Maccabi 4 -4 Maroubra United

8 Goal Thriller

Once again this was our yearly trek to Mission Fields and as always a number had difficulty following the clear concise directions provided by the manager.
We had a solid squad to choose from but the main issue was that there was no ref allocated due to the late
change in kickoff time.
Maccabi suggested they ref one half and we coud do the other, then their captain gave a lecture about playing fair etc.

Things started ok but after only a few minutes, a Maccabi throw in wasn't cleared and with the ball looking like going behind for a goal kick, it was flicked back in and the onrushing midfielder stabbed it home
In fairness to the ref, he came and asked Karl if the ball had gone out but no one could say for sure and the goal stood. 1-0.
After this we played a bit better and the game opened up. After half an hour, Tom received the ball on the edge of the box and took his man on who checked Toms run - foul, penalty, goal -thank you very much! 1-1.
Steve and Yoshi were now dominating the midfield and on the stroke of halftime, Steve put Tom in the clear,
leaving the defense motionless, one touch, keeper beaten and with ball rolling towards the empty net, the ref blows halftime...
Well it was now time for Maccabi to show their spirit of fair play as discussions became heated indeed.
The ref apologised, claiming he was looking at his watch and goal stood 1-2 to Maroubra, civil war averted.

The guys were now fired up and started the second half flat out. Within 10 minutes we had added another when Yoshi teased the defender one way, then the other and finished with a shot to the corner, 1-3 to Maroubra.
The next goal was going to be decisive but with our midfield now tiring, Maccabi came more into the game.
From a corner, which was half cleared, the ball fell to their player towards the back post who just stabbed it
towards the corner. However our defender on the post had vanished and the ball evaded Karls outstretched hand 2-3.
Maccabi sensed blood and started to go for it with all out attack but not always making the right options.
With 15 minutes left, a ball over the top put their pacey winger away who finished with a shot across goal in off the post 3-3.
Maroubra were now on the ropes, tanks empty wishing for the final whistle. Again Maccabi attached, this time down the left, floating in a cross that was tapped home 4-3 to the home side. Some after another attached yielded a shot on goal but this time it cannoned back off the post in to Karls arms.

Could the Green Machine rescue something for a game that seemed theirs 30 minutes earlier?
We somehow summoned enough energy for one last sortie down field. Frank received the ball and moved
forward, playing it to Tom on the left side who crossed it in, Terry gets a flick on but ball falls towards the Maccabi defender who smashes clear...... fortunately for Maroubra, his GPS had malfunctioned and he actually volley the ball to the top corner of his own net - quality finish 4-4.

And there it ended, another high scoring thriller against Maccabi with Maroubra again somehow rescuing a point.

Maroubra United 1 - 1 Pagewood2

Solid Performance

For our last home game of the season, an eager crowd had gathered well before kickoff
We were fortunate to have a number of players back from injuries as well as Pete back from his European
adventure.

The first task was to find a ref as ESFA hadn't allocated one, Frank tried the O45s who declined so things weren't looking good. Leo then had a go and found a ref from Queens Park which was a relief.

We started with our usual defense of late with a midfield trio of Rod, Steve and Yoshi, Nap right and George left, Tom up front. There was a strong crosswind and it was slightly against us in the first half.
The opening exchanges were evenly match with both teams working hard to get on top. Maroubra were putting in a very disciplined performance,neutralising any attacks that Pagewood could throw at them. At times we put together some quality flowing moves.
Midway through the half, Nap drove towards the Pagewood goal, drawing a foul right on the edge of the penalty box. Yoshi and Steve both stood over the ball and once the ref gave the ok, Yoshi bent it over the wall but unfortunately it failed to drop enough to be on target.
With the half drawing to a close drawing to a close, a Pagewood sortie to edge of the box was followed by an attempted cross, however with the strong wind assistance, the ball was swept past Karl. 0-1 at the break.

The mood was still good at the break, helped by the jelly snakes on offer.
After our sugar fix, we bounced back onto the field immediately taking the fight to Pagewood. They did however win a freekick in a good position on the edge of the box and there was concern from the sidelines. But there was no need to worry, the Pagewood player skying his shot.
I'm not sure how many snakes Kevin consumed but the guy was in hyper-mode in the second half, bombing
forward from fullback and putting in a quality pass to the back post to Terry which held up nice in the breeze as Terry rose to meet it. Unfortunately he couldn't quiet get over it to keep on target and his effort cleared the bar.
Then the ref blew and ponited to the spot for a push in the back on Terry, so upsteps Tom, short runup and bam - 1-1.
The Pagewood defender was incensed and continued to argue with the ref, it looked like he was going to talk himhelf into a red. From there on, Maroubra played some quality football, continually finding space on the flanks but clear cut chances were at a premium
We did tire in the last few minutes, allowing Pagewood a number of half chances but we hung on for a very
deserved draw - Well done everyone!

Mascot 4 - 2 Maroubra United

We certainly made things difficult for ourselves!

Due to injuries and commitments, for the second week in a row, we started the game with 10 men.
The pitch was in very poor condition, while dry, very bumpy and most of the penalty area just sand
Unfortunately it wasn't long until we conceded with Mascot pushing forward in numbers and one of
their midfielders firing home from the edge of the box with a well placed shot

After that we managed to keep them at bay with Leo joining the fray after 20 minutes and Kevin available soon after.
Jimmy and George had also come along to lend their support which was much welcomed.
The defensive structure was again working well with good communication, helping to limit the number
of Mascot chances. However the pitch helped at time with them unable to get their shots on target.
Just before halftime, Mascot worked a throw in from the right and getting in a shot which Karl blocked
but the ball landed and stopped dead in the sand, half a metre in front of Frank. He went to clear it but
his standing leg gave way in the sand and both Karl and him looked on helplessly as the ball was smashed home. 2-0 at the break.

So the break was about reorganising and have a welcomed rest.
The second half didn't start any better than the first with Mascot winning a free-kick outside the box.
Karl called for a wall but players were slow to get back allowing the Mascot player a direct shot on goal
which he capitalised on with pleasure - 3-0

We continued to soldier on, dominating the game at times while still very disciplined at the back
Again the Mascot striker was put through in a offside position and got his shot away as the ref blew and
Karl blocked the effort and picked up the ball. Ref shouts play on so Karl thumps it down field (we are now playing down the hill) over the defense, Justin runs onto it, draws the keeper and neatly slots home.
Goal stands, 3-1, Mascot incensed!
We continued to play and press with the ref affording Yoshi some special protection in the middle,
fustrating the Mascot midfielders - every time Yoshi fell over, he got a free kick :)

We were given a free kick in our own half when a mascot player handled with Rod taking the kick.
Well, what can you say, ever ambitious Rod decides to go for goal and he gets it perfect with the Goalie floundering on the sandy surface, doing his best David Seaman impersonation as the ball sails
over his head into the corner. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. 3-2.
Rods familiar howls of delight could be hear for miles around

We had a great chance to level things when Terry connected with a cross with the outside of the left
boot but unfortunately it skimmed the top of the bar
Mascot kept playing and with the Green Machine pushing for the equaliser, some holes were appearing
in defense. In the dying minutes, a good move out wide on their left and low cross allowed the fast arriving midfielder to slot home and seal the result.


On a still night you can still hear Rods howls echoing through the eastern suburbs

Maroubra United 0 - 1 Pagewood A

So Close

Between holidays and injuries, we ony had 10 players turnup for this encounter
The opposition were in no better state with also only 10 men so it was going to be a long game in the sun
We tried to raise some 45Bs but could only get Jim who had to go home to get his gear
With Karl away, Nap volunteered for Keeper duty
Also we were short of defenders so Johnny moved to CB for the first time in his career

As expected Pagewood started strongly but our organisation and commitment, along with some luck, we managed to hold them at bay for over 20 minutes
After half an hour, they finally worked an opening with their central midfielder overlapping in the corner, creating a 2v1 and allowing then to get in a low cross to the near post where their striker managed to get in front of Johnny and finish past Nap, 1-0.
We continued to play well, winning some corners which Yoshi whipped into the back post. Steve made a lunge at one of these and unfortunately pulled his hammy.

The mood was good at halftime as everyone was putting in a solid shift and working for the team.
We did tire in the second half with Steve now unable to run but still managed to create a few chances but nothing that could beat the keeper.
Maybe if we took more risks we could have got something but with their pace up front they were able to break quickly so we always had to keep defenders back
Still, we've come a long way to be able to match and contain a team of this calibre.

Maroubra United 0 - 3 Redfern Raiders

Quality finishing makes the difference

This was our fifth attempt this season to play Redfern and finally the rain Gods allowed the game to proceed.
There was concern that we would have enough players for kickoff as number were running late but everyone made it and we started with a strong side.

We started well and were passing ok despite the wet ball from the dew. Redfern were up to it and also had a solid squad. It was obvious game plan was to put the ball in front of the Falcon for him to run onto and he was caught offside a couple of times early on.
Unfortunately after les than 20 minutes, Rod jerked his back and had to go off with Jimmy coming on to hold midfield. Soon after Dennis wasn't feeling right and went off with Jimmy now moving to the back.
We had a letoff when a shot deflected off Jimmy but Karl was alert and dived full stretch to push it behind
These changes upset the side balance and a very simple through ball to the Falcon allowed him skip clear of a stationary defence and fire past Karl, 1-0.

We countinued to play reasonably well marking a number of good changes from neat passing moves but all went the wrong side of the posts. But we were now soft in defensive midfield and Refern were able to come forward on numerous occasions. We had a let-off when one of their midfielders skyed his shot from 6 yards when a goal seemed certain - kudos to Karl for standing big and not committing

At halftime we were rather relaxed and confident while the Redfern squad yelled at each other.
Redfern came out strong and again our lack of a Defensive midfielder was helping, allowing Redfern time to shoot from outside the box with one effort finally on target and skipping past Karl on the wet grass into the corner
Redfern then started to self conbust with their midfileder booked for a bad tackle and then talked himself into a red.
There was still 20 minutes left and possibly a chance to get something out of this.
Redfern pull all but one back and defended in numbers, shutting down all attacking avenues
With a few minutes left they managed another throughball to the striker who got a lucky touch to take the ball past the defender and finish 3-0

Disappointing result for a game that was evenly balanced for 60 minutes but still all to play for

Dunbar A 10 - 0 Maroubra United

Dunbar exact revenge

This was our first game at NCIE and the biggest challenge was finding out how to get in - for those who actually found the venue

With a decimated squad and one returning home to get their socks, this was always going to be a difficult fixture, especially as Dunbar were out for revenge following their defeat to us early in the season.

The game soon developed a pattern -

• Maroubra get the ball
• Maroubra then kick ball away
• Dunbar get ball
• Dunbar pass ball to player on their team (repeat)
• Dunbar score

There were only 2 exceptions to the above:
1. Ref gave Dunbar a penalty for Jimmy breathing on Dunbar player while challenging for a hearer (no one called for it)
2. A gentle backpass from Jason that caught Karl sleeping and bobbled into the top right-hand corner of the goal

Only sour point was Dunbar player elbowing Francis in the face which Ref didn't see. The Dunbar coach did come and apologise but not the offending player (whose name we won't put in print)

It was a no alcohol venue so Rod had to cart home the beers

Maroubra United 3 - 3 Maccabi

Hyper Hyper Hyper!!!

 After last weeks excellent performance against the table toppers, we were confident of getting a good result against bottom of the table Maccabi.
A scare ran through the squad prior to kick off when Napoleon who was on drinks duties rocked up without any beers!
This unsettled the squad from the off and things only worsened as their thirst grew
The defence adopted the Sieve formation allowing almost every Maccabi attack to result in an effort on goal
As always, Karls heroics between the sticks allowed us to make it to the break only 2 down.
We did have a legitimate penalty only given as a freekick as the Ref was too far removed from the play to see that
the tackle was inside the box.
For some reason, we were playing like it was the first game of preseason and unable to string any sort of move
together. We held out for 20 minutes of the second half but again seemed to kick away any moves we did put
together. It wasn't long until another basic Maccabi move resulted in their 3rd goal as our defence again got itself in
a muddle.
This did however fire up the team with both Nap and Jason finding their voices and urging the troops on
After 75 minutes, Nap reassurred everyone he would come off early and go get some beers (at least I think thats
what he said to Tom). Bouyed by this news, the team refound their enthusiam.
Maccabi now thought the game was won and relaxed. Justins presence upfront with Tom was causing problems
with his link play allowing the midfielders to play off him. Tom then received posession from Justin's flick on
(honourable mention to Den) outside the box but instead of going for goal of the season, he drove into the box to
the left, drew the keeper and deftly finished with the outside of the right boot. Belief flooded back to the side and
within minutes Steve put Tom though in the right channel who pulled out a quality finish into the far corner.
At 3-2, the Maccabi Wobbles took over with the defenders booting any ball that came in their direction to the next
suburb trying to waste as much time as possible.
By now Jason had deserted any defensive duty and was bombing down the left touchline causing mayhem and it
wasn't long until a desperate defender stuck out an arm blocking Justins cutback and the Ref pointed to the spot
or at least in its general direction (it took Tom and him a good couple of minutes to agree on its location). Then a
short run up and Smash, it was 3-all with time still on the clock!
The tinkermen on the sideline couldn't resist one more change sending on Selim to allow Nap to get the beers!
The fairytale comeback was almost completed when Selim raced through to be 1 on1 with the keeper and the 
whole ground collectively held their breaths as the moved was played out in slow motion. Selim did everything right
making a good contact and getting a solid shot on target, however kudos to the keeper who had raced off his line,
narrowing the angle sufficiently to smother the shot.
What a finish to a game that seemed all over halfway through the second half
So still all to play for with all division 2 sides evenly matched, Game On!

Congratulations needed for:
1) Part Time Assistant gaffer Rod who wasn't afraid to make the big decisions, intelligently using the bench
2) Tom, taking off the new boots and putting on the tried and trusted "goal scorers"  and for then ignoring every call to pass 3 yards and go on several overdue mazy runs finally yielding the reward.
3) Toms explanation of the 'webcam' sized beers

Team:
Karl,  Kevin, Dennis, Francis, Justin, Steve,  George, Terry, Nap, John, Tom,
Interchange:
Leo, Frank, Yoshi, Nelson, Jimmy, Jason, Selim
Out: , Pete, Rod, Keith

Pagewood 2s 1 - 0 Maroubra

Maroubra fail to make superiority pay

A 9am kickoff wasn't about to put off this dedicated bunch with close to the full squad in attendance by 8:40am.
From the off we were in control with Steve, Yoshi and Keith completely dominating the midfield, expertly flanked by Terry and John. We forced multiple corners in the first few minutes but failed to put any away. It only seemed a matter of time before something hit the back of the net with Tom getting the better of his markers. Pagewood were only making the odd foray into the Green half, most of which were easily neutralised by the Maroubra defence and anything that did get through was easily dealt with by Karl.
For all the possession, we created few clear cut chances and snatched at any that came our way so somehow we went to the break at nil all.
There wasn't much to be said apart from keep our shape and keep things going.
Pagewood introduced some of their 45s to give their weary players a break and they came more into the game.
The game was still evenly poised with 20 minutes of the second half gone when their striker was put through but was still a long way out, Rob raced back and attempted to intercept with a diving tackle which clipped the player, taking him down. As he was the last man and it was a goal scoring opportunity, the Ref followed the letter of the law and gave the red card with both sides surprised as all expected the yellow.
Maroubra regrouped, refreshened the ranks and boldly continued to hold out, even creating chances and winning corners.
With about 10 minutes left, Pagewood put together a good passing move, working the ball forward quickly to their striker on the edge of the box who took a touch and slotted in the corner, out of Karl's reach.
But it wasn't over yet, with 2 minutes to go, The Green Machine won another corner and the now weary bodies piled forward in search of redemption. The ball was expertly delivered into the six yard box and with Pagewood failing to clear, the ball broke towards the Maroubra no. 9 who managed to get a shot away but it somehow went the wrong side of the post.
The gallant greens continued to give everything but unfortunately the clock soon ran out.

Team:
Karl, Frank, Pete, Rod, Francis, Steve, Terry, Yoshi, John, Keith, Tom,

Interchange:
Leo, Dennis,Jason, George, Kevin,Nap

Out: Nelson, Jimmy, Justin, Selim

Maroubra United 1 - 5 Mascot Clowns

Scoreline misleads (a bit)

Lunch time on Mothers Day was not exactly the ideal time for an over 35s game - (thanks ESFA) but we still had 13 souls on board by kickoff with Leo arriving soon after.

From the off we seemed to be under pressure with their midfielders running at us at pace. Their first was top drawer with their right midfielder cutting in all the way from the right side line and then shooting left foot to the bottom corner, perfectly placed between the post and Karls out-stretched fingers.
We soon got our game together and after some excellent work through the middle by Keith & co was expertly finished off by Yoshi with a solid strike to the corner - 1-1.
Then their Centreback almost scored the OG of the season, deftly chipping his keeper but the ball bounced and just cleared the Mascot bar
For a few brief moments the thoughts of actually getting a result against these guys crossed our minds

Their second came from a wickedly deflected shot after a corner wasn't cleared, another from a penalty as a shot cannoned off Kevins arm when on the goal line
After that it all becomes a bit of a blur for me with the body shutting down all non-vital functions in a bid to survive but I'm told it was 1-5 at half time. Does anyone know what happened??

We had our weekly halftime talk about concentrating on our game, trying to play football, etc, etc and we boldly changed to a 4-4-2 with Yoshi moving more forward alongside Keith
Within a minute of the game resuming, our plan was bearing fruit with Mascot having not one but 2 efforts on goal.
We boldly soldiered on and finally started to play like we think we do in our heads.
Leo replaced John with Yoshi dropping deeper and Leo moving upfront
From there on, we played some really good football with a good chance falling to Keith and unmarked easy headers for both Leo and John, which neither managed to get on target - 10 pushups please boys, on second thoughts, make it 50!

After a late tacke by Selim, which he quickly apologised for, the Mascot player became aggressive and Francis quickly stepped in to defend his team-mate. With things escalating, we immediately subbed Francis, informing the Ref. The Mascot player continued to carry on and was duly booked for his foul mouthed tarade.
The odds on Francis being our first red card of the season have now shortened dramatically with some bookies suspending betting but there are still good odds to be had on a number of others

So the second half finished 0-0 which was pleasing with the Defense finally playing as a cohesive unit and great to watch, Mascot were continually caught offside and their frustration grew
Well that's the last division 1 side out of the way, onwards and upwards for the rest of the season!

Team:
Karl, Frank, Kevin,  Rod, Justin, Francis, Terry, Selim, Yoshi, John, Keith

Interchange: Leo, Pete, Dennis

Out: Tom, Nelson, George, Jimmy, Steve, Nap, Jason

Pagewood 1s 4 - 0 Maroubra United

Competition favourites show their class 

With Greek Easter upon us, there was concern that we might be low on numbers but never fear, we had a solid turnout of 16 with only Leo and George preferring the land of Nod.

Pagewood won the toss and elected to play with the breeze for the first half.
They started strongly, retaining possession and spreading the play with the boys working overtime shutting down moves
We kept them at bay for first 15 minutes and confidence was rising even though our bodies were telling us otherwise.
Karl was in fine form, making light work of anything they could throw at him and turning shots behind for corners.
From a corner, the taker move the ball approx 2 yards out from the line with no objection from the Ref who seemed to think this level of competition was beneath him. Using the breeze and his local knowledge of the ground, the taker had enough angle to shoot directly at goal, with the ball curling dangerously, deceiving everyone and ending up in the net.
Their second resulted from a crowded scramble with 4 Maroubra players around the ball but the Pagewood forward still managed to stab it home.
Maroubra rang the changes to refresh the ranks and stem the flow and things improved for us, coming more into the game.
Pagewood were still trying to work openings and from one such effort, The Refs indifference allowed their Striker from a clearly offside position to nod home.
The halftime talk was about pride and concentrating on our game.
The second half was way better for us with us keeping the ball way better and putting together a few moves however the strong Pagewood defence were quick to shutdown any openings created.
They finally scored a 4th late in the game from what at first again seemed like an offside position but unfortunately our backline had not moved out as a unit and the striker was onside.

Our second half display showed we can play disciplined football and with only 1 more division 1 side left to play (Mascot), we can make use of these learnings for the rest of the season.

Team:
Karl, Pete, Kevin,  Dennis, Rod, Francis, Terry, Steve, Yoshi, John, Tom
Interchange:
Jimmy, Frank, Nap, Jason, Selim
Out: Keith, Leo, Justin, Nelson, George,

Maroubra 1 - 3 Queens Park

New Kit fails to Inspire

The team were decked out in the full new kit for this fixture, complete with sponsorship (Many Thanks to ProTherapy)

The warmup consisted mainly of sitting around enjoying the sunshine and when the game started, this Queens Parks side quickly took control of the game, easily over-powering our midfield with their movement and work rate.

Maroubra had to work hard just to stay in the game, conceeding multiple corners. Eventually the pressure told, with their stocky full back left unmarked at the back post to head home
We did manage to put together some moves late in the half with Tom hitting the post and a couple of shots off target
Soon after they cut us to pieces through the middle, leaving their striker to tap home but he somehow skied it over the bar - so 0-1 at the break and still in with a chance
The Gatorade was put to good use to rehydrate in the heat and Leo gave a rousing team talk.

The second half started well for us with John making some great breaks down the right
Tom was put clean through and had all the time in the world to took it away but just as he was about to pull the trigger, he was blatantly taken out by a blade of grass and the ball rolled into the stationary keepers arms.
Despite this setback we keep pushing and soon after John Jimmy put George through with a delicate ball who then showed Tom how it should be done, smashing home with the keeper again staying glued to his line.

With 25 minutes left, could Maroubra stage a great escape?
Well, No - The Queens Park midfield upped it a gear and retook control.
Set pieces continued to cause issues with another corner somehow being scrambled clear but soon after yet another was finished off by the same guy with a powerful header going in off the post.

The heat was impacting us more than them as they took advantage of our substitution mix-up to quickly break and slot home their third after we lost possession in attack and had only 10 men on the pitch.
Luckily the game soon ended before our goal difference could get any worse.

So lets keep positive and work to improve at training, improve our fitness, striking up better understandings between players and of everyone's roles in the side.

Team:
Karl, Pete, Jason, Rod, Francis, Terry, Steve, George, Selim, John, Tom

Interchange:
Jimmy, Keith, Kevin,  Leo, Frank, Dennis

Out: Nap, Yoshi, Justin, Nelson

Maroubra United 4 - 3 Dunbar Rovers A

Green Machine stun Champions in 7 Goal Thriller

The Maroubra 35's returned to the winners circle following a gutsy 4-3 win over Dunbar 35-1's on a warm, sunny day at Coral Sea Park. With several stars unavailable due to annual leave and injuries we were fortunate to hand out League debuts to our new midfield "enforcer" Steve and "twinkle toes" George. 
With a tough and physical initiation to top flight football last week and a long list of unavailable players, Sportstab and several leading football analysts gave the home side little chance of victory today. A week in football however is a long time and not over-awed by our more illustrious opponents and the sizeable crowd in attendance, we started the game in a composed, relaxed manner while Dunbar were more interested in playing possession football at the back.

The deadlock was broken with a moment of brilliance down the right wing from Yoshi ducking and weaving through 2 defenders to get a cross into the box which trickled along the ground and into the path of Terry to shoot across the goalkeeper and roll into the side netting sending the Maroubra faithful into a frenzy. 1-0!
Not content with a 1-0 lead, Maroubra pushed on and were rewarded again with some great lead up work by the midfield. Steve was on hand putting Tom through one on one with his defender and as per normal, brushed him aside with ease and had enough time to drink a beer and decide where he would place the ball in the back of the net. 2-0!
Maroubra went into the halftime break leading 2-0 and in high spirits shutting out the Dunbarians with a strong and resilient defensive display.
The next 45 minutes however was going to be the acid test and an opportunity for the Green Machine to exorcise last week's second half fade with the expectation of a Dunbar fightback.

The fightback started in earnest with Dunbar winning a series of corners early on and shooting from distance with one blistering attempt which Karl was able to get a hand on to which subsequently hit the cross bar and deflect out for a corner. Within a handful of minutes later, and several players starting to fatigue from the sweltering heat, Dunbar were able to get back to 2-2.
After a lengthy spell on the bench and with Dunbar taking ascendancy of the game, it was time to re-energise the midfield with Yoshi, Steve and George introduced back into the game. The momentum quickly changed as Maroubra pressed on opening their counterparts defence with some sublime short and long passing interchanges as several opportunities from Tom, Steve and Keith unfortunately either missing their target or saved by the keeper. 

With the Dunbar defence on the back foot, Maroubra were eventually rewarded with some more enterprising play from Yoshi down the right wing, cutting inside to goal and pulling the trigger which was parried into the path of a rampaging Keith to slot the ball pass the keeper and restore the lead. 3-2! Unlike last week, the Maroubra side threw the conservative play book out the window and went for the jugular looking to kill off any chance of another Dunbar revival.
The pressure eventually was too much for the Dunbar defence and they were cut apart again with a brilliant through ball to Tom by Steve and while keeping his defender at arms length was able to chip the goalkeeper for his second goal of the game. 4-2!
Dunbar Managed to pull one back in the dying minutes but the Green Machine wasn't to be denied
A great team effort and 3 well earned points in the bag, everyone put in a solid performance and we didn't drop our bundle when they got back to 2-2.
Thanks to Terry and Yoshi for the drinks - boy, did they taste good!!

Goalscorers : Tom (2); Terry; Keith
Team: Karl, Kevin, Francis, Justin, Jason, George, Jimmy, Terry, Yoshi, Frank, Tom
Interchange: Napoleon, Steve, Keith, Peter

Maroubra United 2 - 3 Dunbar Rovers B

Dunbar's Tower of Terror steals points from gallant Maroubra

The eagerly anticipated start of the 2013 season finally got underway at Coral Sea on Sunday.
With heavy rain in the days leading up, the pitch was in remarkably good condition thanks to the excellent work of the ground staff.

With Jimmy away and cards for Steve and George failing to arrive, we had the full permissible squad of 18
players available to choose from.
Not having trained or played in 10 days, the Green Machine were sluggish out of the blocks, regretting indulging in one too many Easter eggs!

Dunbar seemed to have a height advantage in every position across the park except Keeper, which they utilised to their advantage with route 1 football and with 20 minutes gone, Maroubra found themselves behind.
Rather than loose focus this seemed to galvanise the team and with some positional changes it wasn't long until we were not only back on level terms but leading 2-1 and in command of the game.

The first was one of our typical team efforts with some solid buildup play excellently finished off by Nelson (ok, punt forward from Karl..).
The second was the opposite with Pao receiving possession in his own half and then waltzing forward as the
opposition moved to close down any passing options for him, so he just kept on going with space continuing to open up in front of him. Finally with a clear sight of goal, he let rip from 25 yards with a clean shot which landed in the left corner of the net, far from the keepers reach.

Little needed to be said at half time apart from continue what you're doing but the second half didn't go as
planned. Dunbar had regrouped and came out strongly with a very physical approach which left both Yoshi and Leo requiring medical attention within minutes of the half resuming.
They definitely managed to disrupt our game and were continually putting us under pressure at the back, eventually forcing an error allowing them to equalise.
We still manged to recreate changes with both Selim and Tom coming close and John being taken out when
leaving his marker for dead - some refs would have deemed it a red card offense!

With 10 minutes to go, Dunbar crossed high to the back cross and Karl jumped to fist to safety but the lanky
frontman rose even higher, meeting it firmly and planting it in the net.
From there is was an uphill battle and Dunbar held out until the whistle

While not an ideal start to the season, for a squad with 10 new players there were still encouraging signs and with time everyone will get more used to playing together.
All the squad put in a solid shift, interchanging well and supporting each other throughout which bodes well for the season ahead.

So lets keep positive and work to improve over the coming weeks - there's a long season ahead.
Congrats to Nelson and Pao (Justin) who are now our joint top scorers for the season!

Team:
Karl, Pete, Frank, Dennis, Rod, Francis, Terry, Selim, John, Leo,Tom

Interchange:
Nap, Jason, Nelson, Keith, Kevin, Yoshi, Justin

Out:
Jimmy, Steve, George

Maroubra United 5 - 2 Waverly Old Boys

Waverly rematch yields similar result

With a very limited pre-season, Waverly requested another game against Maroubra under lights which we were happy to oblige since it would benefit everyone.

The team had to fight their way to Coral Sea through the heavy traffic created by this interest in this game.
Would Waverly have a stronger side or a keeper even?

We had only 10 players in attendance by 7pm and Yoshi from the O45s kindly helped us out for the first half.
Playing against a strong breeze in the first half (we seemed to miss the coin toss?) we had no option but to
keep the ball on the ground and play to feet.

We started well with lots of possession with Pete playing numerous balls down the line to John, testing his fitness
levels. 20 minutes in, the cavalry had arrived allowing John a rest with Nap and Jason joining the fray and
Frank moving to right mid.
Soon after we won a corner which Nap floated in and was half cleared to Tom who smashed goalwards only
to be blocked by a player on the line, the ball fell to Frankie who intelligently smashed it at the same player,
then stuck a foot out and blocked the clearance with the ball spinning across the goal into the back of the net.
 
With Keith entering the fray, the midfield was starting to click, the ball was played forward to Tom who took a touch before smashing home from 20 yards
For the last few minutes of the half we became complacent, with some confusion over positions, Waverly got
some more possession in a forward position and pulled one back with an unchallenged shot from over 20
yards which was disappointing.

Anyway, at the break we regrouped and reorganised returning to  our usual format with Jimmy coming on at
the back, allowing Rod to move back to midfield with Nap and Keith.
With the wind at our backs it was one way traffic but sometimes it was hard to judge through-balls and a
number went for goal kicks.
Waverly did score 1 more but Tom, Rod and even Nap put the result beyond question with the Waverly
players visibly tiring and cramping. Not sure who got the assists but Leo seems to be claiming most of them!
The possession, movement and passing in the second half was excellent and we got our just rewards, putting the opposition to the sword even without our trusty Samurai.

We done guys and congrats to all the goal scorers!
Only one training session left to work on the finer points and be ready for the season kickoff on April 7th
Enjoy the Easter break and see you next Wednesday

Team:
Karl, Pete, Frank, Rod, Francis, Yoshi(O45s), George, Selim, John, Leo,Tom

Interchange:
Nap, Jimmy, Jason, Nelson, Keith,

Out: Yoshi, Justin, Terry, Kevin,Dennis

MaroubraUnited 2 -1 Camden Tigers

East beats West in Battle of the Bridge

On a beautiful Autumn afternoon with the Mercury hovering around 30C, the team returned to their spiritual
home of Coral Sea 3

Todays opposition were Camden Tigers no less, being keen followers of the Green Machine on the
blogsphere and they couldn't wait to finally meet our heros in person

We had another solid turnout with a packed bench to draw from, to be fair the bench was a bit small and
we almost had our first injury of the day when it collapsed under Jason!  

The team is starting to pick itself with everyone's roles in our 4-2-3-1 formation becoming clearer each game.
There was a delay at kickoff as we tried to locate a ref and luckily the PLR ref gave us his  assistant once we
promised to go easy on him (he said he would have just been over-ruling him anyway)!
The kid actually had a great game, very relaxed and no issues with him from either side.

We started reasonably well, taking a while to get our combinations and passing range going but slowly
started to control the game, creating a number of chances but lacking decision making with final ball.
Then after 30 minutes, the Tiger won a corner, more from our safety first approach rather than any attacking
flair on their part. A quality corner was swung in straight onto the penalty spot where their centreback  had
risen unchallenged to power home an unstoppable header.

For about 10 minutes after that, heads seem to drop with faith in our passing policy diminished, resulting in
the ball being hoofed forward at every opportunity which our forward players were not enjoying chasing in the heat.

The half time (or second quarter) break discussion was about concentrating on our passing game rather
than just trying to score at all cost.
In the 3rd and 4th quarters, the Green Machine were completely in control, creating numerous chances with shooting slowly improving but sometimes taking one touch too many

Two great goals were scored due to hard work and great movement by all involved:

1. Nelson - header from a cross by Terry following his overlapping run behind the defense.

2. Selim - Yoshi in centre mid brings ball under control, bringing the ball forward and plays through ball to Leo to slide it onto Selim who shrugs off his opponent to rifle a shot passed the keeper.

Well done guys and special mention to Selim for his tireless running which was rewarded with his first goal for us!

Overall, lots of positives but still a few things we can work on in training, such as set pieces

Team:
Karl, Frank, Dennis, Francis, Jason, Selim, Rod, Terry, Nap, John, Leo

Interchange:
Pete, Jimmy, Nelson, Yoshi

Out: Justin, Tom, Keith, Kevin

Maroubra United 0 - 0 Balmain

With two-thirds of the Management Team celebrating St Patrick's Day, several key players out injured (without calf's blood or peptides in sight), we entered the game against Balmain low on numbers with one fit reserve ready to be called upon. We also handed a Baggy Green cap to debutant Goalkeeper Karl, keen to make the number one jersey his own with local journalists on hand to analyse the rookie's performance in the custodians role.

We were lucky enough to start the game running with a gale force wind that only Captains of the Sydney - Hobart Yachts would be praying for. Balmain jumped out of the blocks with an attacking fervour but soon hit the breaks against a resilient Maroubra defence marshalled superbly by Jimmy with deputies Francis, Kevin and Dennis stamping their authority over their attacking opponents. Keeper Karl was called upon early in the game when a Balmain forward found some space at the edge of the box and not knowing who to pass to, decided to have a low shot, sending Karl diving to his left and parry the shot past the post which sent the local journalists reaching for their iPads.

After the early Balmain raids, the benefits of the strong breeze at our backs began to influence the game as we were camped in their half for 20 minutes, with the other 20 odd minutes spent retrieving the ball from the canteen and CSP1. When the ball was in play however, we did really well, patiently building up play, with our passing game showing signs of gradually coming together. We were unfortunately undone in the last third with several opportunities going wide of the mark with our best opportunity falling to our left back Dennis. After negotiating the tricky wind, Napoleon was able to swing in a corner which was headed away into the path of a rampaging Dennis who brought the ball under control, flicked it onto his "trusty" left boot and shot passed a hapless goalkeeper only to rattle the cross bar for a goalkick.

At half-time and the score at 0-0, the Balmain lads were jumping for joy thinking the second half would be easier with the wind advantage but the Maroubra reinforcements arrived with Stefano and Justin. Maroubra quickly scuppered Balmain's ideas in the second half of winning the game with Napoleon (and Rod in the first half before succumbing to injury) working tirelessly to stretch the play and the opposition down the flanks, utilising the speed and skill of John, Nelson and Selim. We created several chances again with John and Nelson having their shots saved by the keeper and Stefano with an overhead kick that narrowly floated over the cross bar and potential hamstring injury concerns alleviated.

With the game peetering out to a 0-0 draw, there were plenty of positives to take out of this game. I was extremely impressed with the attitude and commitment shown by every player and lots of positive communication which are key ingredients to forming a successful team. Despite our lack of goals there were encouraging signs and with lots of shooting practice in the coming weeks and working on combinations I am certain our fortunes in front of goal will improve.

Defensively we were strong and congratulations to Karl for keeping a clean sheet, the first of many I envisage and dare I say a smokey for the prestigious "Golden Glove Award" this year.
On the down side, we suffered a few injuries with Rod coming off at half time and Jimmy sustaining a hamstring injury but hopefully will be right to go when the competition starts in 3 weeks.   

Team: Karl, Dennis, Francis, Jimmy, Kevin, Napoleon, Rod, John, Selim, Leo, Nelson, Eddie, Justin, Stefano

Maroubra United 4 - 2 Waverly Old Boys

As the morning dew glistened across the Coral Sea pitch, the team arrived bright eyed for this 9am start.
First task for the day was to setup the field and somehow attach the nets to the new steel goal posts. The lads took the decision to start with the corner flags to build up confidence, then swiftly moved on to the crowd control barriers (critical for such a fixture).
Once completed, there was no option but to start on the nets with Terry fetching a chair to assist.
After about 10 minutes the first net was up and the lads stood back to admire their handywork - and realised it was upside down (I think) and had to do it again...
There were no issues with the second net for these now seasoned net erectors!

Todays opposition was the feared Waverly Old Boys with their lethal strike force who trashed us 4-1 last year. But with Vince moving out west and Irish Mike being deported (possibly - editorial license) they lacked numbers and a cutting edge.

We had a solid turnout including the first appearances of Keith and Nap for the season, adding some creativity to the side.With Karl unavailable, Wayne offered to go in goal for the first half.
The game was scrappy to begin with, with a lot of ping-pong soccer going on but we got an early goal through Leo. Waverly were holding on well, with us unable to control the game despite having an extra man. They managed to level after 20 minutes despite having 2 attackers against 4 defenders who were busy marking space - can and must do better lads!

As the half wore on and we made the most of our bench, keeping legs fresh, we managed to nick 2 more goals through Keith and Leo again with our passing game improving.

The half time chatter was about keeping the ball and concentrating on passing as this was a trial after all.

The second half was much better, with us putting together some lovely moves but still probably kicked the ball away more than was necessary.
Highlights included a Nelson rasper that dented the crossbar, Toms first of the season, Leo almost bagging another (if only he could jump!) and last but not least, the Waverly keeper scoring from a punt upfield with the ball bouncing over Jimmy and then our honorary keeper, Dennis, falling over as he tried to back track - it was brilliant entertainment boys - well done!

Overall, lots of positives but still a fair few things we can work on in training

Special thanks to Wayne and Jason for helping Waverly out for the second half.

Team:
Wayne, Kevin, Peter, Dennis, Francis, Selim, Rod, Terry, Keith, John, Tom

Interchange:
Jason, Frank, Nap, Yoshi, Jimmy, Nelson, Leo

Mascot Kings 2 – 0 Maroubra United

The turnstiles at Turruwul Park were spinning from the early hours on Sunday morning as the crowds gathered to watch the eagerly anticipated first outing of the season for the relentless Green Machine - Unfortunately the ground was closed

Not to be fazed by this minor setback, an alternate game was hastily arranged against Mascot for 3pm at JJ Cahill High School. However, this being an alcohol free venue, our legions of fans decided to head to the nearest RSL to watch on the Big Screen.

All available players made the effort and made it along with 4 of the O45s which were a welcomed addition with the afternoon sun.

Unfortunately news of our slick passing game had made it to Mascot and their grounds staff had been instructed to leave the meadow uncut.

The game started well for Maroubra with the Green Machine winning the right to kick-off (first victory of the season!) and already had our first shot on goal after 2 seconds with Tom trying his luck but unfortunately off target as the keeper stood watching helplessly on the edge of the box

The game started well but as time wore on, our lack of fitness became apparent against a team who already looked like they had a good month of training behind them with their movement off the ball causing issues through out.

All the new recruits acquitted themselves well and quickly started to development an understanding which can only improve over time. The Summer sun drained the legs and I think everyone got ample game time over the 90 minutes.

Some positives from the game, despite being overrun in midfield at times, they had few clear chances and we also had 10 shots on goal which isn’t a bad total at all. Unfortunately, none were on target so that can only improve….

Hope to see you all at training on Wednesday where Terry will be honing your skills through some exciting drills

If you can’t make, please take time to head to Coral Sea some evening and practice those shots – goal posts are up!

Team:

Big John (Ivanovic), Russell, Steve, Pete, Jason, John, Selim, George, Rod, Yoshi, Tom.

Interchange:

Leo, Geoff, Frank, Berneau, Stan, Jeol