GAME #12
VS AVOCA (WON 3-1)
July 9, 2017
What a difference a day can make. The hesitant and rushed team from the day before was replaced by a team that kept their composure and played some beautiful football.
We began strongly and dominated the field position for most of the first half, and while Avoca had a couple if chances to break away some great defending from James Parsons meant that they rarely had a shot on goal.
A long move that began at the back with a nice pass from James led to an attack down the right hand side, and after some great football Jackson McGregor had a shot and scored the much deserved goal. 1-0.
The Tigers continued to dominate, and some further nice football led to Tim Jones putting away the chance with a nice finish to give us a 2-0 half time lead.
After the break the team kept up the dominance, and only a long run through the team from an Avoca player led to a nice solo goal to them 2-1. The team could have given in to the pressure, but never at any stage did they look like doing so.
We pushed hard for a third, and after a series of excellent corners from Brayden Raftery the ball found the back of the net off an Avoca defender. It was certainly deserved and was no doubt due to the constant pressure from the Tigers.
They fought tenaciously for every ball, and once won showed terrific composure to find a team mate with the pass. For mine this was our best match of the season.
It really was difficult to select the better players as every player added to the fine team performance. Lara Pryor, David Thorburn, Jackson McGregor, Sean Go and Baileigh Bovis were all very solid. James Parsons however was everywhere in defence, and difficult to stop with the ball as well and was a deserved player of the match.
(Words: Robert Taylor; Photos: Megan Wallace)
GAME #11
VS DOYALSON (LOST 2-3)
July 8, 2017
We had the opportunity to get our revenge one week after a tough result, but despite this the team started very slowly, and seemed to lose the ability to watch the ball. We again failed to stay composed and control the ball, and we look like a much better team when we do this.
Doyalson took advantage of this lack of composure again, and even with a great penalty save from Jackson Knox lead 0-3 just after half time.
Finally the Tigers decided to wake up in the second half, and some strong play lead to a long period of dominance. Jesse Sambrook lifted the team with two goals in less than five minutes after weaving runs through the defence. 2-3.
We continued to push for more goals but things just wouldn’t go our way with a strong shot on goal from Baileigh Bovis causing a good save, and an excellent effort from Jackson McGregor hitting the crossbar. There was also a very loud call for a handball in the box late in the game that didn’t go our way, so we again came away feeling that we should have got more from a game.
There were good games from Brayden Raftery, Baileigh Bovis, Lara Pryor, Savannah Lalor and James Parsons, but a strong game and two goals saw Jesse Sambrook take out player of the match.
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #10
VS DOYALSON (LOST 1-3)
July 1, 2017
The Tigers went on the long haul to Doyalson, and despite putting in a great effort came away with a loss. Due to a shortage of referees the home team put up their own referee, and let’s just say that there were hardly any decisions that went our way.
We had some very good chances early on, but some rushed shots and lack of composure meant that we didn’t put the ball in the net. After dominating early Doyalson came into the match more, and a series of corners (the last of which was actually a goal kick to us) lead to an own goal from the Tigers. 1-0.
After going down a goal the team continued to fight but despite the ball bouncing off a defenders shoulder, and the foul appearing to be outside the penalty box, Doyalson were awarded a penalty. Dylan Konemann made a great save, but no Wyoming players followed through and the penalty taker put the ball away on the second chance. 2-0 at half time.
The Tigers came out strongly in the second half, and some nice passing play led to a goal from Brayden Raftery to make it 2-1. We continued to dominate when we played football, but too often resorted to not controlling the ball before passing and the lack of composure came to hurt us when Doyalson scored a nice goal late in the match to take the points.
The players justifiably felt hard done by when they came off, and felt that the result did not reflect the match. It was hard to not agree.
Some of the better players were Jarrad Cottier, Sean Go, David Thorburn, Jesse Curren and Lara Pryor, but the stand out player of the match was Jackson McGregor who was unstoppable at times carving his way through multiple defenders.
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #9
VS EAST GOSFORD (WON 2-1)
June 17, 2017
Away game this week against East Gosford. The team got off to a good start and dominated early, with bulk of the early period played in the East Gosford half.
Some composed play and nice crossing led to a couple of very good chances on goal, but we lacked the finishing touch and couldn't put them away. Perhaps buoyed by this East Gosford came back into the game and took the lead with a nice finish. 1-0. The goal lifted East Gosford, and the Tigers had to work hard to get back into the game, which they did after some nice passing led to a goal by Jesse Sambrook. 1-1 at half time.
The second half was much harder as the team lost composure and rather than control the ball began to attempt passes that weren't on and kept turning the ball over to the other team. East Gosford dominated for a long period, with one shot going just over the crossbar with our 'keeper beaten. Against the run of play however we produced a beautiful passing sequence on the right which led to a goal from Brayden Raftery.
2-1 to the Tigers. The match then turned with the Tigers in control for long periods, although East Gosford did hit the post in the dying stages. Despite this we held on and took the three points.
Most players had good moments, with strong matches from Savannah Lalor, James Parsons, Brayden Raftery, David Thorburn, Baliegh Bovis and Lara Prior.
Player of the match however was Sean Go with a tireless second half defensive performance where he continually harassed and won the ball in some dangerous situations, then started some nice attacks for us with accurate passing.
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #8
VS GWANDALAN (DREW 3-3)
June 3, 2017
This match was away against the competition leaders Gwandalan, who had only lost one game all year. Despite this Wyoming began very well and dominated the early part of the match. Dylan Konemann and Jackson McGregor were owning the midfield, and constantly turning the Gwandalan attacks around to create some good chances for the Tigers.
As has been the pattern of the season however Gwandalan got away on the break and scored with a nice finish from their only clear early chance on goal. 1-0. The Tigers lifted again after this and after some nice pressure Jesse Curren was on the spot to slot the goal. 1-1.
Another break to Gwandalan led to a goal that just went inside the right post after hitting the left post and we went to the break at 1-2 down.
The Tigers took a while to get going after half time and while they were still playing ok they weren't as strong in the early stages as the first half. As the match went on they grew in confidence, and after a great through ball from Baileigh Bovis we broke away, and after some good interchange play Jackson McGregor was on hand to finish the chance 2-2.
After this the team really lifted and we were dominating the league leaders all over the park. We had some very good chances, but an unlucky handball in the box gave Gwandalan a penalty with around 5 minutes to go, which they put away with a well taken finish. 3-2.
Rather than give up however the Tigers pushed on for the point that they well deserved. The team pressed hard, and kept this pressure on the whole Gwandalan team giving them no respite. This was rewarded when the team pounced on a misdirected back pass, and after a nice shot on goal and save from the Gwandalan 'keeper Brayden Raftery scored on the rebound. 3-3.
Not happy with a draw we tried hard for a winner, but the clock beat us.
Every player contributed in a terrific team performance with great determination all across the park.
Special mention to Lara Pryor, James Parsons, Jackson McGregor & Dylan Konemann who was strong on the field and in goals, but player of the match was Lachlan Mead with a tireless performance in midfield.
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #8
VS BERKELEY VALE (LOST 1-4)
May 27, 2017
This was one of those games where the score just doesn’t reflect the match.
After a quick start Berkeley had a couple of early corners, but good defence kept them out and led to Wyoming creating a few good chances of their own. Despite being well in the match the Berkeley tactic of bombing the ball long to their very speedy right winger worked and they took the lead 0-1.
Despite this Wyoming grew in confidence as the match went on, and some great passing interplay on the left wing led to some very solid chances. We then dominated for a large period having Berkeley pinned into their own half with quite a few shots on goal, but we then copped another sucker punch when Berkeley scored again on the break. 0-2 at half time.
After the break we came out strongly, and the sniff of a comeback was in the air. Wyoming pushed forward more, and began to dominate the midfield. This dominance led to some terrific passing to create a chance for Jackson Knox who put it away well. 1-2.
The team really lifted after the goal, and a period of pure determination at right wing from Jarrad Cottier led to him winning the ball a number of times, and shooting at goal only to hit the post twice in about 5 seconds. We then had a further shot that was cleared away as well. As was the pattern of the game Berkeley again scored on the break soon after and this really took the wind out of the team. 1-3.
While still trying and creating chances the spirit was lower, and Berkeley wrapped up the match with a final goal 1-4.
James Parsons was player of the match with a dominant performance at sweeper. Continually winning the ball and charging up field to get things moving with the ball.
Other good players were Savannah Lalor (once again), Jesse Curren, Jarrod Cottier, Jack Taylor & Sean Go. Tim however pointed out that the whole team contributed, and that despite the loss he was happy with the passing and fight displayed.
On another day the result may have been very different…
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #7
VS BUDGEWOI (DREW 0-0)
May 20, 2017
The first away game for our team for some time, and after a wet Friday we were very lucky to get a game. Indeed it was great for the team to play on the number one oval at Budgewoi which has a beautiful surface.
We got off to a slow start, with Budgewoi having a number of early chances, but as the match went on we got stronger and started to create a few chances of our own. First half was back and forth between the two teams, but with no goals from either team at half time.
In the second half the team was much more composed, and a few great passing exchanges led to a couple of terrific chances on goal but a combination of loose shooting and some good keeping from the Budgewoi ‘keeper meant that we didn’t put the ball into the back of the net. We had Budgewoi pushed back for a long period, but just couldn’t score. They had their chances as well, and a very late chance to win the game, but some great defence and keeping kept them out. 0-0 was the end score, with a point on the road helping to get us moving up the table again.
There were good performances from James Parsons, Jackson McGregor, Timothy Jones and Brayden Raftery, but man of the match went to Dylan Konemann in goal with some terrific saves and a clean sheet as well.
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #6
VS WOY WOY (LOST 0-6)
May 13, 2017
Tough match against the undefeated Woy Woy team today who had a few players that should certainly be playing in a higher grade. For large periods of the match we held our own, and we had a few good chances, but we were punished almost every time we made an error.
Wyoming highlights were a great penalty save from Brayden Raftery, a great run and shot on goal from Tim Jones that was only kept out by a terrific diving save from the Woy Woy ‘keeper, and some fine saves from Dylan Konemann.
Other strong performers were Lara Pryor, Jackson McGregor and Jack Taylor who was player of the match with some strong defending and pinpoint passing from left back.
Next week’s game away is against Budgewoi so hopefully we’ll get started on a winning run to move us up the table.
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #5
VS WYOMING C1 (LOST 1-3)
May 6, 2017
Right from the start it seemed that we hadn’t turned up to play with the team slow to close down our opposition and allowing too much space.
Despite this some great defending kept us in the match, and even after we went down 0-1 we were able to fight back after a goal to Brayden Raftery to get things level again at 1-1.
The goal lifted the team and for some time the match was quite even, but just before half time Wyoming 1 scored from a great free kick to leave a half time score at 1-2.
An early second half goal to Wyoming 1 seemed to take the energy away from the team, and for most of the rest of the match we were pinned to our own half. Despite this some well-timed last minute defending from Jackson Knox, and some great goalkeeping from Dylan Konneman kept the end score to 1-3.
Other good players were Lara Pryor, James Parsons, Tim Jones and David Thorburn. Savannah Lalor was player of the match however after another tireless midfield performance.
Tough match next up against the undefeated Woy Woy team so we’ll need to be at our best.
(Words: Robert Taylor)
GAME #4
VS GOSFORD (WON 2-1)
April 29, 2017
Another strong team performance had the Tigers in control for most of the match.
Apart from a few tense moments, and a terrific goal line clearance by Sean Go, the team fought hard and came away with another win.
A goal to Jesse Sambrook had us in the lead at half time at 1-0, and after weathering some early pressure Jesse scored again to have us at 2-0, then wrapped up the match with around 5 minutes to go when he completed his hattrick after great passing through the midfield.
However despite all on the field knowing the score was 3-0, and even Gosford players knowing the same the referee decided to record the result as a 2-1 win. Let’s hope this doesn’t hurt our goal difference at the end of the season…
In a sign of just how strong a team performance it was Lachlan Mead was man of the match, with special mention to Tim Jones, Brayden Raftery and Jack Taylor who all had strong games.
The team looks good all across the park, and are very much looking forward to the next match against the Wyoming C1’s.
(Words: Robert Taylor; Photos: Alistair Kennedy)
GAME #3
VS EAST GOSFORD (WON 4-3)
April 23, 2017
This match was a rescheduled match after a washout in round 1, and our second game in two days.
Perhaps due to this the Tigers were slow to get started, with East Gosford dominating almost from the opening whistle. We were pushed back into our own half for long periods early on, and East Gosford had a few good chances go wide before they eventually scored. This put East Gosford on a roll who put away two further goals, with one also called back for offside.
The Tigers had a few breakaway chances but were unable to put them away, and as the match went on became stronger. At half time we were down 0-3.
Tim worked his magic at half time and a different team emerged in the second half. Right from the start we dominated, and had East Gosford on the back foot. This early dominance and some nice lead up play led to a goal from James Parsons and we were on our way back. 1-3.
Another goal to James (2-3) and a long period of domination had us looking good, but we then allowed East Gosford back into the game and they had a ball in the back of the net again called back for offside. This seemed to wake the Tigers up again and a goal to Timothy Jones after a terrific run from midfield had us back level. 3-3.
Not happy with a point to team pushed on and with James Parsons completing his hattrick the Tigers had the lead for the first time with minutes to go. 4-3. While there were some nervous moments towards the end the Tigers held on and the comeback was complete.
This stirring fightback showed the great spirit that the team has. Everyone worked hard and dug deep as they tired, and this was a true team effort.
Special mention to Jackson Knox with some nice saves in the first half, and a strong performance in defence in the second half. Dylan Konemann made some great saves in the second half as well, with strong games from Savannah Lalor, Sean Go, Baileigh Bovis and James Parsons with his hattrick. It was very difficult to pick the man of the match which showed that the entire team contributed.
(Words: Robert Taylor - Manager)
GAME #2
VS DOYALSON (WON 10-0)
April 22, 2017
Wyoming performed strongly in this match now that the players have spent some time together at training, and with almost a full squad available the team showed some good promise for the season ahead.
An early goal from James Parsons kicked things off on a good note, and while Doyalson threatened on a few occasions the Tigers were in control. Further goals from Jesse Sambrook & David Thorburn put us in a strong position going towards half time. Although we missed a penalty we still had a good half time lead.
After a well earned break on a warm day Jesse scored again to continue the Tigers dominance. We than had further goals from Brayden Raftery, Lachlan Mead & James Parsons, with Lachlan finishing with the last three goals on the day to end with an impressive 4 goal haul.
Final result was 10-0 to the Tigers.
While the goal scorers got the glory, hard work from the whole team led to some nice passing and crossing to create the chances in a solid team performance, with good players all over the park.
Our defenders also deserve a special mention in keeping a clean sheet, and they were well led by Timothy Jones at centre back.
This result moved us into 6th on the table with a game in hand, and boosted the goal difference nicely. With further improvement to come things are looking promising for the season ahead.
Player of the year points were:
3 points - David Thorburn: Showed terrific touch and control on the right wing, scoring one goal and setting up others as well.
2 points - Savannah Lalor: Fought like a terrier in midfield for the whole game never giving any opposition player any time, with some nice passing as well.
1 point - Sean Go: Worked very hard on the left wing showing some good touch.
(Words: Robert Taylor - Manager)
GAME #1
VS AVOCA (LOST 2-4)
April 8, 2017
