2013 Round 11: One Tree Hill V Hahndorf Magpies

Hahndorf failed to contain a rampant One Tree Hill during the 11th round of the South Australian Amateur League 3rd Division, the hosts capitalising on Hahndorf’s lapses to record a 6-2 win.

The Magpies travelled to the most northern ground in the 3rd Division, the picturesque One Tree Hill containing a small, village-like pitch and, surprisingly, more than one tree. The gathering dark clouds forewarned the visitors of impending trouble however Hahndorf and One Tree Hill both sought to master the tight pitch before inclement conditions could overshadow events.

Jarrod Kennedy was the busier custodian in the early exchanges and the home side put Stuart Thomas, Stephen Ness, Matt Filmer and Sam Putallaz under close scrutiny as they sought the opening score. One Tree Hill did not have to wait long, slyly taking advantage of a disputed throw-in and a distracted referee to catch the Magpies napping, strolling into the penalty area and slotting home the goal.

The lead encouraged One Tree Hill and midfielders Peter Atkinson, Sol Scopazzi, Ben Stewart and Hamish Vickers had to fight hard to try to curb the supply to the host’s forwards. Several forays threatened the Magpie goal and Thomas showed all his experience and guile to diffuse a dangerous situation with a tremendous tackle.

However, a corner to One Tree Hill exposed Hahndorf, the ball passing through the penalty area before it was returned to the six-yard box for a tap in goal. The hosts almost made it three nil when a forward went past Kennedy but the Magpie goalkeeper had pushed him wide and he slammed the ball into the upright from an acute angle.

Another home attack drew a tremendous save from Kennedy but One Tree Hill was not to be denied and they lined up a fortuitous free kick outside the penalty area. Again Kennedy made an heroic stop but, unable to hold the shot, he received no support from his team-mates and One Tree Hill pounced on the loose ball to slot it home.

Persistent rain then descended from the heavens to further dampen the Magpies’ spirit. Chris Hyde and young Mitchell Miller tried to get Hahndorf on the board but chances were rare. Ness had two good chances deflected, striding forward to strike a couple of fierce drives. Nevertheless, it was One Tree Hill who had all the answers and they made it four goals in the half when a cross from the short wing picked out a solo striker and he had time to finish his cup of tea before heading across an isolated Kennedy.

Hahndorf made a much better game of it in the second half and within a few minutes a fine run down the wing by Vickers resulted in a well cut back cross. Hyde displayed his experience and quality with a excellent first time finish into the corner of the net to make the score 4-1.

Scopazzi and Stewart continued to fight hard in the middle of the park with the former in a particularly combative mood. Ness was warming to his task and made several good runs before a cynical tackle brought him down. Scopazzi stood over the free kick and took the opportunity to take aim at goal as One Tree Hill had decided the distance was too great to warrant a defensive wall.

Scopazzi almost made them pay with a terrific strike, the ball rocketing for the top corner of goal to force the home custodian into a fine save, just tipping it over the bar. Hahndorf kept the pressure on and gained several corners; one that resulted in Thomas powering a header into the net but a Magpie infraction in the goalmouth negated the score.

The play went end to end with neither side able to create many clear chances. However Vickers managed to test the keeper with a quick shot after Scopazzi had carried the ball through several bruising encounters. In defence, Kennedy made a sharp save on the edge of the penalty area to keep Hahndorf in the match.

However, he was left stranded when a free to One Tree Hill was innocuously drifted into the six-yard box and a slight deflection saw the ball elude everyone to sneak just inside the far post. Hahndorf hit back almost immediately when they earned a penalty and Scopazzi made no mistake with a powerful strike that threatened the integrity of the net.

Minutes later the hosts had restored their four goal buffer when they sprung the offside trap and caught out Kennedy with a quick shot from the edge of the penalty area. With the match entering the final stages, Tim Staniford made an appearance to bolster the tiring Hahndorf defence.

Both teams had chances to add to the score with a Vickers shot going narrowly wide while Kennedy was superb to deny One Tree Hill a one-on-one opportunity. Scopazzi rounded out a commanding performance with an intricate run ending with a sharp effort on the turn that found the goalkeeper.

The loss brought to an end a short burst of positive results for Hahndorf but they will be encouraged by the return of a few players before the next league match. Best on the day for Hahndorf was Scopazzi who was tremendously combative all day, with Jarrod Kennedy, Ben Stewart and Stuart Thomas also having fine contributions.

Reserves
The Hahndorf Reserves battled valiantly against superior numbers in their match against One Tree Hill, beaten 11-4 in a high scoring encounter.

The Magpies struggled to find players this week and took to the small One Tree Hill pitch with only nine wearing the Hahndorf stripes. Initial fears were confirmed when the home side scored immediately after kick-off, the two strikers slicing through the Magpies to tuck the ball past Blake Horton in goal.

The play was firmly entrenched in the Hahndorf half as Bob Edwards, Tim Staniford, Graham Phillips and James Stratfold were extremely busy in keeping out the marauding One Tree Hill players. Goals came at regular intervals but many attacks came to naught with Horton making some fine saves and Edwards commanding a tight line to catch the eager hosts offside.

Johannes Edler, Brendan Kilpatrick, Michael Driver and Harvey Watson tried to stem the midfield tide and Edler had Hahndorf’s first shot at goal, a volley that passed wide of the target. After twenty-five minutes the Magpies were six goals down. However they pulled one back when Hahndorf held the ball in One Tree Hill’s penalty area and Driver pounced to drill home a shot and open the Magpies’ account.

Soon after, the signs were looking better for the visitors when they gained a tenth player and they then forced the hosts into conceding an own goal; the defender wrong footing his goalkeeper and the ball rolling into the net.

The Magpies weathered further attacks from the hosts before a third goal to Hahndorf made the match interesting for players and spectators alike, Watson’s pressure causing another back pass to miss the ‘keeper but find the net. Remarkably the score stood at 6-3 at the break.

Hahndorf grew in confidence in the second half and Watson combined with Edler to set up Driver who struck his shot wide from a promising position. Soon after, Watson, who was tireless in his work rate, was fouled in the 18-yard box and he skilfully drilled in the penalty to make it 6-4.

The run of goals to Hahndorf unsettled a few of the One Tree Hill players, however they continued to put Hahndorf under pressure in defence and Horton made several good stops to keep them at bay.

With twenty minutes remaining, the Magpies were beginning to tire and One Tree Hill eventually broke through. They quickly added three more goals before Watson, Edler and Kilpatrick all had good efforts go close. The hosts added one more goal before the final whistle, the surviving Magpies thankful the rain had stayed away for the match.

Despite the 11-4 result, the Hahndorf Reserves were gallant in defeat with all players giving everything despite the dire circumstances. Best on the day for Hahndorf was Harvey Watson whose dogged determination in attacking midfield was a shining light beneath an overcast sky. Hahndorf now have a week off before they are on the road again, travelling to the plains of Kilkenny where they will meet long time rivals, Adelaide Budapest.