Mount Barker V Hahndorf
The local derby between Mt. Barker Crusaders and Hahndorf Magpies produced some spite and passion before the Magpies took all three points in a 3-1 victory.
Hahndorf got off to a rapid start in the match and looked motivated for the match from the opening whistle. Forwards Matt Norris and young Kayne Stubing caused concern for the Mt Barker defence while the midfield of John Lawler, Jack Farrimond, Steve Noble and Ash Oosh did not allow the hosts to dwell on the ball without a challenge.
The intense opening twenty minutes were matched by the Hahndorf defence, Matt Medley, Todd Newman, Lee Stibbs and the wily veteran Wayne Forrester giving the Crusaders little joy in the attacking department. Goalkeeper Mark McGrath was not nearly as busy as his counterpart, with Oosh, Lawler and Stubing all getting shots at the Mt Barker goal. Norris was a focal point in attack, able to win the aerial contest and supply Stubing and the supporting midfield.
Farrimond was industrious in closing down the midfield along with Noble, the latter putting Hahndorf in the lead with a clever free kick that was taken quickly, catching the hosts with their pants down as his shot sailed into the top corner of the goal. The goal was just reward for the Magpies and they exerted their control of the match for the remainder of the half.
After the break, the Magpies continued to put Mt. Barker under pressure and Stubing showed that Hahndorf wanted more goals with sharp effort that just went wide. The match drifted into a relatively calm patch where neither side could penetrate the defence as the midfields battled it out. Mt. Barker then caught the Magpies napping with a looping corner that was nodded in at the far post.
Hahndorf woke up and answered almost immediately, a piece of individual brilliance punishing some tardy play by the Crusaders. Stubing robbed a defenseman and made his way to the goal line before cutting back inside and rounding two opponents. Opening up the goal, he neatly side-footed the ball past the exposed ‘keeper to restore Hahndorf’s lead in the match.
A good deal of banter on and off the ball saw tensions rise and a petulant display by a Crusader after losing out in a tackle sparked a minor melee. The referee gained control and reduced both teams to ten players for the final twenty-five minutes.
The extra space afforded by the missing players opened up the match and Hahndorf were best placed to exploit it. Hahndorf put Mt. Barker under pressure and soon a throw by Lawler into the box put Oosh in with a chance. The Crusaders’ defence left the ball for some one else to clear and Oosh needed no second invitation, smashing the ball past the statue-like home side to put Hahndorf 3-1 up.
The goal seemed to kill off the Crusaders and Hahndorf continued to press the advantage. Norris and Farrimond combined to give Stubing another scoring chance but the shot went over the bar. Hahndorf brought on Brendan Kilpatrick for the dominant Norris and he also made his presence felt.
Hahndorf almost made it four when Forrester hit the bar with a header, the experienced defender getting on the end of Stibbs’ well-worked corner. Mt. Barker hit back with some long balls, their game plan resorting to some route one football that McGrath had covered.
The “Black Pearl”, Owen Boyce and Stuart Thomas made an appearance late in the game, with Hahndorf in control and the hosts not able to make an impact on the score-line as the match drew to its conclusion.
Best on the day was Noble, his quick thinking and goal getting Hahndorf into a positive frame, with Norris also putting in vital pressure on the Mt. Barker defence. Stubing rounded out the top three with his sublime goal, the ideal response to the Crusaders’ equaliser.
Reserves
With two points separating the two teams going into the round, both sides were expecting a close contest. However, the Hahndorf Reserves let their guard down in the final twenty-five minutes as Mt. Barker took their chances to consolidate their top spot with three goals.
Injury and some late arrivals put Hahndorf a little on the back foot as they fielded a bare eleven at the start of the match, with some players in unfamiliar positions. James Nicholson donned the gloves with youngsters Josh Watson and Sam Gowan flanking veterans Andy Craig and Stuart Thomas in defence.
A new look midfield sported Gary Ledson, Ben Well, the “Italian Maestro”, Edmondo Palombo and the “Black Pearl”, Owen Boyce with Chris Hyde and Rupert Lindon the focal points up front.
The first half was an even affair, both sides having chances but neither able to capitalise. Watson proved to be solid in the back, with Craig and Thomas mainly dealing with the lofted balls. A neat bit of Mt. Barker play opened up Hahndorf but the attacker scuffed his shot with the goal at his mercy. Later, a speculative long shot also hit the bar, almost catching Hahndorf out.
At the other end, Thomas went over the bar with a driving header and several promising moves were halted due to offside. Ledson drove the midfield with some neat work through Boyce and Palombo, putting Hahndorf on the attack. Hyde looked to have scored but again the linesman had his flag raised for an offside infringement and Lindon was also stopped for the same offence.
With the game poised evenly at half time, Hahndorf felt they were in with a chance and continued to play some neat soccer. Brendan Kilpatrick and Andrew Kenny entered the game, looking to inject some finishing spark into Hahndorf’s play. The Magpies had several shots on target through Ledson, Hyde and Lindon but could not find an opening goal. Both sides struggled to create clear chances as their respective defences kept the play out of the danger zone and a draw looked imminent.
However, as the final twenty-five minutes approached, Mt. Barker took the lead, Hahndorf hesitating to clear a loose ball before it was poked at into goal from close range.
Hahndorf tried to hit back but could not find the target as the home side stood firm. Pushing players forward, the Magpies were exposed by a swift counterattack and a solo run down the flank by the Crusader forward ended with a second goal, the shot well finished from an acute angle.
Hahndorf did not lie down and should have scored soon after. A nice build up resulted in Hyde shooting from the edge of the area, the ball deflecting into the path of Kilpatrick, but he could not get a positive contact with the goal beckoning.
With the minutes remaining, a slip at the back post saw a Crusader header hit the post and it fell towards the middle of goal where it was put away for Mt Barkers third.
It was a tough loss for the Magpies and they will need to regroup for the final three matches, two of them against opponents on similar points. Best on the day were Thomas, who put in a great first half, with Ledson solid all game along with Hyde, who was unlucky not to have been on the score sheet.
Next week the Hahndorf Magpies are playing their final home game for the season when they host the mercurial Burundi Eagles at Pine Avenue.
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