MATCHDAY 16 ATHERTON F.C. v FOREST GARDEN WOLVES F.C. 13TH JULY 2013 Eagles Devour Wolves Atherton Eagles hosted an under strength Wolves team on Friday night at the Atherton international Club, which traditionally is a closely fought match between two attacking teams. The last encounter earlier in the season in Cairns, was a very close and competitive affair which saw 8 goals scored before half time, 4 goals apiece, only to see Atherton run out eventual winners 6-4. The same was expected for this keenly anticipated match, but due to other commitments Wolves could not muster a full squad for the match. It was with this imbalance that saw the Eagles take an early lead after just 4 minutes, through defensive man Nat Cuda who slotted home his third goal for the season with a bullocking run through the Wolves defence. With little more than a minute elapsed since Cuda’s goal, Atherton playmaker Lewis Short continued his fine run of form to finish a lightning attack with a well taken goal which rocked Wolves to the core. To Wolves credit, they composed themselves and started to find some possession of the ball and kept the Atherton defence on their toes by some sparkling interplay between their very spritely midfield and attackers. Always dangerous on the counter attack the Wolves were admirably subdued by defensive full backs, Ross Honeyman and Calem Sorenson with strong support from the central pairing of Adam Higgins and Ben Herring, on the latter’s return to the squad, from a sojourn down South. It was Herring who latched onto a wayward pass to race on downfield, evading desperate attempts to dispossess the speedy youngster, when not for the first time this season, he unleashed a trademark strike that saw Wolves goalkeeper Xou Thou, unable to keep the dipping shot from nestling into the back of the Wolves net. It was 3-0 after 17 minutes the Eagles appeared to be in cruise control. The Eagles had the wolf’s share of possession and controlled the match throughout the first half and it was a result of this, when in the 37th minute Lewis Short was on the spot to force home his second of the night to make the score 4-0 and firmly in control. If there is one thing that Forest Garden Wolves are good at, is speedy and aggressive counter attacking. It is the cornerstone of why they are the current reigning 2nd division Champions, and when their elusive wingman Foua Thao latched on to a sublime pass from his midfield to outwit and outpace the Eagles defence, to score his 12th goal of the campaign, it was a sign to their host to be very wary, or pay the penalty. Half time: Atherton Eagles 4 v Forest Garden Wolves 1 The second half began very similar to the first, with Atherton on the front foot forcing the issue and it was following an early attack, the ball was crossed by wingman Jamie Cuda to find its way to acting captain Alberto Homann who unselfishly laid the ball into the path of the advancing Lewis Short who with precise timing rifled the ball into the top right hand corner of the net to arguably scored the goal of the night, 5-1 with still 40 minutes still to play. The final 45 minutes saw the introduction of a number of players notably Judd Larcombe who seamlessly integrated into the defensive line and forwards Joson Curcio and Amos Smith, believed to be the divisions’ youngest player, both the young players were introduced with impact and are fast becoming an integral part of the Eagles squad. On the hour mark, an infrequent shot by Wolves defensive man Gary Yang, saw the Atherton No 1, Luke Centofanti make heavy going of Yangs’ shot, as Centofanti appeared to parry the ball forward ostensibly to collect the dropping football, but the ball, in the slippery conditions eluded his grasp and spun across the goal line, causing blushes to the otherwise, secure custodian. Centofanti, who by this time, had made way for young goalkeeper Peter Cuda, was spared his blushes by another youngster Amos Smith, who when finding himself in acres of space, composed himself well enough, to score his maiden senior goal, with a crisp low shot that beat the diving clutches of the Wolves keeper, to say Smith was,” elated”, would be an understatement, Smiths goal made it 6-1 in the 68th minute. Not to be outdone the other teenager Joson Curcio got his name on the scoresheet after a number of attempts in the 80th minute, when he calmly slotted home the Eagles seventh , after picking the ball up on the left flank and making a beeline for the oppositions goal. With the midfield duo of Mead and Lewis doing the business, it was Aaron Mead who made way for the returning Bodhi Peacey, who took up where Mead had left off and finished off the night with an excellent strike on goal that saw the ball wriggle under the prone body of the Wolves keeper in the 87th minute of the match, much to the delight of Peacey and bringing to a close Atherton Eagles most comprehensive win over the Wolves since their inception, however this scoreline must be tempered with the fact they were not at full strength, but were still competitive, much to their credit. Final Score: Atherton Eagles 8 v Forest Garden Wolves 2 Goalscorers: Atherton Eagles: Lewis Short (3) Nat Cuda, Ben Herring, Amos Smith, Joson Curcio, Bodhi Peacey. Forest Garden Wolves: Foua Thao, Gary Yang. Referee: Mr. Martin Tilley of Gordonvale Referees MVP: Lewis Short (3) Foua Thao (2) Aaron Mead (1) The wolverines for the match: Alberto Homann (C), Judd Larcombe, Luke Centofanti, Lewis Short, Amos Smith, Adam Higgins, Calem Sorenson, Ross Honeyman, Ben Herring, Peter Cuda, Bodhi Peacey, Aaron Mead, Jamie Cuda, Kyle Whiteley, Nat Cuda and Joson Curcio. Atherton Eagles next match v Mareeba Barras at Dimbulah next Friday 26th July, kick off 8pm. Eagle’s next home game vs Leichardt, Friday 2nd August at the Atherton International Club, kick off 8.pm.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 08:47:46 +0000