Rpund 18 - Glen Waverley

The final match for the year against Glen Waverley was a tough one.After a reasonable start Box Hill looked out of sorts and at times struggled to stem the oppositions attacks.Glen Waverley had nothing to lose and went in hard.They were first to the ball and moved it around the pitch well,persistently testing our defence and unlucky not to score.

Box Hill did take it forward at times and scored a goal after a great passage of play. Half time luckily saw the score 1-0 our way.

The second half was more of the same.Glen Waverley never let up and our boys just couldn't get into first gear. Both keepers made some great saves with Geln Waverley's making one mistake allowing one of our forwards to find the back of the net.This understandably took a bit of the wind out of Glen Waverley who through more bad luck,than good playing on Box Hill's part,were denied a score.

Final score Box Hill 2-0 Glen Waverley which is not really a score reflective of just how close the game was.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the boys play this season as I'm sure all the parents have. The boys now move up to the A league next year which will certainly put them to the test.

I'm already looking foward to the 2009 season!

Round 16 - Springvale

The boys from the Under 12B Team turned out for their penultimate League game away at Springvale. It was very cold & very wet however you could see that the boys were up for the contest.

The boys attacked from the whistle and continued to apply pressure on the Springvale defence. Springvale were struggling to get out of their half and eventually Devon scored to make it 1-0. The pressure continued to build and it wasn’t long before Blayne got on the score sheet having made a great run down the right wing. Box Hill found the net again shortly after but were adjudged offside. They didn’t dwell on this and after a cross in from the left which the keeper didn’t collect, Blayne scored again to make it 3-0. Springvale did have moments where they attacked the Box Hill goal and went close with a free kick.

The whistle went for half time & the boys & coaches were happy to go to the dressing room to get out of the cold & rain. Martin kept the half time talk brief so the boys kept themselves warm by jumping around and chanting “ole, ole, ole, ole, Box Hill, Box Hill!”

The 3 boys who were on the bench came on for the 2nd half. Box Hill continued to press for more goals and our forwards were twice through one on one with the keeper but unfortunately hit the keeper. Springvale counter attacked but just couldn’t squeeze through however they did take a couple of speculative shots which Tim handled with no problems. The next Box Hill goal came from a penalty when a Springvale player up ended one of the Box Hill lads. Brendan stepped up and scored. Curtis got his name on the score sheet too when he followed up a shot by one of the Box Hill boys and popped it away. Springvale bounced back with an attack which resulted in them breaching the Box Hill defence however Tim goat a hand to the ball and it plopped in the mud on the line. Sam slid in under pressure from a Springvale player but could only hook it onto the post and it rebounded into the net.

The final whistle went and everybody was relieved to get out of the wet, cold, miserable conditions. It was a very good performance in very difficult conditions.

The win guarantees the team second place in the league which they can still win if Doncaster were to falter. They go top for a week due to the fact that Doncaster have a bye.

Well done to Martin, Rick, the boys & all of the parents for all of their efforts to make the season a successful one which everyone will remember fondly.

Round 15 - Richmond

The weather was good for the game against Richmond who are currently 4th on the ladder. We were expecting a challenge as Richmond were dealt a stinging defeat the week previously from league leaders Doncaster.

Box Hill started off strong and pushed forward quickly.They had some early shots on goal but missed the target. Richmond never looked too threatening when they went into attack as Box Hill swiftly cleared the ball and put the pressure back on them.It didn't take long though for our boys to find the back of the net.
With a second goal soon after,half time saw the score 2-0.

The second half saw some player rotation and subbing.The boys adapted well to the changes and kept applying pressure.Richmond changed a few players as well creating more strength forward which made a noticeable difference.The Box Hill defence was sound,so with mid field working hard and our forwards keen to score they were soon rewarded.This goal was soon followed by another which took the wind out of the opposition so they struggled to hold our boys back.Box Hill did not back off and scored again making the tally at full time 5-0.

This was a very impressive display of football by our boys and brought about by great teamwork and a strong commitment by every player.

Round 14 - Oakleigh

The Under 12B East team arrived at Jack Edwards Reserve on a cold & rainy day hoping to maintain their winning ways and to cement 2nd place on the ladder. The main pitch at Oakleigh was looking great. Unfortunately we were playing on the paddock behind. The line markings at one end were hard to see particularly the 18 yard box but more of that later!!

The Box Hill boys created chances from the start and within 5 minutes were ahead when Blayne slashed in a shot from a tight angle over on the right to score his second goal in 2 now he is playing at Right Wing. Box Hill continued to press but neither of our strikers in Josh or Devon could find the back of the net. Brendan & Declan continued to battle it out in the centre of the park to keep the pressure on Oakleigh and eventually the pressure told with an Oakleigh player handling in the box so it was penalty time. Gab stepped up and slotted the ball away nicely to take the score top 0-2. Box Hill continued to penetrate the Oakleigh defence, particularly from out wide and managed to cut the ball back but unfortunately were not able to put the ball in the back of the net as it flashed across the goal mouth. When Oakleigh did penetrate into our half they were ably marshalled by Jonty out on the left & Curtis on the Right who both pressured their players & when the ball popped up played intelligent passes out of defence. Matt & Jesse were able to mop up any of the crumbs that got through. Box Hill had numerous chances in the 1st half but only managed to convert the 2.

Martin made 4 changes in the 2nd half switching to a 3-5-2 formation. Ben was up front with Devon, Carl played in the centre of midfield, Sam played as a defensive midfielder in front of the 3 man defence & Jonty moved over to the Right Back position to allow Patrick to take up his customary position as Left Back. During one passage of play Carl received a ball played a brilliant first time pass to Devon to put him 1 on 1 with the keeper however he put the ball over the cross bar. The game was more end to end in the 2nd half & Tim had to make a couple of saves. Unfortunately from one he stepped outside of the non existent 18 yard box & Box Hill were penalised with a free kick due to the fact that the Ref hadn’t ensured adequate line markings!! The free kick was nicely taken by Oakleigh who scored to make it 1-2 and game on!! Box Hill struck back in true Box Hill fashion and after a great passage of play through the middle, Devon scored to make it 1-3. This took the wind out of Oakleigh’s sails & the pressure off Box Hill. Captain of the day Matt took a knock in the thigh so Josh was brought on to sweep and did a very good job of snuffing out a couple of Oakleigh attacks.

The final whistle went & Box Hill had done the job & got the 3 points in average conditions on an average pitch.

Next week Richmond visit Wembley & will provide a stern test for the boys.

Round 13 - Clayton

Nice handball with the line marker.

The weather and pitch conditions at Wembley were considerably better than the away encounter with Clayton last time. Box Hill were keen to even the slate as Clayton are the only team so far this season to score a win against them.

The boys came out firing and had Clayton under pressure straight away.Their continual push forward resulted in early goals and with great teamwork the score at half time was 4-0.

The second half saw some positional changes which took a little time for the boys to settle into. Clayton took advantage of a lapse in pressure and found the back of the net but this was countered straight away with a quick goal by BoxHill.

Our boys dominated this game with teamwork and commitment.

The final score was Box Hill 5-1 Clayton.

Round 12 - Bulleen

The Under 12B team headed over to the Veneto Club knowing that a win was a must in order to stay in touch with League leaders Doncaster. The day was cold & windy with rain threatening. The boys were keen to make it 2 out of 2 for Box Hill teams over at Bulleen after hearing that the Under 11A’s had won 1-0.

Box Hill applied the early pressure & this resulted in a well taken goal by Jesse to make it 1-0 to Box Hill. Bulleen. The goal prompted the Bulleen boys & they started to challenge for the 50-50 balls & penetrate the Box Hill defences. This resulted in them pouncing on a loose ball in the box to even the scores 1-1. They followed this up with another goal on the break down the left side of the pitch to make it 2-1 to them & continued to dictate the game. The whistle went for half time with the score reading Bulleen 2 Box Hill 1.

The message from the coach was delivered loud & clear to the Box Hill boys to compete, pressure & win the ball all over the park. The boys did this and started to wrest control back from the Bulleen lads. Both teams were evenly matched with Box Hill attacking well however the Bulleen defence was up for the task. The pressure from Box Hill eventually paid dividends when Devon burst into the box & slotted away the ball to make it 2 -2. Box Hill continued to pressure as the mid-field were winning more of the ball as were the defence when under pressure. Another attack resulted in a shot on goal which the Bulleen Keeper spilled & which Josh put away to make it 3-2. Bulleen went in search of an equaliser & from a corner the ball was pinging around in the box but was eventually cleared. The full time whistle went and the Box Hill boys celebrated a well earned win against a determined Bulleen team.

Well done to both the coaches & the boys for a great result.

Round 11 - Doncaster

This away game had great weather,good pitch and was against league leaders Doncaster.
Box Hill is 2nd on the ladder so this was expected to be a tough game and it did not disappoint.

The first half saw Box Hill in control.The boys did not allow Doncaster to have any room and pushed forward continually creating scoring opportunities.Doncaster defended galliantly and with missed chances by our boys the score at half time was nil all.

We knew controlling Doncaster for the whole game was not likely and hoped Box Hill would not pay for earlier misses.

The second half was even at first but after about 10 mins. Doncaster took control.They attacked continually with our defence working hard to hold them.Box Hill went forward a little,with no luck,and Doncaster quickly cleared the ball and attacked again.

The first to have scored would of won but the whistle blew and at full time the score was 0-0.

This was another great game to watch and a fair result for both teams.

Round 10 - Manningham

Box Hill entertained Manningham in very good conditions at Wembley Park. The boys started brightly and created a few chances however they didn’t find the target. Midway through the first half Box Hill scored to take the lead. Manningham struggled to get out of their half at times & our keeper only touched the ball once. Having said that they were resolute in defence & were challenging well for 50:50 balls & their keeper, like in the first game was best on ground for them.

The Box Hill boys came out in the second half & were more resolute with most players challenging for 50:50 balls. 10 minutes into the second half and Box Hill scored to make it 2-0. A third was quickly added when a Manningham player turned the ball into their own net for an own goal from a corner. Unfortunately Box Hill could not add to the score line, however had secured the 3 points to stay in touch with Doncaster. Full credit goes to Manningham who played their hearts out and worked hard for each other until the final whistle & to both teams who played the game in good spirits.

Next week is the big game for this league with league leaders Doncaster playing Box Hill over at Anderson Park in a match which is likely to decide who finishes top in the Under East 12B League. One thing is for sure & that is that the lads in Yellow & Green will ensure that the Box Hill boys will have to bring their best game in order to secure all 3 points.

We can’t wait!!

Round 9 - Glen Waverley

It started raining before kick off and did not stop throughout the game.Box Hills ground drains well but the ball was slippery and tested both teams skill.

After the bye last week our boys were keen to play and started strongly.They scored early and looked sharp.Glen Waverley struggled to go forward and with Box Hill missing some scoring opportunities the score remained 1-0 by half time.

The second half saw Glen Waverley apply more pressure but the defence answered the call and Box Hill pushed forward through great teamwork but unfortunately missed some easy shots on goal.The boys lost focus a little in the last 10 minutes allowing Glen Waverely to press forward and have several strong scoring opportunities.

The score at full time remained 1-0.

The boys deserved the win but with easy misses on goal and a late rally by Glen Waverely it could have easily ended differently.

Round 7 - Springvale City

The coaches told the boys to expect a hard game.Springvale City had played League leaders Doncaster Rovers last week and lost 4-2,which showed they would be a capable opposition.

Box Hill fired from the whistle and gave Springvale little chance to go forward.Our midfield dominated by tackling hard and passing the ball wide to the wingers who in turn ran down and kicked it into the box. This created plenty of chances to score and with the forwards working hard they were 2-0 at half time.

The second half Springvale did go forward and take a shot a couple of times but never looked too threatening. Box Hill kept the pressure on and moved the ball around pushing forward relentlessly.This resulted in 3 more goals,with two boys scoring for the first time.

The final score was 5-0 and was a result of great teamwork and every player working hard.

With a bye next week the boys should be well rested and keen to play.

Round 6 - Richmond

The Box Hill Under East B team travelled to play Richmond at Yarra Bend on a cold, foggy morning. The team were pumped as Richmond’s results put them a point behind the team but with a game in hand so it was a must win game. The pitch was very small though a good surface.

The team started brightly attacking down both flanks with Gabriel & Jesse combining well down the left & Curtis and Devon doing likewise down the right. The central midfield pairing of Declan & Brendan was ticking along nicely as usual. The first shot on target by Box Hill hit the inside of the post and rolled along the length of the goal line & unfortunately Curtis couldn’t get onto it to slot it home? Would this come back to haunt the boys? Unfortunately we didn’t have to wait long to find out as a Richmond foray down our right flank resulted in a cross into the box which Richmond slotted away. Tim in goals could do nothing about it. Richmond 1-0 Box Hill. To the boy’s credit they hit back in true Box Hill style by moving the ball around & passing to feet and this resulted in Devon scoring the equaliser. 1-1. The defence of Matt, Josh, Blain & Jonty defended well & allowed the & this gave the Box Hill team a solid platform on which to build. The team continued to create chances & Devon scored his second of the day from tight in the corner on the right wing curling in a beauty with his left foot that the Richmond keeper could only parry into the roof of the net so it was Richmond 1 – Box Hill 2. That was the way the score line finished at half time.

Martin made some changes at half time bringing on Carl on the right wing, Patrick on the left & Ben up front. Box Hill started where they left off & were competing for every ball & moving it around nicely. It was end to end stuff with Box Hill having the upper hand & eventually they made it count. Devon scored another beauty from distance though a less acute angle which found the top corner and brought up his hat trick & his 8th goal in the league. To Richmond’s credit they fought back & started to apply pressure on the Box Hill defensive zone where Matt, Josh, Jonty & Sam were resolute in defence. The odd through ball that they couldn’t handle was looked after by Tim in goals.

The final whistle brought down the curtain on an entertaining & hard fought match. The coach Martin & his assistant Rick were very pleased with all the boy’s efforts to get the 3 points which keeps them in touch with league leaders Doncaster & gives them a 4 point gap over Richmond.

Round 5 - Oakleigh

A marked turn around in effort this week from Box Hill saw the boys dominate the game. The home ground is in good condition and this allowed Box Hill to move the ball around more confidently than last week.

The first half saw our boys pressing forward constantly with very few counter attacks from the Oakleigh Cannons.By the break we were 2-0 up.

The second half started much the same way with Box Hill in control.The few times Oakleigh pushed forward our boys cleared it quickly and put the pressure back on them.We scored one more,leaving the full time score at 3-0.

Oakleigh are not one of the strong teams in the league but it was good to see our lot come out firing and come away with the three points.

Round 4 - Clayton

Rain for 24 hours before the game made for less than ideal playing conditions.It stopped an hour before kick off leaving Clayton's home ground very greasy.
Clayton began well and were first to the ball for most of the half as our guys struggled to deal with the slippery surface.There were several scoring chances for both teams but no net for either.Half time saw it nil all.

The second half saw Box Hill attack the ball more with many scoring chances but could not find the net,but on a counter attack Clayton did. Box hill tried hard but remained scoreless giving Clayton a 1-0 victory.

In summary I feel Clayton played better than our boys expected [they were told never underestimate your opponent] also they handled the slippery conditions better.The ref was rather inexperienced and the result quite likely could have been 1-0 our way. Having said that,Box Hill had many more opportunities to score but hit the
crossbar,uprights,outside of the net and the keeper but just not the back of the net.

Round 3 - Bulleen

The boys started well this week and scored early.They moved the ball around well and pressed forward continually,scoring twice more before half time.Bulleen did counter at times but our defence held well and only let one goal through.

Our left back was absent today so the coaches rotated two of our strikers through defence which worked well.
With two other strikers and a skillfull centre line there was no shortage up forward.
The second half saw Bulleen apply more pressure but Box Hill held firm.Both teams were dangerous on the counter attack with two goals apiece by full time.

Bulleen are a strong team but I feel Box Hill were dominant for most of the game and had more scoring shots.

It was a deserved win at 5-3 but shows that any relaxing of pressure by our lot will quickly be punished by a capable opposition.

Round 2 - Doncaster Rovers

This week the boys had some strong opposition.Docaster Rovers were fast and hard at the ball right from the whistle
and caught us off guard.One goal down saw Box Hill rally and the second quarter was fairly even with scoring
oppotunities for both teams.

From the start of the second half Box Hill took control but could'nt find the net until about 15 mins in.They worked hard
and scored shortly after but Doncaster always looked threatening with some scoring chances of their own.
There was no let up and Doncaster scored close to full time leaving the game a 2 all draw.

This was a strong and hard fought game from both sides and was thoroughly entertaining for all watching.

Round 1 - Manningham

A solid start to the season by the U12b team with a 7-0 win over Manningham.The stronger teams are ahead but the boys showed good structure and teamwork throughout the game under the watchful eyes of coaches Martin and Rick.

In a commanding position at half-time the coaches changed the players around.Our goalie was shifted to striker and scored, forwards were moved to defence and so on.These were all positive moves for player development and enjoyment but also showed team depth as 3 of the 7 goals were scored in the second half.

There has been great team spirit throughout pre-season and no doubt will make for a terrific season ahead for all concerned.