Category Archives: Game Results

Well after last week’s thrilling draw with a last-minute equalizer, the Dragons came crashing back down to earth with a big thud. St Cats Red ambushed the high-flying Dragons – clipping their wings and sending them into a downward spiral that they never pulled out of, thus inflicting a substantial defeat on them.

All was not lost as there were glimpses of quite good play by the Dragons, but the St Cats defense and midfield had answers for all the questions the Dragon strikers asked of them. It was always going to be a tough challenge to topple the Furious Felines on their home ground (that has a new clubhouse midway through construction) and the result reflected this. Coach MT used a game play for the Dragons that required lots more running to the ball and competing harder for the ball than in previous matches, but unfortunately the Mad Moggies were better on the day. The Dragons are as good a TEAM as St Cats but just need more desperation for the ball and to continuously mark the opposing players tighter.

Having decided he no longer wants to be a part time goal keeper, JCP2 moved into the midfield to bolster the defensive unit and supply quality ball to the strikers. Although erratic, the ball moved from end to end and it was a good duel early. However, St Cats got into a rhythm and never got out of it. LB7 moved back from striking duties to assist the defence and HD4 was moved to striker to try and get in behind the bigger defenders. The surprise packet today was MT6 who on multiple occasions attacked the ball, dribbled the ball past defenders and showed a devil-may-care attitude while trying to get a goal or move the ball along. SF15 had a quiet first half, but after a rev-up by the coach got involved more in the second and played more like himself from previous weeks.  Keep on going you are doing great! TR11 was again at his solid best and was in the midfield to be an attacking defender.  Player of the match is just around the corner for him. Captain JL5 showed early promise but just didn’t have the speed to out-pace his opposite number.  His best game is coming up so get ready to watch him explode.

CS12 again brought a niggling injury into the game from during the week and couldn’t get out of second gear.  Hopefully his sister will keep yelling advice to him from the sidelines and a goal won’t be far away. RW3 brought some muscle to the team and tried his best to get the ball outta’ the 18 yard box.  He was unable to get any attacking chances but there is always next week. RC9 demanded to be defender again for the match and again fought hard to clear the ball out of the danger zone.  Coach MT wanted him up front for some strike power, but he wanted to stay back.  Maybe next game. JH14 started the match as striker and had some chances to break the game wide open.  Getting another yard of speed over the next few weeks will increase his game suitably and that elusive goal will be scored soon enough.  An adequate goal keeping display in the second half including a near save from a penalty capped another good game. WM13 again played his role to a tee and skirmished away as best he could.  Another sustained effort like this will get him player of the match.

Who have I forgotten?  Ummmmmm…

Oh yes, the shy and reserved AB8 who received the player of the match award, plus the Baskin Robbins voucher and Taffy the Dragon.  He was thrust into the goal keeper jersey in the first half after volunteering again this game and tried really hard.  Although there were a couple of lucky goals scored against him and a couple of good ones, the highlight was a ‘triple-save-play’ in which he defended the goals with his whole body.  Three consecutive fiery shots from the attackers ricocheted off AB8 like he was a pinball paddle pinging the silver ball away from the lose-a-turn gap on the pinball machine.  The third save in the set cannoned off his leg and went to a fellow Dragon who turned it into a counter attack opportunity.  Good work man!

Another top performance and an honourable mention to the Dragster Cheer Squad, especially the ‘Soccer Mums’ among them.  Keep it up and keep getting louder!

The second half brought more chances to score a goal for the Dragons than the first and LB7 increased his goal tally to 12 for the season five minutes after halftime with a super run and strike. Although the most fervent Blackstone supporter would have thought the match was over at halftime as the Dragons were 0-4 down, the lads didn’t stop trying and showed real character and zeal to keep on playing hard. This is what counts the most.  Heads stayed high and efforts were maintained. 

There were a few groans from the coaches’ technical area but it was only from frustration shown by Coach MT as he knows that his chargers can play better than they did today. 

Will the Dragons regain their impetus and come out firing next week? 

We will find out in seven sleeps time when the Blackstone Dragons verse the Blackstone United team.  The Local Derby!  There could be fireworks.

Oh yeah, St Cats triumphed 1-7.

The match was not a spiteful one and played in good spirit.

PS.

There was a Blackstone loyalist not happy with the loss – Coach MT had been heard saying after the game that he ‘hoped’ the new St Cats clubhouse had ‘adequate’ building specifications and approvals as he knows people in council that could make it ‘hard’ for them to ‘finish’ constructing it.  Hmmmmmmm, suspicious much?   

Please note: The author of this report cannot verify the previous statement – could be an alternative fact.

The Dragons were at home for the first time this season & were looking at putting on a display for the Blackstone faithful. Wearing the new Green alternate kit was a revelation & all players seemed to like it.  It was a striking contrast to the red of the main uniform. St. Cats are the Dragons bogey team, with limited success against all the different teams in the division, so it was time to it turnaround. Let’s skip forward to the last couple of minutes where all the action culminated. 

We will return to the rest of the match later.

What seemed like an eternity, but was only about 12 minutes of the second half, the Dragons were camped within the St Cats half & threatening the goals on nearly every opportunity they had to score. The score was 1-2 in favour of the ferocious felines. I can’t stress how many chances the Dragons squandered or were bettered by the defence. However, this just means they know how to attack & hopefully will capitalize in the matches to come. There were multiple corners, attacking throw-ins, free kicks, storming runs by the strikers & plenty of ball-in-the-air action.

LB7 had cracks to score in the second half, but couldn’t.

JH14 tried his best, but was denied a goal.

JCP2 ran all over the park but was goalless.

RW3 ran riot & booted brazenly but was also without a shot on target.

HD4 tried hard to get the ball away too.

CS12 was roving all over looking for opportunities but it wasn’t to be his day.

WM13 & MT6 scurried around the field looking to service the strikers & denying the Kitty Cats possession, but it was to no avail.

TR11, RC9 & SF15 delivered the ball with a bow on it for the strikers & mid fielders from the defensive line time & time again, but still the score remained 1-2 as it had at half time.

AB8 took the responsibility of being the goalkeeper for the second half & except for a couple of minor skirmishes within the 18 yard box, tried hard not to catch cold as the football did not penetrate much further than half way for most of the second half.

Big Up’s to AB8 – you’re a real team player!

JH14 was keeper in the first half & again did a solid job, keeping the Dragons in the match.

With time running out & the stubborn St Cats defence playing like a brick wall, it came down to a last ditch effort via an attacking corner. All Dragons moved forward in anticipation of scoring & wanting their name on the score sheet.  St Cats marked the players tightly. The ball was booted to a contested area in the 18 yard box.  It pinged and ponged, dinged & donged around many sets of feet, shins & knees like a pinball machine. Suddenly, there was a shot on goal, but the keeper had it covered…….

But no, it must have been made from kangaroo leather because it bounced awkwardly just in front of the keeper & then bobbled out of his clutching arms. That’s when JL5 – who had had a quiet game by his standards – seized the moment & out of the Lionel Messi playbook calmly swatted the ball with his right foot past the out-stretched gloves of the keeper, hitting the back of the net!  2-2. Dragons everywhere were awestruck & cheering. St Cats for flummoxed & in disbelief.  Their coach silent.

Coach T. was urging his uncustomary Green chargers back to halfway to set up for the impending kick off & hopefully another raid before the clock ticked down, because he thought the St Cats were leading 2-3 & wanted the lads to gain a draw. As the St Cats kicked off, the referee blew the whistle to end the encounter.  Coach T. was aghast at the thought of a loss. Having THEN been given the correct score of 2-2 soon after by the linesman, Coach T. then threw up his hands in relief & hugged JL5 for a miraculous goal! He did the same with AB8 & then high-fived a couple of others. The Blackstone Cheer Squad was again in full cry during the match & remain an integral part of the Dragons success… & losses.  So cheer EVEN LOUDER!  He He.

A draw, even though it’s like a hug from a koala (nice but hurts because of the long claws), was probably the most apt outcome for both teams. Dragons attacked well, but St Cats defended well. Recapping on the first half, it was a bludger of an affair: 

Illegal throw-ins; missed goal opportunities; the opposition scoring two goals; off-sides; & generally dishevelled play by all on the field. LB7 unleashed another thunderbolt to open the Dragons scoring, but was unable to hit the back of the net again after so many promising striking runs.  Better luck next time. It was a match where there were numerous contenders for the man-of-the-match, each having varying claims for the award. After much consternation, Taffy the Dragon Mascot was awarded to MT6, for giving it a good go, improving his football skills, looking to pass to others & even going deep within the St Cats territory with an epic(ish) dribbling assault, which almost resulted in a goal to JH14.

Enjoy the Baskin & Robbins ice cream, if your Dad – Coach T.- remembers to take you!

Again the back three, TR11, RC9 & SF15 were steadfast & cut down many raids. 

Great effort lads!  Time to take it to the next level.

The next match is against another St Cats team, so hopefully the Dragons can make their life difficult with a few hair balls into the back of the net & they can ring the winning bell.

As was the case the previous week, the drive out to the opposing teams home ground was delightful and the scene was set for a fantastic football fight.

Rosewood United has shown this season already that they are contenders for the finals and it was up to the Dragons to get on top of them early, keep piling the pressure on and don’t let them back in to the match. United are a well drilled team, have lots of pace and a good defensive line. 

This was demonstrated in the first 5 minutes with them scoring a good goal and looking like continuing their form through another match.  0-1. However, instead of losing confidence like the early goal did last match, the Dragons shrugged it off and played like a team again.  It was a ding-dong battle with lots of contested ball, good tackling, apt passing and of course solid goal keeping. It was quite a fast game and although not the usual end-to-end action, rather side-to-side & between the two 18 yard boxes, it was tense with all players were putting in big efforts with lots of running. Rosewood were united in their attack and defence, with the Dragons having to defuse many raids. 

JPC2 did a great job keeping in the first half but he couldn’t have done it without:

·        TR11 who was showing good pace and anticipation to negate the effect of the strikers;  

·        RC9 for booting the heck of the ball when needed & marking the strikers tightly so as they had limited chances;

·        RW3 for rolling up the sleeves and chasing the ball all day and clearing it whenever possible, plus getting close to goal on occasion;

·        HD4 for being the defensive mosquito he is – although he was playing midfield he always got back to help;

·        SF15 for another workman-like effort ranging from defence to up front – again skirmishing for the ball and trying to pass it to players in a better position

·        WM13 for having the reddest face on the team after a big effort of running for the ball, tackling and barging his way through the field – great game!

After a few failed attempts to break the United defensive line and put a good shot on goal, LB7, CS12 & JH14 finally got the better of Rosewood with a one-on-one chance for LB7 was created, with him duly slotting the ball into the back of the net.  1-1. The Blackstone faithful were full of voice now & wanting their chargers to keep bringing it. The Watts family cheerleaders definitely brought the noise and it was great to hear! All of a sudden it was like the penny had dropped for the Dragons and they started to cash-in on their chances, with great teamwork not going unnoticed by anyone which led to the next two goals that LB7 scored. Again, the ball got to him in good position and he used his speed to get in behind the defenders + beat the goal keeper.  3-1 and a second hat-trick for the season.

Half time was a welcome relief for all eleven Dragon players, as only one reserve was available for the match. 

However, that reserve had forgotten to bring his shin guards so spent the first half sitting next to Coach M in the technical area – a suitable punishment! Coach M had nothing but praise for the lads and again all were raring to go and got back on the field quickly after well-deserved hydration. As seems to be the game plan now, JCP2 came out of goals into midfield & JH14 donned the stoic orange jersey of the keeper in the second half. The shin guards turned up just as half time was over and AB8 got his chance to wreak havoc on the opposition – big thanks to the Byrne Posse for going home and retrieving the now infamous leg apparel. The second half was a carbon copy of the first and you wouldn’t know that one team was ahead by two. It was a super effort by all and the Dragons managed a clean scoring sheet in the last 20 minutes of play. The Dragons closely marked the opposition, threw the ball in down the line into attacking contests, booted the ball (finally) to the sidelines when the opposition strikers were threatening to score against them and the midfielders hassled all match.

After another run away LB7 goal, confidence was high and all Dragonians were enjoying the game, but United keep rallying and moving the ball forward, creating good play and chances.  But of course, we all knew Rosewood! 4-1. Again, for the second week in a row, HD4 showed his tenacity & grit as he was felled in a heavy collision with a United defender & had to be replaced after his already bruised leg took another hit. Coach M had to carry him off the field again to a good clap from the crowd. With about 6 minutes of play remaining, JCP2 hammered the first nail into the Rosewood coffin by chasing up the ball into the penalty box and capitalizing on a keeper error.  5-1. Rosewood keep coming & coming but the Dragons stuck strong & repelled all challenges. The final nail in the coffin was a fifth goal for you-know-who.  It was a trademark run, strike + the game was the Dragons! 

A super effort + the Dragons first win for the season was in emphatic style. 6-1.

Honourable mentions:

·        MT6 had his best game for the season with good runs forward, tight defence, lots of interaction and even a run down the sidelines;

·        AB8 after a slow start showed some desperation and was always near the ball and didn’t allow the strikers to get behind him;

·        JH14 for another good solid effort in the first half as striker with some incisive runs, some passing and then proving he is one of the best keepers in the competition with a faultless display;

·        CS12 who had the second reddest face on the pitch after a lot of running, dribbling and passing up front as he was shifted to right wing/striker, plus he played with an injured back too.

The team captain JL5 was unfortunately absent from the match as he was down the road laying down some black rubber at Willowbank in his dragster, but he would have been proud of the stand-in skipper JCP2 who won the Man-of-the-Match honours. 

He single-handedly redefined the term ‘Pocket Rocket’ and we can’t wait to see him in action again next week.

Next match is against the St Cats Black team at the Dragon’s Lair. 

Blackstone will need all their players firing on all cylinders again to compete with the top of the table team & try to reclaim some pride from last season as the Cats won all matches.

The drive out to the Kalbar Showgrounds was lovely and I believe all Dragon supporters enjoyed the pleasant open range with farm land vistas.  It’s a good location to play football. Man of the Match from last match RW3 was absent today so the Dragons needed to step up as a team to fill the void.  For the best part of the match they played some good soccer, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get the better of the Fassifern Cobras.

The match started off well enough with the prospects of a good to-and-fro battle unfolding early.  However the Cobras hit the lead with a goal after about 5 minutes. For some reason the Dragons seemed to switch off and just couldn’t find their mojo today. It was like the ball had razor blades on it and they didn’t attack it as well as they did in the first round. The snakes slithered too quick for the stuttering fire-breathers and  kept attacking with quite a few shots on goal, but stand-in keeper for the first half JPC2 did a great job at parrying the ball away and made some critical diving saves. However, with the Dragon defensive line scattered too many times and inadequate marking of players, the venom-spitters piled on the pressure and before half time, they had secured a 0-4 lead.

Unfortunately CS12 aggravated a pre-existing back injury and had to be subbed, with JH15 adding some flair.

It wasn’t all fire and brimstone from Coach M at half time but he demanded more effort from his squad – whom he knows has lots of potential with all players adding their own dynamic to the team. The lads showed enthusiasm and got back in formation on the field early to start the second half, wanting to redeem their earlier inconsistent effort. It worked and there were some good plays and challenges early. Finally, the Dragon strikers were able to find some space with some quality ball from the midfielders and booming kicks from JH14 (who was back in his familiar position of keeper for the second half), plus some good tough contests against the Cobra strikers – good work. The defenders were working overtime and matched the effort of the reptilian players who were passing the ball between each other well. HD4 stymied many Cobra attacks on goal showing grit and grunt, but it turned out to be his undoing as he came off second best during a good challenge on the biggest player on the field. The Iron Wall of Blackstone (a.k.a. HD4) did succumb to an upper leg injury and had to be replaced by CS12 who needed treatment on his back, but got back on for the boys. 

Coach M got to use the First Aid Kit for the first time this season, but luckily it was just for strapping – nothing serious.

Finally, LB7 got onto the end of a good run and blitzed the ball past the Cobra keeper. 1-4. Soon after there was a raid by JL5, JPC2 & LB7 with the latter scoring the goal.  2-4

Another brace of goals for the maverick striker – was today a hat-trick day?…….

Yes it was!………

But not until after the scaled serpents put another goal away, which meant the score went to 2-5 and then to 3-5. There was still five minutes remaining in the match and anything is possible with the Dragons. SF15 ran and ran all match contesting the ball as much as he could and his efforts were noticed by the Dragon Cheer Squad. The match quickly faded into a loss for the misfiring Winged Red Terrors of the Sky who had their wings well and truly clipped today.

A late goal for the poisonous fanger’s sealed the deal, but they deserved it.

Honorable mentions to:

·        TR11 was again valiant in defense and kicked the ball away from danger many times;  

·        RC9 for being in good position and trying to get the ball as quick as possible to the strikers;

·        WM13 for skirmishing for the ball well in the midfield;

·        JL5 for keeping the ball moving & being all over the field;

·        AB8 for chasing the ball where possible and for volunteering to be keeper when we needed one before JH14 arrived; and

·        MT6 for showing some good dribbling and getting the ball out to the strikers.

Also, an important selection was made today with JL5 being named as captain for the season.  He is a well-spoken, kind and helpful young man and the Dragons look forward to his leadership during the upcoming matches.

Not a great day for the U10 Dragons on the field and they will work harder on their skills at training next Thursday, plus lots of running drills too.

Time to rest up, treat the wounds and get the fires burning again.

After what seemed an eternity of practice; running drills; cancelled training sessions due to rain; ball skills & football chit-chat, the U10 Dragons finally got to snarl, breathe fire, stretch their wings & take flight against a formidable foe in the form of St. Cats White. Unfortunately they were not the little kittens we had hoped for & instead growled & pounced like panthers.

The match started off with a hiss & a roar (pun intended) with both teams attacking well, then defending well, then attacking well & then defending well. It seemed like it was going to be a hard fought stalemate of a match for 18 minutes of the first half – until a lapse in concentration by MT6 in his own 18 yard box turned the ball over to the St Cats Strikers & goalkeeper CS12 did not have a chance to parry away the bullet-like shot on goal. 0-1. After playing some good football for the first 20 minutes of the match & to not have a goal on the board was a bit disheartening, but the lads didn’t let it affect them & heads were held high at half time. 

All Coach M. needed to tell the lads was to ensure they booted the ball away from the goal if it got too close & show more aggression to get the ball from the opposition.  Apart from that, the basic skills were all present in their game.

The second half began quickly with a Dragon’s kick-off & within a short amount of time JPC2 & LB7 had a few chances on goal, with the latter getting the ball into the back of the net.  1-1. There were relieved faces all along the Dragons sideline of supporters & we had the belief again. Within a blink of an eye, or so it seemed, the Dragons went hard on attack deep into St Cats territory & the ball finally dribbled through he keepers legs & into the back of the net after a lot of kicking around & tough St Cats defence. LB7 picked up from where he left off last season in U9 football & had a double!  Could he convert it into a hat-trick? The following ten minutes was another see-sawing affair & both teams looked like they weren’t going to score again due to some ferocious defense & misjudged passing.  Within this period of time RW3 stood up & dropped back from his left wing to assist the back four.  A kamikaze style run & block by RW3 on a well-struck volley from a St Cats striker epitomized his all-round good performance & earned him the player of the match. 

At training Coach M. will be using him as an example for the rest of the team as to how much commitment we need to show for the remainder of the season.

With about 5 minutes left on the clock, St Cats were able to get the better of the Dragons defence, poking the ball past the goalie from within a rabble of players in the 6 yard box. 2-2. Before the start of the season proper, Coach M. promised to the Dragon faithful & players that he wouldn’t yell out from the sidelines like he did last season. However, the tension had built too much for him & he let out some – we will call them – well-directed, but encouraging thoughts to the players.  It didn’t really help but he felt better for it though. There were also moments of laughter during the game when the boys either tripped over each other or tripped up themselves while running alone or took evasive action when the ball was drilled in the direction of their head. There were chances to win the game by both teams but the killer blow couldn’t be landed. 2-2 was the final score & as much as he disdains the quote, Coach M. stated that the result was a ‘true reflection of the efforts by both teams’.

Honourable mentions to:

·        TR11 who guided the defenders well;

·        JPC2 who didn’t stop running all match; 

·        SF15 who was involved a lot in the midfield skirmishes;

·        CS12 for pushing the ball forward & playing injured;

·        WM13 who persisted with chasing the ball hard;

·        HD4 for always taking on the attackers;

·        JH14 for blazing down the sidelines & keeping the second half;

·        JL5 for keeping the ball moving & being all over the field;

·        AB8 for a solid effort & always challenging the opposition in attack & defense;

·        MT6 for not giving up & being ready to train harder on Thursday; &

·        RC9 for being stoic in defense & playing the offside rule well.

A great match today lads & by the reaction of the supporters they enjoyed it & will be back to cheer you all on again next Saturday.

On a personal note from Coach M. – thanks to the match scheduling committee for the late morning start!  Early morning kick-offs last season were not enjoyable, he he.

Our website has experienced a few difficulties over the past 4-6 weeks but we are back online. There will be a number of game post being uploaded which track the progress of our U10 team (always a fab read) and the U15/16 and Over40 game posts will pop up shortly.

Managers and coaches, if you want to upload a quick summary of your weekend game to let the rest of the Dragon community know how you are going, just shoot through an email to Richard.katt@bigpond.com and I will add it to the website. If you have photos to go with the post, send those through as well.

Check out the football boots that have just been listed for sale on our Football Boots For Sale page and pick up a bargain in time for the new season.

If you want your old boots listed, just send an email to Richard.katt@bigpond.com with the details and they will be uploaded onto the website.

This year, we are also introducing a LITTLE DRAGONS program for 3-4 year olds in 2017!! More details will be sent out soon!! 

If you would be interested in helping out with this program please email Jeremy Bruce, Club Chair.

With the 2017 season just around the corner, check out the Queensland Governments Get Started program to help with your registration fees.

Get Started Vouchers is one of the funding programs that comprise the Queensland Government’s Get in the Game initiative to support sport and active recreation at the grassroots level.

Get Started Vouchers assists children and young people who can least afford, or may otherwise benefit from, joining a sport or active recreation club. Eligible children and young people can apply for a voucher valued up to $150, which can be redeemed at our Club.

For more details, check out our Get Started page.

Another mixed bag for the mighty Dragons this weekend with only two teams left in the finals race.

Senior Women’s Division 1

Our girls took on a Raceview side desperate to spoil the party and prevent a third straight Grand Final appearance. It was a hard fought match and Blackstone booked a rematch against North Pine Baptist with a 4-0 win.

Senior Men’s Division 1

Another close match and unfortunately Raceview proved too strong for our boys to run out winners 2-1.

Make sure you come down to Redbank Plains at 5pm on Saturday to support our Senior Women’s Division 1 team as they chase a third consecutive Grand Final  win. I’m sure they will appreciate the support and it might be the difference to get them across the line.

Well, it was definitely a tough day at the office for all our Blackstone teams involved in the finals. Six games, six losses. Not a good outcome for the Club in contesting the finals race. Good news is that our Senior Men’s Division 1 and Senior Women’s Division 1 teams live to fight another day.

U9 Prelim-finals

Blackstone United suffered the first loss of the day with a 4 -0 loss to St. Catherines Blacks. Fantastic effort to make it this far into the finals and better luck next year.

U10 Prelim-finals

Blackstone United came up against the Brisbane Valley team that knocked out the Blackstone Dragons team last week. It was a tight contest and looked like it was heading for extra time when Brisbane Valley broke through to go up 2-1. Blackstone United didn’t give up and kept battling but couldn’t find the back of the net. Just before fulltime, Brisbane Valley picked up their third goal to seal the match. Great effort from a new team and they can look forward to further success next year.

U14 Semi-final

With a good start and picking up an early goal, it looked like the U14s were going to buck the trend for the juniors. Blackstone should’ve gone to a 2-0 lead with a golden opportunity missed. However, St Cats fought back with two quick goals in the first half to go into the lead 2-1. The second half was a tight contest with opportunities for both teams to score. Late in the match, a shot on goal resulted in a high bouncing ball that beat the St Cats keeper but just went over the crossbar. The score remained 2-1 at the finish of the match. Great effort for a team that finished last in Division 1 last year (after going straight from Division 3 the previous year) and they are sure to finish in the top four again next year.

Senior Women’s Division 1

This champion side took on North Pine Baptist and went down in a close match 3-2. This was their first loss for the season. They get a second chance against Raceview in the Prelim-final with 2 wins and a draw in the regular season.

Senior Women’s Division 3

After losing all three regular season rounds to St Cats, it was belief in themselves that would see Blackstone come through. After a tough battle, Blackstone went down fighting 1-0. Fantastic effort from this team of ladies and I’m sure finals will be calling again in 2017.

Senior Men’s Division 1

A close match ensued with our premier men’s side going down to Brisbane Athletic 4-3. They get a second chance against Raceview in the Prelim-final with 2 wins and a draw in the regular season.

Good luck to our remaining two teams competing in preliminary finals matches this coming weekend. If you get the chance, go and support our teams, I’m sure they will appreciate the support and it might be the difference to get them across the line.

With the season all wrapped up, a quick update on our teams efforts in the race for the finals.

U9 Semi-finals

It was a mixed bag of results with one U9 team winning (United) and one U9 team bowing out (Dragons). United now move onto the preliminary final against St. Catherines Blacks to win a place in the Grand Final.

U10 Semi-finals

Tough day at the office for both our U10 teams. Boonah proved too strong for our United team and our Dragons went down swinging against Brisbane Valley. Good news is that United live to fight another day and will take on the Brisbane Valley team that knocked out the Dragons team. Win this one and they get to take on Boonah again in the Grand Final.

U14 Semi-final

This will be a tough match against a quality St Catherines side. However, we are confident going into the match as we had a win and a draw against them in the regular season matches.

Senior Women’s Division 1

This champion side will take on North Pine Baptist in the first semi-final. Finishing first gives them two chances at making the Grand Final but I don’t reckon they will need the second game. I think they will win on Saturday and go straight through.

Senior Women’s Division 3

Surprise packet of the season in this team. Fantastic group of women who have come together to enjoy a game of football on a Saturday and now they are in the finals. Tough battle for them on Saturday against St Catherines but they have shown they have the goods to win.

Senior Men’s Division 1

Our premier men’s side wrapped up second spot on the weekend and give themselves two chances at making the Grand Final. It will be a tough game against Brisbane Athletic however there is nothing between the two teams with each having a win and the third game a draw in the regular season.

Senior Men’s Division 3

Our boys needed either a win or a draw in the final match and unfortunately came up against a Brisbane Valley side on fire. We ended up losing the match which meant a finishing spot of fifth (equal points with Beaudesert) and missing out on the finals only on goal difference.

Over 40’s Division 1

Our lads needed to win the final match of the season to book a spot in the finals. Coming into the final round with only three points separating 1st and 5th, it has been a tight race for the second half of the season. Unfortunately they could not match it against Colleges and lost the match to finish in fifth spot. It is a frustrating finish to the season as the team was in 1st place two weeks ago, finished the season with only five losses (11 wins and 2 draws) but still missed out on the finals.

Good luck our six teams competing in finals matches this coming weekend. If you get the chance, go and support our teams, I’m sure they will appreciate the support and it might be the difference to get them across the line.

We welcomed the North Lakes Mustangs to our home pitch keen for the win to seal our finals spot. We were down on numbers with the flu and other commitments only allowing a straight eleven for the game. A little bit lonely on the bench with no one to keep the coach company. We started strongly and it didn’t take long for our first goal. At the 5’mark, Amber picked up the ball in our half, played the ball to Isaak who put the ball through to Blair in behind their backline. Very familiar play here and with last week’s crossbar shot still fresh in his mind, Blair decided to keep the ball on the ground, nutmegged the keeper and opened the scoring. He was stoked to pick up his 3^rd goal of the season. We kept the pressure on for the next little while but then dropped off in intensity. North Lakes took advantage of this and one of their midfielders picked up the ball well in his own half, ran down the right wing leaving players in his wake. Despite the efforts of JB and Seth, he smashed the ball past Jonas on his near post to even up the score. At the 20’mark, Isaak delivered a corner and Jayden pounced on the loose ball and was denied a goal by a good save from their keeper. The score stayed 1 all at the half time break.

With the coach asking for more effort and desire to win the ball, we took to the field for the second half. Unfortunately, North Lakes were able to pick up their second goal not long after half time to go 2-1 up. This seemed to bring the inner dragon out in the team and they started to ratchet up the intensity. Their efforts were rewarded when Amber combined with Isaak at the 47’mark. Isaak found space at the edge of the 18 yard box and unleashed a shot that crashed into the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net. It was an absolute screamer with even the opposition coach giving it the thumbs up. This was Isaaks 14^th goal of the season and clearly our golden boot winner for the team. With the score back to 2 all, Blackstone kept the pressure on. Following a right side raid by Blair, he cut back and crossed the ball in from his left foot. Its great to see the coach’s drills and nagging starting to bear fruit with everyone coming along in using both feet. Blair’s cross found Amber unmarked and with a one touch shot, Amber slotted home the ball just inside the far post. This was Ambers first goal of the season since joining Blackstone and she enjoys the opportunity to play in the centre attacking mid role. The team were stoked to be back in the lead 3-2 with only eight minutes left to play. They held firm to close out the match and cement their place in the top four, guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals.

With only one more match for the season against Silkstone Baptist, the pressure is off. It is a rematch of the local derby and one we want to win.

Full time result Blackstone 3 defeated North Lakes Mustangs 2.

We travelled to what seems the other end of the world to take on team number one – North Pine Pythons. We were very even in our first match of the year and expected no different this time around. We spoke about being very solid in the middle and securing our finals spot with a win. The game didn’t start so well with North Pine scoring straight off the kick off and all of a sudden we were down 1 nil. We then decided to wake up and get into the game. At the 3’mark, Blair had a shot on goal saved by their keeper. We kept persevering and our efforts were rewarded when Tim set up Isaak with a lovely finish to bring the score back to 1 all. The game seesawed with opportunities available for both sides. At the 22’mark, a goal looked certain for North Pine but for a diving save from our super sub keeper Jonas. With a diving save he deflected the ball wide. At the 25’mark, Buster and Isaak combined well in the midfield to put a through ball in behind their backline for Blair to run onto. With only the keeper to beat, he blasted the ball straight over the crossbar. The ref blew for halftime and we headed for the shade. For winter, it was a hot one. We had the downhill run in the second half and we were well and truly in the match.

The game continued along the same vein as the first half. It was end to end stuff and opportunities for both sides to take the lead. North Pine ended up capitalizing on space at the top of the 18 yard box and with a pivoted shot, slotted the ball into the top right corner. North Pine into the lead 2-1. We had our opportunities but just couldn’t finish. We were also denied by a few very good saves by their keeper who is the one of the two U14 QCSA Qld keepers. He stayed in goal for the whole match with North Pine knowing they needed to be at their best to deny Blackstone a win. At the 51’mark, North Pine slotted home their 3^rd goal to seal the match. We kept pushing but could find the back of the net.

Full time result North Pine 3 defeated Blackstone 1.

Well I think we all blinked and the season has whizzed by, with Saturday the last round of regular season matches.

Without knowing the finer details of the competition it appeared the Dragons had to win Saturday’s match against Boonah to confirm a place in the upcoming finals. This will obviously be sorted out after the publishing of this report.

Travelling 42 kilometres from Blackstone to the away ground was always going to test the playing squad as it is slightly colder than their home stadium and also the concentration of 9 year-olds tends to wane after a while.

So having played and trained together for about 19 weeks, something had to give, and judging by the first half effort, the lads had regressed from a solid soccer unit from last week to 13 strangers who had watched an hour of football between them (and not the EPL or Serie A!).

Woah, why so serious – a bit harsh?!

Apologies. This reporter is still getting over the Matilda’s crushing loss to the bloody Brazilian Olympic woman’s team in a penalty shootout. Nooooooooo!

Okay, so the lads didn’t do too bad, but it was ugly.

The first half was littered with so many ‘coach-killers’: a handball, backwards passing, repeated illegal throw-ins, interceptions, walking, chatting among each other, undone shoe laces, back chat & no shots on goal, to name a few.

The first half was a tight back and forth affair and again the ball seemed to have a powerful magnet in it and all the players on the ground had steel boots. No one wanted to give themselves space (another coach-killer).  At least all the turf didn’t get cut-up I suppose.

There were no real chances by either team and both looked as out of it as each other.

As half time was approaching, the Dragons pressured the Boonah goals and were awarded a couple of repeat corners. Things started to look good.

Then, somehow, against the run of play, the yellow and blue shirts intercepted the round bouncy object and went the full length of the field, out-pacing the determined Dragon defenders and slotting the ball into the net past the out-stretched gloves of JH10 – who had a great first half as keeper.

Nil – 1 at half time and Coach Mat was not happy. He decided to not wind-up and deliver a monumental spraying to the team, whereas he let the lads discuss it within themselves to find a game plan to get the playing squad back together and to see out potentially the last 20 minutes of their season.

Tensions were high around the ground and the lads started gingerly in the second half. Both teams are quite equally matched and the majority of the game was played within the centre third of the field.

The Dragons had a couple of chances and then Boonah had a couple of chances but nothing was happening.

Then, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game and the Blackstone Cheer Posse almost exhausting itself from all the high level barracking and encouragement (que the Rocky music – dun dun nah nahhhhhhhh) the Blackstone Dragons sprouted wings, grew a spiny tail, got covered in red scales and shot fire from their mouths (among other orifices) and took flight toward the opposition goal!

The midfield delivered a great ball for LB7 to run on to and the finish was top class, beating the goalie all ends up.

Alright! Now we were talking!  This was the Dragon quality football we all knew. 1 -1.

The lads had their mojo back and got their swagger back in their play.

A draw may have been an okay result for them considering our output but the lads dug deeper and wanted to get the win. However so did Boonah and they put on a couple of good attacking raids with the Dragon defence having to be at their very best to deny them.

Birthday boy CS12 ran the fastest we’ve seen him run all season to chase down a break-away Boonah striker, then force him away from the goal and then boot the ball as far as he could to the sideline to allow the rest of the team to get back and help out.

Fortunately that was the last the Boonah players would see of action down the Dragons end of the field as the Red shirts put together some nice plays and back-and-forths.

LF5 tried hard all game and one day will have the confidence to dribble the ball on his own and hopefully score a great goal.

JT14 had a very quiet first half but came to life in the second with a couple of great corners and some good inter-passing.

JCP2 tried and tried but couldn’t break the solid Boonah defence.

CL13 had some nice touches but will need to put the rocket boots on next week to make the game his own.

JL3 was the other player of note today with another scrapping effort and he tried as hard as he could.

With the clock ticking down it was still very tight and nobody knew exactly what was going to happen, until………… Once again, you-know-who went for a gallop from 30 yards out, veered to the right of goal and even though he miss-kicked it, the ball squeezed between the goalie and the near post. Phew! Job done.  2-1

LB7 now has 17 goals for the season and has been a revelation.  The only blight on his season is that he has been unlucky to not have scored a hat-trick.  Next season for sure.

On the sounding of the referees piercing whistle to notify that the match had finished, everyone that was affiliated with Blackstone drew a great sigh of relief and thanked their God for getting the lads through the match.

Due to the indifferent performance today by the team it was tricky to pick the two best players, so it was unanimously voted by the coaching staff to award Emrys the Dragon to the Blackstone Cheer Posse for such a great effort and for being the difference between the two teams. Nice job BCP!  Great Cheering!

Coach Mat chose to save Taffy the Dragon award for next game.

All in all, another good run around for the lads and they are looking forward to what transpires during the week re: finals.

With one senior round to go, we have four teams through to U9 and U10 semi-finals, the U14’s, SW Div1 and SM Div1 locked into semi-finals and a heap of senior teams still in contention (a couple of teams are on a knife edge!).

Congratulations go to our Senior Women Div 1 team who wrapped up the Premiership last week and are currently undefeated. This now gives them three premierships in a row and adds to winning the Referee’s shield in the preseason.

The updates points tables for all teams are listed below.

U9 Division West Green Table

U9 Division West Gold Table

U10 Division West Table

U11 Division 3 Table

U12 Division 4 Table

U13 Division 2 Table

U14 Division 1 Table

SW Division 1 Table

SW Division 2 Table

SW Division 3 Table

SM Division 1 Table

SM Division 3 Table

SM Division 4 Table

O30 Division 2 Table

O40 Division 1 Table

Westminster Warriors wandered wearily westward to wage war with a wish to waylay the d’w’agons & win win win.

Were we worried?

No Way!

Blackstone beat’ em.

It was another hard fought game that was a grind to watch from the grandstand, but because the Dragons won it was worth it!

Two-nil was the final score & all players did their job.

Assistant Coach Renee H. & her coaching staff of Andrea B. did a great job with the lads at Thursday training & must have whipped them into a frenzy.

They both must have been channelling Daenerys Targaryen – the mother of dragons.

Not a bad effort girls – 45minutes coaching & one win. Maybe you two are the secret weapons for next season!

Everybody enjoyed the later start to the match at 9am & the lads looked more awake too, having had time to watch some morning cartoons or catch some Pokemon before donning the regal red & white playing strip of the Dragons.

The match started out with a bang & the ball was tooing-and-frowing between the two 18 yard boxes of the field for the first ten minutes. Both keepers were not needed. They may as well have gone to the kiosk for a snack together & discussed all matters 2016 ‘tween culture.

Eventually CL13, who stepped up again as keeper made a couple of good saves & didn’t let the Green Shirts add any goals to the scoreboard – great job!

Apart from a wayward goal kick, he impressed & the Dragons are glad to have CL13 in the #1 shirt whenever he wants it.

CL13 was ably assisted by the ever-present HD4 who is the strength behind the Iron Wall of Blackstone. Another super display of strong defending today & it assured the Dragons the ability to concentrate on attack where possible.

Emrys the Dragon will enjoy hearing about all his footballing conquests & past injuries during the week HD4. Good job!

JV9 was awarded Taffy the Dragon for his non-stop effort & for always trying hard in attack or defence. His presence on the field is not missed & is always helping the others as needed. Keep up the good work & next year will be even better than this one.

After a couple of good attacking raids by both teams, the score was still nil-nil, & it looked like that’s how the first half would end.

But, cometh-the-hour, cometh-the-man, & Mr. Reliable broke through the Warriors back-line for what seemed like the 1000th time & calmly slotted his 15th goal of the year. Too much speed is a blessing sometimes & Coach Mat is glad LB7 is the #1 striker.

With the clock winding down, JH15 went for another big run through the centre of the field & into the 18 yard box. Jinking & jiving he got around the near-non-existent defence & just as he was about to take a shot past the keeper was felled hard from behind.

The referee blew the whistle & pointed to the spot.

JH15 quickly arose from all fours & fetched the ball to take the penalty. Coach Mat loathes watching penalties by either team & so was pleased to hear the roar of approval from the Blackstone Cheer Posse that JH15 had increased the score to two-nil.

Phew!  There was a bit of breathing room at half time for the Dragons.

The lads were all in good spirits during the break after a good start to the match, so all Coach Mat had to do was urge the lads to spread the ball wider toward the sidelines as there was acres of space for them to move – as per every other game they have played & at training. I’m sure he’ll keep saying this ad-nauseum if he has too.

These two teams are well matched & it was a really good tussle for the second half, with chances being saved, just missing or good defence.

Blackstone started to transfer the ball a lot quicker & a lot wider & looked dangerous.

LF5, CB-L11 & JT14 were pressing for the ball & running their legs off the whole match & it was a pleasure to watch.

JC-P2 was back to his best scrapping style of play & is unlucky to not have more goals by now.

The midfield of KK8, JV9, MT6, CL13 & CS12 did their jobs well without being spectacular & we are all sure they will back it up next week against Boonah.

With the second half starting to count down, Westminster were awarded a penalty after what many considered a great save/challenge from JH15 who went to keeper at halftime.

2-1 would have been a good reflection of the game, but JH15 had other ideas. Again, Coach Mat looked away at ‘that’ moment and……….was relieved to find out JH15 had once again mastered the art of goalkeeping & kept the Blackstone score sheet clean.

If Blackstone win the match next week there is a chance they may figure in one of the semi-finals. Finger-crossed.

However, if they lose, it doesn’t matter – they are winners already. They are Queenslanders (or Queensland Residents); they are Australians; they are the youth of the nation; & they get to play football while our friends, family & caregivers cheer them on!

Have a great week & get ready for the last match of the season.

Once again, Thursday training was purposeful & during the practise match versus the Blackstone United team we did many good things including lots of passing to each other & surprise, surprise, lots of running.

Coach Mat is going to personally lead a petition to the QCSA for next season to schedule the official matches on Thursday evenings, because the lads are always relaxed & not frazzled after a long week at school & play so well!

Saturdays match against the ladder-leading St Cats Reds was always going to be another tricky affair with their well-drilled compliment of players up and ready for a big clash. The warm-up was good & all Dragons were in good spirits & ready to crush the team of felines. The Iron Wall of Blackstone defensive line was further bolstered with the inclusion of CB-Ll11 & JC-P2 to ensure the slippery St Cats strikers were contained. And this was the case for most of the first half.

It was a really good competitive match with all the lads running their little legs into the ground with some sublime dribbling & passing. It didn’t result in any goals, but it sure was enjoyable to watch. The team as a whole played well & looked just as good as the Red & Black Shirts. Unfortunately the high octane pace of the match took its toll on the Dragons & The Wall finally cracked with an easy goal scored against the run of play. Nil-1.

The Dragons spent a lot of time in the St Cats half & at one stage JH15 who was the first half keeper was lounging around in the penalty area with nothing to do. Multiple corners to the Dragons did not result in a goal with the opposition counter attacking, ending with a super strike that was too high for JH15 to get to.

With the first half quickly coming to an end, nil-2 was a good representation of the match so far & Coach Mat was happy with how it was all going, not-with-standing his erratic yelling to the players – both encouragement (not much) and advice (instructional more than abuse, he hopes).

St Cats made one last charge to the goal & it looked as if their attack was shut down when Dragons got possession of the ball & were in a great position to boot it away towards the sidelines (in accordance with Coach Mat’s ranting). Uncharacteristically, a couple of the senior players had a brain snap, keep the ball in play within the penalty box, lost possession, turned the ball over & had the softest of goals scored. Sigh.

Oh well. Blackstone were still in it & all were still feeling okay. A stern word of encouragement to go with the water at half time did the trick & Blackstone were focused again.

It was a rampaging performance by the lads & so many opportunities were created. JH15 stepped up from being in the defensive line (swapped with JH10 as keeper) to weave past a couple of Red & Black Shirts & smash the ball past the opposition goalie! 1-3. The heads lifted & the deserved goal had been got. LB7 threatened to break the game open on quite a few occasions & finally after some great lead up work from the midfielders, he latched onto the ball, went for a scoot through the centre of the field & calmly slotted another goal for the Dragons. This is his fourteenth goal for the season & if anybody else doesn’t score more than 13 goals over the next two matches, LB7 will be the golden boot winner.

It was game on!

2-3 was the score & the professional St Cats coaching staff was rattled. They made a slew of changes to their line-up & revised their playing structure. Coach Mat had a big smile on his dial & really enjoyed the bit of panic that had set in. He He. With more astute coaching, the Dragons should have gone on with it, but unfortunately they were mentally & physically spent just getting to this stage of the match & took their collective foot off the accelerator pedal. St Cats realised this & raced away to slot 3 goals during the last seven minutes.

Oh well. The Dragons did so well & the effort was immense. The passing was great, the field vision is improving & our potential is being fulfilled. Next season in under 10’s, the lads will be even better & faster & will give it an even bigger crack! Right on full time, the St Cats were awarded a penalty when a Dragon player picked up the ball within the 18 yard box – after he thought it went out – to set it up as a goal kick, not knowing the ball was still in play at the time.

Oh well. All thought the referee could have let it slide, but ‘rules-is-rules Macca’! Sigh.

During the match there were a few offside calls on the Dragons which disallowed them to score a couple of goals, so they will need to go back to the drawing board regards staying on side.

Again this season, the St Cats coaching staff commented on the overall discipline & fun that the Dragons bring to the match – a great compliment. If every game was like this, no matter the result, anybody would want to be coach of the team, because it was a pleasure to watch & be part of. Every player did their job as best they could on Saturday & all deserve a pat on the back. However, as is protocol, two players were acknowledged for their efforts.

JP-C2 was rewarded for his never-say-die attitude during the match which produced some super plays along the sidelines & some desperate defence & winning the contested ball. Emrys the Dragon is guest at his home for the week.

KK8 was again the wanderer in the match & had his best game of the season. Coach Mat could not let him leave the field today without awarding him Taffy the Dragon. He made some incisive kicks & passes in the first half & generally rallied wherever possible. He was subbed-off midway through the second half because he was injured, but he still did enough to help get the team back in the game.

Two matches remain in the season, the penultimate being against the Westminster Warriors at our home ground & then out to Boonah to complete the 2016 winter football season. These are both matches the Dragons should win, but as long as they play their best like Saturday, both games will be worthy contests for the spectators to witness.

Keep on soccering!

PS. Coach Mat (and the Blackstone Cheer Posse) can’t wait for Saturday morning sleep-ins to become more of a usual weekly occurrence that are taken for granted rather than a luxury during the winter football season.  He He.

Well, it’s getting to the pointy end of the season, so here is how all our teams are positioned after Round 13. Out of the 15 teams that play for points (U6, U7, U8 are all friendly’s), we have 7 teams in finals contention and another 2 teams that are pushing for a top four spot. We also have 3 teams that are in contention for a Premiership. Awesome effort all round!

U9 Division West Green Table

U9 Division West Gold Table

U10 Division West Table

U11 Division 3 Table

U12 Division 4 Table

U13 Division 2 Table

U14 Division 1 Table

SW Division 1 Table

SW Division 2 Table

SW Division 3 Table

SM Division 1 Table

SM Division 3 Table

SM Division 4 Table

O30 Division 2 Table

O40 Division 1 Table

The coaching profession is such a highly strung & frustrating career choice & today Coach Mat saw firsthand how good a team can play & how disinterested a team can play – or is that standing around on a turfed piece of mid-level real estate?  He He.

Hats off to the lads for a dominant second half of football (sorry KK8, I mean soccer).  It was a pleasure to watch & I’m 100% certain the Blackstone Cheer Posse will agree. With time running out in the match today, Blackstone were in the game & solidly challenging to win (or at least equalise).  Had a couple of chances been aimed away from the St Cats keeper, we may well be celebrating.

Trailing 1-4 at half time, most other teams would have switched off, but the Dragons listened to the coaches’ half time spray & got stuck in & had a real go for the last 20 minutes. The St Cats coaching staff mentioned after the match how impressed they were with how far the Dragons have progressed from their first match & commented that the passing efforts were of a high standard.  Agreed!

There were at least three great unbroken end-to-end passing movements along the sidelines (NOT centre field as is customary in U9 football/soccer) that finished with shots on goal.  Nice.

Great job lads.  A bit more polish to the game play regarding confidence, overall running effort, getting back in defence & having a crack at scoring a goal from close range & you will have a formula to go up against all other teams. Training on Thursday night was not of high quality but everyone was relaxed & happy & Coach Mat was expecting big things from today’s match.  He was half correct.  Starting the game with five in the defensive line all was going well until Lady Luck glanced towards the Black & Red Shirts & provided them with a 0-3 lead. Blackstone apparently hadn’t woken up by that stage of the match & were dreaming of bacon & eggs or a handful of nuts & soy milk (pending your dietary persuasion) & thinking about the Saturday morning cartoons they were missing – don’t worry, you can see them on CATCH-UP.

CS12 was the unfortunate benefactor of the miserable first half team effort, being goalie.

St Cats were too good & played well.

As stated in previous reports, it was a scrappy to-and-fro affair for the entire half of football with nothing going the Dragons way.  It culminated when JC-P2 was fouled in the 18 yard box & awarded a penalty.  The steadfast pocket rocket took the ball with authority & lined up his shot.  At training he possesses a strong kick.  On the big stage however, anything can happen.  Unfortunately for JC-P2, although he beat the keeper all ends up, he forgot about the post & the ball cannoned into it, ricocheting away to a St Cats player.  Sigh!

Good luck next time big fella.  It was pleasing that the rest of the team shared no hard feelings with him & all just got on with it.  Top marks!

With halftime approaching, a beam of light shone on MT6 and from a Blackstone corner, the ball was booted into the central pack of defenders & attackers, somehow finding him within the penalty box.  He calmly raised his foot up & tucked the ball into the back of the net.  Coach Mat was very proud & glad his protégé got on the scoresheet this season.  MT6’s mum wasn’t there today so maybe she has been his jinx?  I’m joking Mrs Thomas.  Or am I?  Yes.  Maybe.

As is customary, St Cats forced another goal just before halftime & everyone thought game-over.  But not the 12 available Dragon players!  Oh, or the coach & manager! If the Dragons can bottle the second half performance & release it every week, anything can happen.  There were still instances of below-par play, with walking & lack of tackling present, but on the whole a great effort.

Again, you-know-who was the main attacking force at striker & netted yet another brace of goals after great running efforts & passes from the midfielders.  LB7 has had a really good season with goals numbers 12 & 13 being scored today.  We all can’t believe you haven’t a hat trick yet – almost again today!

CB-L11 had another solid game with plenty of running, tackling & hustling for the ball & was rewarded with a super goal that the opposition keeper couldn’t even reach.  He booted it after a great raid on the right side of the field, hitting near the top of the net.  Coach Mat would like at least one of these every week please!

As stated earlier, Blackstone were 3 goals down at half time, but got one back within 5 minutes of the second half starting, making it 2-4.  Guess what happened next? St Cats got another soft goal straightaway & the margin was 3 again.  That’s when the Blackstone Dragon Spirit kicked in & all 12 players were men on a mission! Jakob H(15) wanted to go keeper in the second half & glad he did.  We ran out of fingers counting all of his saves and they were not easy ones.  He stopped a penalty & booted the ball with much power.  The cherry-on-top was when he teamed-up with HD4 to deny three attacking raids in a row.  While eight Dragons were up the field still thinking about missed cartoons, & one trying to get back to help, JH15 & HD4 thwarted a seven-on-two situation with ease & sent the Blackstone Faithful into raptures!  Great Work!  We’ll remember that for a while.

The score of 2-5 quickly turned to 4-5 with time running out & all were all on the edge of our seats.  JT14, JC-P2, LB7 & CB-L11 all had chances but the defence was too good & the Red Shirts couldn’t steal a draw, which maybe would have reflected the true nature of the match.  St Cats dominated the first and the Dragons the second.

The final score was 4-5. Oh well.  Next time.  It was fun though – thanks for the entertainment lads.

LF5 was promoted to left wing & he showed some speed & some good kicks & passes today.  Getting closer to the goals will be his aim for next week because if he has a shot on goal from about 12 yards out it won’t miss!

KK8 was stymied with a foot injury & didn’t get going in the first half.  After a halftime piece of watermelon, it surged him toward the ball & he got involved with some touches & staying up front in anticipation of scoring a goal.

JV9 was challenged by Coach Mat at the start of the match to get in it as much as possible & he did a good job for the most part.  A bit more finesse with tackling & running back to help the keeper & the coaches award should be yours.

CS12 had another mixed game & couldn’t stamp his authority on it.  He is almost the best trainer on Thursdays but needs to bring his skills to the game on Saturday.  Coach Mat needs to instruct the team to pass him the ball in space next game & he can show us his District School Team speed.

JH10 was promoted to striker as Coach Mat wanted him to score a much needed goal, but he couldn’t get going today & the ball didn’t come his way often.  More running & effort next game & maybe the ball will find its way to his big right boot – we know how good you are.

JT14 stayed in second gear for the first half but roared to life later in the game, moving the ball from the midfield towards the goal & almost drawing the game for the Dragons.  A bit more running speed please – we know how fast he is & how good his kicks are at training.

MT6 was awarded the Taffy Dragon award for his first goal & playing nearly his best game of the season.  He has to get in the contests more – run to & kick the ball quicker & don’t be scared of getting hurt, the pain doesn’t last long – ask HD4.

JH15 got the Emrys Dragon award for his goalie heroics in the second half.  Super effort – Coach Mat would like to order one of these performances’ every game please.

CB-L11 was unlucky to miss out this week in getting an award but we all know how well he played.

Get aggressive for next game lads.  Fire up! Want a goal & don’t let the opposition get past you easily.