St Lawrence Reserves 2-5 Kensington Dragons Reserves (Jeff Nardin Cup)
It is always difficulty to play a cup game if the team have an inconsistent squad and that’s exactly what faced the Dragons Reserves in fact they took to the field with a bare 11 and 2 debutants on a pitch that resembled a cow patch. Thank fully, this was a chance to give the younger members of the squad the opportunity to make their pitch for a regular staring spot. Dragons started with good tempo and took control of the game. The team created 2 great chances but missed them both more to the conditions than player ability. This fact pushed the team to harder work as Dragons felt they were much better than their opponents and they knew they had to be patient. Good play and a corner for Dragons put St Lawrence in trouble. From the resulting corner the home side’s attempt to clear the ball was unsuccessful and the Dragons capitalised forcing a home player to score an own goal. Dragons wanted more and created a few more great chances but could not convert them for a goal. 1-0 at half time.
In the second half the players wanted to score another goal as quickly as it was possible and with it, kill the game. A Few minutes into the 2nd period and the Dragons were awarded a penalty. U14s coach Dean Humphrey stepped up and rammed home the spot kick. 2-0. After 55 minutes Dragons made a great counter attack and scored another goal through El-Habib Oumar. 3-0 and the Dragons were seemingly on the home straight! WRONG, the team lost their concentration and started thinking about the final whistle and this put them in big trouble. The very physical St Lawrence Striker scored 2 opportunist goals the first from the most obvious offside position which the average referee missed. Another strike on 70 brought the hosts back into the game and seemingly in the ascendency. The referee continued to make strange decisions which seem to unsettle the young Dragons team. However the Dragons always looked dangerous upfront and in the 80 and 85th minute their class told as they scored 2 outstanding goals one via a free kick 30 yards out which the keeper could not hold and former youth Dragons Andrew Scheck followed up to tap home and a 5 man move from the edge of their own penalty area finished with a sweet strike from 12 yards by the Dragons right midfielder Justas Krisciunas, a graduate from 2011’s U18s, to give the Dragons their 5th goal and a more respectable scoreline as they were by far the better team in atrocious conditions and on a pitch which was by far the worst they have played on for many a season. The team showed great attitude over the 90 minutes solving the few problems during the game with solidity and tactical discipline bringing a great result.
