Round 12 - Bulleen

A great match today against Bulleen at the Veneto Club. Both sides looked good in their warm up's but it was Box Hill who drew first blood after Carlo headed in a cross from Jesse. The young Kangaroos had their tails up and we managed to control the majority of play with good positioning through the midfield.

Our 2nd goal was the result of a clever lofted ball from just outside the 18 yard box, Nick catching the Bulleen Keeper off his line. Bulleen responded with some strong attacks in the dying stages of the 1st half and Marcel did well to deflect an almost certain goal onto the cross bar.

2 nil at half time and Clifton was happy with the boys performance. A few positional changes were made with 4 starting players having a rest on the bench. Clifton told the boys to consider the score to be nil all and fight hard to win the ball at every challenge. We were playing a nice brand of football and we needed to keep our rhythm and continue to make Bulleen chase the ball.

The 2nd half saw a much more determined Bulleen take to the field. They were fighting harder for the ball and their game had become a lot more physical. As always Box Hill rose to the challenge and it wasn't long until Carlo managed to score his second goal for the day with a powerful strike from just inside the 18 yard box. 3 nil and it was not looking favourable for Bulleen.

However to their credit, Bulleen continued to challenge for every ball and some sloppy defence by Box Hill allowed them to move unchecked into the 6 yard box and score an easy goal. A breakdown in communication leaving a gap in our defence, which is normally water tight.

The game continued to be played physically and fast, with a few free kicks being awarded each way late in the game. Box Hill managed to sneak in a 4th goal courtesy of congestion in the 6 yard box, Jesse making no mistake with his left foot.

The score remained at 4 / 1 until the final whistle and both sides had enjoyed a very hard fought match. The mood in the change rooms after the match was very positive as we lead into the East Bentleigh Tournament on August 19th. The team luncheon in the Veneto Club Bistro was enjoyed by everyone and a fitting way to complete the afternoon.