Queens Park Lions 1 - 1 Maroubra United

MAROUBRA STUMBLE AT FINAL HURDLE

On a chilly Wednesday night and the final game of the regular season, the Green Machine had everything to play for against a Queens Park Lions team determined to finish their campaign on a high note. For Maroubra O35s, the equation was simple, a victory would leap frog the team over Redfern to secure 4th spot and a semi final clash with Waverley Old Boys.

It was time to be more adventurous and the Gaffer made a series of positional changes with a view to adding more speed down the flanks. The first half was lively and open as Maroubra were focussed on getting the ball wide to their wingers and opening up the Lions defence, while the Lions were creating several openings from a series of interchange passing through the Maroubra central midfield. 

As the seconds were running down to halftime, the Green Machine suffered a shattering blow as the Lions pierced the Maroubra defence to take a 1-0 lead. Despite the blow, Maroubra spirits remained high at half time and came out with an aggressive frame of mind for the second half and with a few positional changes taking place, the midfield started to dominate and create more running opportunities for our front line. 

With approximately 15 minutes to go, Maroubra pushed forward and through a series of passes down the left eventually found Keith in an attacking position and with defenders holding back was able to put in an audacious shot from the edge of the box which sailed over the keepers head and into the right side of the net. 

The score locked at 1-1 and the crowd swelling on the sidelines urging the side on, the boys in green pushed forward ensuring the Lions were camped in their own half but as has been the case for the second half of the season, could not find that elusive final pass in the final 3rd to reward the great lead up play. 

As a result, the final score remained 1-1 and officially ended the Maroubra juggernaut and hopes of a semi final birth. Never the less, the 2012 campaign was a rewarding and prosperous one for the team, ending the season with 28 competition points and I am sure if we can keep the team together next season we will be bigger and stronger.  

Special thanks to Glenn for making himself available to play and provide that extra firepower upfront and almost came away from the match with a goal. Thanks Glenn and good luck in the Finals Series in the O45s!!

Big thanks to Con for bringing the shirts and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

Team Sheet:
Scott, Peter, Russell, Rod, Dennis, Napoleon, Keith, Geoff, Jason, Nelson, Justin Subs: Con, Frankie, Leo, Glen

Waverley Old Boys 4 - 1 Maroubra United

Waverly Strikers give lesson in finishing

It was a cold and chilly Wednesday night more conducive to staying home by the fireplace watching the Olympics! However the Maroubra O35's were going for Gold of their own with 3 vital competition points up for grabs and one step closer to semi final football. 

Maroubra stepped out onto Coral Sea Park 1 against a strong breeze with a 4-5-1 formation with a view to strangling the Old Boys midfield out of the game. Unfortunately, Waverley were ready for the match and controlled play for long periods with excellent passing, movement off the ball and keeping our keeper Scotty on his toes by shooting from distance at any chance.   

Despite conceding an early goal, Maroubra stuck to their structure and continued to fight and as the game wore on were creating some issues for their defensive line. This was highlighted when an attacking cross down the left wing bobbled into the path of our O45's reinforcement Con to slot in the equaliser and send the Boys in Green into the break with spirits high. 

With the advantage of playing with the wind, Maroubra started the second half confidently and eager to press on and find the elusive second goal, however the Old Boys had plans of their own. After a positive opening to the second half, the Maroubra engine began to stall around the 60th minute mark as the Old Boys stepped on the gas and took control and powered away to a 4-1 final score. 

Despite the loss and 2 season proper games to go, we are still in with a hope of securing the 4th spot but will need to find the killer instinct in front of goal to give us a greater chance of doing so. 

Special thanks to our O45's reinforcements Con & Trevor for making themselves available to play for us tonight. Thanks guys, I hope you enjoyed the kick around. 

Team Sheet:
Scott, Peter, Geoff, Russell, Trevor, Frankie, Rod, Napoleon, Brett, Con G, Nelson, Subs: Con H, Jason, Leo, Dennis,

Lokomotiv Cove 0 - 1 Maroubra United

SHUT OUT KEEPS MAROUBRA TITLE HOPES ALIVE


The Green Machine had stalled in recent weeks and with our semi-finals aspirations on the line today, a victory was imperative. Maroubra entered the game with 13 players and with a few players still battling niggling injuries and no recognised goalkeeper the task was going to be a tough one against a determined Locomotiv desperate to stay in the hunt for a Semi Finals birth.

This was highlighted as both teams looked to stamp their authority on the game early with several tough tackles made and I think playing a 4-5-1 formation at the start helped us break down their options. The Maroubra defence was strong and resolute thwarting their incisive passes down the wings or through the centre and showed a great deal of composure under pressure - something that was clearly missing last week.

As the game wore on and Loco trying a variety of options to break our Wall, the pressure and frustration levels of our opposition began to build and all of a sudden they were more interested in arguing with the referee than playing the game. In total contrast, the Maroubra team was talkative, positive, reaffirming positions, marking, which was a pleasure to watch from the sideline.

In the second half, the Maroubra Team were keen to be more aggressive moving to a 442 formation with first half goalie Justin swapping with Napoleon to partner Nelson up front. The move sparked the Maroubra team into gear with Justin's height advantage causing several concerns for the Loco defence and midway through the half had broken clear from the halfway line creating a 2 on 2 situation sliding the ball to Nelson on the left who unfortunately found the keeper with his effort.

Several more chances were created in the second half with Keith instrumental in supplying some quality passes to yours truly on 2 occasions only to be thwarted by a soft shot or poor cross. The first occasion, Keith had effortlessly beat his opponent to make a strong run down the left wing and looked up to find yours truly "steaming" in at 10km an hour into the goals. The cross was pin point perfect to find the Gaffer who surprisingly controlled the cross well and unfortunately not used to such situations my attempt on goal was not one for the highlight reel.

The second occasion Loco attempted a through ball which Geoff intercepted and with great vision our media liaison officer produced a sublime pass out wide for me to run onto and play a square ball to Keith who ran at the heart of the defence and provided a return pass deep down the right wing and subsequently produce a pathetic cross...I can clearly say the footing in that area of the field was exceptionally tough to negotiate as it was deceptively flat to produce a quality cross!!


Our Goal
With the score 0-0 deep into the second half and Maroubra pushing forward, sustained pressure down the left resulted in the ball falling to Frankie near the edge of the box which he prodded forward to Justin on the right side whose shot was turned around to secure a corner.
In a scene reminiscent to a training ground drill we worked on at the start of the year, Nelson teed up the corner as the tall timber made their way into attack. Watching on from the sidelines, Nelson's cross was more like a chip shot into the green on the 18th at Moore Park Golf Course but it was a perfect cross as it found Russell to head into the right corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead.


Overall
This was indeed a team effort today and everyone contributed and played a vital part in securing the victory and I am proud of how you all handled yourselves after the game. I have spoken about the rock like defence at length, but our midfield/strikers were exceptional too working hard to get back and help our defenders when required and then to back that up and roll forward in attack.
Special thanks to Justin and Napoleon for sharing the Keeping duties today and interchanging during the game. I tip my hat to you guys for a solid effort and helping us achieve our first clean sheet of the season.

Big thanks also to Con for bringing the beers and Napoleon the shirts and as per normal Nap has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.


Well done again and enjoy the 3 points for the next couple of days as we back up against Waverley!!


Team Sheet:
Justin, Peter, Russell, Geoff, Jason, Rod, Napoleon, Keith, Leo, Brett, Nelson, Subs: Con, Frankie

Maccabi 5 - 2 Maroubra United

 

MAROUBRA ENCOUNTER SEMI FINAL YIPS

With Semi Final positions still up for grabs, it was an opportunity for the Maroubra 35s to steer the ship back on course after a disappointing draw against Pagewood B's. Despite having several personnel out and another half dozen battling injuries the Boys in Green ran out on a rain drenched Mission Field full of confidence. Despite a strong start by Maroubra, dominating possession and field position, somehow our plans were thrown into disarray quickly when Maccabi took advantage of some good fortune with 2 goals against the run of play, with the muddy goal area playing right into the home side’s hands.

With our backs to the wall, the Maroubra team dug deep and fought back strongly creating several attacking chances and felt like it was only a matter of time the green machine was going to click and get onto the scoresheet. Napoleon’s corners were causing havoc for the Maccabi defence. And that it wasn’t long with our first goal being finished off by Russell after another of Napoleons deliveries

It was now imperative to keep the momentum going and the Maroubra boys did so and just before half time parity was reached following a free kick on the edge of the box. The Maccabi wall and defensive structure were in disarray allowing our set piece specialist Rod to step up and calmly strike the ball neatly into the right hand corner of the goals....half time, 2-2 game on!!

Maroubra went into the half time break in great spirits, full of confidence but on this occasion it was our worst enemy as it broke our rhythm and run we had on the game - either that or the half time oranges shared around didn't go down too well. Despite again starting the second stanza strongly, the second half was well, not something to write home about as our ever reliable, structured and disciplined defence was placed under a barrage of counter-attacks and within a blink of an eye Maccabi had burst out to a 4-2 lead and then later put a bit more icing on the cake with another to end the game at 5-2.

We moved away from the successful policies we had implemented early in the season and that was to keep it simple, maintain a solid defensive structure, wear down the opposition and maintain our discipline. This doesn't sound spectacular and although we were not winning by big margins we were still winning because we worked hard and focussed on this strategy. We all witnessed during Round 1 how many times our opposition lost their discipline and subsequently their focus which allowed us to take advantage of this situation - our match this week was totally opposite and was like we got a taste of our own medicine.

Special thanks to our reinforcements from the O45's - Keeper John, Trevor and Jimmy for making themselves available to join in for a 9AM Sunday kick off.

Big thanks also to Geoff for bringing the shirts and beers and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

Team Sheet:
John, Dennis, Russell, Geoff, Peter, Rod, Napoleon, Keith, Jason, Wayne, Nelson, Subs: Con, Leo, Trevor, Jimmy

Pagewood B 1 - 1 Maroubra United

BOYS IN GREEN STUMBLE TO A DETERMINED PAGEWOOD B OUTFIT

With a semi final spot up for grabs, today was an opportunity to make a statement by securing 3 points and keeping the competition heavyweights in check. The Boys in Green however stumbled against a determined Pagewood B team but fortunately we were able to snatch a late equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw and a competition point which could be vital at the end of the season. 

Once again, we conceded an early goal which seems to be a regular pattern this season and I am positive this has to do with our unstructured warm up which we really need to focus on improving. I don't think we have had a strong first 20 minutes this year and this is something we need to address asap before the season slips away and it would be a refreshing change to be playing from in front early and put the pressure back on the opposition. 

Our first half was not exactly spectacular and we were hampered early with our left back Dennis trying to turn back the clock to his youth to execute an audacious back heel to Frankie. If this was performed at the Olympics, I would rate the idea a 10 but the execution a paltry 2.5 considering Dennis hobbled of with a hamstring injury...and I am certain this was karma coming back to bite him considering his midweek taunts of several players who were battling their own fitness issues. We created several chances  with Rod hitting the crossbar from a free kick and Glenn lobbing the keeper from distance which sailed wide of the right post and although we were building some momentum we were not able to sustain the pressure as we were giving away cheap position. 

Second half was better with more creativity, flair and making inroads into the Pagewood defence but once again the final pass or options in the last 3rd were coming up marginally short. Like the first half we created several chances including a shot from 30 odd yards from Geoff running on to a long throw in from Russell which gave the Pagewood Keeper heart palpitations briefly before sailing over the bar. If it did go in, it would have brought a tear to this Gaffer's eyes as it was shades of a training drill that we had worked on a few months ago. 

Our Goal:

Our goal came courtesy of another inspirational coaching move by taking yours truly off (more like crawling off) the ground to be replaced by Brett. The goal was a blur to me from distance as i was gasping for air but all I saw was a swarm of bodies around the goal line with the ball bouncing around like a pinball machine. Nevertheless, Brett "the poacher" Tennant was on hand to tuck home the ball into the ol' onion bag on the last kick of the day to deflate the Pagewood B team and potentially re-invigorate the Boys in Green for another tilt for a semi final spot. 

Special thanks to Glenn from the 45A's for making himself available and for his contribution and was not far off from scoring a goal as well - Thanks Glenn! Also special mention to our walking wounded including Nelson who was struggling with the flu but kept running until the end, Justin for his determination and fighting a troublesome calf injury (if i am correct?), Keith with his dodgy hamstring and Napoleon with his niggling ankle injury working overtime in midfield, Scottie still going strong in goals with a knee injury came up with a string of fine saves to keep us in the game, Dennis for his cameo performance before injuring his hammy.....actually I better stop as this is getting depressing - probably best to talk about the players that are NOT carrying an injury!! 

 

Is there anyone not injured??

Big thanks also to Russell for bringing the shirts and beers and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

As for this Wednesday, there is training so please make the effort to be there at 6.30pm so we can have a good workout. 

Team Sheet:

Scott, Dennis, Rod, Geoff, Jason, Frankie, Napoleon, Keith, Frank, Glenn, Nelson, Subs: Con, Leo, Russell, Brett

Maroubra United V Queens Park R (Forfeit)

With School holidays in full swing and a number of players away, Maroubra could not field a side. The plan was to borrow some Over 45s but their game was changed back to 3pm at the last minute so they were unavailable.
The sensible decision was made to forfeit and not play 9 starting players including some carrying injuries.

Maroubra United 1 - 3 Redfern Raiders

On a Sunny Winters afternoon, we rocked up at Coral Sea for the afternoon kickoff

Being short a few players, the Over45s who had a bye, volunteered to take up the challenge.

At the kickoff Redfern only had 10 players on the pitch, allowing Maroubra to dominate the early exchanges but it wasn’t long until their reinforcements arrived.

Maroubra managed to get a few early shots in but none were on target so the keeper remained untested. From the 20 minute mark, Redfern were starting to dominate and it took a number of last ditch challenges to keep them at bay.

They took the lead when their influential midfielder (Jonas) took a shot from the left of the area through a crowned defence, deflecting and ending up in the far corner.

Soon after Maroubra won a corner which was perfectly floated in and Russell beat the defence to get to the dropping ball, unfortunately the Sun temperately blinded him. He still made a good contact with his shot just scrapped the top of the bar and over. A Let off for Redfern.

At half time the talk was about raising our intensity and winning the 50-50s but it was only 10 minutes into the second half when big Jonas made another powerful run and blasted the ball from 25 yards, swerving violently and nestling in the top left corner of the goal, unstoppable.

Redfern were on top now but we still managed to win some freekicks and mount the odd solid attack, one of them resulting in Nelson chipping the keeper on his line, 1-2.

The Redfern defence were now taking no chances and smashing every ball clear while their midfield (with Snoopdog back from a 6 week layoff) were now dominating.

Eventually a throughball over the central defence allowed the Redfern striker to finished it all off. 1-3.

There were a number of yellow cards in the second half as Redfern played to the limit of the laws at times but they were deserved winners on the day.

However, we did manage to keep the Falcon off the scoresheet for once!

Thanks to Tom for the beers and who needs to submit his player votes which was no easy task today (maybe start with -10 and work back to see who is left!!)

Special Thanks to the Over45s for helping us out on the day. 

Well, the season is really hotting up now with Pagewood A on a winning streak and Waverly with 3 catchup games to schedule. Maroubra need to refocus and push for that finals berth – Squeaky Bum Time!

Team Sheet:

John, Jason, Dennis, Russell, Rod, Keith, Napoleon, Wayne, Tom, Nelson, Scott Subs: Frank, Yossie, Stan, Joel

Coogee United 1 - 2 Maroubra United

On a cold blustery Winters morning, the team kitted out for battle at Heffron 5.

From inspection of the surface it was apparent that Coogee had given the groundsmen a week or two off. There was a cross wind and Rod tested it out with ball holding up in the breeze.

Tom commented that the pitch was fairly short and set off in a jog stepping it out – this was by far the most vigorous  warmup any of us has seen from Tom to date!

Soft Rod continued to moan about the cold and Uncle Wayne had his green thermals on for added insulation (some Government scheme for the elderly I think!).

Finally the game got underway with Coogee kicking off. The initial skirmishes were fairly even with Keith and Nap doing well in midfield and Geoff and Rod cleaning up any attacks with ease.

After approx 20 minutes, The Coogee left midfielder found some space wide on the left between Russel and Frank and lofted a cross to no one in particular, no danger here…. However the high cross was held up in the wind and slowly started to drop beyond Scott and crept inside the far post. 1–0 to Coogee.

Well this brought the Green Machine to life and slowly started to turn the screw. A number of solid attacks were mounted, the best of which was a beautiful curled shot by Keith from outside the box which just went the wrong side of the post (yeah – cross wind again!)

It wasn’t long after when another period of sustained pressure bore fruit from a Russel throw in behind the defence, Tom got on the end of it in the corner beating one with a cheeky inward chip.
He's 3rd touch to beat the last defender was too long for him,
thankfully Keith was steaming in for the tap in from 1 metre out.
1-1 and Game On!

The half time whistle brought a welcomed break, no major changes required, just more of the same.

Maroubra kicked off for the second half and Tom’s strenuous warm up wasn’t in vein as he decided to test the daydreaming Coogee keeper, telling Nelson to tip it a couple of metres in front and then leg it for goal. The shot was on target, dipping furiously and all the the keeper could do was block it in front for the onrushing Nelson to smash home, 2-1 and Coogee heads visibly dropped

Everything was going through the Coogee number 11 and he did manage the odd shot from distance under pressure but nothing on target. Maroubra were guilty of over committing at times and conceded a number of corners. One of these resulted in a clearance falling to a Coogee player on the edge of the box who smashed it towards the corner of the goal beyond Scotts reach, however, Frankie has maintained his position at the near post, soaring a good couple of inches off the ground to head clear and maintain the slim advantage. Unfortunately Keith had to go off injured but hopefully its not too serious.

Coogee did manage some periods of possession but didn’t create much. It didn’t help that their striker had gone home in a huff (at least he left the ball behind!)

Big thanks also to Keith for bringing the shirts and beers today and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

Well done all and enjoy another well earned 3 points

Team Sheet:

Scott, Jason, Dennis, Russell, Geoff, Rod, Keith, Napoleon, Frank, Tom, Nelson, Subs: Con, Brett,Wayne

Look forward to reading and hearing your thoughts and comments.

Pagewood "A" 3 - 0 Maroubra United

Greek Gods conspire against Maroubra

With barely 10 fit players available for duty it was never going to be an easy task but with Pagewood Over 45s game being cancelled and Pagewood B forfeiting, the A's went from being short on numbers to having 16 available.

We had much discussion before the game on how to set ourselves up and went for 4-4-1 with Wayne upfront.

We played a very disciplined first half but unfortunately were behind due to two power shots from the edge of the box which Scottie could do nothing about. Scottie also kept us in it with some excellent saves.


The half time talk was all about playing more football and not just sitting back as much. Wayne and Con also swapped positions. Also Pagewood tried to add another player but Wayne shut that down as he wasn’t on the match sheet.


The second half was textbook how to play with ten men with Rod and Keith dominating midfield and great teamwork across the pitch, especially Pete overlapping down the right wing.

As expected the Pagewood players were more interested in getting themselves on the scoresheet than passing and wasted any opportunities that came their way.

We forced a couple of corners and generally spent a lot more time in their half but unfortunately failed to make the breakthrough. The team structure was excellent, we shut down their midfield and we were regularly driving them backwards with no options available to them.

It was only in the final 10 minutes with legs tiring and Justin now on one leg that they finally forced an opening and scored their third.

And that’s how it ended, a very solid and confidence inspiring performance that everyone can be proud of, it just wasn’t our day.

Special thanks to Jason for doing the jerseys and bringing the beer, unfortunately no one partook in the circumstances so we can add to our end of season stash!
Jason, please send through your player ratings to Wayne only (3-2-1)

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend everyone and let’s hope we can get the Gods back onside for future games!!!

Team Sheet:

Scott, Peter, Russell, Rod, Jason, Keith, Justin, Con, Frank, Wayne

Maroubra United 3 -1 Maccabi Hokoah

SEcond Half BlitZ destroys Maccabi hearts

Congratulations Team on an excellent 3-1 victory. Once again this was another tough game and it was great to see everyone working together to get our formation right for the second half which was undoubtedly our best of the season.

We tried out some new things today with Rod assisting Nelson upfront and while he did very well there he was definitely missed by the back four so for the second half normal service was resumed with Rod taking up his usual position in front of them and Justin moving to the right.

We were a completely different team in the second half, controlling the game and carving out a number of opportunities. The interchanges seemed to work seemlessly today with everyone knowing exactly what their job was.

Special mention to Napoleon 'The Tank' who had an awesome game & his running battle with Maccabi's top player all match (& that I think Nap enjoyed a little more than he let on!).

Also another great game by Scottie putting his body (especially his nose!) on the line and keeping us in the game!

Our Goals:

Its all a blur to me but here goes...

Hot Shot Wayne brought his shoooting boots today and got on the scoresheet not once but twice!

The first was assisted by Jason’s knockback header and Leo's pass to Wayne for him to finish with panache!

Rod’s exquisite finish from all up of 25 yards was the game turner and Maccabi heads visibly dropped after that

Wayne’s second rounded off another great move down the right wing with Nap at the heart of it  and cross from Leo which killed the game off giving us that little cushion which made all the difference for the last few minutes

Big thanks also to Pete for bringing the shirts and beers today and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

Well done all and enjoy another well earned 3 points

Team Sheet:

Scott, Jason, Geoff, Russell, Peter, Rod, Justin, Napoleon, Frank, Brett, Nelson, Subs: Wayne, Con, Leo,  Dennis

Look forward to reading and hearing your thoughts and comments.

Maroubra United 2 - 1 Lokomotiv Cove

X Factor play steals the points for Maroubra at Coral Sea

Congratulations Team on another great 2-1 victory. This was another testing challenge for us and we came through that at the end with the 3 points and as we are now into the middle part of the season, it is great to see we are winning the close matches as we continue to put the puzzle of our team together.

What do I mean by that? We have already formed a strong defensive unit and today was an opportunity to put the midfield to the test and see what our options were (which we have several). Fitting 6 or so quality midfielders into 4 positions is a difficult but a very satisfying dilemma. We need to take advantage of this and we had a good rotation going throughout the game but we also need to be careful and not get overzealous with our interchanging as there were occasions where we lost a bit of structure and players out of position.

I was however delighted with this group today including Rod, debutant Justin, Keith, Con, Brett et al and in particular Napoleon who had a strong second half (but needs to remember we are in an O35s comp so the legs are not as fast as they once were!! haha)

Having said that, one statistic that has gone unnoticed is our half by half performance. Of the 14 halves we have had to date, we have lost just 3, with 2 of them coming from the QPR match. Personally, this is a great team achievement so we are clearly doing something right as the ladder also indicates and as I mentioned above, once the pieces come together we are going to be even stronger and dare I say take this comp by storm!

Our next challenge in bringing these pieces of the puzzle together is to identify our strike weapons to support Tom and Nelson up front. I have a few ideas for the Maccabi match and at this stage i will say...Rod, we may need you to bring your shooting boots on Wednesday!

Back to the game, I thought we did quite well in patches again as our passing game is developing and strong defending as usual. As I eluded to above, we need to work on our play in the last 3rd of the field to reward the good lead up work and put a few goals away. We also lost a bit of our confidence up to half time after we conceded a goal but I was pleased at the interval there was no arguing, but lots of positive talk and communication and we got back to it and our patience and perseverance did pay off in the end.

In contrast, the Lokomotiv players started losing their cool and got frustrated which as we have seen this season is a great thing for us as we maintain our focus on the game while the opposition are more concerned about fighting with the referee (or with each other). Our success rate to date is evidence enough to see that we don't need to fall into that trap (but if you are going to, do it AFTER the game!)

I would also like to make a special note to our Keeper Scottie who had a Massimo Taibi moment but for the rest of the match kept like Petr Cech. As we all know, we don't have a specialist keeper and despite having a troublesome knee injury, Scottie has taken a hit for the team and put his hand up to take on these duties and pulled off some great saves today and kept us in the game. Great effort Scottie!!!

Our Goals:

Our first goal came courtesy of the penalty spot with the Lokomotiv defender clearly handling the ball. On this occasion, there was no desperate attempts from our starting central defender (Geoff) to take out our specialist penalty taker. Rod collected the ball and placed it at the spot and was ready to go until the ref decided to do a bit of gardening and move the ball - I was not a happy camper that he was messing with the artists work. Needless to say, Rod tucked the ball away to the keepers left to take us to a 1-0 lead.

And what about our second goal? At the start of the year, I mentioned Jason could well be our X Factor in the big games and today he lived up to that billing. With the game seemingly headed for a draw, it was time to try something different which led to this week's Inspirational Coaching Move* to bring Jason on to right midfield. With our last attack of the day, Jason made a great attacking run deep down the right to get what appeared to be a great cross for our attackers to latch onto but the keeper was in all sorts with one eye on the ball and the other on the oncoming traffic, he misjudged the trajectory as the ball floated over his head before nestling into the side netting .

Big thanks also to Frankie for bringing the shirts and beers today and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

As for this Wednesday, we are scheduled to play Maccabi and at this stage it is on with a kick off time more than likely at 7pm. Please standby for more information on this closer to the day.

Well done all and enjoy the 3 points this week

Team Sheet:

Scott, Jason, Geoff, Russell, Peter, Rod, Justin, Napoleon, Frank, Tom, Wayne, Subs: Con, Leo, Keith, Dennis, Brett

Look forward to reading and hearing your thoughts and comments.

* In consultation with Frankie and Dennis

Leo

Maroubra United 2 - 1 Pagewood "B"

Gutsy Performance Downs Pagewood

Congratulations Team on another great victory against a determined Pagewood B Team. Today was going to be a test of character for us to see how we would back up after a loss and i thought we came through brilliantly so well done all!!

Once again, the victory was built on another strong defensive effort but more importantly we are continuing to develop our passing game which is improving each game so let’s keep that going.

Today was truly a team effort (including Tom for his 2 minute cameo appearance), the determination and desire to win was there and this was evident with the ferocious tackling and creativity often posing plenty of questions for their defenders especially in the second half.

As the game was slipping away for Pagewood, their stress levels increased with several players visibly not happy with what was happening. Our ability to frustrate teams out of the game, while we keep our cool is a great asset so let’s remember this when the opposition try to wind us up in tight matches - let’s keep our cool and stick to our simple structures and plans which are working.

Special thanks to Keeper John for making himself available at the 11th hour to replace an injured Scottie ( personally i think Scottie was concerned of the potential backlash he may have received from his midweek comment about the gaffer's playing ability !! :) ) Anyway, John has been a colossus in his 2 matches for us and on both occasions was 10 minutes away from getting a clean sheet - thanks John!!

Also like to thank Yoshi and Bernie from the O45 teams for coming along to offer their support on the sidelines during the game. We are always happy to accommodate them in our team when required so thank you for your continued support and it is great to know that you are there to offer your services when required.

Our Goals:

We scored 2 top shelf goals today. Our first was a wonderfully taken free kick from Keith - curling the ball around the well-built wall while the keeper was left stranded on the spot admiring the view as the ball was coming his way. Needless to say, the Maroubra supporters were in raptures not only applauding the skill and technique of the goal but several of the players on the sidelines started shouting "Bend it Like Keith".

Our second came from an inspirational coaching masterstroke* to switch Peter to right back from left back at the start of the game. With our attacking free kick, Rod stepped up to drive a rocket into the Pagewood wall which deflected to yours truly only to strike it again into the Pagewood defender. 

The ball deflected into the path of Peter who took control of the ball and struck an audacious shot that at first appeared to be heading for the trees but as the ball approached the posts, the keeper back peddled and clutching at thin air to make a save, was beaten as the ball hit the back of the net. To say Peter was delighted is an understatement and as I was the first to help him celebrate his wonder strike, Peter came up with a hug that I think broke a few of my ribs!! As a result, I will be forwarding this week's medical bill to Peter as I will be checking to see if my ribs are still intact.... 

Big thanks also to Napoleon for bringing the shirts and beers today and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

Training is on Wednesday so please make the effort to be there at 6:30pm or text Wayne or me if you are not available.

Well done all and enjoy the 3 points this week.....

Team Sheet:

John, Dennis, Geoff, Russell, Peter, Rod, Keith, Wayne, Frank, Nelson, Napoleon, Subs: Jason, Con, Leo, Tom

Look forward to reading and hearing your thoughts and comments.

* Based on feedback from Peter and Dennis

Leo

Maroubra United 1 - 4 Queens Park Rangers

The Streak had to End...

The streak unfortunately has come to an end but we came up against a strong QPR side in today's top of the table clash and I am slightly disappointed as this result was not the birthday present I was looking for and secondly, this has probably knocked me out of any chance I had of taking over the Barcelona Managerial role!! 

QPR played very well today and although they managed to comfortably win 4-1 in the end, we fought hard and we should not be disheartened with the result as 2 of their goals were from penalties, a well taken free kick and the 4th goal was in the last minute of the game as we pushed forward in search of a goal.   

Despite the loss, I believe we learnt alot out of this game. For one, high balls against a tall team and giving them free headers doesn't work and secondly we looked good with our short passing and not panicking under pressure which we need to do more consistently rather than in patches. There is plenty of talent, skill and depth in this team and it will be only a matter of time (sooner rather than later) of getting the right attacking combinations and partnerships going so plenty for me to think about this week.

As for our goal, for a moment I thought I was watching a replay of Cisse's goal against Chelsea midweek.  Our sharpshooter Tom shooting from distance (I don't recall how far out but I dare say this may vary depending on the amount of alcohol consumed) found the top left hand corner of the goal leaving a hapless keeper clutching at thin air. This takes Tom's tally to 7 for the season and was unfortunate not to be on 8 following a curling free kick that was this time deflected by an outstretched diving keeper. 

Special thanks to Scott today for putting his hand up for the Goalkeeping duties with a bung knee. It was a tough day at the office, and I hope you are not discouraged by the result especially as they were awarded 2 gifts to score....

  

Big thanks also to Rod for bringing the shirts and beers today and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

Training is on Wednesday so please make the effort to be there at 6:30pm or text either Wayne or me if you are not available.

Team Sheet:

Scott, Dennis, Geoff, Russell, Jason, Rod, Frank, Keith, Wayne, Nelson, Tom. Subs: Con, Napoleon, Peter

Look forward to reading and hearing your thoughts and comments. 

Leo

Redfern Raiders 1 - 2 Maroubra United

Great Wall of Maroubra Repels Redfern Raids to Snatch Victory 2-1

Team,

Fantastic result today, another hard fought victory against a formidable opposition and you should all be proud of your efforts not only in this game but for the whole month where we have gone through undefeated. That may not sound like much so early in the season, but considering we have taken points of 2 of the best sides in the comp, it has laid the foundations for a potentially great season and if we can get our full compliment out there, then anything is possible. 

Today's victory undoubtedly was built on our strong defence as we repelled Redfern's numerous raids throughout the game and when we had the opportunity, we pounced as was evidenced with our first goal.

Our depleted midfield was once again under the pump but i was extremely pleased with all the contributors, thwarting their attacking midfielders as much as possible. It was great to see the return of Keith who added a great deal of mungrel and control in the midfield, however one other player that was brilliant in midfield today was Frankie.

During the week, we discussed Redfern's attacking threats consisting of "Collosus" and "El Diablo" so who better was there to cut them down than the pint sized (i am not talking about beer yet) Frankie who kept nagging away and creating a nuisance of himself, slowing down play and winning crucial tackles.

I was also pleased with how we kept to our pre game and half time plans. At the start of the game we talked about how we needed to fix our first 20 minutes and we did that really well and then at half time i set the challenge of not losing this game so we can go through the month without a loss and earn the tag of "April Champions".

It appears you guys are thriving on these challenges as 90% of the time we have achieved those targets that either myself or the team have talked about so i will be looking to keep that going throughout the season if necessary.

Moving to the goals....a defence splitting pass from Dennis through the middle found Tom who then started on one of his "rampaging" runs down the middle to subsequently find himself one on one with the keeper. After picking his spot, Birthday Boy Tom calmly stroked the ball past the keeper diving to his right to put us in the unusual position of leading 1-0.

Our second goal came courtesy of the penalty spot. Once it was awarded, our pre-season penalty selection (Rod) was on hand to take the spot kick but no one noticed (except me) that as Rod was jogging up to take the spot kick, his centre back partner clip Rod's heels forcing him to stumble to the ground - Rod's centre back partner shall remain nameless but i think it was his attempt to regain the penalty taking duties!! **just joking**

Big thanks goes to our unsung heroes - the O45s reinforcements in Keeper John, Joel, Stan, Marj and another cameo appearance from Jimmy late in the game. Well done fellas, your assistance and support is most appreciated indeed!!

Also like to thank Con for bringing the shirts and beers today and as per normal has the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes - good luck Con on working that out today. When you have done so, please email our Team Auditor Wayne only to keep record.

Training is on Wednesday so please make the effort to be there at 6:30pm or text either Wayne or me if you are not available.

Well done all and enjoy the 3 points this week.......

Team Sheet:

John, Dennis, Geoff, Rod, Jason, Frank, Keith, Wayne, Brett, Con, Tom. Subs: Marj, Joel, Stan, Jimmy, Napoleon

Leo

Maroubra United 5 - 3 Coogee United

Goal Scoring Feast Secures First Up Win For MUFC O35s

Congratulations team on a hard fought victory, the first of what I envisage will be many for this year. I see today's come from behind 5-3 victory as a game that we can reflect on to gain not only confidence but self belief that no matter what the situation is we can compete, score goals and rise against whatever the opposition can throw at us.

What can I say about the game? The first 20 minutes I am sure everyone will agree was not the most comfortable and I for one was almost reaching for the blood pressure tablets. Personally, I believe this was due to not having a proper pre-game preparation of warming up as we were not switched on early but again this is something we can discuss and work on over time.

As for the rest of the game, I was delighted with how we fought back. Despite being 2-1 down, everyone got on with the game, no one argued and re-applied themselves and backed each other. As I eluded to above, this is something we need to bottle so when we face these situations in the future we can draw on that experience and rise against the challenge. What is even more encouraging was the fact we learnt from last week's game where we were leading at half time, but this week we did not go into our shells, we backed ourselves and kept attacking and this eventually paid dividends.

It appears the Motivational clips that Frankie and I have added to the Blogspot recently are already reaping some rewards!!

I was very happy to see us playing a more attacking game today. Our previous results were built on a strong defence and although Coogee put 3 past us, 2 of them were very early on and although they tested us throughout the game, the backline was solid so well done to all of you that filled in those areas. Special note has to go to Jason Liao (the player I had dubbed in the player profiles in my original blog as our X Factor in the tight matches) for his tireless defensive work on the left and right back, thwarting their wingers from supplying crosses.

As for the goals, they were all a blur for me so I will let you the team, through the comments section to talk about them but I know Nelson and Steve scored goals while Tom had a "quiet day at the office" with a poultry 3 goals. Having said that, Tom has already shattered last year's Golden Boot record of 3 goals with a season tally to date of 5 goals and after striking up a formidable partnership with Nelson today up front, and with our midfield trio to return, I dare say we may need to hire a statistician to keep up with the goal tallies.

Special thanks to our O45s reinforcements in Steve and Marj  who worked tirelessly in midfield today and Jimmy for his cameo appearance late in the game - thanks boys. Marj, your second half effort was fantastic and provided some much needed starch in the midfield to break up their options and Steve - well done and congratulations for scoring our first goal.

Big thanks to Scott for the beers and shirts this week and as mentioned, you have the difficult task of selecting the 3,2,1 Players Player of the Year votes

Lastly, as many of you may have noticed I, along with Assistant Peter, were working overtime in the second half - most notably my sideline comments, motivation, subs, tactical and positional changes so if I got offside with anyone during this period I apologise (but get used to it haha) as I was trying to get the right structure for us to secure the 3 points. Having said that, if I do lose my voice at any stage of the season I will be forwarding all medical bills to the team for reimbursement!!

Well done all and enjoy the 3 points this week...

Team Sheet:

Scott, Frank, Dennis, Geoff, Jason, Brett, Rod, Steve (1), Wayne, Tom(3), Con. Subs: Nelson (1), Marj

We have a special training session planned on Wednesday. We will be training or having a kick around with the O45s teams starting at 2pm with a BBQ planned at 4pm so see you all there at Coral Sea. 

Leo

Maroubra United 1 - 1 Queens Park Lions

MUFC grind out draw at Coral Sea

Well it felt like Christmas would arrive before we played our second comp game after the extended break due to Easter but it finally arrived and we were within 10 minutes of recording our first victory of the season, but nevertheless a 1-1 draw was a satisfactory result.

Our first half was superb, we were all over Queens Park as we defended well and created several chances and unfortunate not to have put more than 1 goal away but the goal we did get through Tom was well - almost like poetry in motion!! We will need to look at ways to exploit Tom's ability to beat his defender as he did this with ridiculous ease on some occasions - I think we may need to look at providing him with a speedy partner to work off him and now that we should have our full complement of midfielders coming back I may revert back to a conventional 4-4-2 structure.

The half time break appeared to have suited Queens Park more than us, as we went into our shells and let them control the second half with their long ball play which tired us out. Our defence however, held up strongly against their countless attacks and it was unfortunate we lost half of our "Bash Brother" Partnership in Peter (who was working tireless in defence) before succumbing to a hamstring injury... Team, I tried everything to get him back on even saying "its just a hamstring...you have another one!" but unfortunately that didn't work.....just joking Peter!! 

Special mention also has to go to our fill in keeper Russell who was immense in goals with a string of fine saves that are generally reserved for the English Premier League and it took a quality strike to beat him in the end.

Special thanks also goes to our re-enforcements in Terry, Kevin and Alex for backing up from their respective matches to help out. All 3 provided an important contribution to the game and Kevin almost got onto the scoresheet for us if it was not for a brilliant one handed (dare i say flukey) save from their keeper.

Also like to thank Dennis for supplying the beer yesterday and as the supplier you will need to send through your Players Player of the Year 3,2,1 votes directly to our Manager/Auditor Wayne only to keep the tally.

Team Sheet:

Russell, Peter, Dennis, Geoff, Frankie, Jason, Scott, Rod, Alex, Wayne, Tom. Subs: Nelson, Terry, Kevin

Lastly, training is definitely on this Wednesday so please make the effort to be there at 6:30pm or text either me or Wayne if you are not available.

Thank you everyone!

Leo 

Maroubra United 1 - 1 Pagewood Botany "A"

If you were to read the newspapers, it was to be a game that Pagewood only had to rock up, go through the motions and take home the 3 points. However you shouldn't believe everything you read and today's 1-1 result was a fantastic result for us and you all should be proud of your efforts.

I was particularly impressed with our defence today and our 2 volunteer keepers Wayne and Scott did a very good job with some fine saves. At the start of the game, I set a target/challenge to keep Pagewood scoreless at halftime and although they sneaked one in, it was late in the half and in the end we did manage to keep them scoreless in the second half so well done!!

The midfield and attackers worked overtime today and really let the opposition know they were going to be in for a fight and they got one. Not only did they stifle their attacking options with some perfectly timed tackles and intercepts but fought fire with fire in creating several chances of our own and moving the ball around in style.

And what about our goal to snatch the draw. With the loose ball deep in their goal and supposedly covered by their defence, Tom was able to shake off his defender collect the loose ball and slot it past the keeper in a casual manner. Although Tom managed to get on the scoresheet, his post goal celebration left a great deal to be desired and I had to mark it 5/10 which could be costly at the end of the season if we have a tied Golden Boot Award.

However one match doesn't make a season, this is only the beginning and we still have a lot of work to do but it is a great start so enjoy your rest and see you all at Wednesday training for a 6.30pm start for another jam packed schedule of exciting drills!!

Lastly, I need to confirm if all you guys are happy to chip in for a Players Player of the Year Award (see opening blog below). If so, I will commence the voting as I brought the beers today with my 3,2,1 which is not an easy task today.

Thanks for your support,

Leo.

2012 Squad

Maroubra United FC 35 Squad

With the countdown to the first game well and truly on, it is time to meet our squad. 

Wayne “Robocop” Hillier

      Season 3 campaigner and Manager, Wayne is our Team veteran bringing a great deal of experience and versatility to the side. Managing a star studded side is never an easy task but I have a great deal of confidence in Wayne to do this with his eyes closed. As we have yet to appoint a Team Accountant, Wayne will also ensure we abide by the ESFA Salary Cap restrictions and keep us away from the back pages of the Daily Telegraph.

Peter “The Axe” Kerras

      Joins Maroubra United FC this year and from what I have seen, I think we have found our axeman who will take no prisoners when it comes to defending. This was highlighted during the recent Canterbury trial game where Peter produced a perfectly timed sliding tackle that sent his opponent into the next suburb – I think he shit his pants!

Dennis “The Silent Assassin” Cardakaris

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year, Dennis goes about his work quietly until an attacker gets in his way and I consider he (along with Peter) will form a solid tag team partnership known as the “Bash Brothers” in defence.

Russell Thiering

      Season 2 campaigner, Russell gave up a lucrative NBA contract with the LA Lakers to resign with Maroubra FC 35s this year and we are delighted to have him on board. Aside from his speed and technical skill, Russell will no doubt offer a great deal of aerial strike power from set pieces and general play.

Geoff Sirmai

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s and I would like to formally confirm and congratulate Geoff on his appointment as our Media Liaison Officer so if anyone from our team is approached for an interview from the press, please see Geoff first.

Scott Swan

      Season 2 campaigner, bringing raw speed that can operate on both flanks or up front. This was highlighted in a game last year where we were playing on Coral Sea Field 1. Scotty collected the ball deep in the left defensive pocket and ran down the touch line, evading defenders before cutting in and curling a right foot shot passed the goalkeeper…problem is he scored a goal for the opposition team playing on Coral Sea Field 2!! We will work on that Scotty….

Frankie Moran

      Season 2 campaigner and newly appointed Senior Social Events Co-Ordinator and blog guru. Frankie has a great work ethic on the field and is a great team player and if he can score goals like he drinks beer, we are going to lead the goal scoring charts for all Maroubra teams this year!

Brett Tennant

      Season 2 campaigner, Brett is a wily, crafty and deceptive attacking player who almost took out the Golden Boot award last year with his 2 goals…yes, that is not a typo…2 goals! His sublime footwork along the touchline and crossing ability will be a key to our success.

Justin Paoloni

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year. We have sent our scouts far and wide throughout the Footballing World in search of a tough, no nonsense midfielder and have spared no expense (yes at no cost) to secure Justin’s services from abroad. 

Con Georgas

      Season 2 campaigner, Con has been appointed as the Social Events Co-Ordinator to work alongside Frankie. On the pitch, Con plays with a great deal of heart and passion and dare I say I see this will be a breakout season for him if pre-season training is anything to go by.

Jason Liao

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year and has displayed versatility playing all positions in the backline and on the flanks. Jason’s versatility may well turn out to provide the “X” factor the side requires in the big matches.

Tom Psaradellis

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year and will add some much needed fire power up front. Tom has some big shoes to fill by replacing our sharpshooters from last year but I have no doubt once we get combinations sorted etc, Tom will benefit and perhaps an early candidate for the Golden Boot Award?

Nelson Dueza

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year, Nelson’s pre-season has been cut short due to a hamstring injury but in his brief appearances has shown glimpses of flair and creativity that will be most useful in attack.

Rod Nedalkov

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year, Rod took to his midfield role in the Canterbury trial game like a duck to water breaking up opposition attacks and ran all day and will no doubt add a great deal of depth along the midfield and upfront when called upon.

Keith Jeffs

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year, Keith was another that excelled in the midfield role in the Canterbury trial with sublime passing and controlling the midfield and I have no doubt will be a handful for the opposition once he gets match fit.

Napoleon Perdis

      Joins Maroubra United FC O35s this year, Napoleon’s pre-season preparation has been limited but just like Tom, could be a potential candidate for the Golden Boot Award. Sportstab have yet to open a market for the Award, but when this does take place, I expect Napoleon could be the punters pick (unless the coach decides to play him in goals).