MA Hawks V Hahndorf

In gale force winds, Hahndorf could not transfer their chances into goals and a fast finishing MA Hawks unit put in two late strikes to outlast the visitors 4-1.

Buoyed by their recent form, Hahndorf were confident of giving MA Hawks a serious challenge, the hosts flirting with the relegation zone and needing the win. With Nathaniel Brooke in goal, Micheal Stevens, Wayne Forrester and Todd Newman formed a formidable defence for the Magpies and reduced the Hawks opportunities from the start.

Employing captain Matt Norris and John Lawler as the strike force, Hahndorf kicked off with the very strong wind behind them and put the MA Hawks under pressure from the start. Out on the flank, Paul Charles found plenty of the ball early on and the midfield of Tyrone Blunt, Craig Cottle, Martin Moran and Ash Parr looked to make the most of the trying conditions.

Parr went close to opening the scoring after dispossessing a Hawks player and firing just over the bar from twenty metres. Norris also got into the action with two efforts that went wide. Despite creating the better opportunities, Hahndorf had to fight hard for the ball and the first thirty minutes were fairly even in the battle for the midfield. It was the last third of the pitch where the Magpies were dominant but failed to put the ball in the net.

In a rare venture forward, Stevens robbed the Hawks of the ball but with a true defenders strike, sent the ball skywards over the host’s goal. He was not the only culprit with Cottle also doing the same before Norris had a shot cannon off the post as the Magpies peppered the Hawks’ goal. A Magpie corner picked out Forrester but he too was wide of the mark with his header.

Charles exploits on the wing and dangerous crosses drew a foul from the besieged Hawks’ defence just as he broke into a promising position. However, justice was served through the “Argentinian Wiz”, Moran when he guided Cottle’s free into the net with a near post header on the stroke of half time.

After the half time break, the Hahndorf Magpies managed to put pressure on the Hawks as they battled into the wind. Norris again went close with a rasping shot that grazed the post and then Cottle cleverly set up Lawler, but again the resulting shot was astray.

Hahndorf were to rue their chances soon after when the MA Hawks equalised with a deflected, scrambled goal after the Magpies could not clear the ball cleanly. The goal gave the home side impetus and they enjoyed a period of pressure, pushing the defence and having several shots go close. Hahndorf replaced Lawler and Parr with Stephen Ness and Sam Gowan as the wind seemed to increase its ferocity and did not help the visitors in any way.

Despite this, Cottle almost reinstated the lead with a dipping free kick that clattered onto the bar, another chance that did not fall the Magpies way. With Moran tiring, Kyle Eglinton was brought on and the game settled into an even ten minutes of play before the Hawks added a second goal. Hahndorf half cleared a corner and it fell to the opposition who chanced their luck with a long shot that sailed over Brooke into the net.

Hahndorf responded with some fine play but could not find the net, a free kick going close but the Hawks’ ‘keeper keeping the Magpies out. The misses were costly for the visitors when in the final ten minutes the Hawks added two more to the score. The first was a free kick that eluded the Hahndorf wall and the second was a spectacular strike from twenty metres, the ball arrowing into the corner and giving Brooke no chance.

The loss was a disappointing one for the Hahndorf side with the score not a true reflection on how well they had played, with the team putting in a solid effort all game.

Reserves

Hahndorf Reserves were unlucky to concede a single goal in their loss to the MA Hawks reserves, despite creating the lion’s share of chances.

As with the First team, the Reserves kicked of with the stiff breeze and, combined with the concrete nature of the ground, found ball control initially difficult. Hahndorf custodian Danny Pace had little to do for the first fifteen minutes, as youthful defenders Ben Wells and Matt Medley working closely with veteran Andy Craig to keep the Hawks at bay.

Club stalwart, “El Presidente” Stuart Thomas, Alex Oldham and Rupert Lindon anchored the midfield as Hahndorf sought to blunt the Hawks advances. Wide players Lachlan ‘Albino Yeti” McQueen and Luke Jones held their counterparts well, as Hahndorf tried to settle on the ball. With Hahandorf looking to move forward early, some passes were rushed and astray with the wind taking the ball past the Hahndorf forwards, Vin Chow and Jack Goodfellow.

The Magpies slowly took control of large sections of the game but their accuracy in front of goal was lacking, with Craig, Chow and Goodfellow all having chances. The Albino Yeti fought hard for the ball and Lindon often exploited the breakdown of the Hawks play by setting up Hahndorf attacks. Oldham and Jones often found space down the wing as Hahndorf continued to create chances but profligate finishing resulted in no goals for the visitors in the first half.

In the second half, the Magpies defended their goal well and the majority of the Hawks’ chances were from long range, therefore it was frustrating when the MA Hawks scored the only goal from a scramble in the penalty area. Hahndorf failed to get a solid boot on ball and a Hawks player poked it in from two metres. Despite the setback, Hahndorf played well into the wind with sure passing and set up many opportunities.

The substitution of Jones and McQueen for Sam Gowan and Mark Farrant injected some spirit with Hahndorf playing three in attack, Farrant in particular putting himself about. Oldham and Goodfellow sent in some fine crosses that kept the Hawks on their heels and Thomas hit the post with header while Chow also went close.

In the final minutes, Lindon sent Wells on a run that scythed through the Hawks defence and he played a 1-2 with Chow before sending a scorching shot that just scraped over the bar. The Magpies had their final chance when Goodfellow and Craig played a short corner and arrowed the ball to the far post where Thomas just failed to get a touch on it.

The Reserves played a great game for little reward however they will be heartened by the amount of chances they created and will take this confidence into their last match of the season. Both teams will be hoping that their shooting boots are on and accurate next week when they host Flinders University at the Pine Avenue arena.