2012 Round 4: Hahndorf Magpies V Modbury Jets

Hahndorf Magpies V Modbury Jets

Hahndorf were again left with the bitter taste of defeat after the visiting Modbury Jets blitzed the Magpies with early scores on their way to six unanswered goals.

Under grey skies, the 4th round of the South Australian Amateur Soccer League 2nd division started badly for the hosting Magpies, with defenders Steve Ness, Michael Lewington, Jack Farrimond and Ash Parr under pressure from the organised Jets. Goalkeeper Andy Jones could do little to prevent the opening goal that arrived in the first five minutes of play, a Hahndorf own goal derived from a major deflection.

The visitors pressed forward and circumvented the Magpies midfield of Sam Wood, Tim Prince, James Anderson and Tom Holland. Ness found himself outnumbered on the wing and a quick pass made it two nil as a swooping Jets' forward scooped the ball past Jones. Hahndorf’s awful start was compounded soon after when a Jets' player, doing his best Ashley Young impersonation, was awarded a very dubious penalty and it was duly converted.

The Magpies battled to get back into the match with Matt Norris and Kayne Stubing making their presence felt in the attacking third, however meaningful shots were few and far between. The Magpies midfield and defence were stretched all over the park by the Jets' quick movement on and off the ball and despite some courageous defence by Lewington, the visitors added a further two goals before the end of the half.

Hahndorf made a better showing in the match after the break, likely due to some stimulating half time chat by the coaching staff and picked up their game. Norris remained a target man in the forward line and won the majority of the aerial duels he contested. Holland, Prince and Wood battled hard to wrestle possession from the Jets, however Hahndorf’s passing often let them down and at times they gave the ball away cheaply.

The Magpies persisted however and created some good chances, one when Norris sent a well-weighted ball through to Stubing but the usually reliable forward could only produce a tame shot that did not test the ‘keeper. The Jets responded with a period of neat play but could not break the Magpies defence and the match went end to end with neither team able to create a clear chance.

A corner to the Magpies did not bring a much desired goal and a quick break by the Jets caught the hosts napping, a run down the wing drew the defence and a neat pass was rolled across the goal for an easy tap in at the far post for the visitor’s sixth score.

Hahndorf made some substitutions, bringing on Jesse Konstantinoff and Kane Oppelaar as the Magpies endeavoured to get on the scoreboard. A few attacks drew promise but the Jets were well organised to repel the forays forward. Konstantinoff made some good progress but found his path to goal strewn with defenders and Holland created space for an opportunistic shot but the ball passed just over the bar.

The result magnified the gulf between the two teams and the Magpies will have to lift their game considerably to progress up the table. Their task has not been made any easier with a few key defenders absent or on the injury list. Hahndorf's best on ground was Matt Norris, who battled hard all day with Michael Lewington and Tom Holland with solid performances.


Reserves
The Hahndorf Reserves suffered their first defeat of the season when they failed to hold on to a lead and were overwhelmed in the later stages of the match to go down 2-4 in a hard fought contest.

Hahndorf began with their experienced pair of strikers, Chris Hyde and Jesse Konstantinoff leading from the front with a strong midfield containing Lee Jennings, Kyle Eglinton and the Oppelaar brothers, Kane and Lloyd. However it was the defensive unit that were busy in the opening exchanges, Tim Staniford, Scott Breaker, Kierran Guest and veteran Andy Craig providing cover for goalkeeper Vaughan Barratt.

Hahndorf slowly emerged from their tardy start and found the flanks a fertile ground to go on the offensive. It was almost the first genuine attack that brought the opening goal for the Magpies, the Oppelaar brothers combining to deliver a fine cross for Konstantinoff to bury a firm header inside the front post. The good start of the Magpies was tempered soon after when an injury befell Hyde and he was replaced by Angus “House” Hambrook.

Hahndorf continued to exploit the wings with K Oppelaar being particularly productive and the Magpies should have made more of their chances. The Jets hit back with a series of corners and eventually after a number of opportunities they equalised late in the half, a corner hitting the back of the Jets player and looping in.

Hahndorf had the chance to retake the lead almost immediately after K Oppelaar swung in a lovely corner kick but Craig misdirected his header wide of the beckoning goal.

The second half saw a battle for the midfield in which the visitors began to have a greater share of possession. Hahndorf brought on Ben “Beninho” Wells with thirty minutes remaining to partner with Hambrook up front. After a period of pressure from the Jets, the Magpies advanced through L Oppelaar when he put the makeshift forward combination into a good position. A slick Hambrook pass gifted Wells a one-on-one with the ‘keeper and using his Xbox FIFA 12 experience, Wells lifted a short lob over the advancing custodian for a 2-1 score.

The lead was brief however and a tidy move by the Jets opened up the middle of the park and a well-placed shot found the bottom corner of the net. The visitors continued to press Hahndorf and soon had the lead with a powerful shot bursting through Barratt’s hands into goal.

Hahndorf tried to respond in the dying minutes but could not get a clear shot on target and then the Jets sealed the match with a fourth goal tap in at the back post. The result was disappointing for the Magpies and shows that despite their good start to the season, they have a few challenges to solve if they are to keep up with the frontrunners. the Magpies best on the day was the outstanding Lloyd Oppelaar, with good support from Kane Oppelaar and Scott Breaker.

Super Cs
The Super Cs dominated large sections of their match against the Modbury Jets, but could not make it count on the scoreboard, going down 1-4 in an engaging battle. After giving the Jets a one goal lead, the Magpies levelled just after half time with a fine finish by Dave Kinlough, latching onto Dan Mardle’s centring cross. However the Jets capitalised on some defensive lapses to put in a further three goals to take the win.

Next week is the first round of the Cup with the First team having a difficult tie when they host Premier division side, the Adelaide Wanderers on Saturday at the Pine Avenue Arena. The Reserves also face a stiff challenge when they travel to Royal Park on Sunday to take on 2nd division side, the Western Strikers.