Cup Rounds: Round One

Cup Rounds

Hahndorf suffered a frustrating 4-1 loss against the Southern Breakers on Saturday in the Amateur League Challenge Cup, their first defeat for the season.

Hahndorf began brightly with goalkeeper Nathaniel Brooke presiding over the defensive unit of Scott Taylor, Jon Lynn, Martin Busch and Matt Medley. Hahndorf’s engine room of Jordan Webber, Callum Graham, Steve Noble, Jack Farrimond along with strikers Kayne Stubing and Max Edwards dominated the early exchanges and the home team should have made their mark on the scoreboard.

Opportunities presented themselves frequently but the Magpies failed to take advantage as they seemed to have the measure of the Breakers but their shooting game was below par. After the opening twenty minutes, Hahndorf had spurned at least four clear-cut chances and these were to haunt them as the game developed.

The Southern Breakers took advantage of the Magpies profligacy and opened the scoring with a well-struck free kick that eluded the Hahndorf defence to find the back of the net. Hahndorf responded with a couple of fine moves, the best resulting in the levelling goal, Busch finding Stubing with a precision through ball. The Magpie forward aimed at goal, deceiving the Breakers’ ‘keeper with his strike to maintain his remarkable goal scoring run this season.

However, Hahndorf wasted further chances and again went behind after the Southern Breakers scored from a header, the Magpies unable to track the visitor’s movement from a corner and the home team went into half time on the wrong side of the 2-1 score line.

The play for Hahndorf did not improve much after half time, creating scoring opportunities but unable to capitalise as the Breakers began to gain more possession. Gilbert Ward, Alex Chapman and John Lawler were brought into the match but the Magpies fortunes were not to be altered.

Emboldened by the lack of accurate shooting from the home team, the Southern Breakers added two more goals to pile on the misery. Worse was to follow for the Magpies as they looked to be mounting a serious challenge, having a player sent off for a second bookable offence. With the cup tie effectively over after this action, both teams played out the remaining twenty five minutes with diminishing interest.

The best on the day for the Magpies was Kayne Stubing, with solid efforts from Martin Busch and Matt Medley in what turned out to be a fairly mediocre performance by the home team.

Hahndorf Reserves
The Hahndorf Reserves played their Reserve Cup match against Sunday 2nd Division side Bosna, the Mothers’ day fixture ending in an exciting 5-4 win for the Magpies.

Starting with James Nicholson in goal, the Magpies blended a team of youth and experience, veteran Andy Craig guiding a young defence of Jordan Kane, Kieran Guest and Rob Gillespie. Colin Hibbert, Jack Holland, Chris Sawers and Luke Jones drove the midfield with big man Mike Lewington and Jesse Konstantinoff providing the strike power.

The Magpies started well on the expansive pitch, looking lively in the opening exchanges against their more experienced opposition. Lewington and Konstantinoff were always a threat and Jones nearly broke the crossbar with a thunderous strike.
Bosna hit back with some close chances, the Hahndorf defence put under pressure as Nicholson was called into action. However, the Magpies struck first, a good period of pressure forced Bosna into some frantic clearances, one falling to Jones and he took full toll, blasting the ball past the home ‘keeper.

Both sides had further chances but were unable to capitalise as the half drew to an end. During the break Hahndorf rearranged the team and brought on Sam Wood and the move paid off handsomely. The Magpies went two goals up within minutes of the restart, Woods scoring with his first touch from close range after some tenacious work by Konstantinoff.

The Magpies then added two more, Jones getting his second and Konstantinoff scoring goal of the day with a curling shot that found the inside the far post. At 4-0 up with thirty minutes remaining, Hahndorf brought on Jay Bryson and Scott Schubert. Looking in control, the Magpies then let Bosna into the game, conceding three soft goals within ten minutes to add a few grey hairs and some consternation for the Hahndorf coaching staff as the match sparked into life.

The tempo increased and Hahndorf marshalled their defence as they sought to arrest Bosna’s momentum; Gillespie and Schubert playing wide and providing a release for the defence along with Sawers, Hibbert and Holland. With ten minutes remaining, Konstaninoff scored his second, breaking past the offside trap and exchanging passes with Holland before turning the ball into the Bosna net.

A final twist saw Bosna score their fourth with minutes left in the match but the young Hahndorf team showed their resolve to finally prevail 5-4 in the high scoring match.

Man of the match was Chris Sawers, with strong contributions from Jesse Konstantinoff and Luke Jones.

Super Cs
The Hahndorf Super Cs scored their maiden win of the season; an impressive 4-1 win over local rivals Stirling and atoning for their 1st round loss last week.

Player-Coach Edmondo “the Italian Maestro” Palombo fielded a young, exuberant team tempered with a couple of wise heads to take the match up to their more experienced rivals. Hahndorf’s spirited display brought its reward and the Magpies had a number of excellent perfomances all over the park, leaving Palombo exceedingly happy with his young side.

Next week the Hahndorf Magpies travel to the scenic Southern Vales to take on McLaren District while the Div 5 Cs are away to league leaders Strathalbyn and the Div 5 Cs are visiting St Peters.