Round 8: SA Bullets V Hahndorf

SA Bullets V Hahndorf

Hahndorf visited the SA Bullets on Saturday for the 8th round of the South Australian Amateur Soccer League and produced some scrappy play on an unforgiving pitch. Fighting until the end, the Magpie pressure finally paid off with the only goal of the match, three minutes from the end.

Hahndorf took to the field with Nathaniel Brooke in goal, with the four defensemen in front of him barely fitting across the narrow playing surface, the pitch resembling a rough outback airstrip. Kyle Eglinton, Captain Matt Norris, Wayne Forrester and Todd Newman made a formidable wall across the top of the sparsely marked penalty box, the Global Financial Crisis evident in the paucity of line marking on the ground.

In midfield, Sam Heyworth, Jon Lynn, Gary Ledson and Ashley Oosh battled for possession and control, to feed forwards Shaun Smith and Mike Lewington. Hahndorf dominated the play for the majority of the half but could not get the right mix to produce a goal. Holding the Bullets in their own territory, the Magpies made plenty of opportunities but found actual shots on goal hard to come by.

Smith had a great chance to open the scoring after going around the ‘keeper but flicking his shot wide. Heyworth also had two good opportunities, one shot blocked from close range and a second, a header going across the face of goal.

The Bullets were content to punt the ball forward and attempt to catch out the Magpie backline but Hahndorf held fast and continued to build through their midfield. As half time approached, the lack of any score was a worry for Hahndorf as they could not turn their dominance into a positive score.

The second half was almost a repeat of the first, the Magpies working their way through the midfield, but the Bullets denying them a clear shot on goal. It was a scrappy affair not helped by the bumpy, narrow pitch and the SA Bullets grew in confidence as the game wore on. Several times they made chances but Brooke was in good position to quell the threat.

Lewington made a rapid break but saw his chance to score evaporate as the ball passed over the crossbar. The home side continued to belt the ball forward at every opportunity, hoping for a stray bounce or bobble to get behind the Magpie defence.

With the game still in the balance, Hahndorf made several substitutions, Smith and the injured Heyward replaced by Tyrone Blunt and Brendan Kilpatrick. Both players were soon in the action, Kilpatrick unlucky to see his goal-bound shot blocked by a desperate lunge by the Bullets’ defender.

The Magpies constantly held possession with some nice play until the edge of the opposition’s penalty area, where a stray pass or bounce would let the Bullets clear their lines. A third change for the visitors brought on Steve Noble for Eglinton.

Oosh was combative as always and his bustling run resulted in a rasping shot going just wide. It was frustrating for the travelling Magpie faithful as Hahndorf poured on the pressure but could not find the back of the net. The spectators were aware that a little bit of luck for either team would probably decide the match.

The Bullets almost stole the game in the final ten minutes, Brooke saving well from one attack but then could only look on as a looping shot soon after hit the post and bounced back into his arms.

With the minutes ticking down, an infringement gave Hahndorf an indirect free kick inside the opposition penalty area. The Captain stepped up and struck it well but ball hit the defensive wall, which had encroached on the kick. The referee whistled for the free to be retaken and this time Norris made no mistake, hitting an unstoppable thunderbolt into the net.

Hahndorf were overjoyed at the goal and set out with steely resolve to defend their slender lead in the remaining three minutes. The Magpies counted down the seconds as the Bullets tried to mount an attack but the Hahndorf defence was too good to the end.

Man of the Match was captain Matt Norris, an inspiration in defence and scoring the crucial goal with Jon Lynn also putting in a solid contribution in the battling midfield. Next week, the Magpies are at their Pine Avenue ground for the visit of Flinders University.