Round 1 - Whitehorse

Today was Round 1 in the 2007 Season and we were up against our old foes, Whitehorse. Last year Whitehorse caught us napping in our first encounter and we had to wait until late in the season to even the ledger. The U10 Kangaroos were not going to give Whitehorse any easy breaks today however.

Light rain was falling at Wembley Park for the first half of the match, hence the ball was skidding and difficult to control. Box Hill took early control of the game through the midfield and we were very unlucky not to have scored in the first 5 minutes of the game. Jesse took a free kick from just outside the box and sent the ball high and towards the top corner. It looked like it was going to hit the back of the net, but the WH GK pulled off a fantastic leaping save just at the last moment.

Box Hill continued to pressure WH and a series of corner kicks were delivered viciously into the goal mouth, however Box Hill failed to convert the opportunities. The best chance came when Nick managed to head the ball just over the bar. Halftime came and WH could count themselves lucky not to be 2 or 3 goals down.

Supercoach Clifton Dragon asked the boys to use the space around them and not crowd the ball. We also needed to release the ball earlier and pressure the WH defenders. The 2nd half started with Box Hill once again dominating possession and winning most of the contested balls. WH managed a couple of counter attacks along the right wing, however some long range shots were easily handled by the safe hands of Marcel.

About halfway through the 2nd half we managed to push deep into the WH defence and a nice series of passes resulted in Nick having a cracking shot from just outside the box. The ball moved like a cruise missile and slammed into the back of the net. WH seemed shocked and their heads dropped, not the best sign to give a team like Box Hill. It wasn't long before another forward assault resulted in a free kick just outside the penalty box. Jesse hit the ball with power and it bounced off a WH defender and straight into the path of Nick who took no time to knock it past the WH GK.

2 nil is how the game ended and a very deserved win for the talented Kangaroos. Some great performances around the ground today: Jordan working hard in defence with Aaron, Matty and Declan. Hamish, Charlie, Dylan and Aaron (D) all adding value through the midfield. While Carlo, Michael and Kosi managed to frustrate the WH Defenders all day.

A great start to the season for the lads and some really nice passages of play. Next week sees us away at Ashburton for Round 2.