. One more win will secure the League Championship without a doubt, so we look forward to next weekend.”

U20’s 1 - 0 Loss 

If you don’t take your chances it will always come back and hurt you… And that’s exactly what happened to the U20s this weekend.

The first half was all one way traffic, CCU dominating possession, creating chance after chance, a corner count 10 - 0 but with all their effort they just couldn’t get that goal to give them a deserved lead. A superb display from the Hurtsville keeper definitely kept the home side in the game.

Second half was much the same, then a mistake in the back third led to a penalty for Hurstville which they dispatched to give the home side a 1 - 0 lead. CCU pushed hard to get an equaliser but they just couldn’t find a way past the superb Hurstville goalkeeper.

Stand in coach Crowell said “I think the report pretty much sums up the game, we were the better side but we definitely didn’t play to the levels I expect of these players. We will go again this week, work on one or two things in training and hopefully put things right for the game on the weekend”

1st Grade 2 - 0 Win 

Our 3rdgame in seven days, two of them on the road, would always make this a difficult contest, especially against the third placed team. It was obvious that the boys were feeling the demands of the schedule but perhaps what was surprising was the home team content to sit off and play a counter attacking game. There were a couple of chances to both sides but neither could break the deadlock.

Things didn’t improve after the break and we had to defend a barrage of corners one of which resulted in Hurstville hitting the bar. We have been strong on set pieces all season and we finally managed to find the net after a Woodbine corner found Geordie Howe at the near post and sweep a first time shot low into the net with only 10 minutes remaining. Alex Arbelo used all his experience to win a penalty in the dying minutes and skipper Mcfarlane did the rest. 

The Gaffa said, “The boys were courageous today. It’s natural after the high emotions of being promoted combined with the travel that we would see an effect in the energy levels so get the win against the 3rdplaced team away from home was excellent. Given our goal difference advantage this all but secures the League Championship and we are extremely proud of the entire senior squad.” 

 MATCH REPORTS: 27 July 2019 

AYL Round 21: CCU v Manly Warringah FA

U13 1-2 Loss 

CCU had a strong start at home against top of the table Manly showing great control and even creating a chance from kick off.

It only took CCU 4 minutes to score with Callum O'Connor finding the net. Manly though managed to find the net against the run of play in the 9th minute which brought them back into the game. The game evened out with both teams having some opportunities until Manly found the net again in the 28th minute now having complete control of the match. The second half despite CCU's best efforts continued down this path with Finn Palmquist getting sent off after coming out of the box and accidentally clipping the opponent who went around Finn on the way to goal.

With a man down CCU couldn't find their way back into the game despite our best period of the second half, with it ending 2-1 to Manly. Coach Fitzy reflected, "We had one of our best starts to a game, just a few mistakes cost us, but we all make mistakes it's part of being human, we just need to accept the mistakes and move on to the next task as quickly as we can".

U14 3-2 Winn 

A great start to the game against Manly with some chances created after nice combination play in wide areas. In the 14thminute, Xavier Reid executed a technically perfect volley to score from 20 meters.  Logan Sayer delivered a great cross from the right that would lead to our second goal which Jeremy Hibbert struck on the half volley hitting the underside of the cross bar, the referee declaring a goal and we go 2-0 up into the break.

Second half we got at them straight away, and with our left back Harrison James 3 delivered a sweet cross into Ethan Debono who headed the ball very well into the back of the net, you won’t see a better headed goal than that! We started to switch off at times and 3 mins later Manly scored a superb strike from long range, 3-1. We created more chances on goal with Ethan being a handful but not converting. In the 49thminute, Manly get their second goal, 3-2. Several more chances came and went but we managed to close out the game with no further goals.

Coach Chris said, “Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies rather than playing quick simple football and use the whole field. The boys showed resilience and got the win, hopefully we can improve on this performance.”

U15 2-1 Win 

The 15s face off with a strong Manly team who hadn’t lost a game since we last played them! 

 For the third week in a row now, we find ourselves 1-0 down and fighting to get back into the game. What made this fight back difficult was that once manly scored they changed formation to bring everyone back into a low block and just hold the lead. We make a few changes, start playing higher up the pitch, we find ourselves having lots of possession.  In the 27th minute we finally break the deadlock and we get a nicely finished goal through Isaac Broomfield. 1-1.  Five mins later we strike again through PJ Read. 2-1. 

We head into the break with the lead.  The 2nd half sees Bailey Holt needing to be stretched off the field with a neck injury. A game going back and forth with both teams putting in a big shift, Manly equalise only to be ruled offside with 5 mins to go, we hold out the lead to record a massive win. On the full-time whistle Rhys Owen goes in to win the ball and falls over with a wrist injury. We find out later in the day that he has a broken wrist, get well soon. 

 Coach Corey said, “A massive win for the boys! It’s never easy facing the deadliest team in the comp at that point in time but the boys held their own and showed why we are where we are.”

U16 3 - 0 Win

Always good to be back home as a club to play a team which has been making inroads on the table with some noticeable results of late. Our boys had a point to prove as previous clash saw Manly turn it around in the final stages of the game to take all points and leave us empty handed. 

The first half was exactly as my assistant club captain McFarlane and I believed it would be like, tough and robust football with no team given an inch. The half-finished 0-0 with both sides having opportunities to open the scoring but good goalkeeping keeping the score to 0. 

The second half was completely different, we spoke about varying the style but not the way we play, to provide them a sense of complacency at the back. Daniel and, I could see the change, we made a couple of changes and in minute 47th minute a well taken free kick by Harry Newham saw Alex Cochrane Smith make a near post run which took the defense away from the middle for Calvin Edwards to open the scoring 1-0 CCU. The boys continued to pile on the pressure, and we revert back to our pressing high which seemed to rattled Manly and turn over the ball at will. The pressure eventually paid off with a rocket from well outside the area by Calvin Edwards on minute 60 which reminded me of a Roberto Carlos thunderbolt, such was the dip. We continued as we had been here before 2-0 up v Manly, who turned it around but this time, 6 minutes later Calvin Edwards got his hat trick to ensure all 3 points were staying at Pluim for a 3-0 win. 

A delighted coach Chopo said, “A lot of positives from this game but no more so than the patience the boys used when having to change some things to confused their opponents. Another positive was to get back to full fitness Alex Cochrane-Smith and Sam Beatson which both put in a good shift with no signs of pain.”

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 19: CCU v Balmain Tigers

U18’s 12 - 0 Win 

One game at a time, the cliché couldn’t be truer as we move towards the end of the second round. Even against a struggling Balmain side we went in with full focus on a strong performance throughout and it showed. The first half we dominated possession, however, some last-ditch blocks from a desperate defensive line and some quality saves from the Balmain shot-stopper saw the boys head in to half time 2-0 up. 

With a focus on more direct play and extra quality in the final third we really started to show just why we have a formidable goal for column. Scoring 10 goals in one half is a hard feat against any team and the boys did not relent until the final whistle. 

Coach Gomez said, “I am happy with today’s performance as we know how tough these final fixtures can be if we take our opposition for granted, so the drive, quality and determination shown by the boys has been phenomenal. We just have to keep our standards going.”

U20’s 3 - 0 Win 

First of all a huge congratulations must go the CCU under 20s team, they have been crowned State League Champions of 2019. A superb effort from all involved. Coach Alex Powell has done an amazing job looking after this outstanding group of players. The boys sealed the championship after a 3-0 win against Prospect United in their mid week catch up game.

To the Balmain game, CCU set off like they have done for most of the season, dominating possession and creating chance after chance. They took the the lead through Tom Lyons, the ball hovered in the Balmain penalty area, the ball fell to Lyons who smashed home a well executed volley. The second came through #9 Jake Brownlow, a superb through ball from Tyler Allen put Jake 1 on 1 with their GK who then calmly placed the ball in the bottom right hand corner. Then just before half time Brownlow got his second and made it 3 nil.

Second half wasn’t as exciting as the first but the job was done and the boys picked up another valuable 6 points in the club championship.

Stand in Coach Crowell said “Couldn’t be more happier for this group of players, some of these boys have been with us since the very start, so to see them win the league mid week was really special. On the weekend I just told them that the job wasn’t finished and we still had to help the club get as many points as possible and to their credit that’s exactly what they did”

1st Grade 4 - 1 Win 

Since the last time we played Balmain they have been on a decent run of form and turned their season around, so a competitive game was expected. We opened the scoring after a great Oscar Torres cross from the left flank was met with as just as good a header from Adam Woodbine. The opposition then had a couple of long-range efforts that were dealt with comfortably and we then extended our lead with a really well worked goal, our other full back Jack Ragen squared the ball in the box for Scott Mcginley to finish first time. 2 became 3 when Woody played a wall pass with Scott and followed in his shot which was too hot for the Balmain keeper to handle. 

A slow start to the second half but when we put it together we did so in style! A fourth came courtesy of a 37 pass move, with every player touching the ball before skipper Mcfarlane, slotted home the killer pass from Alex Arbelo. The Balmain keeper made several excellent saves to keep us at four and we conceded a scrappy goal late on from second phase play after a corner was initially cleared and the game finished 4-1.

The Gaffa said, “Happy with the team performance, we executed the game plan perfectly and scored some wonderful goals. We now have a short turn around for a wash out game against Prospect and must maintain our standards, determination and desire.”

 MATCH REPORTS: 20 July 2019 

AYL Round 20: CCU v Southern Districts

U13 3-1 Win 

The fact that we hadn't played an away game in a while showed as CCU were slow to start with Southern Districts scoring within 4 minutes of play. Despite both teams having chances to score heading into the half, Southern Districts were up 1-0.
Second half CCU truly stepped into the game with James Lee scoring immediately and then continued to build from there. In the 51st minute CCU took the lead with Jesse Mantell creating a chance for himself and then in the 55th minute Jesse Mantell struck again scoring from inside the 6-yard box with a nice side on scissor kick.
Coach Fitzy said, "First half we panicked going down but second half we settled down after equalizing and built from there. Hopefully they will use today's experience next time they go down a goal".

U14 4-1 Winn 

After last week’s game the boys were looking to get back on track and make amends. Straight from the off the boys took control of the game, Logan was exemplary with his surging charges down the flanks, and his ball deliveries were spot on into the box. Ollie and Noah combined well together in the middle totally dominating linking with our backs and forwards. After countless attacks our time would come in the 21st min and who else but Ethan Debono takes on a defender in the box and strikes it in the net 1-0, quality finish! our playing out was good, combining well into our middle 3rd and our captain Isaac was strong on the ball combining well with Ethan, 28 mins in Ethan bagged his second goal 2-0 up  and a dominant first half performance.

Southern came out firing with a couple of attacks, Zayd was solid with a couple of good saves, and a nice throw out to Euan for a great counter attack supplying Kaiden Robertson with a good finish ,3-0 up. 

Again, Isaac was menacing this time down the right flank with a good 1 v1 nice cross in, which eventually would be our 4th goal after a header hit the cross bar then a scramble in the box to get knocked in by Euan. Last 20 mins we put Finn in goal who did a fantastic job, well done Finn! Southern would get there 1 and only goal in the 51st min, 4-1 the final score.

Coach Chris said, “I am delighted how the boys bounced back from last week’s game, and what was pleasing for me was that the things we were working on in training came to life on game day and a good performance all round, top job.”

U15 5-2 Win 

After a slow start the boys found themselves giving away a cheap penalty which was almost saved to go behind early. Displaying our trademark never say die attitude we fight back and get a goal through Ryan Richards to equalize. There were no further goals before the break.

2nd half sees Southern take the lead once again, but we bounce back immediately with U14 skipper Isaac Broomfield scoring. Moments later we introduce super sub Ryan Brown to add some impact and he scores a nice brace to finish the job off for us. A quick 15 min cameo for him to get us the win. 

Coach Corey said, “Well done to the boys for their fighting spirit. Two weeks in a row now we have fought from behind and claimed the win which speaks volumes about their resilience.”

U16 5 - 1 Win

The focus of the day in the youth was to ensure we stick to our principles of football and our first half I would say we did just that, but we conceded an early goal against the run on play by a long ball over the top that wrong footed our defense. We did not stray from our game plan although our execution was letting us down, we did not settle or work out how best to play against a physical opponent on a less than perfect surface. We went into the break down 1-0 but as I explained to the boys, our issue is we are not executing our plan due to our individual performances and way around that is to play simple i.e. play what we see, do not over think it. 

We did just that focusing on play what we see, it wasn’t long before good team movement down right side, quick change to left opened them up for Tim Hopkins to equalize on minute 38. We quickly took the lead with a very nicely worked give and go for Jack O’Callaghan to put us in front on minute 42. Pleasing aspect is that team did not slow down and in minute 56 Jack Wilson got his first goal of the season with a strong powerful run down the middle. We stepped up the pressure and not to be undone Calvin Edwards hit a rocket from approximately 25 meters out which, the GK could not hold to add to score line 1-4 on minute 62. Just about full time Eli cleverly danced his way through the right side and was brought down in the box, I had promised our GK a penalty opportunity for him as his performance yesterday warranted such rewards, he did not disappoint and slotted it home. 

 A funny story which highlights our team mechanics; 

Q: I asked the team in the dressing room after the game, to be honest and, put up their hands if secretly they wished Ash would miss the penalty?
A: Well not one player including yours truly & u15s boys who backed up kept their hands down Jhahah. 

Such is the team morale and, anyone who knows Ash, knows the character he is & why this would be the case. 

Coach Chopo said, “Very pleasing that our boys believe our way of playing as this shows maturity in knowing that you have to work for full game and believe in what you do, as the rewards will eventually come. Good solid performance even first half as we stayed with them in the game, which laid the foundation for our win and improved, individual all round performances.” 

 Chopo paid special mention to our supporters, “I must thank all our parents & supporters for their behaviour in a provocative environment. Well done and thank you as it makes my players role & our coaches so much easier for us to just simple concentrate on our football.”

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 18: CCU v Hurstville Minotaurs

U18’s 1 - 1 Draw 

1st vs 2nd in the 18s and an important fixture to spur on the last 5 rounds of the season. It was always going to be a physical and cagey affair and the boys made good work of it. The first half didn’t go to plan as 3 out of our 4 on field substitutions had to be used within the first 45 minutes making it tough to really take control of the game. With that in mind the boys fought hard for each other and put in an energetic and positive shift showing they were the better side for the majority of the game. Conceding a soft penalty early in the 2nd half could’ve been our downfall, but the boys didn’t stop there and created numerous scoring chances, one ending in a penalty of our own which would tie up the scores.

Coach Gomez said, “Overall the main frustration comes from being the better side and not being able to show it on the score-line. We will push as hard as we can to finish the season strongly.”

U20’s 1 - 0 Win 

Endeavour, will and the fight was there in abundance from our U20s team, the only thing that was lacking in a one sided first half was the final decision in the final third. For long periods of the first half the boys dominated possession however struggled to find the final pass to create a goal scoring opportunity. Tom Lyons was superb in controlling the tempo of the game but we just couldn’t find a way past a determined Hurstville side.

Second half was much the same as we continued to outplay our opponents but without really troubling their keeper. Lyons again was instrumental and had a 20 yard rocket that looked like it was heading for the bottom corner only for it to hit the post and go out for a goal kick. It was looking as though it wasn’t going to be our night until a good little passage of play saw us get in behind their back four, Atkinson fired a cross across goal, it ricoched of one of the defenders and fell to our #9 Brownlow who tapped in to give us the lead. Like any good #9 Brownlow was in the right place at the right time.

Stand in 20s Coach Crowell said “The effort from all the players was outstanding from start to finish I couldn’t fault that one bit, we had a good chat at half time about our final decisions needed to be better from some of our key players, they took the feedback on board and got the vital goal in the second half that ended up giving us a big win on the night. Special mention to 16 year old Taiden Rose who was outstanding at the back for us. Cant wait for the game on Tuesday night”

1st Grade 4 - 1 Win 

A less than ideal start to the game with a stray pass in midfield result in a shot through the legs on the edge of the box wrong footing our keeper and putting us a goal behind. The ghosts of last week’s unexplainable crazy 6 minutes was clearly in the players’ minds and it took 15 minutes after conceding to settle down and play as we know we can. Our two 10’s combined for the equalizer, Alex Arbelo heading a Crowell cross back across goal for Scott McGinley to volley in from 6 yards. The self-belief was growing, and a great move saw Adam Woodbine convert a Jack Ragen cross to take the lead. The skipper then chipped in with 2 headed goals and the game was all but over by half time at 4-1.

The second half was memorable for our inability to convert the multiple chances created as we somehow managed not to trouble the scoresheet any further.

The Gaffa said, “It’s always important to bounce back after a loss and we must take the momentum from this game into the run home. Nothing is given to you in football and we must work hard both physically and mentally to achieve our objective.”

 MATCH REPORTS: 13 July 2019 

AYL Round 19: CCU v Sutherland Shire FA

U13 1-1 Draw 

After having two weeks’ worth of washouts CCU returned this week in Round 19 to Pluim Park to verse Sutherland who were in 1st place coming into the match.

First half both teams fired shots and despite having some good chances for either team neither side could find the net. Second half CCU flew out of the gates taking just one minute to break the deadlock with Daniel McCarthy finding his first goal of the season. CCU then controlled most of the second half continuing to make chances and maintain possession. It was unfortunate that with a couple of minutes remaining on the clock we overplayed in the defensive third and were left exposed allowing them a clear passage to goal, the game finishing 1-1. Coach Fitzy said, "Today is another example of the team’s ability and how much they've grown since Round 1".

U14 1-2 Loss 

Our third meeting with Sutherland Shire this season and a great start to the game. After some lovely midfield combination play, Ethan Debono continued his goal scoring form with a composed finish across the goalkeeper to give us the lead in the 6thminute. The lead lasted no longer than 2 minutes and it was game on again. The game remained fairly even until the 36thminute when Sutherland capitalised from us turning over possession and they grabbed the lead. The boys tried hard to gain some control in the game but just couldn’t execute the quality with the ball to cause enough sustained pressure and we went down 2-1 to a strong Sutherland outfit.

 Coach Chris said, “Perhaps the two-week break had an impact on the team’s fluency as we were not at our best today. Given we were unbeaten in the previous 7 games I am sure the boys will bounce back.”

U15 5-2 Win 

With no games in two weeks, a mid week tournament, and two players out, we were in for a rough game against a strong 2nd placed Sutherland.

We started the game really well and the boys looked up for the challenge. We switch off for a minute and a long ball over the top of our defence sees Sutherland score first in the 3rd minute. Three mins later we equalise through PJ Read backing up his strong midweek form.  

Still dominating possession and keeping the ball for long periods we find ourselves on the back foot of another long ball over the defence again, down 2-1. We kick off, go down the field and Kai Forshaw scores a worldie from outside the box to draw level again. 

Another three minutes pass and Ryan Brown finds himself a goal with a lovely header, 3-2 and this is only in the 19th minute of the first half. We see the rest of the half out going into the break with a one goal lead.

 At half time we talked about the problems and starting the half very strong unlike previous games. We press high, win the ball, and another goal to Ryan brown in the first minute. Continuing to not take the foot off, we keep the ball for long periods again, missing a few goal scoring opportunities. Now the effects of the midweek tournament are coming in, so we bring on two of the U14’s, Isaac and Jeremy. A Bailey Holt goal to finish things off in the 63rd min and an OG as well to extend the full-time score.

Coach Corey said, “Massive credit to Isaac and Jeremy from the 14s, they put in a big shift and I was extremely happy with their contribution. The 15’s boys played their hearts out after a demanding midweek tournament and I am delighted with their continued desire to be the best they can be.”

U16 0 - 0 Draw

After two weeks of washouts, we were finally back at Pluim to host Sutherland on a windy and bitterly cold Saturday afternoon. To be honest I wasn’t really sure how our team would perform as although we haven’t played for two weeks, we actually played 4 games during the week at the inaugural Central Coast Cup hosted by CCMA, which was a well-run tournament. We had 4 players unable to play due to injury and the rest of the team nursing soreness/fatigue, but it is these types of challenges that say a lot about a team and club. 

The question of club/team culture was answered for me at warm up and I knew then that our boys would fight until the very end and offer no excuses. The game ended in a 0-0 affair, but it did not lack intensity, passion or chances for both sides to steal the game. It was an old fashion tug of war where both teams had the share of opportunities but lack of composure and /or some strong goalkeeping from both sides ensured teams could not be split. 

We now have two double headers coming and I believe that the week we have had will hold us in great shape to overcome such challenges and keep us pushing for top spot.

 Chopo reflected, “Our club Skipper Daniel McFarlane, who has been assisting me now for best part of 2 months and I were very pleased with how our boys put aside all the soreness and showed great tenacity to arm wrestle a result as football sometimes is just that, it can’t always be pretty. As CCU youth technical director what impressed me the most was that our teams have shown great improvements since round 1 and are showing great club spirit having to back up and help other squads, well done to all.”  

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 17: CCU v Fraser Park

U18’s 0 - 0 Draw 

On a week where match points were vital for the entire club and the 18s retaining top spot it would be a tough day out. Being the first senior team to hit the field could be a trend setter for how the day went and unfortunately it wasn’t as favourable as we would hope.

 With some of the boys playing in midweek competitions, fatigue and a bit of lethargy was present in our game and it really showed in the areas where we needed to be creative and quick thinking. The 18s dominated play throughout and played well through the backline as well as winning our battles in the midfield, unfortunately in the final third we were lacking. Fraser Park put up a fight and we saw some close calls for both teams in the closing minutes but the match the deadlock couldn’t be broken, and we left the game wanting more. 

 Coach Gomez said, “We missed some guilt edge chances in the first half so must be more clinical. I’m happy with some players really stepping up however going into next week we need to be better from 1-16 and the boys know that, so, now we will have to finish off the season the hard way.”

U20’s 1 - 2 Loss 

An extraordinary start to the game with a goal in the first minute, Tyler Allen convering a Mitch Wood cross. It really should have been two or three in the first ten minutes but somehow how we were unable to convert two clear cut opportunities to make the game easier. They possessed a threat in wide areas, and we were naive in allowing their most dangerous player time and space in behind our full back. They scored two quick goals both from our own doing, both could have been avoided with better decision making and communication. Noah Ajala somehow stopped them increasing their lead not once but twice clearing off the line.

2-1 down at half time.

The second half was void of any real clear-cut chances and we had to deal with a ridiculous amount of time wasting and feigning of injuries which didn’t help the flow of the game. Ultimately, we couldn’t find that moment of quality to grab an equalizer summed up by two of our forwards getting in each other’s way when clear of their backline.

Coach Davis standing in for Coaches Powell and Crowell said, “After such a great start we lacked the experience in the spine of the team to deal with their overage players. Moving forward we must show desire to win our 1v1 battles all over the park and earn the right to play our style of football.”

1st Grade 0 - 3 Loss 

1st v 2nd and the opening moments of the match were fitting of such a contest with very limited time and space. We persevered with playing out and created a great chance down the left channel, but Skipper McFarlane and Woodbine couldn’t combine to make the most of the overload. Mcfarlane had a shot just miss the far post shortly after. In games sometimes there are moments that cannot be explained and midway through the first half we gifted them 3 goals in 7 minutes. It almost defied belief.

The second half we huffed and puffed but really couldn’t break the door down and every time we had a half chance it was snuffed out through our own execution and decision making or their desperation. Scott McGinely did have a good opportunity but his was not to be our day.

Coach Davis said, “We don’t make excuses, tonight we simply were not good enough but the boys have been on a tremendous run and I’m sure the squad will rally together and want to make amends.”

 MATCH REPORTS: 28 June 2019 

AYL Round 17: CCU v Black Districts SFS

U13 - Washout

U14 - Washout

U15 - Washout

U16 - Washout

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 15: CCU v South Coast Flame

U18’s 3 - 0 Win 

The worst-case scenario from last week’s performance could have been the 18’s going into this week’s game against south coast being complacent. As much as we didn’t start with our usual sharpness there was composure on the ball and the obvious expectation of a tough battle ahead. 

On a slick surface the ball moved well and though some better decision making we did find ourselves 2-0 up at half time. Leading into the 2nd half there were no major changes and with a full bench for the first time all season we were able to control the game while getting some good minutes into the players coming back from injury, finishing the game 3-0.

 Coach Gomez said, “The performance was good in the way we controlled the game, no game is ever perfect, but we seem to be getting more and more confident and composed with our playing style which is clear in our recent results.”

U20’s 1 - 1 Draw 

When you’re at the top and have been for so long, each game becomes harder as every team raises their game to beat you. The focus was to play with a high tempo and move the ball with speed. In patches the boys were able to execute this and found themselves in good positions going down the right-hand side. What was really lacking in the first half was quality in the final third, specifically balls into the box once we had got in behind their back four. This and a lack of forward runs into the box made it easy for South Coast to defend their goal. The breakthrough came just before half time when Jake Brownlow showed great composure to steer the ball into the left of the goal. Within minutes South Coast equalised, when a poor turnover high up the field allowed the opposition to counter and with no pressure on the ball their number 10 was able to get a shot away which found the back of the net. 

 The second half continued in the same manner with South Coast happy to scrap in the middle of the park and look to hurt us on the counter when possession was turned over. The boys continued to create numerous scoring opportunities but again a lack of composure and poor decisions cost us in front of goal. The boys could have suffered their second defeat of the season had it not been for Noah Ajala who stopped a certain South Coast goal with an unbelievable block on the goal line. However, with only minutes left CCU could have snatched all three points when a great cross from Ethan Denis found Brownlow whose header glanced wide of the post. 

Coach Powell said, “Not the result or performance which usually typifies this team, but it could be a very useful point come the end of the season.”

 CCU Management would like to acknowledge the tremendous work U20’s coach Alex Powell has done in managing to get this team into a position where they are 9 points clear at the top of the table before heading to Europe for the remainder of the regular season. Alex has been instrumental in developing last season’s U18’s players in the next age group up and continuing to play the CCU way. Have a good trip and we will see you for finals. The team will now be overseen by Matt Crowell until Alex returns.

1st Grade 2 - 1 win 

Football is a funny game at times, no matter how much you prepare for the inevitable sometimes it’s unavoidable. Up against a team that we beat comprehensively away from home then of course we would get a reaction. In a first half with not many chances we still had the majority of possession and the closest we came to opening the scoring was a Mcfarlane shot on a tight angle inside the box after beating his man. A stalemate at half time and we definitely were not quite at our best, their defensive block proving stubborn.

This was a game that needed a goal to kick start the contest but unfortunately the goal was against us, a superb strike from their 9 that was unstoppable. This did give us the jolt needed and we equalised shortly after when an attacking Woodbine free kick was headed in by Scott Mcginley. We managed to take the lead after a Jack Ragen cross saw Woodbine cleaned up by their keeper after bravely beating him to the ball resulting in a penalty. The skipper stepped up and won the game of cat and mouse. After a few nervy moments and some set pieces to defend we managed to see out the remaining minutes for a very valuable win.

Coach Davis said, “The most pleasing aspect of this game was the result. We were not at our best going forward tonight but the boys showed great character to come from a goal down and find a way to win, the senior players showed their experience. Onto next week and a tricky away game.”

 MATCH REPORTS: 22 June 2019 

AYL Round 16: CCU v Football South Coast

U13 1-1 Draw 

CCU were at Pluim for the 3rd match in a row for Round 16 this time hosting the first placed South Coast. From the kick off both teams showed what they were about with attacking play and keeping the ball almost playing identical to one another.

CCU though showed they meant business, working several good opportunities early and finding the net in the 9th minute thanks to a Cooper Clark cross finding the head of Tahj Werner. Despite both teams having more opportunities during the half neither could put them away leaving CCU in the lead at half time 1-0.
South Coast came surging back into the game scoring in the 1st minute of the second half and again despite both teams having chances could not find the net again leaving the final score at a 1 all draw.

Coach Fitzy said, "Great to see the boys show what they can really do here today against the leading team in the comp.”

U14 4-0 Win 

Another home game at Pluim and looking to improve on our playing style was the task for this game. From the whistle, our tempo was good and the boys were looking confident on the ball, playing out from the back to our attacking 3rd. It would take 9 mins to score our first goal with compliments from Ethan Debono after a great through ball by Euan. 1-0 up, still moving the ball around nicely, again from our back up the park, our keeper gaining confidence playing out, which was great to see, our second came in the 15th min, Logan Sayer driving into the far corner and our patience on the ball was being rewarded with effective possession. Euan and Ethan combined again for us to finish a terrific first half 3 nil to the good.

Second half and as expected South Coast came out firing and so they should as we took our foot off the gas, they high pressed us, and credit to them they played some good football for a period of 10 mins after the break. The rest of the half became an arm wrestle, and our boys in patches showing signs of their performance first half. Our persistence paid off when Ethan made a charge to be brought down in the box  47 mins in, he converted it nice and low slightly to his right 4-0.

Coach Chris commented “It was pleasing to watch the boys play good football, the best so far this season more so in the first half. If we can stay focused like that for entire match then this team will be hard to beat but more importantly playing good football regardless of the score.”

U15 3-5 Loss 

A cracking contest between the top two teams.

 First half -   “Couldn’t have been better”.  Execution was near perfect, we passed and moved South Coast off the field and took the lead through Bailey Holt, a great assist from Ollie Appo. 1-0.  Having to deal with long balls after every attack seemed too much for the boys with a ball over the top of our defenders and resulting in a goal. 1-1.  The half was played in opposition territory with them having struggled to deal with our attack and them having only 1 shot. 

 2nd half - We address what needed to be done to stop South Coast direct play and overall we did just that. We strike first with good pressing resulting in a goal to Byron. 2-1. 

That lead lasted three minutes with South Coast equalising off our mistake. 2-2.  We lost concentration for the rest of the half and self-inflicted errors saw South Coast pounce on scoring 2 quick goals. 4-2. A lovely header from Owen Bradstreet brings us back to 4-3 then 1 min later a defensive misjudgement from us in the box sees another goal to South Coast, full time 5-3.

Coach Atkinson said, “I feel even though we lost, the boys played their hearts out and in football sometimes the better team doesn’t win. With a few little tweaks to our game, I’m sure the boys will bounce back even better than before.”

U16 4 - 0 Win

We were back at home on a cold Saturday hosting South Coast Flame for a top of the table clash across a few of the age groups. Our last clash was a tough close game with CCU wining 1-0, however this one would show our overall improvement plus our learnings from recent setbacks. 

Although we were still missing our strikers due to injuries we opted to work on attack and go forward a lot earlier than what we have been doing, to ensure we finish every raid with a shot on target or force a goal kick or a corner, either way a restart of play, avoiding counter attacks. 

This proved successful as on minute 5 Luke Dargan hit the back of the net from an acute angle and, on minute 20 Tim Hopkins did the very same play, taking us to a 2-0 lead. Another clever attacking movement with good ball speed going forward, helped Calvin Edwards brake through only to be brought down inches from the penalty box. Luke Dargan stepped up and with a powerful over the wall shot to put us 3-0 in front by minute 28, which South Coast never recovered. Half time 3-0 to CCU. 

We emphasized to continue with our game plan and don’t get involved in the opposition tactics and remaining focused. We had to be the next scorers to avoid any possible comeback and we did just that in the 44thminute when Calvin Edwards once again broke through cleverly slotting it home for a 4-0 win. Huge improvements as a collective unit from our defenders to midfield and our attackers, who all put in a good honest shift which pleased me greatly. 

A delighted Coach Chopo said, “Very pleased with how the boys executed and owned the game plan and worked very hard during the week to ensure we all understood it. I guess the telling stat is 11 shots on target, 9 off target with only allowing opponents 2 shots against us. As stated in last week report the only thing in our power is the REACTION we chose and, happy to say our REACTION was positive during training and game day “ 

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 14: CCU v FC Gazy Auburn

U18’s 23 - 0 win 

Not much can be said for a game that had 1st place vs last place turning up with just enough players to have a game. A completely one-sided match would be good for goal difference however arguably could affect our preparation going into a tough 4 weeks ahead. Credit goes to the FC Gazy boys who could’ve forfeited but decided to play and have a go, and credit to the CCU boys for showing professionalism and trying to play our way under even these circumstances. 

Coach Gomez said “Obviously a great result for us however its done now and hopefully won’t have any negative effects on our next few fixtures as the opposition are all vying for finals spots.”

U20’s 4 - 0 Win 

Coming off the back of their first loss, the boys were keen to put in a performance and get back to winning ways. The first half was not the greatest footballing spectacle with CCU having plenty of possession but lacking a cutting edge in the final third. Gazy were happy to sit and try and hurt us on the counter with their quick strong number 9 who gave the back four one or two issues throughout the half. The deadlock was broken when a lovely ball from Jack Ragen found Jacob Villablanca who managed to slot past the keeper from the edge of the area giving the team a 1-0 lead at the break.

 The second half was a much better performance with Tommy Lyons finding plenty of space and getting the team on the front foot. Having just finished a meat pie, Tyler Allen came off the bench and put the team 2-0 up with a good finish at the second attempt. Another substitute Bailey Appo then got on the score sheet beating the keeper with a great finish from the edge of the penalty area. The game was wrapped up by Hazza Wills who slotted home after great work from Mitch Wood down the left.

 Coach Powell reflected “It was certainly a game of two halves, but very pleasing to get the result against a tricky opponent.”

1st Grade 9 - 1 win 

A sensational team performance from our first-grade squad. Our possession through the thirds was brave, patient and intelligent waiting for the right moments to increase the ball speed and forward runs. We scored 3 goals before half time with some dynamic football. The opposition did score themselves after a long diagonal ball managed to find their winger who cut in and buried it was a good finish. 

3-1 at half time and the message was more of the same, get on the ball and play. An early goal in the second half saw the opposition lose energy and we dominated with some exhilarating attacking play finishing the game as 9-1 victors.

Gaffa Davis said “Given the opposition hadn’t lost for 10 games this was an impressive performance. The boys can do that to anybody on their day, all they need is the belief to be brave and get on the ball. It was pleasing to see a lack of selfishness in the final third.” 

 MATCH REPORTS: 15 June 2019 

AYL Round 14: CCU v Macarthur FA

U13 5-1 Win 

CCU were looking dangerous in attack whilst in defense showed confidence and composure throughout the whole game. The first half however had the CCU team unable to find the net till the 29th minute when a chance popped up for Cooper Clark to put away. CCU went in with just that goal at the half.

Second half CCU found the goal within the opening minute of the second half thanks to Cooper Clark again they then continued to build steam with Tahj Werner scoring in the 38th minute, Callum O'Connor scoring in the 44th minute and Tahj Werner popping up in the 46th minute to also score again. Macarthur got a 58th minute consolation goal despite a great recovery effort from our last defender and goalkeeper.

Coach Fitzy reflected, "I just love when these boys can get on an attacking roll and control a game like they did today, showing great composure when playing out under pressure as well, great result".

U14 3-2 Win 

McArthur were up for this challenge you could see it straight away, our passes weren’t as crisp as McArthurs in the first 10 mins or so. We started to get our rhythm for the next 10 mins with some nice combinations through the middle and down the flanks, our playing out from the back was good when we switched sides through our keeper. You have to be brave playing out from the back and sometimes you will get caught out and the opposition capitalised from a straight ball on the 23rdminute.

1-0 Half Time.

Second half our aim was to be patient and control the tempo of the game and believe our chances would come. In 45th minute an Ethan Debono freekick resulted in an equlaiser, 1-1 game on. The game became a great contest only for McArthur to score  5 mins later with a superb strike, our keeper had no chance, 2-1 McArthur.

It wasn’t for the want of trying the boys dug deep and just when you thought the game was gone, Ethan dobono scores in the 58th minute with some individual persistence, 2-2.

McArthur kick off and the instruction was win that ball as quickly as possible, within seconds they did and it was that young man again Ethan Debono who raided the ball went towards the goal to get brought down inside the box, penalty! There couldn’t of been any more time on the clock and Ethan showed great composure to score and win the game.

Coach Chris said, “A game of highs and lows sometimes you have to go through those highs and lows to appreciate the emotions, the boys showed real character in that game and to watch them all come together when the whistle blew was a wonderful moment for these boys.”

U15 5-3 Win 

What looked like a comfortable start having been playing in the opposition half with many key attempts and most of the possession. Turns out we were our own worst enemy again. A quick turnover gives Macarthur the ball in our back third and they punish with a goal in the 16th min.  

We equalise quickly and 2 mins later Chase breaks the line and scores. A couple minutes passed and with simple play and simple touches/passes, came our 2nd goal from Ryan Richards. We go into the break 2-1 up. 

 2nd half starts and we are still slow to react to certain situations and turning the ball over with poor decision making. We get a corner and Chase whips it straight into the goal, this being his 3rd for the season from a corner. Macarthur still fighting to get back in the game get a free kick just outside the box and puts it in the back of the net. 3-2. In the 61st minute we get a penalty kick and Mitch slots it beautifully. A few minutes later we execute a corner which finds Ryan Brown at the back post who rocket homes a goal. 5-2. Macarthur score another late on but despite some jitters the boys see out the game for a 5-3 win.

 Coach Corey said, “The boys managed to get the result despite not being at their best which is the sign of a good team. We will have to improve for next weeks top of the table clash.”

U16 4 - 1 loss

After our scheduled bye from last week, I was a little concerned during the week as our preparation was lacking our normal focus. We have once again suffered injuries outside of our control to key positions, which could explain a small part of our performance on the weekend, although we won’t offer excuses but instead as we have done previously work hard and bounce back in trying to correct/improve our short falls. 

Our first half performance was as per plan, we dominated possession but lack of composure in front of goal cost us dearly, as they say “goals missed are goals against”. This would prove to be correct as on the 32nd minute we conceded a goal against the run of play but was ruled offside by the linesman, only to be overruled by the referee. Right on half time he awarded a penalty to Macarthur 0-2.

Our half time talk concentrated on getting players heads back into game after decisions by officials that rattled our players mentality. Also pointing out that we are the footballing side trying to play football and what would be important will be our reaction. 

We started off strong and we scored in the 42ndminute with a Calvin Edwards goal, making it 1-2. 4 minutes later a mix up in our defense we conceded another soft goal making it 1-3. We continued to try and play but far too much behind the play incidents continued to bother our squad. That said, they continued in a tough situation and on the 65th minute another penalty was awarded to Macarthur, this sealed 1-4 defeat. 

Coach Chopo said, “I was pleased with how we tried to execute our CCU way for the first part of the game plus the respect we showed the officials during and after the game. However, my concern and focus for next few weeks is to ensure our players understand that under any adversity which is sometimes beyond their control, the reaction we output is what will change an outcome to a positive or a negative one.” 

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 14: UNSW v CCU

U18’s 7 - 0 win 

After a disappointing loss last week, the 18s were looking to bounce back with a good performance against a strong UNSW outfit. Focusing on attacking freedom and problem solving in the final third all week at training seemed to pay off as we hit the ground running, the first half was strong and tidy with some chances for both teams but a clear gap in quality, we would head into the half with a 2 goal advantage. Going into the 2nd half there were no major changes as what we were doing was working. We had to adapt to an opposition that came out with a new defensive strategy and we began to use the middle of the park with more comfort and the goals came again. 

Coach Gomez said, “It was probably our best performance to date considering that UNSW are a strong side and you could see their quality even with the score line as it is. Some days everything goes right for you and today it was our day.”

U20’s 4 - 1 loss 

 This was always going to be a tough round and so it proved with CCU finally being beaten by a strong UNSW side. Full credit to the opposition who were first to the ball in the majority of the transition moments throughout the game. CCU found themselves up against it within the first 25 minutes with some uncharacteristically poor defending and decision making allowing the hosts to score three unanswered goals in the first half.

 In the second half a quick goal was needed with Jake Brownlow continued his fine scoring run converting a spot kick which he himself won after being brought down in the box in the 51st minute. However, with what was to be a theme of this game we gave UNSW the chance to extend their lead straight away with another defensive error and put the score line at 4-1 in favour of the hosts. The hosts went down to 10 men in the second half but although enjoying greater spells of possession we were not good enough on the day to turn this one around.

 Coach Powell said, “Although a poor performance it is hard to be too critical of this young side who have up till now been fantastic each and every week. The test of a great side is not in all the wins but how you respond in defeat. I look forward to seeing their reaction in training this week.”

1st Grade 2 - 0 win 

 An interesting start to the game with the opposition intent on protecting space in behind their line. We went behind with a serious lapse in defensive concentration, UNSW scoring a headed goal after an attacking throw-in was returned to the thrower for an unopposed cross into the six-yard box. Goals change games and we had to now be patient as UNSW were content to sit deep and counter. We managed to get an equaliser not long before half time with Alex Arbelo whipping in a dangerous near post corner that Adam Woodbine forced over the line.

The focus at half time was to increase the tempo of our performance and utilise our individual skill in the final third. We started the half much more aggressively and skipper Daniel Mcfarlane put us a head breaking the line after an Oscar Torres pass and cooly sliding past their keeper when 1 v 1. Our third game shortly after with a fine individual run from young Steen who squared to Alex Arbelo just inside the box, he delivered a quality first time finish into the top of the net. The weather then took a turn for the worse with monsoonal wind and rain making life tricky. We had to defend a barrage of high long balls into the area and contest the second ball to deny the opponent shooting opportunities. UNSW did manage to score after we failed to block several passes into dangerous areas and make the last 10 minutes of the game quite anxious. We had the opportunity to put the game to bed but couldn’t convert a late penalty and also had a goal ruled out for offside, but we successfully closed out the game.

Coach Davis said, “This was an uncharacteristic performance, quite lethargic and lacking our usual quality all over the field. However, we managed to find a way to win despite not being at our best.”

 MATCH REPORTS: 08 June 2019 

AYL Round 14: St George v CCU

U13 3-1 Win 

CCU were back at Pluim Park after a month of being everywhere else for Round 14 against St George. 

The match had CCU creating many attacking opportunities from the start which came to fruition by the 6th minute with a Tahj Werner strike flying into the goal. However, St George started to get into the game from that point and equalised in the 12th minute. With the game going back and forth between the teams Callum O'Connor took his chance in the 21st minute to put the home team ahead giving CCU the lead going into half time 2-1.

The second half was much the same back and forth from both teams having chances to add to their score but unable to take them until CCU were given a free kick in the 41st minute from an unsuspecting 35 meters out which Riley Holt floated in over the St George keepers head to extend CCU's lead to two goals. That was how it ended though with neither team being able to add to the score any further giving CCU a 3-1 victory over St George.

Coach Fitzy said, "The boys enjoyed being home again and were unfortunate not to put more on the score sheet with the chances we created, I love how they are continuing to improve each week and are always providing some great attacking football."

U14 2-0 Win 

Was nice to have a home game and we were ready for a game against St George.

From the kick off we struggled with their high press and too many turnovers in the first half. We persevered trying to control the tempo of the game and against the run of play we scored just before half time thanks to Ethan Debono, so 1-0 up at half time.

Second half we came out wanting to rectify our first half performance, it was an improvement throughout the next 30 mins. Whilst our shape with and without the ball needs to improve it was pleasing to see Euan keep up his goal scoring form and double our lead in the 52ndminute.

Coach Chris said “This was an ok performance second half but we need to play to our full level from the opening whistle.”

U15 1-1 Win 

After last week’s 1-1 draw with 10 men we were excited to be playing at home which saw us dominate the St George side. 

 What was a wet and soggy ground, proved to be just what we needed! It took the boys no time to take a corner kick exactly how we had planned and goal #1 for Ryan Brown. 4 mins later Ryan Richards found the ball at the back post for a lovely team goal! After playing with the ball and running St George down we go into the break 3-0 up thanks to another Ryan Brown goal. 2nd half starts and we didn’t take our foot off the pedal.

We get a corner and Chase decides to shoot from the corner kick. Goal! Still dominating the game, Ollie Walsh moves into the #9. He goes on and scores 2 goals within 4 mins, 6-0. With 10 minutes remaining Ryan Richards gets a 2nd goal. And within the last kick of the game Ryan Brown gets his well-deserved Hat trick!  8-0. 

 Coach Corey said’ “A massive thank you to U14s keeper Zayd he was fantastic in goals and kept a clean sheet. You should be very proud! To the 15s. You guys have outdone yourselves again. Keep up the good work.”

U16 Bye

CCU Men’s State League Round Up

Round 13: CCU v Nepean FC

U18’s 0 -1 loss 

A big game day to kick off the second round saw us playing a new look Nepean side. They came out strong and with a clear game plan to aggravate us and disrupt our play as much as possible. 

An early defensive error and some poor clearances saw a fortunate chance fall to Nepean which they capitalised on to go ahead. Shortly after a midfield contest turned nasty and we went a man down with over an hour left in the match.

Even after going down to 10 men we still looked to be the more dominant side however the final touch lacked quality and we were unable to capitalise on the multiple chances we created for ourselves. Sadly, we copped our 2nd loss of the season. 

Coach Gomez said, “There are positives to look at in the game which we dominated, and our general play was good, however football is a game of moments and those moments went against us early in the game. We will have to work towards taking our chances more consistently if we want to continue to push for the top spot.” 

U20’s 6 - 0 win 

 This was a first versus second clash with both teams sporting unbeaten records so the boys knew that they would have to be on top of their game if they wanted to continue that trend. The first half was quite an even affair with CCU just shading possession and Nepean looking dangerous on the counter at times.

The breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Mitch Wood played a great though ball to Corey Atkinson who finished with a great half volley into the bottom left hand corner. A few more half chances were created however a lack of quality in the final third was something that was to be addressed at half time.

 The second half certainly showed a cutting edge in an around the penalty area as CCU soon found themselves three up courtesy of two quick Brownlow goals after great work from Skipper Cosgrove down the right-hand side. With the back four looking commanding and offered plenty of protection from Bazza, Liam Broughton was able to take control and moving the ball around the park.  The boys continued to press and create openings with three more goals added through Caisley, Hazza and Atkinson completing his brace. 

 Coach Powell said, “The boys really stood up today and what a second half performance they put on. As always, I was delighted with a clean sheet against a dangerous opponent.”

1st Grade 2 - 0 win 

 Sometimes the bye week can be your friend other times is can halt momentum. In our case it was the latter in regard to the first half against a decent opponent. We looked a yard off the pace and were challenged by their high intensity pressing game. Although we did have a couple of clear opportunities to score, we were happy to be in the sheds 0-0 at half time.

The opening 15 minutes of the second half we were much energised and skipper McFarlane broke the deadlock with a long-range strike too powerful for the Nepean keeper to stop. This took the wind out of our opponents sails and we doubled the lead quickly after with a great whipped in corner from Alex Arbelo that Scotty McGinley headed in. The remainder of the half saw several clear openings squandered, a combination of execution and decision making but this gave Nepean a sniff and our goal keeper and two centre backs did an outstanding job of protecting the lead.

Coach Davis said, “A great result against a good opposition and very pleased to get the clean sheet.”

 MATCH REPORTS: 01 June 2019 

AYL Round 13: AYL Gladesville Hornsby v CCU

U13 3-1 Win 

Round 13 had CCU on the road again this time at Christie Park home of the Gladesville association team which was another synthetic pitch. 

CCU got off to a great start pressuring the Gladesville side straight from their kick-off and winning the ball immediately. This pressure continued until we pressured them back to their goal in the 3rd minute leading to Rakai Cardow intercepting the ball and applying a calm finish over the keeper. The CCU boys continued this momentum looking solid and not giving Gladesville any chances striking the goal again with a James Lee double in the 13th and the 18th minute. But that was as much as they could do heading into half time 3 - 0 up and looking comfortable. 

We saw what was to come in the second half as the opposition came out firing looking to intimidate their way back into the game and pulled one back with a controversial goal that needed goal line technology to confirm it had crossed the line. This spurred somewhat of a comeback from Gladesville leading to them having dominance over the second half however they couldn't impact the score any further with CCU holding out to win the game 3-1. 

Coach Fitzy said, "Today showed how hard away games can be for the boys, somethings don’t go your way and you have to deal with that. I feel that the players resilience during the game despite all of that was quite impressive compared to some teams who even with a lead may have lost". 

U14 6-0 Win 

The opening to game was challenging with Gladesville pressing and trying to stop us from playing out from the back. Euan changed the momentum of the half capitalizing on a goalkeeping error to put is 1 up after 10 minutes. We managed to implement our own pressing game and Isaac doubled the lead after 27 minutes. 

Half time 2-0 

Early into the second half Lloyd hit a thunderbolt of a free kick that cannoned of the bar and Harrison was there to follow in the rebound and make it 3-0. We kept going at them with attacks coming from the flanks and central, 46 mins in Ethan was looking menacing and it wouldn’t take long before he finally put his first away to make it 4-0. The boys were on fire now and it didn’t stop there, Gladesville couldn’t cope with our persistence to win the ball and counter, another charge forward from Ethan and he would secure his second goal in the 50th min, and 4 mins after that Logan Sayer would be in the box to secure our final goal and a comprehensive 6-0 win. 

Coach Chris said “A fantastic display from the boys who for 45 mins dominated this game. The boys too strong on the day they showed real character and determination, a fantastic team effort.” 

U15 1-1 Win 

Our third away game in just 4 weeks. It’s always a tough time playing away from home and having won our previous 4 games in a row, I think this game got to the boys. Credit to GHFC, they were a tough team and never gave up!  

First half - Not our greatest half of football the lads not winning 1st or second balls. Everyone looking off by two or three steps. Plays that normally work weren’t working.  Several chances went begging just before half time.     

Half time 0-0.  

After an intense half time talk and rev up with the boys, we knew we could play better, and we also knew how to fix the problems we were facing. Within 3 mins of kick off Rhys Owen showed great determination following a goalmouth scramble from a corner. 

We were our own worst enemy shortly after and Gladesville equalised with their first shot on target. Our heads dropped after this and it seemed like the boys were doing everything right except for finding the back of the net. In the final minute our keeper was sent off due to preventing a clear goal scoring opportunity as the last man.  

Coach Atkinson said “We escaped a loss thanks to a few inches when that free kick hit the post late on but we must be more clinical in the final third and communicate more effectively in future.” 

U16 5-1 Win 

I was looking forward to this game as I’m a big believer, that a defeat is a valuable step in the development journey for a player or coach as a win or a draw is. I said in last week’s report that we would dust ourselves off, work hard and, hopefully put in an improved performance which, the squad did just that.  

From the outset it was obvious that we came to play as we dominated the game for 98% of the time. Our relentless pressing in recapturing the ball in Gladesville half at will caused Gladesville to panic and, in minute 14 we got our reward which, Luke Dargan pounced on the loose ball to put us 0-1 up. We continued to dominate but credit to Gladesville they were awarded a corner in their first venture into our half in the 20th Minute to equalize. We did not change a thing and continued to play our game, then in the 35th minute we were awarded a penalty which Luke Dragan took to takes us to the sheds leading 1-2.  

Our half time chat was purely a reminder of the lessons of last week’s second half performance as we needed to remain focus, continuing with our game plan.  

The boys did just that and, minute 39 Jack O’Callaghan would cleverly give us a 1-3 lead which, within two minutes later minute 41 Calvin would finish off a great move which started back on our half 1-4. A further minute later on minute 42 Jack O’Callaghan would get his brace with a deceptive run into the box beating players to seal our victory with a dominant 1-5 score line  

Coach Chopo praised his side “To say that I was pleased with the boys reaction to last week set back is an understatement. They showed character to work hard during training and put in a performance in pressing/recapturing the ball in attacking areas which was close to perfection, which we must now continue to build on it”  

CCU Men’s State League Round 11 Bye 

U18’s Bye 

U20’s Bye 

1st Grade Bye 

MATCH REPORTS: 25 May 2019 

AYL Round 12: CCU v Manly Warringah FA

 U13 2-1 Loss

Round 12 had CCU at Manly on their sleek and newest synthetic pitch which would mean a faster moving ball throughout the entire match.

CCU seemed to take to the quicker ball speed early creating some good attacking opportunities and breaking the deadlock 10 minutes in with Callum O'Connor pouncing on a keeper error. We then had a bit of back and forth between the teams, but the scores didn't change giving CCU a half time lead.

Manly came out a changed side in the second half creating more chances and seemingly having now adjusted to the pace of the ball leaving CCU on the back foot more often. It took it's toll with Manly scoring in the 43rd minute and then again in the 53rd minute. Despite a CCU resurgence they couldn't find the back of the net in the final 7 minutes leaving the final score at Manly 2 - CCU 1.

Coach Fitzy said "We had a good first half to the game but turned the ball over too frequently in the second half. Even then I feel we still could have levelled the score late on, it's just things didn't go our way today in front of goal."

 U14 2-1 Win

CCU travelled to manly on s bright sunny day. 

The whistle blew and off we went, a good positive start and we were looking threatening. Euan raided the ball and took it down the right flank with a neat cross to Kaiden, who struck it perfectly into the net, once again these two combining well with a finish on goal, 1-0 up.

14 minutes in and Manly drew level from a corner, an unchallenged header flying in.

The second half was a battle with a lot of contested possession and towards the end of the second half Liam won the ball from a high press and the shot was to hot to handle for the goalkeeper giving us a 1 goal advantage.

Coach Chris said, “We were by far the stronger team and more technical, but we can be our worst enemy at times with constant turnovers, especially in dangerous areas, on the positive side the boys dug deep and we more than deserved the win.”

U15 6-1 Win

We travel down to Manly on a perfect day for some football. Once again, the boys improved in training leading up to the game and we executed everything we had planned to do!

The boys started strong and didn’t allow Manly to play out from the back and we took control. We rarely left their half and could have had a couple of goals early on but it was in the 21st min that birthday boy Ryan Brown struck the net with a classic volley.  

1-0 at half time.

The boys come out and perfectly executed what we talked about resulting in a Bailey Holt goal within 1 min of the half commencing, and he grabs his second, five minutes later. We stay switched on and controlling the game. Owen Bradstreet converted from a corner to extend the lead and then Mitch Wallace decides to chip the keeper instead of passing with an audacious finish. 

A lack of concentration lead to Manly scoring before Ryan Richards got our 6th with a minute to play.

A delighted coach Corey said “The boys have been improving week by week and they really impressed me all across the park this week. Massive credit to them.”  

U16 3-2 Loss

This away trip would prove to be a huge challenge for our u16s as Manly have shown to be are a tough strong physical squad and given that we are at the top of the table plus on a 5 game winning streak, we would have to be at our best mentality to come away with points from Cromer Park. 

We started strong and surprised Manly with a 30 second Sam Beatson goal which caught goalkeeper by total surprise. We continue dominating the game and that domination saw once again our top goal scorer Zac Pezutto with a clever far post run and dive to head home on the 21st minute. At the 25th minute the game changed as we suffered a serious knee injury to Sam Beatson who was causing Manly huge issues down their left side, I could see a change in our players. Minute 29 Manly pulled one back and half ended 2-1 to CCU.

Second half was a totally different game as our overall performance in all aspects of football was second best. Manly got their just rewards for their dominance in minutes 55 and 65, both goals were due to our mistakes which Manly capitalized winning 3-2. 

A disappointed coach Chopo said “Manly deserved their win for their tenacity and, willingness to fight for every ball. From our perspective it is a great lesson for our boys, that when you are at the top, there is always someone wanting to beat you and, you must be ready to play. We will regroup, dust ourselves off and get ready for next week’s away trip to Gladesville”

  Men’s State League 1 Round 10: Western Condors v CCU

U18’s 2-0 Win

Both teams came into the day knowing how important a win for either side would be in any grade. We looked to start the day strong with a solid performance with a focus on winning our battles and keeping play as simple as possible on a difficult field. The boys showed grit and determination to go into the break 1-0 up after Pat saved a penalty brilliantly and we reacted with a direct through ball leading Luke Jacobs to dribble around the keeper for an easy finish.

The second half saw Condors come out with heads high looking to get back in the game and a breakthrough run almost saw that happen if it wasn’t for a last-ditch tackle leading to a red card and putting United a man down for the last 25 minutes. This is where our character showed as the boys fought hard to keep the lead and after some scrappy play in the defensive third, we were able to counter with Jack Driscoll chipping the keeper to seal the win for the boys.

Coach Gomez said “Conditions were tough and the boys had to fight for everything all day but the character shown is great to see from a coaching point of view because it got us over the line.”

U20’s 2-0 Win

This game started with a bang, Tyler Allen scoring in the opening minutes with a technically perfect left footed volley in second phase from a corner. The remainder of the half was a case of wasted opportunities when we really should have extended our lead on several occasions, but it wasn’t to be, and we went in at half time 1 up.

The second half became a real arm wrestle and we played into their hands trying to play out on a difficult surface. One of the more bizarre things seen on a football pitch saw Jack Graham receiving a second yellow and sent off for taking his shin pads off whilst leaving the field as a substitute. In a real show of character, the boys not only managed to keep a clean sheet with 10 men but actually extend the lead with Jake Brownlow putting in a huge shift as one up top assisting Tyler Allen to get his and United’s second for the game.

With Coach Powell on FNSW Coaching duties stand in coach Davis said, “Tremendous unity from the boys, including the bench when we went down to ten men got us over the line. Sometimes you have to win ugly away from home and hopefully it’s a lesson learned regarding what half of the field we want to play in on a difficult surface.:”

1st Grade 4-1 Win

A cagey start to the game with not many clear-cut opportunities for either side until a fine delivery from an Adam Woodbine corner was headed in by skipper McFarlane mid-way through the half. Whilst we had the advantage on the scoreboard, we were not in control of the ball for long enough periods to sustain pressure, but we managed to get into the break 1 up.

The second half we managed to address a couple of areas of improvement and we were immediately on the front foot with the front three running riot. Steen got a double and the game was over as a contest before substitute Tommy Lyons added a goal with 10 minutes remaining. Condors did score late on but there was not enough time to mount any realistic comeback.

Coach Davis said, “A very pleasing day for the club at a notoriously difficult venue to get points. It was important for us to go into the bye round with a win to keep the momentum going.”

MATCH REPORTS: 18 May 2019 

AYL Round 11: CCU v Southern Districts FA

U13 12-1 Win

Another set of unforeseen events had us at home but not at Pluim again to verse Southern Districts this time playing at Budgewoi Soccer Club.The change in venue didn't worry the CCU boys with it only taking 38 seconds to start the scoring spree that would occur. Despite conceding in the 8th minute the CCU boys asserted their dominance on the game creating numerous opportunities and by the end of the first half they had 4 goals on the board with 4 different scorers.

The second half had the flood gates open up as CCU continued to dominate proceeding to put 8 goals in the back of the net.

Coach Fitzy was quoted as saying "Great play from the boys today creating so many chances to score with many of our goals being team goals too. I hope they can carry todays ability to find the net into the tighter fixtures.”

U14 4-0 Win

After last week’s game against Sutherland the squad were feeling very positive and focused. We started well, high pressing and the desire to win the ball was great. In the 5th minute some individual brilliance from Rohan lead to our first clear cut goal scoring opportunity. We broke the deadlock in the 11th minute with some great persistence from Euan, playing into Ethan who feed Isaac for a superbly worked goal. In the 14th minute Ethan went from provider to scorer, doubling our lead. The boys remained in charge and Kaiden Robertson made it 3-0 before half time.

Second half Southern came out pressing high, our bravery playing out was tested but we persisted to do so rather than play it long, credit to Southern to press us continuously.

Our 4th goal would come in the 39th min from Liam Mccaig, with a superb strike 4 to the good and that would be the final score.

Coach Chris said, “The last 20 mins became an arm wrestle at times but looking on the positive side of that, we kept a clean sheet and I am very proud of the boys.”

U15 3-1 Win

A home game played on a wet Budgewoi ground was always going to be interesting.

Coming off the back of two impressive wins, the lads were looking to continue their style of play. We started the first half slowly making a few errors which luckily weren’t taken by Southern players. Half way through the first half on comes substitute Chase, with his first touch of the game comes our first goal. 1-0. We now start to control and manage the game like we knew we could. In the 25th minute Ryan Brown enters the game and also makes a positive impact with a lovely header within a minute of going on to give us a 2-0 half time lead.

2nd half starts and we’re dominate from the whistle. A Bailey Holt cross finds Ryan Brown on the back stick for a beautiful volley which sees us go 3-0 up. We remained in control of the game having most of the possession but couldn’t find the back of the net squandering several clear opportunities. Southern find a goal from a scrambled cross but we remain calm and see the game out with a gritty but confident win.

Coach Atkinson said, “A learning from this game is to start as we mean to go on but I was delighted with the positive impact made by the players that started on the bench.”

U16 2-0 Win

Interesting game for the 16s this week. Lots of clubs that we come across all follow the FFA National Curriculum formation 4-3-3 but not Southern districts, they played a traditional 4-4-2 formation. This created a few problems for us early doors, Southern were very direct in their approach. They moved the ball forward as quickly as they could which put us under a lot of pressure in our back 3rd. However Peter Karipidis and CB partner Alex Cochrane-Smith both stood up to the challenge and were able to nullify the direct approach from Southern. A superb solo strike from Liam Sterrett gave us a deserved 1 0 lead at half time.

The 2nd half was pretty much the same as the first, southern very physical and direct with their approach but our boys matched them in the battle. Once they won the battle, it allowed players like Talen Green and Luke Dargan to get on the ball and create plenty of scoring opportunities for our front players. Substitute Jack O’Callaghan came on and scored his first goal to make it 2-0 which gave the boys a much deserved win.

Stand in Coach Crowell said “Top performance from everyone involved today, sometimes you find yourself in games where you have to do the dirty things well before you can play. The boys did that, then they let their footballing abilities do the rest. Talen Green was superb in midfield, very calm and composed on the ball. Someone for us to keep an eye on in the years to come”

Men’s State League Round 9: CCU v Hurstville FC

U18’s 1-0 Win

Another game and we start to see a trend of teams setting up to block us out of the game. Ball speed seemed to be our greatest enemy as we made our own problems throughout the entirety of the game. Hurstville were physical and aggressive looking to break up play and catch us on the break as much as possible. With players being shifted around due to injury the 18s had to adapt quickly and fight hard all game but got a well-deserved 1-0 win constructed through some beautiful build up play on the right side resulting in a cross to the far post finding Alan in space with an open net.

Coach Gomez said “I’m happy with the boys for digging in and getting a hard earned result, however ball speed and patterns of play will need to be better if this is the opposition trend we are going to see for the remainder of the season.”

U20’s 3-1 Win

This was a top versus bottom clash which can always present problems, so the message given was to remain focused with no room for complacency. Hurstville started well and pressed the boys around the park giving us little time on ball. After the opening 10 minutes the boys started to get into the game and move the ball around looking for openings in the final third. The breakthrough came on 15 minutes when a good free kick by Mitch Woods was headed in by skipper Tyson Cosgrove. Soon after, good work down the left by Woodsy allowed Jake Brownlow to poke the ball past the keeper. 10 minutes later Brownlow was once again on the score sheet when he beat the left back and slotted past the keeper after an excellent pass from Luke Sanders.

In the second half there was some great midfield combination play with Cayleb Murray consistently finding room in the pockets and a combination of good saves from the Hurstville keeper and poor finishing meant that we did not add to our tally after halftime. The last goal of the game was scored by Hurstville in the final 5 minutes.

Coach Powell said “Another good result with some pleasing attacking play from the boys but how we did not score in the second half I will never know. With several changes to the starting line up the attitude remained positive and demonstration our #oneclub mentality!”

1st Grade 5-1 Win

Our best start to a game all season seeing us go two goals up in the first ten minutes against a shell shocked Hurtsville FC. The front 3 of McFarlane, Steen and Woodbine combining with speed and quality to set a great platform for the half. Although Hurstville regained some controlled possession throughout the half, they didn’t really create many clear-cut opportunities with set pieces being their main danger. Just before half time the key moment of the match happened with their keeper being dismissed for a professional foul handball outside the area denying a clear goal scoring chance. Scott McGinely produced a freakish piece of skill from a Woodbine free kick right on half time, scorpion kicking a right footed effort into the corner of the net.

The second half started perfectly with another goal from the kicked off, a sequence of passes moving from one side to the other and Woodbine was the fox in the box to finish the square ball. There was an even more spectacular goal to come with Graham “Hammerfoot” Toope scoring from 35 meters with a thunderous effort the keeper couldn’t keep out of the top corner. Hurstville scored late on with a shot that apparently defied the laws of physics and we ran out with a comfortable win albeit against 10men for 50minutes.

Coach Davis said, “There was a really calm feeling within the playing group before the game and a sense that a big performance was on the cards. The fantastic start set the platform for the rest of the game and I was pleased with our desire to keep playing football against the block defence once they went down to 10 men.”

Yuki Morikawa and Luke Sanders Join #theGraveyard for 2019

Central Coast United is delighted to announce the signings of Luke Sanders and Yuki Morikawa. The two additions will further strengthen the senior squad with the new season just around the corner starting on the 23rd of March. 

Head Coach Stuart Davis is looking forward to working with his new signings

On Yuki-San Davis said “Yuki-San is a highly mobile midfield player that is able to break up play and bring others into the game adding some balance to the team. He has lived on the Central Coast for nearly two years now and played for Gosford City last season making him eligible for our club and we couldn’t be happier”

“Sando has a strong representative junior pedigree and represented NSW and Australia in Futsal. Most recently he has played for Gosford City in the local MPL but after spending time focusing on his family feels he is ready to commit to representative football again. He has size and strength to compliment his technical ability and I believe he can play a crucial role for the squad this season.” 

Please extend a warm welcome to both Luke and Yuki-San.

#OneClub