Doncaster Rovers Soccer Club

U18 Match Report - round 12

2011-07-26T20:59:00.000+10:00

U18 Eastern Lions vs Doncaster Rovers 24th July, 2011

On a wet and cool morning we lined up to face the top dogs Eastern Lions. We had an almost full squad with Aaron in goal, then Gareth ,Nima and Steve down back with Loch sweeping. In midfield was Alex and Xavier then Drew and Tom with Ricky with Anthony forward. On the pine were Jani, Mitch, Sammy, Heng, Aiden and Michael.
The game started out with Rovers soon pressing but Anthony shot at the moon. We kept peppering the goals to no avail. Ricky shot wide, Tom shot wide then Ricky clipped a stray ball almost through the keeper, only trapped by his legs at the last instant. Then Xavier cracked a kick out straight back at the keeper that just clipped the keepers toe and veered out. So close and yet so far! After a penalty to Rovers for a foul on Ricky, Ricky took the shot but “dead eye dick “ went way too high. Lucky I don’t bet because I was ready to put the house on that one!! As usual after we had the play for 20 minutes The Lions rushed forward and their No9 got around our defender and shot truly.
Not to be denied Xavier picked up a loose ball and cracked at goal, their defender deflected the ball nicely into the net. Game on!
Rovers were still controlling most of the high class game but the Lions looked dangerous when close to goal. Aaron pulled off a fantastic save to keep Rovers in the game
Rovers had 3 corners in a row but just could not break through. Finally Ricky was pulled down in the box and this time Alex S took the penalty and shot truly to give Rovers a well deserved break leading up to half-time.

Half-time score: Eastern Lions 1 : Doncaster Rovers 2

The rain had stopped and the game just kept improving with good passing, strong defence by all our backs, and excellent teamwork by both sides. Steve, Nim & Gareth were standing up well along with Loch who headed and kicked us out of danger on many occasions. Xavier and Alex were controlling the midfield and putting the ball to advantage, Drew was clinical in slicing open the defence with deft passes to the open side and Tom put on a lot of forward pressure. Ricky and Anthony really kept the Lions defence under pressure at all times. The Lions were attacking but No 9 was too quick even for the linesman and was caught offside on several occasions. Rovers still were teaming that bit better and taking more shots on goal as well as several corners but we just could not find the net. Alex took a penalty from 25 metres and almost goaled as their keeper just flicked the ball wide.
The lions lifted their intensity and after several near misses and saves Aaron brought down No9 and a penalty resulted. In some form of blind justice he hit the crossbar and the ball rebounded out to Rovers advantage.
The Lions kept pressing and No9, or should I call him “Love Potion”, had about 3 really strong cracks at goal that Aaron saved by some miraculous feats. At one stage Lions hit the side post at the same time as Aaron and a sore arm was worth it! Supporters of both sides were clapping Aaron for his fearless saves. It was good to be in amongst true supporters of the game no matter who was winning.
The ball was travelling end to end with good contests all over the ground. Each team had good opportunities to score but they were denied by the shut down pressure of the defences. Finally Anthony was brought down outside the box and Alex took the free that lobbed just within reach of the keeper but he could only just let the ball slide over his hand into the waiting head of Ricky who was lurking just behind the keeper and Rovers score skipped away to a match winning lead. Sammy and Jani came on to keep the ball flowing towards Rovers goal as the final whistle sounded.
Both teams put in a strong performance in what was the game of the year so far.
The Ref who had done a good job and controlled the testosterone levels of the boys for all of the game blew the whistle to end the game. All players could be satisfied with their individual efforts and team performance.

Full-time score: Eastern Lions 1 : Doncaster Rovers 3

ROVERS –a classy team win that puts us back in the frame for a shot at the premiership If we can continue to play at this level the team will continue to succeed.

U18 Match Report - round 8

2011-06-23T17:49:00.000+10:00

U18 Glen Waverley 2 vs Doncaster Rovers 19th June, 2011

On a chilly and windy afternoon Rovers faced up against the bottom team for a percentage booster. With their clubrooms in the middle of a rebuild it was a coffee on the park day.
Rovers started off with Xavier (Mr Fixit) in goal, Steve, Tom and Mima at the back along with Loch sweeping, then Alex and Drew midfield with Sam, Jani & Anthony up forward. AAron & Anthony were out and on the pine were Gareth, Mitch, Michael & Aiden.

The game started out with Rovers having the gale and GW2 having nine players behind the ball just in case!! It was not long before Rovers with some effective passing were taking shots on goal. Jani had a good crack but this was equally well saved by their keeper. After a lot of congested play Rovers finally got on the scoreboard with a good cross by Sammy to an unattended Jani who popped the ball in. Some crisp passing from Drew to Anthony and onto Sammy resulted in a good goal that left GW motionless. The next goal resulted from a pinpoint lob just over the keepers arms from 20 metres out by Steve who had drifted into attack looking for an opponent to match up on. The ball was rarely leaving Rovers forward zone and when it did all the defenders were sharing and caring enough to pass the ball around just for the practice. With some ease Jani passed to Sammy who rammed home another goal. Just to show the forwards did not have all the glory Loch accepted a loose ball in the centre and proceeded to dribble, from a great height I may add, past several defenders and then put in a cracking shot into the back of the net. The whistle could not come soon enough for GW.

Half-time score: Glen Waverley 0 : Doncaster Rovers 5

After the break the wind would not relent and spectators were really feeling the cold. The subs came on to join in the demolition and while the goals were less frequent Rovers controlled the game and Xavier was never really put to the test. Tom, Mima and Steve put in some good runs and the midfield was well on top with Alex cleaning up any contested balls.
GW were able to kick the long ball but never really strung together more than two passes before turning the ball over.
After a long run of end to end play Drew beat his man and dribbled up to the keeper before picking the major opening. It got so cold my biro refused to write and my brain seized up as well. So someone kicked another goal as Rovers cruised to the line in another good team display where foot skills reigned supreme.
The final score was the same as when we played GW1, so it shows we treat all teams the same! Aaron has no need to lose sleep at night as his goalie job is not under scrutiny, Xavier is definitely better in midfield, not stuck down the back on his own, trying to encourage team mates who can hardly hear him as they are all up the other end of the ground.

Scores at full-time: Glen Waverley 0 : Doncaster Rovers 7

ROVERS –another quality exhibition of teamwork and cohesive play.
Keep your eye on the top of the ladder as this is where we want to be at the end of the season.

U18 Match Report - round 5

2011-06-01T06:54:00.000+10:00

U18 Doncaster Rovers vs Riversdale 29th May, 2011

On a cool, windless and overcast day Rovers were at home to the well fancied Riversdale team that had come to claim bragging rights at our home ground.
With Drew & Loch back in the side Rovers started off with Aaron in goal, Steve, Xavier and Nima at the back along with Loch sweeping, then Michael, Alex and Sam midfield then Drew, Anthony & John up forward. Later in the game Jani , Mitch & Aiden all came on to continue the good teamwork in the second half.
The game opened up at a fast pace and didn’t really slow down for the rest of the game. Both teams showed plenty of passing skills and good teamwork with the defenses on top for most of the game. We had a few boys carrying injuries that altered the team balance as Xavier was sore and had to fill the backline hole left by Anthony as well as Jani & Mitch who started on the pine. Rovers had slightly the better of general field play as a few opportunities opened up. Drew ran onto a good through ball, got in front of two defenders but kicked within reach of the keeper.
Riversdale also had opportunities as a couple of quick attacks allowed a good shot on goal only to be snapped up by Aaron in the teeth of goal. Our defense was tested more than once with Steve shutting down his man with clever intercepts and Xavier really putting the pressure on attackers with timely intercepts. Loch also won a string of Riversdale attacks by moving to the front in the last seconds to repel attacks and set up counter attacks. Nima was also cool in the crisis by passing the ball around to advantage.
In another forward move Drew ran into space and looked most likely but his shot was just wide. Bad luck about the left foot!

Half-time score: Rovers 0 : Riversdale 0

Rovers got on the good side of the Ref who continued to pay offsides that were not there overruling side line refs who fairly paid all offsides even to the detriment of their own sides. Both teams earned corners as the pressure continued to mount, with neither defense willing to give an inch. Riversdale continued to own the midfield as their No 6 did as he pleased for most of the game. Michael, Alex and Sammy were winning a lot of contested ball in the centre but not finishing with the same effect as Riversdale. Out of nowhere Anthony crossed in a high ball in front of Drew who kicked mid air and the ball just sailed over the bar! It would have been a match winner. Anthony also had a chance to seal the game but again the ball went a fraction high. Rovers had the ball in their half for most of the last part of the game but could not find a way through to goal. The game was fair with several physical clashes but the Ref kept a tight leash on the players paying many free kicks not necessarily to advantage. Riversdale also had several shots on goal that were mopped up by Aaron or went well wide.
All the players were giving their best as we controlled the field positions but not the avenues to goal.
Scores at full-time: Doncaster Rovers 0 : Riversdale 0

ROVERS –another terrific exhibition of soccer at its best with both sides playing top grade football all day. Hopefully when we meet again our side will be not so restricted by injuries.

U18 Match Report - round 4

2011-05-23T20:01:00.000+10:00

U18 Glen Waverley 1 vs Doncaster Rovers 22nd May, 2011

Another near top of the table clash between Second & Third was held at the Nth GW ground with a strong Northerly wind blowing straight down the ground favouring Rovers in the first half.
Rovers started off with Aaron in goal, Gareth, Anthony and Nima at the back along with Johnny sweeping, then Xavier, Alex S and Mitch in the midfield with Sam, Jani & Anthony up forward. Loch & Drew were out and on the pine were Alex, Steve, Michael & Aiden.
This was to be an interesting contest as some were saying Loch was the key to our defense!!
The game started out with each team having chances to score but Rovers were pushing the ball too long with the wind and a lot of balls went out over the backline. GW hit the upright twice as their centre forward created a lot of play. Aaron made several fine saves that saved at least one certain goal. In a repeat of last weeks good play Xavier put in a long throw that favoured Jani who lobbed the ball over the keepers head for our first goal.
Rovers were passing the ball around to each other whereas GW were putting in long bombs to their No9 but he had two or three to beat most times. A couple of heavy showers swept the ground and the keeper missed a straight forward header by Anthony to take us further ahead. Just before half-time Rovers received a free about 30 metres from goal that was well taken by Johnny and beat everyone to put Rovers in a winning position.

Half-time score: Glen Waverley 0 : Doncaster Rovers 3

After the break Rovers applied more pressure with some crisp passing and good runs down both wings by Sammy and Mitch to set up many opportunities. The first goal after half-time was well constructed by Sammy who turned his man, ran down the left then crossed to the unmarked Anthony for a regulation goal from directly in front. Shortly afterwards Xavier put in a good pass in front of Mitch who beat his man ran down the wing and crossed perfectly to Sammy, who banged in another goal to keep GW completely nonplussed. GW were still attacking but their play fell apart near goal with the defenders scrambling well and Aaron again making several fine saves. Johnny set up the next goal by side stepping his opponent then passing to Jani who beat the goalie easily.
In another exciting piece of play Mitch headed a bouncing ball over his marker and then beat the goalie pointless to run into an open goal for yet another score. All the Rovers players were combining well and looking for each other. It was a very good brand of football that should make Rovers a team to be feared for the rest of the season. GW had some very good players but they could not link together well and were always looking for the long through ball to make a score.

Scores at full-time: Glen Waverley 0 : Doncaster Rovers 7

ROVERS –another terrific exhibition of teamwork and cohesive play.
All the players should have had a mention as everyone including the reserves put in a top rate performance. Keep working on your passing and teamwork!!!

U18 Match Report - round 3

2011-05-17T22:22:00.001+10:00

U18 Doncaster Rovers vs Eastern Lions 15th May, 2011

A top of the table clash was full of promise, as both teams wanted the top dog spot, however a Ref not turning up and use of the top ground did not give the game the expected “finals atmosphere” we had come to witness.
Rovers started off with Aaron in goal, Gareth, Anthony and Nima at the back along with Loch sweeping, then Xavier, Alex and Drew midfield then Heng, Jani & Mitch up forward. Later in the game Steve, Samuel & John all came on to continue the good teamwork in the second half.
The game started out with closely contested play not allowing free space for either team.
Rovers were combining well and out of the blue Mitch put in an excellent cross to Jani who was too fast for his marker and knocked in a regulation goal past the keeper. Good start Rovers. Alex had a touch of white line fever and was knocking the ball well past any support. His tackle midway through the half had the Ref looking for a yellow card along with a whistle! John Pala had good control of the game even though the Lions coach disagreed with every decision. Xavier was really leading from the front and put in a long side line throw that Jani ran onto and clinically put Rovers second goal on the board. Lions were putting our defence under pressure but Loch, Anthony, Gareth and Nima were cool and put in many good blocks and passed the ball to our advantage from defense to attack. Lions were kicking long bombs, some out onto the road, not to their advantage. In a replay Xavier put in another long throw to Jani who got around his man to put another goal on the board. The Lions were looking very “shell shocked” as the half-time whistle blew.

Half-time score: Rovers 3 : Lions 0

The Lions were looking for an early score to put some pressure on but Rovers took the ball from the restart down the right with Jani in control to cross to Drew for a regulation bang in from the box. From this point on Lions were playing for time only as Rovers better passing and teamwork all over the ground left the Lions looking for culprits.
Shortly afterwards more good passing across the ground allowed Mitch, Jani and Drew to run the Lions defense ragged and allow Xavier to get around a couple of defenders to put away a well deserved goal from directly in front. BOOM BOOM, the Lions were looking for answers they did not have. Relying on three gun players will never defeat a good team of eleven players (plus good subs). Rovers had a number of chances to rack up further scores as Mitch had no left foot and Sammy had a crack. Eventually Lions put away a couple of consolation goals due to average sideline Refing. Plaudits to all the team as some of the new players like Gareth, continue to improve at the speed of light
The teamwork is a pleasure to watch and all the boys are getting involved in what could be a season defining start to the year.

Scores at full-time: Doncaster Rovers 5 : Eastern Lions 2

ROVERS –another terrific exhibition of teamwork and cohesive play.
Keep up the good work ethic and the rewards will continue to come your way.
Whatever Thomas is doing is working really well so keep listening and learning.

U18 Match Reports - rounds 1 & 2

2011-05-17T12:48:00.001+10:00

U18 Knox vs Doncaster Rovers 1st May, 2011

On an overcast day with rain threatening Rovers travelled over to Knox to play on the back pitch with plenty of rough patches of ground to keep the ball bouncing around all day. After a recent practice match against Knox which we lost 4 – 1, a better all round team effort was called for by new coach Thomas.
Rovers started off with Aaron in goal, Gareth, Anthony (5) and Steve at the back along with Loch sweeping, then Xavier, Alex and Drew midfield then Anthony (20), Jani & Mitch up forward. Later in the game Mima, Heng & Samuel all came on to boost the team output.
The game started out at a fast pace with Rovers having more of the play but failing to convert some good opportunities. The defence was standing firm and the midfield on top as the forwards had three chances to score but missed each time. The only mystery was who the hell was Mick, as Knox kept calling his name every time they got the ball, were they a one man team? Either that or they had 10 Mick’s in the team! It was then Knox’s turn to miss a couple of sitters from only 10 metres out with kicks that were aimed at the moon. Boys it’s not rocket science to kick the ball low at goal!
Rovers continued to look dangerous as they combined better and put the Knox defence under a lot of pressure. Soon we were rewarded with a good shot on goal by Anthony to get the Ref’s pencil busy. This was the only scorecard at the ground. After several corners a good cross in was rewarded with a crisp header by Lochie into the back of the net. Then it was Knox’s turn to score after a lack of a cohesive defence by the boys allowed an easy kick from the box. More good play from Rovers saw Steve put in a well weighted cross to Drew who got around a couple and was brought down in the box from behind just as he was shooting. Anthony took the penalty shot and drilled it.

Half-time score: Knox 1 : Rovers 3

Both teams were making more earnest attacks on goal with end to end football. Drew made a good run from out on the wing getting around several defenders to shoot on goal and bounce off the upright. Knox replied with some good play from No 9 (Mick??) who chipped the ball over Aaron into the goal. The game tightened up momentarily until more attacking play from a Steve free kick saw Mitch swoop on a loose ball and goal again.
After more Rovers corners Lochie’s header for goal was a stand out that nearly burnt a hole in the net! Lindsay was wondering if Loch needed any boots as he was always using his head. To top this off Loch latched onto a loose ball 20 metres out and with a blasting kick absolutely buried it, giving the keeper no chance. Lindsay was busy eating his words! All players were combining well with good foot skills for the most part considering the poor surface, and deserved to win by a good margin. With a boost to their confidence and a home game next week the boys are looking to get off to a good start to the season.

Scores at full-time: Knox 2 : Doncaster Rovers 6

ROVERS –well done boys, a good start to the season with quality team play all day.

U18 Doncaster Rovers vs Waverley Wanderers 8th May, 2011

On an overcast and windy Mothers day with showers before the game Rovers were at home to Waverley on the main ground. It was good to be under shelter again with the sweet aroma of decent coffee and good tucker available from the canteen.

Rovers started off with Aaron in goal, Gareth, Lucas and Steve at the back along with Loch sweeping, then Xavier, Alex and Drew midfield then Anthony, Jani & Mitch up forward. Later in the game Mima, Heng & Samuel all came on to continue the good teamwork in the second half.
The game started out with very stilted play as long bombs were the order of the day along with many free kicks and side line throw ins. The defence was looking solid and the midfield were well on top but the kicks were mostly too long as the forwards had little chance to capitalize on a loose Waverley defence. After several better passages of play a good cross to Anthony allowed him to get around his close checking opponent and while running full speed at goal boot a solid curling left footer past the Waverley keeper. Nice goal! Soon after this the Waverley keeper bought down a Rovers player and Anthony took the free but the goal was disallowed and the kick reversed. ??? Lucky Rovers just got on with the game and did not complain. Soon Rovers were cutting holes in the Waverley defence as Drew put in a soft pass in front of Anthony who beat the keeper and dribbled the rest of the way, 10 metres in the clear.
Another good through ball to Drew and a repeat well weighted pass to Anthony saw yet another goal on the board just as the half time whistle sounded.

Half-time score: Rovers 3 : Waverley 0

All the Rovers players were on top and now passing the ball to each other with only the occasional bomb from Waverley interrupting the good play on display.
Waverley had a couple of chances but the finish was poor. Gareth, Lucas, Loch and Steve were able to pass the ball across the backline at will and set up some good midfield play where Xavier and Alex were controlling play. Drew, Anthony and Mitch all had chances to score and soon Drew was able to dance around several defenders and kick a nice low shot into the corner of the net. Waverley finally got on the scoreboard with a good run down the left flank by “Eddie” to put a crack shot around the diving Aaron who had made several good saves during the game. Finally a long bouncing ball eluded the Waverley defenders and allowed Mitch to swoop and lob over the keepers head for a final score for the day.
I guess we were not left wondering how good Waverley were!

Scores at full-time: Doncaster Rovers 5 : Waverley Wanderers 1

ROVERS –another consistent effort all day only spoilt by some over zealous kicking in the first half . Keep working on the team play and you will perform well under pressure when we play some of the better teams.

Girls Soccer

2010-11-10T22:53:00.001+11:00

U18 Doncaster Rovers v DOC 22nd August

2010-08-24T08:49:00.000+10:00

A sunny but windy day greeted the Rovers at the Eltham College ground that looked the worse for wear after a wet winter. There were large boggy patches through the middle of the ground that caused the ball to almost stop, this made passing more difficult as the mud factor had to be added with each kick. We were missing Connor, Ricky, Matt & Andrew. Luke was in goals, Diego sweeping, Steve & Anthony as Left & Right wing-backs respectively & Daniel as Centre – Back.Chris, John, Michael & Paul were in midfield, with Lucas & James up forward. Drew and Petar were on the pine.
The game started out with both sides defending then attacking in turn with several turn overs through the middle when the ball stopped or bounced irregularly. Paul was attracting the ball with good anticipation and several nice passes. DOC had the strong wind and pumped the ball long only to be thwarted by Luke who took many clean saves, some just in the nick of time. DOC’s confidence grew as they worked hard to be first to the ball and made some quick breaks down the wing with No 12 too quick for his opponents and set up several attacks before running onto a good through ball and crossing to the right side of the open goal for a simple tap in by the right forward. Diego for one was not impressed and let everyone know!
Ouch, Rovers were down but not out as Paul made a clean run into the forward area and shot hard to the left side of the goal. The wind just pushed the ball that little bit further left, enough to hit the left upright, the ball cannoned across the goal mouth to hit the right hand upright and bounce despairingly out of the goals!
It just was not going to be our day as Lucas had a shot that went too high.

Half-time score: DOC 1 : Rovers 0

DOC continued on from where they left off, being first to the ball and passing to men clear down each side of the ground. Rovers’ marking was sloppy and our attitude dropped off more the further the game progressed. We could not handle the wind or the pitch although there were opportunities to score we could not take advantage.
After a corner Diego made good contact with a header but it hit the cross bar. Shortly after a similar circumstance happened, this time John’s header which again, hit the cross bar.
DOC replied with more forward pressure and were rewarded for their more aggressive play with a sharp low volley that Luke got his finger tips to as it whizzed past for another goal. Rovers were going through the motions as Drew had a chance to shoot but tried to steady first and the chance was lost.
Maybe with second on the ladder already parcelled up the boys were just going through the motions.

Scores at full-time: DOC 2 : Doncaster Rovers 0

ROVERS – lets hope next week brings a more positive attitude from everyone, and that we finish off the season in a positive manner.

U18 Doncaster Rovers vs Whitehorse 15th Aug

2010-08-19T11:21:00.003+10:00

Several heavy showers throughout the day turned Anderson Park into a wet and slippery pitch, but the good grass cover helped keep the ground in good enough shape for a useful contest. Once again several players were out with Diego, Matt, Ricky, Drew & Paul all unavailable. Rovers started with Luke in goals, Chris sweeping, James & Daniel as twin Central Defenders, Anthony C. & Steve as Right & Left wing-backs respectively, Petar, Michael & Connor were in midfield, with Johnny & Andrew up forward. Lucas and 4 Reserve players were on the pine (Matt, Nick, Anthony & Luca).
The game commenced in heavy rain and the view from the grandstand was very comfortable. The ball was travelling from end to end with Whitehorse content to push forwards to set up the offside trap as often as possible. The offside occurred fairly regularly when Rovers pushed forwards but our foot passing was far superior and this gave us quite a few shots on goal. John was quick to get onto a loose ball 20 metres out and put the ball over the keepers head with the outside of his right foot. Whitehorse gained several free kicks but their attempts were met with Chris or Luke in the way or shots way off target. Our defense of Luke, Chris, Daniel, James & Steve were more than a match for any forward moves although we did have a couple of nervous back passes that a better team may have punished. In the midfield Michael was controlling the game at will with little opposition and the forwards had a few more opportunities but John, Connor & Anthony (reserves) all had shots that the keeper saved comfortably.

Half-time score: Rovers 1 : Whitehorse 0

Whitehorse started the second half with several good runs forward, showing plenty of pace and agility in the wet as more rain tumbled down. How sweet it sounded on the tin roof! Really they should have scored at least one goal as our defense cracked open but did not have the shooters to finish off. Rovers foot passing to unmarked players was increasingly evident as Rovers opened the game up more and soon had another goal after Luca beat two in the left hand corner, passed to John who got around a couple and shot truly to extinguish any hope Whitehorse had. The only horse in the race after this was a yellow and green one. Rovers continued to press and shortly after Connor to John who put in a lovely through ball to the feet of Andrew who banged in another goal to keep the home crowd clapping.
The coach then pulled his masterstroke of the season, allowing the reserve keeper on and Luke to go forwards. Luke was soon in the play and with a few minutes to go John and Luke swarmed forwards where some unplanned passing allowed Luke to put in a lob over the keeper who was out of goals as usual. The ball sailed directly into the centre of the net giving Luke a dream goal to finish the game off. Luke really should have got a green card for violating the keepers’ unwritten law, “don’t kick goals against your brethren!” A green card means – go and do it again!

Scores at full-time: Rovers 4 : Whitehorse 0

U18 Ringwood vs Doncaster Rovers 8th Aug

2010-08-11T11:18:00.002+10:00

It was a cool but sunny day at Manson reserve with the usual wind blowing straight down the ground to give the south end a big advantage. It was a question of who was still standing as several players were out and we had the bare 11 with Daniel as a last resort sub. Missing were Diego, Steve, James, Andrew & Ricky.

Rovers started with Luke in goals, Chris sweeping, Anthony & John as twin Central
Defenders, Drew & Petar as Right & Left wing-backs respectively, Paul, Michael &
Connor were in midfield, with Matt & Lucas up forward.
Daniel was on the pine.

The ground was rough and the ref not much better as the game commenced at a slow pace. The Ref’s motto was “He who calls loudest shall get the free”. The play was end to end with not much finesse as each team had loose shots on goal that gave the keeper a bit of practice. Ringwood had the wind but Luke was able to neutralize any forward moves or corners. Talk in the backline was at a premium as several basic errors indicated.

Finally after a few forward passes Lucas controlled the ball and passed to Matt right in front who had little trouble beating the keeper. Rovers were gaining the ascendancy in the midfield where Paul, Connor and Michael had a lot of the ball.

Half-time score: Ringwood 0 : Rovers 1

The Ref continued to confuse with some obvious calls missed for late tackles from
Ringwood. The sideline antics between the Ringwood linesman and one of our supporters did not bring the game into any greater repute.

Rovers opened the game up more with the wind with some excellent runs down the wings from each side of the ground. Drew, Connor, Petar, and Paul really broke the lines and set up many forward moves turning into goals.

Michael controlled the midfield giving many opportunities up forwards. Matt was first on the board in the second half, with a looping volley from 25 metres out that beat the vocal keeper, giving both Matt and Rovers their second of the afternoon.
Next John put in a well weighted cross that Lucas could not quite reach. This was followed by shots from Lucas and Drew that were both just wide giving the keeper plenty to think about. Finally, Matt and Lucas combined to allow Lucas an easy shot past the keeper to keep Rovers dominant.

Matt continued the theme with a 20 metre shot that the keeper just managed to tip out. Connor then finished off some good team play with a nice left foot goal from 20 metres out. We now had a 4 - 0 lead with Ringwood busy arguing amongst themselves.

Finally, Rovers were winning in most positions on the field as Chris, Luke and Anthony repulsed any Ringwood attacks, John, Drew, Daniel and Petar were combining well, with the midfield well on top allowing Lucas & Matt plenty of chances.
A good team effort in spite of a weak Ref and a lumpy ground.
Only 3 weeks to go and we are not counting!!

Scores at full-time: Ringwood 0 : Rovers 4

ROVERS – a good team effort today, after a quiet start.
We played the best football all day.

U18 Manningham vs Rovers - 1st August

2010-08-05T17:01:00.004+10:00

Timber Ridge Reserve must be a name harking back to white settlement as there was hardly a tree to be seen. An icy wind was blowing across the ground with rain and hail threatening. It was a good day to be inside, however with no rain and brief moments of sunshine there was “a window of opportunity” to get this early game out the way before the heavens opened. Rovers started with Luke in goals, Chris sweeping, James and Daniel as twin Central Defenders, Anthony & Petar at Right and Left wing backs respectively, Paul F, Michael & Connor in the midfield, and Ricky & Matt up forward. Lucas, Andrew & Johnny were on the pine. Several were out sick.
The game started with both teams having an equal share of the ball but chains of passes were not evident as the wind kept play congested on the small ground and turnovers were the order of the day. Rovers started to press forwards and after a few attempts on goal, Anthony was pushed in the back, inside the penalty area. Ricky stepped up to calmly put away a winner from the spot into the very right corner of the goal.
Manningham were getting numbers behind the ball then rushing forwards creating several chances as our marking was loose. Luke made a couple of good saves as the Hams looked for the equalizer. Eventually the Hams put in a good through ball to expose our sweeper’s right side, the forward got around Chris, then shot into the left of the goal leaving Luke stranded. Play oscillated between the halves with neither team in control as passes went astray with combination of a bouncing ball and strong wind. Finally just before half time Connor ran onto a good pass and his shot was deftly saved by the keeper, the rebound fell kindly for Anthony, whose control and shot was miraculously saved again by the keeper.
We were all wondering how, as the whistle blew for half-time.

Half-time score: Manningham 1 : Rovers 1

In the second half Rovers were kicking down-hill but into the wind so there was no real advantage. Manningham continued to press and their midfield structure gave our defense several headaches as a lack of talking and always being second to the ball provided them a few chances that were well neutralized by Luke who put in a game saving second half. Rovers general field play improved as the foot skills were more precise and passes found their mark. Rovers had more golden chances to score again but poor technique when shooting for goal ruined our chances. Connor had a shot that went directly to the keeper, Petar beat 2 with good play in the left corner, then ran at the keeper only to see the ball sail over the bar. Michael had 2 shots on goal that could have been game breakers but both went very high. Johnny made his presence felt and opened up the forward area but did not pass off to advantage and the chances just went begging.
Luke really put his body on the line to pull off a couple of fine saves as Manningham also had their chances but failed to capitalize.
The Ref’s final whistle blew as the first installment of rain and hail swept across the ground. It was a frustrating game of missed chances as our “window of opportunity “ had closed for the day. Thank goodness it was not a 3.15pm start as the weather really closed in for the rest of the day.

U18 Reports rounds 10-13

2010-08-04T21:58:00.004+10:00

U18 Doncaster Rovers vs DOC 27th June, 2010

In a welcome rematch with a side that gave Rovers the second best opposition in the first round we looked forward to a good quality game. There was a minutes silence at the start of the game to honour Steve Hackett’s uncle, Paul Failla’s Grandfather and Steve Lamberty’s Grandmother.
Rovers started with Luke in goals, Chris sweeping, James & Daniel as twin Central Defenders, Drew & Steven at Right & Left wing back respectively, John, Petar & Connor in midfield, with Ricky & Matt up forward. Lucas, Andrew & Paul F were on the pine.
Steve (Coach) had given instructions to change the formation if DOC played with three up forward.
This is exactly what happened, which saw James then go to Right Back, Daniel at Centre Back and Steven at Left Back, with Drew moving to the right side of midfield alongside Petar, John & Connor.
The game started out with both sides passing the ball well and mounting strong attacks on the defense. While Rovers looked more likely to score DOC were having their fair share of the ball and putting our defense under pressure which Luke, Chris, Daniel and James were able to diffuse and return the pressure to the other end of the ground. After about 10 minutes of end to end play John beat two defenders and put a strong low shot into the left hand corner of the goal to bring up Rovers first goal. After a couple more forays at goal Ricky received a nice through ball and beat two defenders then ran at the keeper to put away a good left foot goal leaving the keeper helpless. This really knocked the stuffing out of DOC and most of the play was in front of the DOC goal as we lined up to have shots. Ricky had a few more shots, Steve, Petar and John all had shots that were either too high or too wide but not by much!
Ricky had a rest and Andrew came on to keep the forwards hungry.

Half-time score: Rovers 2 : DOC 0

The second half was again all Rovers with DOC combining well but apart from a couple of strong shots, that were well saved by Luke, did not really look like scoring. Drew, Petar, Andrew & Matt had a rest at various stages with the bench not warmed for very long. They were replaced by Lucas & Paul F as well as Ricky & Drew returning to the fray.
Ricky attempted a few good turns and shots with some going very close to goal. It was entertaining stuff and the Ref allowed the game to flow when the ball was to advantage, this resulted in few stoppages and little crowd “involvement” this week. Only our linesman Tony copped a friendly Bronx cheer when he forgot to return the spare ball. This resulted in a rear end flag waving incident, was this “chicken dance” or just “off-side”?

From a kick out the ball was passed quickly to Ricky who beat two and then the keeper from 3 metres to bring up another score. Soon after a series of snappy passes from Paul F to Connor to Drew allowed Drew to run the ball at the keeper and put away another goal as the gloom turned to darkness. From then on it was hard to see what was going on as the sun had well and truly set.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 4 : DOC 0

ROVERS – an honest team effort all day where the foot passing skills were rewarded with a flowing game and a good result at the end of the day
Last time we played it was 2 – 1, so we have improved by 3 goals on today’s score.

U18 Doncaster Rovers vs Sherbrooke 18th July, 2010

This was the game to decide who had the bragging rights and most probably the premiership for 2010. It was a rainy day all afternoon, without any wind, so play was not favoured at either end.
Rovers started with Luke in goals, Diego sweeping, James at Right Back, Daniel at Centre Back and Chris at Left Back, with Anthony, John, Paul F & Connor in the midfield, and Ricky & Matt up forward, in a changed 4-4-2 formation.
Drew, Petar, Andrew, John & Steve were on the pine.
Both sides opened up nervously with several forward skirmishes but no real pressure on the goalie. Sherbrooke were looking more dangerous with control in the midfield and better passing but they were falling down in front of goal where our defense were standing up well to the arrow like passes and rapier like thrusts of the men from “The Woods”
Out of the blue Rovers went forward and Ricky put in a good cross that went over Matt’s head to leave Connor free to swoop and volley home a clear GOAL!!, from just outside the 18 yd box.
Sherbrooke reassembled its forces and the band of not so merry men were on the attack, receiving the good end of the Ref’s whistle gaining the next 5 free kicks with a few shots on goal not amounting to much.
In another good forward move where Robin Hood’s men left a few holes in their defense Ricky put in a great run forwards beating 3 defenders in the box, got to the by-line and cut the ball back for Johnny to slot home another clear goal.
Celebrations were short lived when the Ref called offside or obstruction and disallowed a clear goal. Come on Ref this is not the World Cup just good (honest) U 18 local comp. This would have been the worst decision of the year and I wonder if this Ref had a secret tryst with Maid Marion. The boys were clearly disillusioned and Sherbrooke were ready to pounce with some class play of their own. A Merry man beat 2 and shot truly to get them back on even terms. Shortly after No 31 beat 3 defenders, who all lunged at the ball, to coolly put away their second goal. Shortly after the merry men put away another goal when our keeper missed a ball that went under his body. Half time could not come soon enough. Rovers were cut up in the midfield and their passing was non existent with most balls going in the air or behind their intended target. Under pressure we were looking fairly ordinary.

Half-time score: Rovers 1 (really 2) : Sherbrooke 3

The only difference in the second half was it rained even more. Sherbrooke were used to the forest rain and thrived with control in the midfield and better passing all around the ground. Their forward thrusts were pacy and dangerous with good defensive back up to keep the ball in our half for most of the time. Rovers had a couple of chances with Matt putting a strong left footer just over the cross bar and Ricky beating the keeper but hitting the side netting.
Rovers changed a few players with Drew, Steve, John, Petar and Andrew all coming on at various stages. Rovers passing improved but we could not break the Sherbrooke defense. In a final arrow to the heart the Merry men stormed forwards and passed between right wing to in front of the box where the forward crossed back allowing a simple headed goal to wrap the game up.
Sherbrooke deserved to win because they kept their game plan going under pressure whereas Rovers fell into the trap of hurrying their play under pressure and kicking anywhere.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 1 : Sherbrooke 4

ROVERS – a wake up call to the team to play to our plan under pressure.
We have to be content to be second best this year.
However players can strive to be their best every week.

U18 Doncaster Rovers vs Glen Waverley 25th July, 2010

We were presented with a fine, sunny and windless day for the first time in a long, long time. Rovers started with Luke in goals, Diego sweeping, Anthony & Steven as Right and Left Backs respectively, then James & Daniel in central defense, with Drew, Michael & Connor in the midfield, and Ricky & Matt up forward. Lucas, Andrew, Paul, Petar & Chris were on the pine.
Rovers opened slowly allowing GW most of the play and shots at goal.
GW were running down the side lines creating some havoc in the Rovers defense. Lucky Luke was “in the zone” today and made several good saves in the first half.
GW had 2 corners and Luke saved both with very clean hands, Rovers eventually getting the ball forwards but failing to shoot the first time and on the second occasion Ricky beat a couple of GW defenders but the ball went just wide. GW made another surge forwards and No 10 beat a couple and shot across Luke into the right corner for the first goal.
Rovers responded by getting into the game for the first time as Diego pushed forwards to receive a free out on the left. His free-kick bounced around like a pinball machine as it was headed out by GW straight to Drew who volleyed the ball towards goal, the ball came off another defender to Anthony who turned and volleyed home. We were back on level terms, although in general play were being outplayed over most of the park. GW continued to attack but Daniel got in the way to force a corner. Steve went off with an asthma attack and Chris came on.

Half-time score: Rovers 1 : Glen Waverley 1

A good run down the left wing by Chris gained Rovers a corner. Michael put a well weighted ball into the goal mouth that the keeper dropped. Daniel was at the spill and calmly put away a crisp left footer to give Rovers an early advantage. Rovers started to pass the ball around more and gained midfield control, allowing the forwards more space to run onto the ball and this put GW under pressure. GW were still going forwards but when Diego, Chris, James & Daniel were passed there was always Luke ready to mop up. Perhaps Toni should try this tactic at home and see if Luke can mop up there too!
Both teams were putting in good chains of passes down the wings but Rovers continued to threaten. Ricky made a good run towards goal and was brought down in the penalty area. Ricky took the penalty from the spot and converted easily. From the restart GW pushed forwards to be again thwarted by Luke.
With all the reserves on Rovers were clearly on top and kept the GW defense on their toes with 4 corners but could not convert on any occasion. On their next forward move Petar wrong footed the defense and passed across to Connor who lined up the goal and deftly floated the ball over the keeper’s arms into the back of the net for another Rovers goal. Soon after this Paul F had an almost identical shot as Connor but this time the keeper just managed to tip the ball up over the cross bar to force a corner. It was a good save but Paul must be asking himself how Connors went in but his didn’t!

Scores at full-time: Rovers 4 : Glen Waverley 1

ROVERS – it took most of the first half for the boys to wake up however when we did and started passing the ball around we looked much better.

U18 Doncaster Rovers v Whitehorse

2010-06-24T12:44:00.000+10:00

An overcast, cool and damp day greeted the players at Terrara Park. The ground had many muddy patches that slowed up the ball but this was not the full story for the game, where the off-side trap and an over zealous ref combined to bring frustration out in the players, the coaching staff and the spectators. It wasn’t really flash being the linesman today either, as many controversial calls were made that neither side were happy with.

Rovers started with Luke in goals, Diego sweeping, James & Daniel as twin Central Defenders, Anthony & Chris as Right & Left Wing-Backs respectively, Petar & Connor were in midfield, alongside Johnny (who had moved from his usual Central Defensive role to replace Michael who was absent) with Ricky & Drew up forward. Matt, Lucas, Paul F, Steve & Andrew were on the pine.
The game commenced at a lively pace with Rovers showing good endeavor at the ball,
combining well through the defense and midfield, but coming unstuck with offside as soon as the ball crossed the half way line. On the small ground Whitehorse played all their defenders on the centre line and allowed the goalie to mop up any long balls forward. Rovers could not come to terms with the set up. We were content to play long balls over the top of the defense, rather than our usual passing to feet game. We were intent on trying to always go forward quickly with the long ball or we held onto the ball for too long, which made it easier for the Whitehorse defenders to play the offside trap to perfection.
According to the Ref there was no such thing as passive offside and really all players had to be in their own half when the ball was passed forwards on most occasions.
Everyone was calling foul and I was feeling like a turkey!

After about 25 minutes of what I call stalemate play, everyone was becoming more vocal. At least we did not have the vuvusela’s ringing in our ears to compound the misery. Finally after some productive forward movement (onside) Drew passed to Petar who ran the ball forwards, got around a couple , went back onto his favoured right foot, and buried the ball into the top left hand corner of the net. The blood pressure went down a few notches for the Rovers supporters and players, although the coach’s bench was still pretty vocal. Whitehorse did not have a lot of the play and when they did get the ball it was bomb and hope. Rovers defense was standing tall with Luke, Diego, Chris, Daniel, James and Anthony all winning the ball and passing forwards with skill and dash. In the midfield Johnny was controlling the play and Ricky and Drew had a couple of chances to extend the lead but their shots were either wide or soft.
Just before half time, Ricky received a pass in his own half, turned, & beat the offside trap, with a defense splitting ball, which found Johnny, who had timed his run perfectly from midfield. Johnny calmly controlled the pass and chipped the advancing keeper for our second goal.

Half-time score: Whitehorse 0 : Rovers 2

The second half was more of the same as the Ref struggled for control by overusing the free kick and the players and parents were seeing red. Diego mouthed off and the Ref certainly saw red.
We were now down to 10 Men, and a bit of a reshuffle saw Chris move to sweeper, with Anthony, Daniel and James, now playing as man markers in a defensive four formation.
Drew dropped back into an attacking midfield role, leaving Ricky as a sole striker. Ricky was also becoming frustrated and was eventually given a rest after a couple of good attempts at goal. Matt came on as a direct change.
Once again Johnny came to the fore with several good runs forward.
On one occasion and with no forwards to play to, he kept possession, beat not one, not two, not three, not four, but five Whitehorse players and the advancing keeper to score one of the goals of the season. Johnny was rewarded a few minutes later with his hat-trick after a good through ball from Connor.
This was turning into the Johnny show with plenty of assistance from players around him, like Connor who put in several good passes to advantage that kept Rovers on the attack. The defenders were winning most contested ball apart from one lucky header that fell for the Whitehorse forward to score their only goal for the game. Luke put in many fine saves, one where he tipped the ball over the net was a cracker. Look out Mark Schwarzer!
Lucas and Andrew both came on to add fresh legs in the last 10 – 15 minutes, and Paul F made a welcome return after 8 weeks with injury, in the last 5 minutes.
The Ref continued to puzzle most at the ground with his calls and when he disappeared into the canteen half way through the second half most thought he needed a strong coffee, however I later found out he was just checking to see when his pie would be warm! Haha!

This was one game where the Ref’s final whistle was most welcome, we could all go home and think about work or school tomorrow, something a lot more predictable than a game of soccer.

It was a difficult afternoon, but once again this squad has proven it has the grit & determination to succeed, even in the face of adversity.
This was certainly a game we can learn from and ensure that we are prepared, when we again meet them at home, later in the year.

U18 - Doncaster Rovers v Ringwood

2010-06-10T13:17:00.000+10:00

A cool and cloudy day did not spoil the enjoyment of spectating this week as we were all under the grandstand and I was keeping warm behind the BBQ pretending to cook up a storm! Well at least it did not storm out on the pitch.
Rovers had a few out this week, with Paul F still injured and James & Paul D. both sick. We started with Luke in goals, Diego sweeping, Johnny & Daniel as twin Central Defenders, Chris, & Anthony as Left & Right Wing – Backs respectively, Petar, Michael & Connor in Midfield, with Ricky & Drew up forward. Matt, Lucas, Steve & Andrew were on the pine.
The game started out at a snails pace with most of the boys content to sit back and let somebody else do the work. Ringwood were bad but Rovers weren’t much better. There was little talking and some players were content to hold onto the ball for too long interrupting any flow to the game. We had several shots on goal that were wide, high or straight at the keeper, making him look almost nimble when in fact he was not agile at all. Ringwood had a few passages forwards but their shots for goal was the stuff keepers dream about, all from long range and some high or very wide. Luke was lapping it up. Rovers slowly started to combine better with several corners, although none amounting to anything. Connor was working hard in midfield and on one of his forays forward, received a push in the back, in the box, and from the penalty kick Johnny had no trouble beating the keeper. We were on the board and starting to pepper the goals with Johnny missing then Chris had a shot which was saved by the keeper. Michael had a few more corners and Ricky slipped in to put away a nice header to increase the lead.
Rovers came forwards once again and in a nice piece of play, some fluent passes from Diego to Connor to Ricky saw a quick transition from defense to attack. Ricky’s first time back heel to a forward running Drew exposed the Ringwood Defense. Drew was heading straight for goal, but being harassed by a Ringwood Defender and an advancing keeper. Drew then checked and back heeled to Ricky who had kept running. This wrong footed both defender & keeper and allowed a simple tap in for Ricky.
No doubt one of the plays of the season so far.

Half-time score: Rovers 3 : Ringwood 0

The second half was not much more inspiring with some really basic errors creeping into our game. We had about 4 foul throws, a few off-sides and again not much talking. Several poor back passes were “hospital passes”, way too high putting the poor defender right under the hammer.
Fortunately Ringwood could not capitalize on our mistakes so we were not punished on the scoreboard, but try this against a good side at your own peril!
There were some positives in the second half, with more fluent movement of the ball, players closing down their opponents quickly, without committing the cardinal sin of “diving in” and being prepared to keep possession, even when under pressure.
In one particular passage of play a through ball found Drew again running towards goal with only the keeper to beat. After he had rounded the keeper he was brought down in the box and from the resultant penalty Diego put another goal on the board. Some good individual efforts were going unrewarded until Chris collected a ball in his own half, dribbled past one Ringwood player, played a one – two with Drew and then another with Ricky, and rifled in our 5th Goal from 25m to again have the scoreboard attendant busy. Well if we had a scoreboard attendant he would have been busy anyway!
Andrew & Lucas came on for Connor & Anthony.
More good teamwork was evident as Andrew passed to Ricky who passed back to Andrew who then scored number 6 from just inside the 18 yard box. Shortly thereafter a rebound from a corner came out to Petar whose left foot half-volley again found the back of the net for goal number 7. I must admit by the latter stages of the game most interest from the crowd was in the Magpies vs Bulldogs score, as our game had become a one horse race.
A much improved performance on the week before, but still a lot more improvement possible.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 7 : Ringwood 0

ROVERS – an individual effort today boys, with clangers up & appeals to the Ref up.
We can all do a bit better, with talking out on the field and passing first time TO THE FEET (See coaches manual Part 1) basic areas where we could keep improving.

U18 - Doncaster Rovers vs Manningham

2010-06-01T09:20:00.001+10:00

It would have been good to be back home, under the grandstand to witness the next test for the U18 team who were growing into a formidable unit, gaining poise and confidence with each passing week. However it was our turn to play in “Siberia”, that is the top ground, just when the wind was blowing a cold lot of air from Antarctica under very overcast skies. At least it was not raining!
This week’s game was against another contender for Second on the ladder, with Manningham having lost one more game but having the better goal difference. We had to win. Rovers started with Luke in goals, Diego sweeping, Johnny & Daniel as twin Central Defenders, James & Steven as right and left wing-backs respectively, Anthony, Michael & Connor in Midfield, with Ricky & Drew up forward. Matt & Paul D were both sick, whilst Paul F was still injured.
It soon became apparent why Manningham had less goals kicked against it with a 5 man defense and long bombs to the forwards the order of the day. Rovers were soon on the attack with a couple of near misses as Drew and Ricky almost headed a goal, then Ricky had several shots over the bar or directly at the keeper. Meanwhile the defense was as mean as ever with Daniel, Johnny, Diego, Steve, James and Luke all neutralizing any ‘Ham attacks and sending the ball forwards to keep the ‘Hams squealing like pigs. The Ref was not impressed and issued a yellow card. Meanwhile Rovers squandered several good chances with all shots wide, overplayed or over the bar. Rovers were clearly on top but could not put the score on the board. It was frustrating to look on from the side lines, at least the ‘Hams were not getting past Luke who was a real “Cool Hand” once again.
We had several more chances but four off-sides for the half were killing us.

Half-time score: Rovers 0 : Manningham 0

After the break Rovers came out all guns blazing to get a score on the board and in a blink Drew had the bouncing ball under control in the box, got past the keeper and into the back of the net closely followed by a despairing defender! GOAL, Rovers had finally breached the defense and looked to get further ahead. The ball was going from end to end with Rovers looking far more likely to score. On one occasion Luke pulled off a big save crashing with ‘Ham no 4 and getting the free. Rovers kept on attacking with better passing to the feet (see Steve) and more control all over the ground. We had several more good chances with Ricky offside, Connor shooting from too far out along with a few mates. Their keeper also did a good job, keeping Rovers at bay.
Chris, Andrew Lucas and Petar all came on to boost our control over the game, however the next goal proved to be very elusive. Perhaps it was because the gloom was taking over with the lights coming on late in the game just so we could all see the other end of the ground. With Rovers still attacking the Ref blew his whistle to signal the end of the game with Rovers in front but the score line could have been more flattering, we should have scored at least 3 or 4 goals during the game. A win is a win and we are now a game and goal difference ahead of third place, so we can concentrate on a good game plan and more wins to follow.
Scores at full-time: Rovers 1 : Manningham 0

ROVERS – a very good team effort today boys, against a very defensive outfit.

U18 Glen Waverley v Doncaster Rovers 23rd May

2010-05-25T11:24:00.003+10:00

This was the game to separate the “men from the boys” well at least second from the rest!
Rovers started with Luke in goals, Diego sweeping, Johnny & Daniel as twin Central Defenders, James & Steven as right and left wing-backs respectively, Drew, Michael, Connor & Ricky in a Midfield Diamond & Matt up forward. Chris & Paul F were out injured.
After the Ref had measured the ground, the pitch and every line known to man, the game started with Glen Waverley putting on the afterburners to split our defense apart but their shots on goal were ending up in the street rather than in the net!
Soon after, another long through ball was signaled offside and our boys stopped. However, another GW player swooped and scored their first goal as we looked on. It is called passive offside and the defenders should never stop until the fat lady sings! Shortly after GW were into attack. Rovers gave away an unnecessary free-kick just outside the penalty box. A Thunderous free-kick found the back of the net via a gap in the defensive wall. Rovers were now 2 – 0 down and most of the boys were still waking up.
We were thinking come on guys, get the ball, pass to a team-mate and put them under pressure. This is exactly what they did. Connor ran onto a good pass and his left foot drive, found the top right hand corner of the net, beating the keeper’s out-stretched hands, as we finally got on the board. It was obvious the game had evened up as Rovers were now controlling more of the play and putting GW under a lot of pressure. One of the GW players went down after a good tackle by James as Rovers now began to exert its authority. The ball was travelling end to end with Rovers displaying better control for most of the time. Steve made a good run down the left, cut back onto his preferred right foot and sent a pin-point cross into the box where Matt’s glancing header leveled the scores. This was short lived as Diego dribbled at the back instead of clearing and GW’s No 7 picked up the loose ball. Desperate lunges by both Diego and Daniel could not prevent GW’s third goal which put them back in front as the whistle blew for half-time.

Half-time score: Glen Waverley 3 : Rovers 2

Rovers came out all guns blazing and within minutes Diego to Ricky to Matt – GOAL. Matt’s second, again leveled the scores and had everyone saying “we are on” as the boys clicked into top gear.
Luke put in a good save as the goals were being peppered at both ends, however with good passing “to the feet” (see Steve – Coaches instructions) Rovers were looking the class side. Soon after Drew made a deft side pass to Michael who’s miss-timed cross found the back of the net and gave Rovers the lead.
We were now well and truly in control and hey, you make your own luck in this game.
Rovers continued to press, with the ball in the GW half most of the time. This led to Connors dad Leslie, as linesman for the game, requesting an oxygen mask plus golf buggy! One thing I can say for sure is I never run out of air taking notes so this is why “the pen is mightier than the sword”. There are a few other reasons to this adage and if you don’t believe me then ask John Palomares, he understands!
Back to the game as Rovers were running rampant.
Johnny’s diagonal cross - field ball found Ricky at the far post, who had peeled away from his marker. A well - timed header made it 5 - 3 and asserted Rovers supremacy.
Michael took several corners and on one, Matt put away a nice loose ball for his hat-trick to put Rovers further in front. This game was becoming a real goal feast as all the supporters were asking “what was the score?”
Finally GW pressed to pull back the margin after poor defensive marking, however Rovers were not finished as another corner allowed Daniel to run into the box and put away a nice volley to really finish off GW.
Plaudits from the parents, who can all see a real team emerging that can take on anyone. We had winners on every line and who played terrific games : Johnny, James, Steven, Drew and Connor really put the ball to advantage and turned defense into attack.
Paul D, Lucas, Anthony Petar & Andrew are all contributing, to make this a very worthy squad indeed.

Scores at full-time: Glen Waverley 4 : Rovers 7

ROVERS – a very good team effort today boys, keep up the intensity for all the game next week, including the FIRST ten minutes. We can be the best if we are really determined. Have an early night before the game and yell out like a real team!!!

U18 Boys Sherbrooke Ranges vs Doncaster Rovers 16th May, 2010

2010-05-20T13:21:00.001+10:00

Well it was certainly an ominous weekend to be playing Sherbrooke with the latest Robin Hood adventure being released. I was on the lookout for a band of merry men, Maid Marion, the cruel Sherriff of Nottingham, even the odd stray arrow, but all was silent at the ground until play began. I took an apple just in case, but ended up eating it!

Rovers started with Luke in goals, Diego sweeping, Johnny & Daniel as twin Central Defenders, James & Steven as right & left wing backs respectively, Chris, Drew & Connor in Midfield, with Ricky & Lucas up forward.
The game started out at a cracking pace with the ball being rebounded out of each defense with good quality passes and strong pressure leading to several shots at goal by both sides but all were well wide. Sherbrooke had a couple of good chances but Luke was there to save, and all the defense were shutting down their men not allowing any time to line up a quality shot.
The game was slowly opening up and a good ball to Lucas allowed him to get around his man and with only the short keeper to beat, his shot also beat the cross-bar.
Soon after Lucas ran onto a rebound and from 20 metres, his shot was destined for the top right hand corner of the goal, only to see their keeper tip the ball over the bar! Very unlucky, as the shot was spot on. With half time fast approaching Sherbrooke played a long ball, which was deemed offside by the linesman, however the referee allowed play to continue. An attempted clearance was miss-timed and the ball sailed just over Luke’s outstretched hand and into the net for an own goal. This was a real arrow to the heart as the whistle sounded for half-time.

Half-time score: Sherbrooke 1 : Rovers 0

Michael came on for Chris who had copped an elbow to the ribs. Both sides were intent on getting the next goal and a poor pass by Sherbrooke allowed Ricky to intercept and put the ball past the keeper to level up. The Sherriff was not happy and threatened to put his defenders into stocks!!
The game opened up even more as some good passing by Sherbrooke put our defense under pressure with a lack of talking evident. We managed to keep them out for about 15 minutes but then 3 good passes allowed Sherbrooke to shoot truly. I believe the boys name was Archer! No wonder he was such a good shot.
The ball was travelling from end to end and both sides had their chances. Drew made a good run down the right but his shot was a bit soft and the keeper was able to shield the goals. Shortly after this Sherbrooke disabled our defense with a good joust forwards as the defence fell apart or at least fell over. This time it was Bowman who shot truly to put the game beyond doubt.
With so many Merry Men on their side it was no wonder Sherbrooke were hard to beat. Pity there is not a good Holy War on at the moment that we could all send them away to, to even up the competition!! All the Rovers boys were trying hard but we just did not have the intensity today.

Scores at full-time: Sherbrooke 3 : Rovers 1

ROVERS – Definitely room for improvement boys, let’s lift the intensity for the game next week.

Boys U14B - Rounds 1 to 4

2010-04-27T10:43:00.014+10:00

Round 4 match report v Mooroolbark

Doncaster 4 v Mooroolbark 1

The boys came out fighting but so did Mooroolbark. The game moved up and down the pitch with the first 10 minutes marked by good play from both teams until Angus’ goal.

The boys kept the pressure up and were rewarded by another two goals around the 15 minute mark. Both teams had a number of opportunities during the rest of the first half but neither side capitalised.

The second half saw a very determined Mooroolbark pushing harder against our boys’ defence which continued to hold with great work from Cameron covering those that got through.

Both teams continued to press with Julian breaking through at the 14 minute mark. Despite being down 4-0, Mooroolbark fought right up to the whistle and were rewarded with a goal just before the final whistle.

Well done to the boys on a win from a game that saw many opportunities for both teams.

Goals today to:
•Angus after a play from Todd
•Sam (6) after a goalie rebound caused by a kick through by Derek
•Patrick after another feed through by Derek
•Julian finishing a goal shot by Aaron blocked by the keeper.

Round 3 match report v Glen Waverley

Glen Waverley 2 v Doncaster 2

The boys continue to improve each week whilst also providing some exciting play. The first half saw determined scrambling defence especially from Bryce and Todd – playing sweeper for the first time. This capped with two lightning forays and goals saw the boys lead 2-1 into the break.

The second half saw opportunities flow both ways with Glen Waverly being able to capitalise and score the equaliser when our reduced number of reserves began to tell. Certainly Cameron was kept busy today and did well under the pressure.

Goals today to:

·Sam (6) after a great run from Angus

·Julian finishing a nice play from Joshua and Steven.

Round 2 video highlights v Boroondara

Doncaster 0 v Boroondara 1

Round 1 match report v Croydon

Croydon 0 v Doncaster 4

What an entertaining game!! Both teams had many opportunities and the result could have gone either way. In the end, it was our boys who capitalised and came out ahead.

It was a promising start to the season with the boys performing well though struggling a little with the heat and lack of match fitness. It will be interesting to watch the boys develop both individually and as a team throughout the season with such potential on hand.

The boys worked hard to keep Croydon from scoring and Cameron did very well today with hard fought defensive support from Bryce, Marcello (new to the sweeper role) and Sam Bowers.

The team's attacking game shows good potential with many of the forays into Croydon's territory beginning from a defensive position and built by good team work.

The goals came from:

A Croydon own goal after a corner cross from Todd.
A goal by Sam Bertuna with play beginning in the defensive line from Branford then passing to Steven who sent it on to Sam.
A goal by Patrick after a cross from Julian.
A goal by Samuel Bowers after a cross from Branford.

Senior Women Reserves Round 1 Match Report

2010-04-22T10:52:00.006+10:00

Sunday 18th April 2010

Melbourne University vs. Doncaster Rovers

After twelve weeks of training and nine practise games the first day of the season was upon us. It didn’t start well as the Carlton traffic got the better of many players that arrived late. The pitch and weather was fantastic and there was no excuses not to play and put into action the hard work that came before. Captain Cassie Neate and Steph C discussed the pros and cons of going with the wind or facing the sun for the toss. Going with the wind was the conclusion and this resulted in Cassie winning the toss.

We didn’t disappoint as the game went on donny’s fitness and speed became evident. Johanna Cotterill was unlikely early on with two long range shots with one clipping the crossbar. The opposition was constantly under pressure and finally cracked in the 22mintues when Steph C finished off a move that Rachel W had a lot to do with, her fast overlapping run on the right wing.

A strong tackle in the middle of the park by young Alyssa Tyler who pushed the ball forward once again found a rampant Steph C who scored her second in the 25 mins. Within a minute of the restart Steph C who started the game at left back could’ve and should’ve had her hatrik with a header within the six yard box that cleaned the crossbar. It was a great corner taken by our long-range free kick and corner specialist Johanna Cotterill who pinpointed the ball to the head of one of the physically smaller players on the pitch.

The heat, sun and possibly grass may have attributed to breathing problems to the normally very strong “anchor midfielder” Brigid McNamara, the speedster Bree Mirabella and similarly very quick Rachel Walker who were substituted and rested midway through the first half.

The players that were introduced did exceptionally well in Supriya Lal in the ‘vacated’ left back position by Steph C (as busy scoring goals up front). Felicity Piganis came into central defensive position.

Our other very young teams member and captain Cassie Neate showed her maturity, exceptional vision and great distribution skills by splitting the oppositions defence with a great through ball that experienced Caitlyn McGuinnes put away shortly after coming on.

The second half was played against the wind with Donny’s defence marshalled by the ever reliable and inseparable Taylan Tyler and Lily Jass stood strong. Our very gifted keeper Rebecca Morris showed great composure in playing the ball out from the back and also carrying out a fantastic save when she came off her line and quickly closed down and saved in a one on one situation. Supriya Lal and Felicity Piganis our other two defenders also did exceptionally well against the wind.

Offensively Bree, Caitlyn and Tata were running rampant with many scoring opportunities but somehow their finishing let them down. Eventually Bree scored an exceptional goal with a strike outside the box in the 65 minute.

Rachel Walker was also re-introduced in the second half and once more as in the first half she didn’t disappoint by finishing off a wonderful move with explosive speed and acceleration finishing off in 87’ min and making the final score 5-0 to Doncaster.

In summary this very young squad has a good opening round encounter. As part of their development many players showed great versatility as were moved according to team needs and did exceptionally well. Players that participated are as follows:

1. Rebecca M

2. Rachel W

3. Stephanie C

4. Taylan T

5. Lily J

6. Brigid M

7. Johanna C

8. Alyssa T

9. Tata I

10. Cassie N

11. Breeana M

12. Supriya L

13. Felicity P

14. Caitlyn M

Scorers: 22’, 25’ Steph, 38’ Caitlyn, 65’ Bree, 87’ Rachel.

We eagerly await our second round class this coming Friday at home against South Yarra.

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2010-02-01T22:29:00.006+11:00

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2010 Registration Day

2010-02-01T22:28:00.000+11:00

Sunday 7th February
Anderson Park Clubrooms
10am - 12noon

U15 Girls Season Wrap

2009-09-13T23:21:00.001+10:00

Another great season for the Doncaster U15 girls has come to a close and I am sure you will agree with me that they performed well with a top four finish after being promoted from C grade last year.

Below is the final match report :-

What contrasting tales we had in the last two matches, in round 17 we were beaten at home by Borroondara 2-0 in what would have to be the girls worst performance of the season. The less said about this match the better as everyone was slow and off their game except for Rachel and Carmen who fought hard all day. The girls were 2-0 down at half time and after a strong talking to by coach Lee they lifted in the second half but were still unable to score.

We were then off to Port Melbourne in round 18 for our final game and with nothing to lose or gain (we had already finished 4th no matter what the result) the girls were determined to turn things around and finish on a high...and what a finish it was...they played some of their best football of the season and won 7-0. They did this without coach Lee who had injured his foot the day before with the senior team.

The girls were 1-0 up at half time and were dominating the game. Our first goal game from an absolute cracker from Jordan Moloney who tuned on a bouncing ball on the edge of the area and absolutely hammered home a sensational strike. Carmen also had a great long range strike hit the post but unfortunately it came back into play. The girls came in at half time and were very confident that they could take it to Port Melbourne in the second half and they certainly walked the talk with a 6 goal second half. One of the pleasing things was the way they pushed the ball around, even the defence was pushing the ball backwards and sideways with confidence rather than clearing kicks. This is something Lee has been talking to them about in training and it was pleasing to see it in action in this game. Natasha and Carmen were dominating the central midfield and this enabled us to use the full width of the pitch as Jordy , Cristina, Bella, Alice and Adriana were able to use the width of the pitch to stretch open Port Melbourne's defence. Kelsey scored 2 great goals, one with another fast run that left the Port Melbourne defence in her wake and then she calmly shot the ball past the keeper. Jordan Moloney scored again and then set up Carmen with a great cross that was headed home like a true professional. The girls were on fire... so we pushed Liz and Narin forward to the striker role and Jordan Moloney and Carmen to defence. Liz then also slotted home a nice goal... what a way to finish the season. All girls played well and showed versatility as most of them moved around to play different positions in the second half.

Overall another great season for the girls, I have attached a file that shows each games result along with the final ladder below. Some statistics are :-
Won 10 matches, drew 3 and lost 5
The girls scored 54 goals and conceded 26 giving them a better goal difference than Boroondara who finished third
They scored more goals than Berwick and Boroondara and were only out scored by Kensington
Finished 4th Overall
Had 100,000+ conversations throughout the season..there is no doubt they could talk to each other under water!
Another great season comes to and end and the rover girls had a competitive season where they had fun, worked hard and learnt some great skills and strategies form Lee. They all grew as players throughout the season and we hope to see them all back at the club next year. A special well done to Rachel and Narin for their leadership roles as Captain and Vice Captain.

Thanks to Lee, Rosa and all the parents for supporting the team and for helping me with all the duties.

Round 18 - U15 A Boys

2009-09-09T21:23:00.000+10:00

U15A Doncaster Rovers vs Box Hill 6th September

The last game of the year for Rovers was against the top team and played at the “top pitch” on what seemed to be a mild afternoon, but after five minutes in the icy wind coming off the mountains somewhere we all decided the bottom pitch had a lot going for it. After a speech in the rooms the boys were ready to go with a slightly different line up for the game.
Luke was in goal, York sweeping, Chris T and Daniel playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Matt V and Steve were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik was the Central Midfielder, flanked by Elliott on the right and Chris S on the left with Mitch and Alex as twin strikers.
It was a fairly even start with the ball moving from end to end with some good passing and strong contests at the ball. After a free to Rovers in the forward mid-field Nik passed quickly to Matt V whose cross set up a good chance as Elliott got onto a header but the ball sailed over the cross bar. Box Hill were moving the ball well through the mid-field with some accurate passing and Rovers were giving too much latitude to their opponents. This allowed Box Hill to dictate terms into their forward line where some good interceptions by York, Chris, Daniel and Steve saved most opportunities. If this failed Luke stood in the way with two really good saves and several other clean saves.
The Box Hill forwards were aggressive at the ball and eventually a good chance was taken by their gun forward to put the ball into the back of the net. Rovers counter attacked with some good play by Elliiott and Chris S on the wings giving Rovers three free kicks all from a fair way out that we could not convert. Mitch and Alex were pressing but the Box Hill defense stood firm under pressure and soon had the ball back down the other end. It was a good contest with Box Hill just teaming that little bit better, but our boys were all really trying.

Half-time score: Rovers 0 : Box Hill 1

The second half continued on from the first with both teams making forward moves but neither really convincing in front of goal. Drew, Dion, Michael and Matt D all came on to give the boys a spell and to mix it up in order to get the goal back. Again Box Hill controlled the mid-field with a better system of play and a couple of quick defenders able to break the lines. Luke again made a couple of good saves to keep Box Hill from gaining an unbeatable lead but we could not make enough space in front of goals to seriously challenge. After what seemed the longest half of the season the Ref blew his whistle for full time with Box Hill deserving champions for the season.
All the boys gave it their best shot we just could not make the most of our chances, a familiar tale of the season that we need to work on next year to become the best.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 0 : Box Hill 1

ROVERS –well done on a year of individual and team improvements. If anybody knows of a young Nick Reiwoldt wanting to play U16A next year give me a call!!

Round 17 - U15 A Boys

2009-08-30T22:24:00.001+10:00

U15A Casey vs Doncaster Rovers 30th August

The second last game of the year for Rovers against the bottom team was as much about attitude as anything else. We had the skills, pace and height advantages, could we also win the contests and put Casey away as expected? The BOM report was a cold cross wind but no rain.
We started with Luke in goal and I would have to say his new outfit including black tights was very dapper, York sweeping, Chris T and Daniel playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliott and Steve were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik was the Central Midfielder, flanked by Drew on the right and Chris S on the left with Matt V and Alex as twin strikers. Rovers took control of the play right from the start with Nik dictating terms in the midfield, the defense well on top and both forwards getting plenty of ball. With some good passing right across the field Casey were under the pump and could only bomb the ball anywhere and give a few shoves along the way. The Ref did not stand for any crude play or crude words either! Rovers received two frees in a row for pushing at contested balls and Nik took the free from 15 metres out to elude the wall and the keeper putting the ball in the far right side of the net for a quick opener. Rovers increased their tempo and soon Matt V won a good contest just in front to put the ball away, however the Ref was on the ball and awarded a handball to Casey. Alex passed to Drew but his shot went wide. Then Matt V’s shot went in but he was judged to be offside. York, Chris, Daniel, Steve and Elliott were well on top and the ball was rebounding faster than you could blink.
Mitch came on and was straight into the action. Another good passage of play when Alex trapped the ball and passed off to Drew whose well weighted pass found Mitch running into space. Mitch ran at the keeper and perfectly side-footed around him for our second goal. More forward moves were made as Alex crossed to Mitch but his well timed header went straight to the keeper. Casey received a rare free kick but Nik chipped the ball away and received a silly yellow card. Soon after this Mitch fought hard to win the ball, just over the half-way line, beat his man and again take on the keeper. Once again his well placed shot found the back of the net. Mitch appeared to be on fire in more ways than one!!

Half-time score: Casey 0 : Rovers 3

Rovers were into the wind but still had most of the play with many promising forward moves down both flanks. Matt V passed to Alex who passed back to Matt V, his cross was perfect for Matt D but his header went wide. Dion came on and was soon involved in positive passages of play including receiving a couple of frees for poor tackles. Chris received a free on the grandstand wing for another clumsy tackle and his long ball into the box bounced before the keeper, the ball rolled into his hands and out of his hands for the “Long Range” goal of the year. Mind you if the keeper could jump off the ground this would not have happened!
Casey received a red card for mouthing off at the Ref again. More good play ensued with Pala putting in a nice cross, Dion having a couple of shots and Nick V getting into the play. Our intensity dropped away towards the finish as the game was well and truly over. Luke almost had to earn his money when Casey hit the crossbar from a free, but this was as close as they got. The Ref blew the whistle and we could contemplate the drive back to civilization to somewhere warmer and more inviting.

Scores at full-time: Casey 0 : Doncaster Rovers 4

ROVERS –the last game coming up, wouldn’t it be nice to show Box Hill who is the best side in the competition..

Round 16 - U15 Girls

2009-08-27T22:48:00.000+10:00

Its been a while I know but I thought I should get off the couch and write a catch up report on the girls last 4 games to ensure we capture the girls entire season in ink.

Fair to say the results have been like a smorgasbord at the local pub... lots of variety, some times a little tough but some real gems in there as well...2 draws, a win and a loss... I believe the competition is improving and the opposition defences are getting better but the rover girls continue to play the best football in terms of overall passing and team play but they need to work on converting these into goals.

What seems like an eternity away now, we all ventured to Berwick 4 weeks ago to take on the top side after a stunning victory the week prior against another top side, Kensington. It was a windy day and we were down several key players so we knew it was always going to be a tough day out but the girls did well to hold Berwick to a 1-1 score deep into the second half. A draw would have been a good result but then Berwick scored a second goal which opened the flood gates in the last 10 mins seeing us go down 5-1 in our biggest defeat of the season. We were proud that the girls at least went down fighting with some tough but fair tackles, despite being out played by a better team on the day.

The following week we were again away to South Melbourne and it was fair to say they are a much improved side and despite leading 1 - 0 from a nice determined goal by Kelsey the match ended 1-1 and it was probably a fair result to both sides as neither side was able to convert their remaining chances.

We then returned home to play the bottom side Glen Ira, who like South Melbourne, have improved dramatically. In what turned out to be a tough match the girls found themselves 1-1 at half time. Early in the second half rovers scored a lovely goal when Jordan Moloney received a great ball on the edge of the area and nicely turned her defender and then laid an unselfish pass to Natasha who slotted the ball home with a great shot. We thought we had them at this stage but Glen Ira scored a goal after a penalty was awarded. Natasha then converted for a third and just before full time under the instruction of coach Lee she scored an amazing 4th goal - aimed a corner at the goal keeper which was a lovely weighted cross that got some assistance from the wind and went into the far corner of the net...would love to see that again on video.

Last week we ventured out to the wild west and played our old rivals Keilor. I am not sure what they feed them out there but their girls are certainly much larger in stature than ours. Anyway in one of the worst referee displays I have seen in a long time our girls played some great football and were clearly the dominant side on the day. We led 1-0 late into the game after Kelsey scored one of the best goals of the season. It started in defence with some great tackling and a subsequent quick pass to the midfield then a well weighted pass to Kelsey who picked the ball up on the half way line and beat 2 defenders, one who tried to cut her down. With the after burners well and truly on she then went head to head with keeper where she let the keeper make the first move before hammering the ball into the corner of the net...another video classic.

Other highlights include our defence which played tremendously all day with a couple of the defence girls getting the coaches votes. I also thought both Cristina and Katherine who came off the bench, both had great games and when asked to do certain jobs by the coach they did them exceptionally well. All the girls need to be more confident to shoot as we had many chances to shoot but instead took several extra touches or tried to pass to players that were marked. The aim of the game is to put that ball in the back of the net girls....

As I mentioned, the referee was very disappointing, he was only young but his inability to pick out obvious free kicks for both sides led to many dangerous tackles and subsequent injuries that a good referee would have prevented. The coach from Kelior and I were both amazed at his inability to blow his whistle for obvious free kicks. Like any sport the players are hard at the ball but can make mistakes or let their emotions get the better of them. I have a concern that these young referees can not stamp their authority on the game which makes it dangerous for the girls on both sides. I will take it up with the club as I believe the Federation needs to address this in the future.

So we are down to the last 2 games of the season and next week at home we have our so called play off against Boroondara for third spot on the ladder. Effectively, who ever wins the game next Sunday will finish third whilst Kensington and Berwick will fight it out for top spot.

Go Rovers...

Round 16 - U15 A Boys

2009-08-24T07:32:00.000+10:00

U15A Doncaster Rovers vs Bulleen 22nd August

This was another must win game for Rovers to consolidate second position. On a sunny but windy day Rovers started out with the wind but as usual could not take advantage of the good play coming out of defense to put pressure on the Bulleen keeper. The team was much the same but the opposition much more committed this week
We started with Luke in goal, Chris S sweeping, Chris T and Daniel playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Steve and Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik was the Central Midfielder, flanked by Drew on the right and Alex on the left with Matt D and Michael as twin strikers. The game was evenly poised with both teams showing passing skills however Bulleen had control in the midfield and looked a bit sharper up front with several good saves by Luke keeping Rovers in the game. There were also many good individual pieces of play such as when Chris T shut down a very promising attack by Bulleen and turned it into a good attack by Rovers. Matt D had a couple of chances to put a score on the board but dribbled too long and gave the ball up to the keeper or put it out over the backline. Nik received a yellow card for a strong tackle and soon Bulleen were getting most of the whistle while Rovers did not receive a look in from the Ref. Mitch came on and had a good crack but hit it straight at the keeper. Just before half time Rovers gave away a free for handball. The Bulleen player buried the ball into the top corner to put them in front.

Half-time score: Rovers 0 : Bulleen 1

Bulleen came out more confidant in the second half and aided by some poor refereeing really put Rovers to the sword. Rovers passing fell away under pressure as we made a few fundamental errors, and also did not chase or tackle hard enough. Bulleen used the wind to more effect by having their forwards well forward to prey on any mistakes that eventually came their way when Daniel and Luke got caught out. Ouch, down 2-0 and our promising forward moves were either being cut off or our shots were well wide. York came on along with Dion and Elliott, but to no avail as Bulleen went on their merry way with better control and more purpose.
Alex had a couple of chances under pressure, Matt D had another chance, and Matt V’s header was also wide. Matt D had another strong shot that rebounded off the keeper to Alex but his shot went high. To rub salt into the wounds we gave away another free in the penalty area for another handball and Bulleen put that away as well.
It was a sad supporters group that watched on wondering if there is such a thing as form, as we seem to gain it then lose it from week to week. Boys do not worry about the Ref just look after your own game and beat your opponent.
A special mention to the two crowd controllers, Lindsay and John P. I do not know what they said to the Ref as they escorted him out but it really must have pissed him off judging by his decisions for the rest of the game!!

Scores at full-time: Doncaster Rovers 0 : Bulleen 3

ROVERS –only two weeks to go so lets put in a maximum effort for the whole 70 minutes of each game.

Round 15 - U15 A Boys

2009-08-16T21:32:00.000+10:00

U15A Manningham vs Doncaster Rovers 16th August

With constant rain in the preceding game combined with a muddy goal to goal line, the outlook was decidedly gloomy before the game even started. Coming off a poor performance from last week we needed to lift our game this week. Fortunately the showers cleared just before kick off so we could move out from under cover and cheer from the side line. There were a few changes with Luke in goal, York sweeping, Chris T and Daniel playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Steve and Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Chris S was the Central Midfielder, flanked by Alex on the left and Mitch on the right with Matt D and Michael as twin strikers.
The game started with Rovers kicking down the slope and with all the play. Rovers were passing to each other and soon developed shots on goal. A good pass to Matt D from Alex and another pass to Michael opened the defence right up but Michael missed the ball in the mud. Rovers were building the pressure as Chris took a long shot that went wide then Alex took a free kick from 15 metres but the keeper just deflected it out for a corner.
Shortly after this Steve who was controlling his side of the ground with great skills made a long run and passed off to Matt D who slotted our first for the day. Another forward thrust went unrewarded when Alex beat his man and almost beat the keeper with his shot that deflected into the post and dribbled invitingly along the line but nobody followed through to put it away. Many more forward moves were easily accepted by their keeper as we passed too long or shot on goal from too far out.

Half-time score: Manningham 0 : Rovers 1

Rovers kept up the pressure in the second half with Nick V, Dion, Nik and Drew all coming on at various stages. The defense, with York, Daniel, Chris T and Steve well on top were winning most of the ball and passing to team-mates further up the ground to keep Manningham under the pump all over the field. After a few good build ups Alex controlled the ball just outside the box, turned and shot just over the keepers head for our second goal.
Two goals to the good and we were keen to improve the score line. Drew passed a good through ball to Alex who kept running and shot only for the ball to rebound to Nick Vass whose chip sailed over the keepers hands and into the net once more. The opposition coach had plenty to say and the Ref was not impressed, issuing a Manningham forward (29) a yellow card for shooting off at the mouth.
Drew kept the momentum rolling with a good run from the right and shot on goal that the keeper partially smothered. The ball rolled towards the line and Alex had a simple tap in to keep the scorers busy. Rovers continued to pass the ball around sometimes a bit too much with fiddling coming into play. Boys this is not a Country & Western festival, just get the ball and pass first go to a team mate.
Steve on the left wing was proving to be a real mudlark with great ball control even though he was covered head to foot with mud. All the parents could think about was whose turn was it to wash the tops this week. We all hope Daniel’s mum has a Whirlpool!!

Scores at full-time: Manningham 0 : Doncaster Rovers 4

ROVERS –boys a nice return to form even if the opposition was limited.
We are now back in 2nd position so let’s keep our minds on the job!!

Round 14 - U15 A Boys

2009-08-12T07:29:00.000+10:00

Doncaster Rovers vs North Caulfield 9th August

On a fine overcast day Rovers looked to consolidate their position in the top two and keep the winning feeling going. The team lined up “the same” as last week with Luke in goal, York sweeping, Chris T and Daniel playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliott and Steve were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik was the Central Midfielder, flanked by Drew on the right and Alex on the left with Matt V and Michael as twin strikers.

This was where all semblance to last week finished. While the players and positions were identical, the mindset was 180 degrees different. All players were content to stroll around as if the game was already won and not create any play at all. Subsequently most of the teamwork went out the window and while there were many good individual efforts there was no cohesive play that put NC under any pressure. After the first 15 minutes of play it was obvious NC were here to play and attacked the ball, whereas Rovers were just going through the motions.
The best highlight of the first half occurred when Elliott decided to jump the fence to retrieve the ball and in his haste clipped the top of the fence resulting in a triple summersault (with pike) before landing flat on his face. If this was Diving Competition Elliott would be Gold, Gold, Gold!! Chris please keep this in mind for summer training.

Rovers were getting plenty of field play but the passing to opponents was as good as the passing to team mates. Rovers had two decent chances but Nik went wide as did Matt V’s shot. NC continued to press and received a corner after sloppy back play. A well taken kick was met by a short punch out by Luke. NC swooped as Rovers watched and pushed a goal in before anyone could defend.
Rovers counter attacked Chris S having a good lob into goals only to be thwarted by a very good deflection by the NC keeper. Soon after Alex received a free kick, well taken by Nik, but whose shot was again deflected by the NC keeper.

Half-time score: Rovers 0 : North Caulfield 1

Rovers started out the second half still in second gear with all players afflicted by the
“just cruising” disease. A couple of players were trying to lift but the teamwork was just not there. If anybody can solve this mystery of where teamwork goes there is one coach at least who would like to know where it goes to so he can find it.
Rovers had a couple of good build ups with Nik passing to Chris S who passed to Matt V looking very dangerous as you do when you are offside. Shortly after York made a good run into the forward half and passed to Mitch whose shot on goal was just wide.
The coach was looking for some inspiration and replaced 3 players with Dion, Nick Vass and Matt D, however the play up forwards lacked any direction with limited movement by all forwards. Alex made another good run but held the ball in too long allowing NC time to block up the defensive area. Alex passed to Matt D but his shot was again just wide.
Shortly after NC received a soft free just out of the penalty area, however the kicker was good enough to get around the wall and Luke to put it in the corner of the net. OUCH!!
Rovers were buried, well and truly. Soon after the Ref put Rovers out of their pain and blew the whistle.

Scores at full-time: Doncaster Rovers 0 : North Caulfield 2

ROVERS –boys what you did last week has little to do with what you can do this week.
Play to your potential and see what you can really do!!

Round 14 - U13 B Boys

2009-08-10T21:44:00.001+10:00

Doncaster Rovers 2 - Croydon City Arrows 1

Today seemed to be a game of different teams playing each of the halves.

Todd’s excellent strike and goal from a free kick was the main offensive highlight in what was mainly a defence focused first half. Croydon came out very determined and kept our boys off balance with constant pressure and generally being first to the ball. Strong defensive play by Cameron, Christian, Branford and Stephen kept the score to 1-1 going into the break.

The second half saw a change in the boys in both spirit and fight. Croydon lifted an increment in attempting to break through but the boys matched and exceeded this. Hard to single out boys as they all fought so well with Liam and Derek being notable in their change of spirit.

The winning penalty by Stephen Burton came about because of the constant stress placed on Croydon by the boys throughout the second half. Another 10 minutes and I suspect the boys would have broken through again. A win to be proud of.

Round 13 - U15 A Boys

2009-08-03T17:20:00.001+10:00

U15A Doncaster Rovers vs Whitehorse 2nd August

On a cold very windy day we had the short straw and played on the top ground.
All the parents had rugged up with beanie’s and coats the order of the day. With a strong cross wind favouring the East end Rovers started off at top pace.
Luke was in goal, York was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliott and Steve were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik was the Central Midfielder, flanked by Drew on the right and Alex on the left with Matt V and Michael as twin strikers.
Rovers started positively with Drew running into space down the right, following terrific through balls from Nik D and Steve, and delivered 2 good crosses beating the keeper but eventually cleared away by the Whitehorse defense. Elliott was also on top on the left with some strong runs and crosses that went too long with the aid of the strong wind. Strong play all round really, with Michael & Matt V providing plenty of options up front!

Rovers were playing to the feet all over the ground and Whitehorse had no answer, to the fluid passing and movement. After a series of good passes Drew shot on goal but the keeper saved on the line. Whitehorse replied with a long bomb that Luke cleaned up easily. Rovers continued to pressure the opposition with all players first to the ball and crisp passing to all positions on the ground. When we weren’t in possession, we were quick to close down the opposition and force the turnovers. After several more attempts on goal, we were awarded a penalty following a brilliant build up, which started in our own defense when Daniel won possession. An early pass to Steve, then to Drew and another to Alex saw the play switch from right to left. Alex played a through ball to
Matt V who beat his defender and then was brought down in the box, by a tackle from behind. The Ref awarded the penalty and Nik stepped up to bury the ball in the back of the net with the goalie still in slow motion. Mitch came on to keep the momentum going, with Matt V earning a well deserved rest.
As soon as Whitehorse went forward Chris T, Daniel and York mopped up clinically and the ball was back in the forward half in the blink of an eye. Steve and Drew were dominating down the right and with sure passing cutting the opposition to shreds. In the midfield Nik and Alex were creating many forward moves and Michael and Matt V were also getting plenty of the ball with timely runs. Alex had a couple of half chances and Nik even tried a left footer. Just before the break Drew cruised down the right and delivered a cross into the box where an attempted volley by Michael P was blocked by a defender. The deflection fell to Alex who passed across to Matt V whose crisp, well driven shot beat the keeper, to score Rovers second goal. Michael P also had another shot on goal but the ball was saved by the keeper

Half-time score: Rovers 2 : Whitehorse 0

Rovers were into the wind in the second half but continued to dominate field possession with good passing from all players. We had the opening two shots on goal without a result with Michael a bit wide, then Alex struck well but the keeper saved. Soon after Drew and Steve combined down the right with Whitehorse giving away a free and yellow card for a poor tackle. Soon after Chris T won a 50/50 contest, made a great run through midfield and closed in on goal. His great strike on goal from 20 metres was only denied by a good save from the Whitehorse keeper who deflected the shot over the bar.
Chris S, Nick V and Matt V all came on to keep the teamwork flowing. And Whitehorse looked “shell shocked” with any semblance of team play blown off the park. More good play in the mid-field by Nik set up Alex who got around a couple of defenders and then buried the ball into the net for a game sealer, well and truly. Dion came on and was soon in the play as Rovers continued to dominate all facets of the game. Whitehorse had half a chance late in the game with a couple of free’s but really never looked like it.
Rovers standard of play was clearly their best for the season and by the end of the game Whitehorse looked like they had been hit with a sledge hammer. Iron fist velvet glove!!

Scores at full-time: Doncaster Rovers 3 : Whitehorse 0

ROVERS – boys keep up your excellent standard of play in the last few weeks, we can still take top spot if Box Hill falter.

Round 12 - U15 Girls

2009-07-29T23:35:00.001+10:00

What a tale of two contrasting matches..

In round 11 we played a lowly positioned Brunswick Zebra away on a concrete pitch full of stones and high gusty wind. The challenge was keeping the ball in play and it proved a shocking display where both sides tried to play football in very average conditions but they spent the game either watching the ball leap over their heads or practising throw ins or taking goal kicks.... our girls did well in the conditions but the ball was never going to go in, it always went just wide or over the bar. We had dominated the play but late in the game were lucky to escape with a draw as the the ref awarded a legitimate hand ball penalty to Brunswick but Holly pulled off an amazing save where she pushed it over the bar... well done Holly! A hot handed Narin also redeemed herself and saved a certain goal by clearing the ball off the line with a great header.. well done Narin, all is forgiven!

Highlights in a frustrating game:-
Rachel played sweeper for Liz who pushed into the midfield and Rachel had a great game and was clearly best on ground on the day.. well done Capitain!
Holly for her great saves and good performance.. game votes for you too!
Alice for her superb corners
Carmen for a gutsy performance where she won many great tackles and for her good distribution of the ball to the team
Parents for coming to Brunswick to watch a frustrating game in which we should have taken the points
The Wally Award goes to the Ref who spent most of the match checking the girls hair for those dangerous soft plastic ribbons, bobby pins and so called undersized shin pads. Sorry everyone, but what a tosser, get a life mate!
Now Round 12 we played the top side, Kensington who we had not beaten in more than 2 seasons. Coach Lee and the girls would need to put their best foot forward and be on their game... The girls were primed and ready and I heard some great speeches from them in the all girls huddle before the game that demonstrated how keen they were to take to Kensington in front of the home crowd. Well take it they did as the exploded into life with some great football as soon as the whistle went but you would not read about it... Kensington had one attack after 10 mins and the ref awarded an amazing penalty to them when it was clear no body had touched their forward player inside the box. In fact, all the Kensington players went back into their position assuming a goal kick and in the confusion the ref some how awarded a penalty. Our girls were not impressed...so they responded with 3 great goals to go onto half time a well deserved 3-1 ahead. Nat scored a hat trick with 3 very classy goals that were well supported by the team in the build up of play. We were looking good and Kensington were in disarray with their coach panicking and screaming confused instructions.

After a composed assessment by Coach Lee at half time the girls new that Kensington would throw everything at them but they remained confident and stuck to their game plan. The same girl who did all the damage last time for Kensington punished us with 2 sharp goals but Jordy also knocked in a neat header from a well flighted corner by Nat and the stage was set with a 4-3 lead by us with less than 10 mins to go. Nat then came off the bench and pounced on a lovely cross from the right to slot home the winner. The crowd went wild , me included of course...we knew we had the result we had so long waited for.

Highlights were:-
The 4 goals by Nat...great team play and so well executed by her...exciting stuff for the spectators.
Jordy for scoring along with a solid game and some great passes
Jordan Moloney who fought so hard all game and was certainly amongst the coaches votes
Carmen also had another great game
That solid defence...Liz, Ellen Rachel, Narin, Christina and Katherine all played with such determination, in fact some of the tackles and headers were bone crunching and certainly had Liz's mum a little worried...but Liz just took it in her stride as she does.
Brie for her great game in central midfield, she certainly was a ball winner with great distribution to the forwards.
Adrianna for working hard and also playing with the under 16 girls team, she scored for them in the second half in their 14-0 demolition.
Everyone for their contribution - the girls all played well
We remain 4th on the ladder and next Sunday we take on Berwick who are now top of the table (away at 1.00pm) in another difficult and must win game.

Round 11 - U15 A Boys

2009-07-27T07:29:00.000+10:00

U15A Glen Waverley vs Doncaster Rovers 26th July

On a dry sunny day it was good to be out in the sunshine if you could find a place out of the wind. Rovers started without Chris S and Matt D out injured, as well as Elliott playing with a cold and Matt V had a sore hip. At least the ground was dry and favoured the more skillful style of play.
We began with Luke in goal, York was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Steve and Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik was the Central Midfielder, flanked by Drew on the right and Alex on the left with Mitch and Michael as twin strikers.
Rovers started with the wind and soon had play going their way with some good passing between players all over the field. GW went forward but Rovers repelled and soon Drew passed to Michael who flicked over to Mitch who ran at the goalie to put our first on the board after 3 minutes. This was a good result as GW were really content on throwing all their players back bar one forward and just defending at all costs.

The next 30 minutes of the half were probably the most boring of the season, not from a Rovers perspective, as our fluid passing to feet and movement off the ball was great to watch, but GW were intent on defending with 10 players and relying on their three good players to force the ball wide at all costs. When GW went forwards the ball was easily mopped up by our defense with Luke “cool hand” in goal and York, Daniel, Chris T and Steve easily repelling any forward moves.
Maybe it was the late night at the Rovers Trivia Quiz but I swear I counted 15 yawns along the boundary in the first half. Rovers were committed to playing a good brand of football whereas GW were only involved in the game.
How can I explain this better?
It’s like having bacon and eggs for breakfast.
The pig is committed, but the chicken is only involved!!
If you think this is bad, well just try listening to John Palomares jokes before a game!!

Half-time score: Glen Waverley 0 : Rovers 1

At the resumption GW had the wind but Rovers controlled the midfield. Again passing and movement off the ball was a feature from Rovers. We finally opened the GW defense when Nik won a ball in Midfield and sent a quick through pass to Alex, who was being closed down by three chasing defenders. Alex calmly controlled the ball and rifled the ball into the back of the net with the GOAL of the DAY!! It was nice to have the 2 goal buffer as GW threatened several times and almost had the crowd waking up at times, but on each occasion our defense, lead solidly by York, were up to the task.
Dion, Nick and Elliott came on to give our wounded players a rest, as Doncaster controlled the game tempo with good passing mostly to the feet and some promising forward thrusts with Nik, Alex, Dion and Elliott in the play but we could not find the opening.
Towards the end of the half again Alex beat two men and passed to Dion who had a moment to shoot as the keeper closed. The ball deflected off the keeper and just missed the far post. I only counted 10 yawns in this half.
Who would want to live in Glen Waverley if this brand of soccer is any guide. Stick to Doncaster and surrounds if you want to have a life!!

Scores at full-time: Glen Waverley 0 : Doncaster Rovers 2

ROVERS –next week we play Whitehorse and a top position is up for grabs.
GRAB IT!!

Round 10 - U15 A Boys

2009-07-20T17:53:00.000+10:00

U15A Doncaster Rovers vs Ringwood 19th July

On a fine sunny day Rovers took on Ringwood at Anderson Park with the intention of putting another solid win on the board.
We began with Luke in goal, Chris S was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Steve and York were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nick was Central Midfielder, flanked by Alex on the right and Drew on the left with Matt V and Nick V as twin strikers.
Ringwood kicked off but in an instant Rovers took the ball forwards where Matt V ran onto it and had our first shot at goals. The ball squeezed underneath the sprawling keeper and rolled in for our first with 30 seconds on the clock! Ringwood hit back with some good passing and had a wide shot on goal. On the kick in Luke was penalized for taking too long but the Ringwood free-kick was easily blocked. The ball was travelling from end to end with reasonable passing from both sides but breakdown in front of goal. Luke was very solid in goals with all the defenders, especially the two Chris’s chipping in to stop most of the Ringwood attacks. Rovers controlled the midfield also, but could not find the goals. Elliott and Mitch came on with several good runs and crosses not quite finding their mark. Alex was in the play with a cross to Steve whose shot was blocked. Soon after York made a good run down the right, and from 25 metres out struck the ball cleanly only to hit the cross bar, Matt V headed the rebound but straight at the keeper.
With only 30 seconds on the clock Matt V made another strong run at goal but was brought down just inside the box. Nik took the resulting penalty and put the ball away. So against the wind Rovers managed to “bookend” the half and be well placed at half-time.

Half-time score: Rovers 2 : Ringwood 0

The second half started out like the first with Rovers attacking straight away. The ball lobbed into the box where arms and legs were going everywhere, however Steve coolly slotted the ball into goals where it just crossed the line, despite arguments by the Ringwood Keeper to the contrary. The Ref blew his whistle and correctly awarded the goal and we had another on the board. Rovers continued to dominate most of the play with some of the Ringwood defense wilting under pressure. Nik had a big throw from the side line and York was able to run onto the ball and head the bouncing ball into the back of the net. As usual Elliott was making the Ringwood forwards really earn their kicks and gave away a few free kicks, one of which Luke saved with a clean grab. In fact Luke chose the right option all day with many fine saves and defensive punches clearing the lines.
On one of Luke’s long kick the ball bounced right up to goal where Mitch ran onto the ball and chipped the ball past the keeper to keep the scoreboard ticking over nicely for Rovers.
Dion, Michael P and Matt D came on, with all players getting a fair share of the ball. Michael P had a shot at goal but went too high, soon after Alex passed to Michael but the ball ran on with the wind. Drew put in a pass to Chris S who had a powerful crack from 35 metres out which the keeper just managed to save down low.
Ringwood still managed to threaten with the midfielders passing the ball around but their shots were wide. Finally Elliott took a corner but the ball sailed over the back of the net as the Ref blew his whistle for full-time. While we looked a bit loose at times we were able to keep good forward momentum this week with better value in our shots at goal. It makes the effort so much more rewarding for players and supporters.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 5 : Ringwood 0

ROVERS –next week we play Glen Waverley away so let’s keep the goals coming.

Round 10 - U15 Girls

2009-07-16T00:24:00.000+10:00

What a great start to the start of the second round of the season as the girls impressive display resulted in a 7-1 victory at home against the Peninsular Strikers.

After a weeks rest the girls started well and after some lovely passing and dominant football they soon got their reward when Nat beat her defender and delivered a low solid cross that was met confidently by Jordy and turned in for a great first goal. Well the goals just flowed after this and we were soon 3-0 up after Nat and Carmen scored nice goals. Peninsular then had a rare but quality attack that saw their left winger use her pace to take the ball down the line and deliver a perfect cross that was knocked in by their striker...not much we could do but applaud a lovely goal. The positive from this was that we struck back straight away with another quality build up that saw Nat score with a great left foot shot. Just before half time Nat finished strongly again and we were 5-1 up at the break, a great half of football by our girls had shattered their opposition who seemed glad to hear the half time whistle.

In the second half we mixed the team up and gave the girls the chance to try a few different roles which was interesting and good for the girls confidence. This did restrict us to less goals but we did score 2 goals, one a magnificent run by Kelsey who waited for the goal keeper to move before pulling the trigger and the other to our new super striker Liz who not only hit the post within minutes of being moved to the forward line but also followed up 5 minutes later with our final goal of the match.

The highlights from the game were:-
Alice (first half) and Jordy (second half) for volunteering to go goal keeper for Holly who was away on holidays.. did fine job girls and both will be rewarded with full games this weekend against Brunswick
Nat for another hat trick of goals
Liz for moving from defence to the forward line for the last 10 minutes of the game - hit the post and scored...very adaptable and very impressive!
Brie for a very solid contribution in the central mid field
Katherine for an impressive game in defence after coming off the bench.. she won every tackle...
Kelsey for putting into practice what Lee taught her at training...how to finish those blistering runs
Carmen for a great shot into the corner of the net..her second goal for the season, both against the Peninsular Strikers!
Rachel our reliable Captain who also did a fantastic job in defence as Sweeper when Liz moved to the forward line.
Ellen who supported Rachel showing she can also cover central defence
Well done to all the girls and thanks to U16 Girls Coach (Liverpool Lee) for his support in Scottish Lees absence who was unable to attend due to family issues.
We remain 3rd on the ladder and next Sunday we take on Brunswick (away at 11.15am) in another must win game.

Round 10 - U15 A Boys

2009-07-13T07:30:00.000+10:00

U15A Malvern vs Doncaster Rovers 12th July

This was the return match where we owed Malvern a home ground defeat after they beat us in the first round at Anderson Park. The day was windy and cold, however there were no showers. The strong cross wind influenced the game making judgement of the fall of the ball difficult especially in the first half. At least Rovers had a full side to choose from, the first time since the first round of the season.
We began with Luke in goal, Chris S was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliot and
Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nick was Central Midfielder, flanked by Alex on the right and Drew on the left with Michael P and Matt D as twin strikers.
It was an even start to the game with both sides defending well and pushing the ball forwards but slowly Rovers got on top and started to press the defense with the first three corners, all to no avail as the keeper and defenders kept the ball out with not too much fuss. There were some good individual efforts from all players but the passing was all over the place and at times the defense looked very shaky with foot skills down on previous weeks. Alex had some good runs forward and with a couple of frees Nick tested the keeper and Chris got a deflection but the keeper again saved. Mitch replaced Matt D up front, whilst Steven came on as a right wing back, allowing
Matt V to replace Michael P just before the break .
Malvern came out of defense well but lacked any spark up forward and did not really test Luke to any great extent. The whistle blew for half time with no advance on the scoreline since the kick off.

Half-time score: Malvern 0 : Rovers 0

Steve made several changes after the break to get the side firing. York, Dion and Nick V came on at various stages to give the team a boost. Rovers were on top in nearly all facets of the game and all the play was down in front of the Malvern goals where many attacks came to nothing. Steve had a couple of shots from wide on the right flank that gave the keeper some trouble. Chris T also crossed into the box where Drew’s well timed volley went wide of the keeper, but unfortunately the wrong side of the keeper’s right goal post.
York had another good shot which just cleared the cross-bar. Then Nick V made the best solo run of the game, beating 4 defenders whilst running at goals but the ball was eventually scrambled out by their last defender. Matt V had a great opportunity to put a score on the board when he took the keeper on but his shot just deflected off the keepers hands out past goal. This followed a brilliant move which saw Steven play a defense splitting ball to Alex, whose turn and cross picked out Matt V, just inside the box.
Chris S took a couple of good corners that the keeper just managed to save on the line. York also headed a corner just over the bar to complete a very frustrating afternoon for the team and the parents. In the interim Malvern were also getting frustrated and received several yellow cards for poor tackles and blatant pushing.
To be so far on top in general play and still not score has been the Achilles heel of the team all year and until we can address this fundamental issue Rovers will not make it to the top of the league. This is a real pity since we have the best all round side in the competition.
Keep up the good work boys we will score more goals if we continue to play well and SHOOT!!

Scores at full-time: Malvern 0 : Rovers 0

ROVERS –next week we play Ringwood at home so let’s get on the scoreboard early.

Round 9 - U15 Girls

2009-07-02T20:04:00.000+10:00

With the final game of the first half of the season upon us we knew it would be a tough home game against Port Melbourne who were only one point below Rovers on the ladder. With coach Lee back at the helm the girls were charged and they came out committed from the word go. Again we were very dominant making most of the play and coming close to scoring many times in the first half. A combination of missed shots and some good goal keeping kept our girls from scoring but the goal did finally come before half time with Christina Napoleone wining the ball in the midfield and laying it off for Natasha who split the defense with a great through ball to Jordy who slotted her left foot shot past the keeper who this time had no chance!

The girls game out in the second half and again dominated the game with some great passes and moves but were again unable to capitalise in front of goal. They were unlucky to have a goal disallowed when the goal keeper clearly dropped the ball and Kelsey tapped it in after a great run. Justice was to prevail as Natasha drove home a free kick on the edge of the area after another clumsy foul by Port Melbourne with 10 minutes to go. The final score was 2-0 nil to Rovers but it felt like it should have been at least 5-0. The pleasing thing is that the girls are creating some nice play and passing much more effectively than their opponents. We are hopeful that the more goals will flow from this in the second half of the season.

It is also a credit to the girls that their behaviour and conduct has generally been very professional and of a high standard with their focus being to go hard at the ball. Unfortunately some opponents from a few teams this year have used rough tactics, foul language and attempted ridicule to put the girls off. It was very evident from one of the Port Melbourne players on the weekend who also refused to shake hands with the girls after the game. This type of behaviour will obviously remain unacceptable at our club.

The highlights from the game were:-
solid defensive play by our girls and our goalkeeper Holly resulted in no goals being conceded
the great passing in midfield was a pleasure to watch
those blistering runs by Kelsey from the half way line (I think we should call her the "roadrunner")
the first goal was built on great passing by the girls and nicely executed by Jordy
Nat and Cassy for helping push the ball around
Cristina Napoleone came off the bench worked hard and had a great game in midfield
Christina Moribito had a solid game in defense despite being intimidated by her older opponents with some very average use of the english language
Liz was outstanding in defence and won the coaches votes!
At the half way mark of the season the girls are well positioned in 3rd place on the ladder behind Berwick and Kensington.

Enjoy your weeks break and we return Sunday 12th July to start the second half of the season as we take on Peninsular Strikers again, this time at home.

Round 9 - U15 A Boys

2009-07-02T19:36:00.000+10:00

Finally the big day had arrived where we played the top team at their home ground Wembley stadium. This was as close as most of us were going to get to Wembley so we had to make the most of it. At least the coffee was as good as a Doncaster brew.
Rovers came into the game with 2 boys out, Nik had a groin strain from last week and Dion still had a sore ankle from 2 weeks ago. We began with Luke in goal, Chris S was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliot and Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Alex was Central Midfielder, flanked by Mitch on the right and Drew on the left with Michael P and Matt D as twin strikers.
The game started with both sides scrapping hard for the ball with Rovers settling quicker
and having better use of the ball. The Rovers defence was well on top and good passing out to the wings gave Rovers first use of the ball through the midfield and gave forwards a chance to put pressure on the Box Hill defence. Some good through balls gave Pala and Matt D opportunities to shoot on goal and force a corner. Play was mainly in the Box Hill half and the few times Box Hill went forwards the defence cleared the ball with ease to keep the pressure up. The Ref started to get his whistle into gear and from then on it was one puzzling decision after another for the afternoon. Finally Rovers went down the right and Matt V centered the ball where Matt D was unmarked. The keeper, fresh on was caught well out of goal and Matt D coolly lobbed the ball over the keeper into the back of the net. The Box Hill defenders were all looking for a scapegoat but all they needed was a mirror. Shortly after the Ref blew the whistle once more, this time for half time.

Half-time score: Box Hill 0 : Rovers 1

At the restart Box Hill put some pressure on our defence following a back pass and miscommunication between Chris S and Luke, which resulted in a simple tap in for one of the Box Hill Strikers. York replaced Pala and gave the forwards a bit of toe to keep the pressure on. From here on the Ref blew his whistle about every 2 minutes to make the game both hard to understand and much more stop start. Box Hill were doing a lot more attacking with several corners and shots on goal but never really set for an easy shot. The defence stood tall with Elliot, Daniel, Chris S, Chris T and Matt V continually repelling the ball. In midfield, Alex was using the ball well and competing for possession along with Mitch and Drew. Nick Vass was also making some good runs and keeping the Box Hill defense honest. Box Hill although putting on the forward pressure where Luke made a couple of good saves, were still showing signs of cracking, especially in their defense giving away some silly frees incurring the wrath of the Ref and picked up 2 yellow cards and then a Red. This card came about after Mitch was tripped heading straight for goal just outside the box. Alex took the free but did not really trouble the keeper. The game finished shortly after with the air of invincibility at Box Hill definitely blown away.

Both teams had several chances to score the winner but really it was an even match up, all day. Rovers should have a good chance to put up a better show at home in the last game of the year. Box Hill are not world beaters that’s for sure.

Scores at full-time: Box Hill 1 : Rovers 1

ROVERS – enjoy your week off because we play Malvern next and this is a BIG payback game looming!

Round 8 - U15 Girls

2009-06-26T17:03:00.001+10:00

As we know good football and possession does not always win the game and if you don't punish your opponents when the opportunities arise then you can pay the ultimate price and indeed the girls learnt this harsh lesson going down away Boroondara Lions 2-1 last Sunday. The girls played some lovely moves with solid passing and team work now a regular feature of their game and were unlucky not to be up 2-0 nil in the first 20 minutes as they dominated with wave after wave of attacks which included 3 shots hitting the post and numerous into the side netting. I told the girls on the bench we would be made to pay for this and sure enough Boroondara went ahead with a rare attack, just before half time, that looked very offside but their striker calmly slotted the ball home with the referrees blessing.

In the second half the girls fought hard and again dominated the play but Boroondara were brimming with confidence and with a long ball from defence their very fast striker (same girl who scored in first half) ran through our girls and put the ball away nicely and we found ourselves 2 -0 nil down and fair to say a little shocked at the score line. We continued to fight hard and Jordy scored a nice goal slotting home a loose ball in the penalty area after a corner. The girls continued to fight hard until the end but but time had beaten us...

My coaching record was again in tatters as coach Lee was absent (injured and on crutches from a nasty tackle in the seniors game on Friday night) from another hard game and his clean sheet of coaching victory's with the girls continues.... only kiddin Lee, I do have big shoulders!

Some highlights from the game were:-
Izabella who had an outstanding game and was never beaten to the ball by anyone... she got the coaches votes for this game
Liz and Narin were solid in defence with some very impressive and brave headers.
Adriana for going in goals to take over from a very pale and sick Holly at half time. Both girls did well and could not of saved the goals we conceded.
Sarah Jane and Beth Anne for playing well in their last game for the club. They are going back to USA and we wish them all the best and thanks for being part of our team.
All the girls who worked and fought hard
We did have a large squad last week and apologies to the girls who did not get enough game time, we will make sure we rectify that this week.

A special thanks to Rosa who helps out every week with all the admin and paperwork, we do appreciate it.

Round 8 - U13 A Boys

2009-06-24T20:45:00.001+10:00

Doncaster Rovers 3 - 0 Boxhill Inter.

After the last two disappointing performances, the lads returned to playing the composed, but competitive style of football that has been a joy to watch. As expected, following Boxhill's draw with top team Melbourne Phoenix, the game started with both teams trying to stamp their authority. A few changes were made to the line-up this week with Ben going up front to add a 'bit of muscle' and Chris moving in to midfield to create more pace. This seemed to be working to good effect as, first Ben received the ball with his back to the goal, turned his man and slotted the ball into the bottom right-hand corner and then a minute later, Chris, having taken a pass from James on the edge of the area, calmly stroked the ball over the head of the keeper, half-time 2-0.
Then second-half was similar to the first, with Rovers starting to dominate the play, and knocking the ball aound with some confidence, A corner from Cam found Harry in amongst the action and a firm header made it 3-0. Full marks to Boxhill, who continued to try to play good football and not resort to the tatics that some teams use when they go behind.
As we are in 3rd place, 2 points off the top with 1 & 2 playing each other next week, a win against Oakleigh will leave us in a great postion to start the second half of the season.
Keep playing good football boys and the results will follow.

Round 8 - U15 A Boys

2009-06-24T20:43:00.000+10:00

U15A Doncaster Rovers vs Casey 21st June

On an overcast day Rovers took up Steve’s challenge to whip Casey all over the park and gain another 3 points. We wanted Casey to be so sick of Rovers they would need to call Dr Ben Casey for assistance! Who you ask, well it was a long time ago, when Black & White TV was still an option.
Rovers came into the game with 3 boys out, Dion had a sore ankle from last week, Mitch had a stiff neck from last week and Steve still had bad knees. Chris S was also suffering from the flu and this caused a reshuffle to the team which included Peter Simic being called up from the B’s.
We began with Luke in goal, York was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliot and Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik D was Central Midfielder, flanked by Alex on the right and Drew on the left with Michael P and Nick V as twin strikers.
The game started with both sides having a share of the ball but the playing style was different. Rovers were passing the ball to the feet whereas Casey were just “bombing and hoping” without much luck. Rovers had at least 10 half chances in the first half, and several good chances as the defense stood firm and the ball was in the Casey half most of the time. Nik was controlling the centre of the ground and providing plenty of supply to the forwards, however we could not penetrate the Casey defense. Peter was introduced into Midfield with Alex pushing into a strikers role in place of Nick V. Finally from a free kick, Nik’s cross was flicked on by Peter to Michael, who passed back to Peter and from outside the box rifled the ball into the top right hand corner of the net. Shortly after Michael again featured and ran at the keeper only to hit the post! Alex and Drew then took a corner with a relay touch allowing Alex a good shot on goal only to be deflected by the keeper. In the days strange shot Matt V drew the keeper and crossed the ball to Matt D who was on in place of Michael. Matt D’s shot from one metre out was somehow deflected off a Casey defender and over the crossbar!!

Half-time score: Rovers 1 : Casey 0

Rovers were clearly winding up and the game turned into two halves, the Rovers backs, well on top; and the Rovers forwards, well on top. The only Casey player to cause any trouble was No 2 who had several good shots on goal only to find Luke who was equal to any challenge with 3 goal saving, clean catches on the line. Matt D started the half with two misses wide and high, then it was Matt V’s turn with another shot, hitting the crossbar on the way over, after a quick run at goals. Alex then put in a good cross to Matt D but he could not quite reach the ball before it went wide. Finally Matt D had a long run from dare I say an offside position to beat the keeper for our next goal. Shortly after Drew found Alex in space with a good pass and Alex duly saluted with another goal.
There were several off sides saving Casey from further embarrassment as Rovers piled on the pressure. Alex passed across to Drew to repay the favour but Drew shot high from 10 metres out. In the only blemish for the day Casey caught out our defense in the box with a shot from 3 metres out only to hit Chris T on the legs and bounce out. So other sides do have bad days it’s not just us!
Matt D made another impressive run beating a couple of defenders only to be tripped 2 metres out. This made the umpire see Red (and Matt D also.) The offending Casey player will warm the pine for next week as well. Nik took resultant penalty and duly beat the keeper for another goal.
Next week we play Box Hill and have our big test for the season. Lets hope the boys put up a spirited contest, because if they play well there is no doubt Rovers can win.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 4 : Casey 0

ROVERS - keep up the passion for the game, we can match the best of them if we really try.

Round 7 - U13 A Boys

2009-06-15T23:09:00.001+10:00

Bulleen 1 - 1 Doncaster Rovers

In stark contrast to the previous game the lads played on the superb artificial surface at the Veneto Club against the Bulleen Superleague side, this game was very disappointing.
For the second match in a row, the boys failed to take command of the game, as they had in the earlier games this season. Against a very average Bulleen side, there were a number of squandered opportunities to go ahead, with a lack of real committment, sloppy passing and lost possession. The pressure that normally puts the opposition on the back foot was missing and as in the last 3 games, the opponents went ahead due to poor making, scoring from a corner shortly before half-time.
The team talk that ensued seemed to be worthless, as the same errors were being made in the second half. Finally we broke down the defence for Nadeem to score making it 1-1, then a blatant trip on Julian in the penalty area went unpunished. The boys need to fire up if they are to achieve their aims for the season. Once again, the football gods smiled on us as the top team lost to the team second bottom - we got out of jail again.

Round 7 - U13 B Boys

2009-06-15T17:54:00.002+10:00

2-1 win by the boys against Bulleen - great effort from all the boys after trailing 1-nil 10 minutes into the game.

Goal scorers:

James Bamford brilliant equaliser from outside the box

Todd McCarthy from a pass from Stephen Burton.

I thought everyone did was expected of them:

Branford, Sotaro, Christian Granville-Smith - they were solid in defence.

Noah - fitted well in the team in his first game and was winning the ball constantly in left back.

Stephen Burton, Steve Sercia , Todd and Liam - great constant pressure on attack, Sercia was unlucky to not score after a great solo effort going pass 3 defenders weaving around them. , Liam unlucky to have been accidentally kicked in the nose.

James and Aaron -- again, great work in the midfield controlling the play.

Cameron -- Brilliant in goals, couple of brilliant saves.

Derek -- came in after Liam was struck in the nose halfway in the first half and continued were Liam left showed some great foot skills and passing.

Chris Puljevic and Dimitri both came in the 2nd half and continued the solid defence , both on fire using their bodies well and kept winning the ball.

Round 7 - U15 Girls

2009-06-15T17:53:00.000+10:00

After a long weekend and a well earned rest from football it was game on for our girls at Anderson Park today against the tough and always competitive Keilor Park.

With a strong large squad and solid preparation the girls and coach Lee were raring to go but football can be a strange game and within 15 minutes the team found themselves 2-0 down. The opposition bench was gloating and we were all shocked but we new once things settled down we would start playing football and the goals would come. Indeed they did, as the girls bounced back with 2 goals late in the second half for a competitive 2-2 score at half time.

Lee had a very direct and tactical chat with the girls at half time and that combined with whatever Lou and Susan put in those oranges and snakes resulted in a remarkable turnaround that saw the girls play a dominating second half of what can only be called "beautiful football". They went on to score 4 goals to nil in the second half and every girl played their part in a great team effort. The defence made a commitment at half time not to allow any more goals to be scored, the midfield ran hard, won possession and were passing the ball around at will whilst the forward line was clinical in its finishing. All the goals were fantastic in terms of the team passing and build up whilst the finishing by Nat and Jordan was brilliant... the video replays would have been sweet.

This 6-2 win has moved us into third place on the ladder (refer below) and was a critical victory as we head into the final games of the first half of the season. If the girls can win (at worst draw) the next 2 hard games against Booroondara and Port Melbourne then they will be well placed at the half way mark.

Highlights today were :-
Natashia and Jordan both scoring a "Hat Trick" each and what great goals from build up to finish they all were...
Adriana for filling in as temporary goal keeper for Holly who was sick...and for her fantastic second half courageous saves at the feet of the opposition.
Natashia and Cassandra for their support and composure on the ball.
Izabella and Kelsy for their determination to run, tackle and win the ball at all cost
the defence was hard at it as usual, especially after the initial shock of the first 15 mins
Jordy for a brilliant long run late in the game where she took on all defenders only to be fouled by the last defender in the box where the referee awarded a definite penalty.
Ellen for being brave enough to step up to the penalty as the coach demanded (especially as she was rushed off the bench)
Christina Morabito for a most solid game at left back after coming off the bench
the large squad of girls who were bravely patient on the bench...any of us who have played sport know how it feels to sit on the bench when all you want is to be out there playing. The great thing is that every single one of them played well and did there job as instructed by Lee when they came on...well done girls.
A big Happy Birthday to Katherine for this week

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Football Federation Victoria - Girls Metro 15 B

Rank Team P W D L F A GD Points
1 Berwick City 7 6 1 0 17 3 14 19
2 Kensington JGSC 7 5 1 1 31 13 18 16
3 Doncaster Rovers 7 5 0 2 25 9 16 15
4 Port Melbourne 7 4 1 2 13 14 -1 13
5 Peninsula 7 4 0 3 10 8 2 12
6 Boroondara Eagles 7 3 2 2 13 14 -1 11
7 Keilor Park 7 3 0 4 7 11 -4 9
8 Brunswick Zebras 7 1 1 5 8 13 -5 4
9 South Melbourne 7 0 1 6 2 21 -19 1
10 Glen Eira 7 0 1 6 7 27 -20 1

Last updated: Jun 14, 2009 7:32PM (local time)

See you all Tuesday 7pm at Donvale Reserve.

Round 7 - U15 A Boys

2009-06-15T07:20:00.000+10:00

U15A Bulleen vs Doncaster Rovers 14th June

On a cool Melbourne winters day Bulleen’s synthetic pitch looked really good. The grass coverage was even and oh so green, with no puddles or bare patches. Funny about that! Rovers came into the game with 2 boys out, Alex with the flu and Steve with bad knees. This caused a reshuffle to the team with York and Elliot coming in.

We began with Luke in goal, Chris S was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliot and York were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik D as a defensive Central Midfielder, flanked by Matt V on the right and Drew on the left with Michael P and Mitch as twin strikers.
The game started out with both sides having an equal share of the ball and several parries at the goals without much conviction. In fact it was soon obvious Rovers were here for the game but not prepared to really dig deep and put Bulleen to the sword. There were several passages of good team play with good passing to position although every time we went forward through the centre, we went wide to the right allowing Bulleen defenders time to block up our attacks. Nik had a couple of good strong shots on goal, the first following a great turn and pass from Nick V (who had replaced Michael P), which the keeper parried away, the second too high to worry the scorers. In defense Chris S, Chris T , Daniel, York, Elliot and Luke were having strong games easily defending all the forward thrusts not allowing Bulleen any clear shots within 15 metres of goal.
The longer the half went the more apparent neither side would score particularly after Drew beat a couple on the left with good feints, but did not take the shot and passed off to other players not settled enough to take a crack.

Half-time score: Bulleen 0 : Rovers 0

At half time Steve asked the players for more commitment at the ball, and a willingness to show up Bulleeen for what they were, second rate. Even so Bulleen were in the game and showed a real liking for a cuddle, any player at the ball would get very close attention and at least a jumper pull. All I can say is watch out for these Bulleen Latino Lovers in future years. Mums definitely lock up your daughters at this ground because in future years these Valentino’s will cuddle anything in sight!!
The second half produced some of the best individual play and team play of the year with several players on the end of some hotly disputed contests. Finally there was a break to the deadlock when Nik took a long throw, into the 18 yd box, where Matt D’s flicked-on header fell invitingly to Drew whose well timed volley went straight past the keeper into the net. Goal, Rovers 1-0!!
Bulleen then laid some crunching tackles.
Nik went down after a big collision with the No 17 defender, then Dion copped a big kick to the leg and had to go off, Matt D was out of breath totally and then Mitch took a big hit from the keeper and another defender to keep him down for several minutes. Throughout this the boys were really trying and the defense stood tall with Chris T a real standout, never beaten all day. The boys were on fire and continued to press with another shot by Nik, then a good run by Matt V, went unrewarded when his great shot was just parried by the keeper across the goal. During all of this Bulleen were still pressing with several sharp attacks and shots on goal that were neutralized by the defenders or Luke. Another promising forward thrust went west when Michael P missed a great opportunity going only inches wide of the net. In the last moments of the game Michael P received the ball on the left and made a great run down the field heading towards the Bulleen goal. At the last moment he passed across to Mitch, back on after his previous knock in the head, who coolly chipped the ball past the keeper into the back of the net. How sweet was that, Mitch felt a million dollars but will he remember it? Of course we were all rubbing our glasses (apart from John) wondering where Michael found all that speed! This was a great team goal.
Next week we entertain Casey at home who will be on a high after two consecutive wins.
We are now mounting a challenge for the top two and a further 3 points next week is critical.

Scores at full-time: Bulleen 0 : Rovers 2

ROVERS - keep up the passion for the game, we can match the best of them if we really try.

Round 5 & 6 - U13 A Boys

2009-06-04T20:00:00.002+10:00

Sunday 24th May
Nunawadng City 1 - Doncaster Rovers 5
Following the win against Riversdale the lads were looking for 3 points and a good goal difference against a lowly Nunawading side. For the first 15 minutes Doncaster kept the opposition in their own half, missing chance after chance, as has happened too often this season. Then on 16 minutes, Nunawading borke away and scored against the run of play.This jolted Doncaster into life and a minute later a corner from Cam ended up back at his feet , where he knocked in a low cross that deceived everyone and ended up in the bottom corner of the goal. Next minute, Ben takes a free kick from outside the area and floats in shot into the top right hand corner. Next minute, a good cross from josh is headed in by Cam at the far post. Then a minute before half time, Julian finds the ball at his feet in the area and with a sweet turn, cracks the ball into the roof of the net, Half time 1-4.
The second half continued similar to the first except only one goal, a well taken header by James. Some very nice football played by the boys, but they must learn to take their chances.

U13A Tuesday 26th May
Bulleen Superleague 1 - 1 Doncaster Rovers 13A (Friendly)
A match on Bulleen new sythetic pitch was an offer to good to turn down, and the fact it was against a super league side gave us the opportunity to see how well the lads had developed over the early part of the season. Or boys did not disappoint us! They played some super football , with the determination to win alongside the composed passing game that is a joy to watch. Ben put us ahead with a great strike from outside the box, which even Bulleen's state keeper could not keep out. The game continued to be very competetive with Doncaster more than matching their higher league counterparts, only to concede a well taken goal with 5 minutes to go. All in all, a very good game to watch and the evening finished with a well-deserved meal at La Porchetta, Ivanhoe, owned by spray-jacket sponsor, Rob Velardo.

U13A Sunday 31st May
Doncaster Rovers 1 - 1 North Caulfield
Whether it was a hang-over from the Bulleen game or staying up to watch the FA cup final, the lads did not perform in this one. Gone was the slick passing game, gone was winning the 50/50 challenges, gone was the composure, etc, North Caulfield came out to play some nice football and appeared to 'want it more'. After a lack-lustre 0-0 first-half, the boys fired up in the second-half, only to go a goal down due to some soft defending, Ash played well in goal to keep Rovers in the game and Harry, on his return from injury, put in a solid performance. Rovers fought back and Damien put away a half chance to make it 1-1. A lively finish could have seen either side pinch the win but neither could find the net. Disappointing to drop 2 points in our quest for Superleague football next season. The only bright side of the day was hearing that Melbourne Phoenix, our arch-rivals, also drew. We are still on track!

Rounds 5 & 6 - U13 B Boys

2009-06-02T22:21:00.000+10:00

Bigger, stronger, more powerful kicks .............. but unfortunately it wasn’t our boys. Despite this the boys were unlucky to have the quick follow-on goals against them after each of the first goals they conceded each half as the boys defended extremely well during the game. There were a number of good breaks but the boys had yet to settle after the recent re-organisation so were a lacking a little cohesion in pressing home the attacks. This was where Oakleigh’s ability to clear the ball back past our defence had a telling effect on the boys’ spirits. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if one of the attacks by the boys had succeeded.

Good attacking work by Steven S and Todd though it went unrewarded whilst the defensive line – Dimitri, Christian, Stephen B., Derek and Christopher also get special mentions though the whole team defended well during the game.

Comments from the coach for last week’s game against Croydon

We had a fantastic start to the game scoring 3 goals inside the first 20 minutes , passing and movement off the ball was excellent and exactly what i was looking for. In the second half we took the foot of the gas and stopped playing our passing game which can be the case when you are a few goals ahead. All in all i was happy again with the boys we still have a lot to work on but if you can go into a game and only play for 20 minutes and still come away with a 4-1 victory it show's you the quality and hard work of the boys.

Round 6 - U15 Girls

2009-05-31T23:02:00.001+10:00

What a wonderful morning for football it was today once the fog finally lifted as we headed to East Benleigh for the girls clash with Glen Eira.

With Glen Eira on the bottom of the ladder and after a convincing win against South Melbourne last week we expected our girls too perform strongly and despite it being more competitive than expected they came away with a solid 4-1 victory. As is their trade mark our girls were fierce and competitive at the ball showing strong endeavour early which resulted in an lovely early goal to rovers from the boot of Jordan Moloney. The passing, tackling and commitment was impressive and we did set up many chances but our composure and ability to bounce on the ball in what is known as the "goal scoring zone" meant we were unable to build on this early start. To be fair the opposition goal keeper was very impressive and pulled off many good saves. On a positive note, some of the build up passing and movement of the ball out wide shows the girls are developing their game to a higher standard under the guidance of the wee Scotsman! On the stroke of half time it was pleasing to See Alice pounce on a ball inside the box and drive home a brilliant hard low shot that left their keeper no chance... Alice at last those unbelievable shots we see at training had taken their mark...Bravo!

We went into half time 2-0 ahead and after a sugar fix and some healthy orange the girls came out and backed up their first half with another 2 goals and they were unlucky to concede a goal. In fact the opposition had rarely penetrated our defence and they got lucky with a solid low hard cross after we conceded possession to them. Jordan Moloney was certainly focused on her task as striker as she scored both second half goals to get a hat trick for the game.

Highlights were :-
Jordan Moloney scoring a Hat Trick. Our coach Lee asked her to move up from midfield to striker this week and she certainly delivered with 3 nice goals.
Alice for scoring a lovely strike
Carmen for her defensive coverage and solid tackles that had mum Rosa wincing on the sidelines
The teams consistent and solid defense - girls you know who you are...
Those beautiful moves and passes from midfield into attack
Jordan and Narin for travelling to Sherbrooke after our game to play for the DRSC U18 Girls team who were short of players this week.
Areas to improve on include :-
Throw in - Lee and Katherine counted 6 + foal throws which girls means lot of running this week at training...
Composure, shooting and finishing in the "Scoring Zone". In fact some times I think the girls do not even know they are in the so called "Zone".
Catch the other side napping by moving the ball quickly from throw in's and corners
The girls are 4th on the ladder, refer below. They are well in the hunt for a top 2 finish if they can continue to build on their play and results as the season progresses.

See you all Tuesday 7pm at Donvale Reserve.

Regards,
Andrew

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Football Federation Victoria - Girls Metro 15 B

Rank Team P W D L F A GD Points
1 Berwick City 6 5 1 0 12 2 10 16
2 Kensington JGSC 6 4 1 1 27 13 14 13
3 Port Melbourne 6 4 1 1 13 10 3 13
4 Doncaster Rovers 6 4 0 2 19 7 12 12
5 Peninsula 6 3 0 3 8 8 0 9
6 Keilor Park 6 3 0 3 5 5 0 9
7 Boroondara Eagles 5 2 2 1 9 9 0 8
8 Brunswick Zebras 6 1 1 4 8 11 -3 4
9 South Melbourne 5 0 0 5 2 18 -16 0
10 Glen Eira 6 0 0 6 7 27 -20 0

Round 6 - U15 A Boys

2009-05-31T22:45:00.000+10:00

Doncaster Rovers vs Manningham 31st May

On a perfect day Anderson Reserve looked a picture with no wind and plenty of sunshine.
In the first 5 minutes it was obvious Doncaster were well on top with good passing and all the play in the forwards. Manningham were always under pressure and passing using the “bomb and hope” principle.
We began with Luke in goal, Chris S was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Steve and Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik D played as a defensive Central Midfielder, flanked by Alex on the right and Drew on the left with Michael P and Matt D as twin strikers.
Rovers had the first two shots on goal but missed, then Nik D latched on to a loose ball about 20 metres out and buried the ball into the back of the net. Shortly after Alex deflected a shot towards goal but it was deflected over the bar by the keeper. Rovers second goal came shortly after when Alex turned his man in the box and his cross was perfectly placed into the bottom right hand corner by Michael P who was unfortunately adjudged to be offside. Rovers were well on top and started to fiddle with the ball instead of applying goal pressure, this resulted in several missed chances and some loose play that allowed Manningham to get an easy shot on goal and equalize. This was looking like a Rovers bad day, all the play and equal at half time.

Half-time score: Rovers 1 : Manningham 1

The second half the boys stepped up a gear and started to pump the Manningham defence into submission. The first two shots on goal missed but then Nick Vass’ right foot strike found the top left corner of the goal, with the assistance of the keeper who could only parry the ball into his own net. 2 – 1 to Rovers. The game could have been over during the next 5 minutes but for further missed opportunities. Drew shot over from 8 metres , Elliot, who had replaced Steven just before half time, headed too high, as did Mitch and Matt V’s shot from inside the box again went over the bar. From here on, it was all one way traffic with Rovers pressing hard and having all the play. Every time the ball went into defence Chris S, Chris T and Daniel were quick to repel. Another good cross into the box allowed Alex to put away a clean header for goal number 3.
Good passing through midfield with Nik, Alex and Drew on top gave the forwards plenty of scope to put away more goals and soon Elliot got on the end of a cross from Nik D, and clinically volleyed home with his right foot for goal number 4. The good passing was a feature by Rovers and all players were on top and playing confidently with many more shots on goal. York replaced Chris as sweeper and then moved to right back when Chris S returned and provided some drive down the right, following on from Matt V’s continual work rate. His pass to Alex created the opportunity for goal number 5. Alex collected the pass ran at the Manningham defence and passed to Nick Vass who brilliantly finished for his second goal of the half.
Two more shots on goal were missed that really could have destroyed Manningham and put the teams on relative merit.
A solid team effort and momentum is building.
Keep up the good work boys there is still the top to aim for. We are good enough.
Self belief is a wonderful thing.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 5 : Manningham 1

ROVERS - keep up the good passing, just a bit more goal scoring will help!

Round 5 - U15 A Boys

2009-05-25T21:31:00.001+10:00

U15A North Caulfield vs Doncaster Rovers 24th May

McKinnon Reserve looked in great condition with an even grass cover and a few extras thrown in. These included a cricket pitch, no change rooms , no canteen but we did get the singing toilets! Chris forgot to bring the cricket gear, this really was not pucker for an Englishman.
We began with Luke in goal, Chris S was sweeping, Chris T and Daniel were playing as twin Central Defenders whilst Elliot and Matt V were playing as wide wing backs on the left and right respectively. Nik D was welcomed back into the side and played as a defensive Central Midfielder, flanked by Alex on the right and Drew on the left with Michael P and Mitch as twin strikers.
The game began with some enterprising play by both sides with good passing and attacks on goal. Rovers looked the better side but could not mount any strong attacks on goal for a while. NC had a sprinkling of good players but were more into “bomb and hope” style of play. They did receive a few soft free kicks for hands in the back, the boys really need to learn to “hold them with the hips” so they don’t back into them.
On one of the free kicks NC had a terrific shot on goal that was brilliantly held by Luke much to the dismay of the opposition coach who was claiming a goal before it got to the keeper. Nik D had a couple of shots on goal but the keeper cleaned up to keep the score sheet blank.
With about 5 minutes to go Drew received the ball in space near the centre and proceeded to dribble the ball past a couple of defenders then around the goalie for our first goal of the game. We were on the board and the game went up a gear as Rovers took control and really pushed NC into errors. In another good forward move Drew passed to Elliot who rushed forwards only to get his shirt pulled. Nik took the resulting free kick and buried the ball in the back of the net with a well taken kick from 20 metres out, which gave the keeper no chance. Boom, Boom!
Matt D came on and was soon under notice with a good run and shot at goal that cannoned against the corner of the frame.

Half-time score: North Caulfield 0 : Rovers 2

In the second half the boys kept having a go with some good passing at times that opened the play up for the forwards. Several times Matt D, Matt V, Mitch and Alex came close to scoring and were given no assistance by the Ref who turned his blind eye to obvious shirt pulling by NC. Incidentally, his blind eye was the one with the tape over it!
Steve came on and Dion to give a bit more drive down the wings with fresh legs after Elliot came off with a sore knee. We had our chances, particularly when Matt V beat his man and ran at the keeper but his shot lacked power and allowed the keeper an easy save.
Our defence was on top but we did manage to put ourselves under pressure mainly due to the lack of talking and general organization. All in all a good solid effort by the boys who are gaining in confidence and teaming better each game. Keep up the good work boys we can still make it to the top if we really want to.

Scores at full-time: North Caulfield 0 : Rovers 2

ROVERS - keep up the good passing, just a bit more talking LOUDLY will help!

Round 5 - U15 Girls

2009-05-25T21:29:00.000+10:00

It was great to see our girls capitalise on their chances today with a solid performance and a brilliant first half display of football which saw them 6-0 winners against South Melbourne. As we discussed in the past 2 weeks, life is about taking your chances and our girls were certainly more clinical today on the football pitch after a solid session at this weeks training where coach Lee worked on shooting and finishing techniques.

The first half display by all players was very impressive with some of the best football combinations and movements they have put together this year. They certainly exploited the oppositions weakness and finished strongly after some free flowing build ups and composed passing. The defence was solid, the midfield more creative and the forwards clinical in taking their opportunities. Natasha, Jordan and Adriana scored lovely goals and we went up a remarkable 6-0 at half time. Our coach Lee at half time challenged the girls in the second half to be focused on playing good football that maintained possession and focused more on passing than building the score board. They say in life "you should be careful what you wish for" as our girls certainly listened to their coaches advice and failed to add to the score in the second half but they did try a few different moves and some girls played out of their normal position. South Melbourne were certainly more focused and determined in the second half but our girls never gave them any chance or room to be a threat, in fact South Melbourne never looked like scoring. I believe the game could have gone all afternoon and our girls in defence would have kept the sheet clean.

Well done to all the girls today as they all contributed to the teams success.

Highlights from this weeks game:-
Natashia for scoring 3 great goals and adding composure to our forward line in the first half.
Jordan Moloney for scoring 2 goals and some good passing and thru balls to the forward line
Adriana for turning her defender and scoring a nice goal. Also for successfully utilising a spin movement we worked on at training on Thursday night.
Liz, Ellen, Narin, Christina, Carmen, Cristina and Holly for a solid defensive effort
Jordy for some composed passing in the first half to help set up some goals.
Kelsey for playing out of position and never giving in.
Happy Birthday and well played to Izabella
Narin for taking over the captains role from an injured Rachel

See you all at training on Tuesday 7pm at Donvale Reserve.

Round 4 - U13 A Boys

2009-05-21T20:49:00.000+10:00

Riversdale 1 - 3 Doncaster Rovers

After coming off a week with a healthy win but the standard of the sides’ football was debatable, the whole group were eager to make amends. The boys were aware they would be up for a tough game given they would be meeting the second placed team and yet to lose a game, Riversdale.

With the side settling early and imposing their presence from the outset, they were rewarded at the 5 minute mark of the first half when a cross from the left by Cameron found Ben running into the 18 yard box where he controlled a difficult bobbling chest high ball and calmly slotted the ball away.

The early goal appeared to provide the boys with that little extra confidence and the return of a team orientated passing game was great to see. The sides’ domination for the next few minutes brought about by the hard work of chasing, closing down and tackling was bringing errors from the Riversdale side.

The sides second goal was a wonderful effort when the ball was gathered by Cameron on the left approximately 25 yards out and with a clear view of the goal let fly with a powerful shot which gave the keeper no chance.

The second half saw a different Riversdale side come out and for the first 11 minutes the game appeared to be turning in their favour. This was until a great effort by James to keep the ball alive inside the 18 yard area found Cam who instinctively with his back to the goal turned and hit a hard low ball which beat the keeper at the near post.

Doncaster’s third goal then sparked Riversdale further into action with the run of play being dominated at most times by them. Riversdale’s continual push into our defensive half eventually brought about a goal for them, but only just. A last minute lunge by Michael almost had the ball cleared of the line but his limited reach could only force the ball into the inner side netting.

A very disciplined effort by all and a great result for the team. Especially pleasing to see the return of the game style everyone knew the boys were capable of.

Cheers Jack

Round 4 - U11 A Boys

2009-05-21T08:16:00.001+10:00

Round 4: Riversdale 0 - Doncaster Rovers 7

"Doncaster Rovers Victorious at Battle of Frog Hollow"

Amongst the beautiful surrounds of Camberwell, there was a buzz as the Rovers warmed up on the lush green corners of Frog Hollow Reserve. Heartened from their close win against South Melbourne, the boys began on a bright note and took the game to Riversdale. The interplay between the back line and midfield was particularly sharp and it wasn't long before another incisive foray from Jack S. on the right wing cut through the Riversdale defence, the ensuing cross resulting in a neat finish and goal from Stefan.
The next ten minutes saw an onslaught from Rovers with Stefan shaking the woodwork and several shots on target by Alexander and Jack S.. An expertly taken free kick from Stefan in the 15th minute saw the Rovers capitalize on possession with a second goal. The impressive defensive display by Christian, Benny and James S. ensured a relatively quiet first half for Dion and allowed Rovers to continue applying pressure. Lovely combinations of passes in the midfield and confident finishes set up 3 more goals for James M., Jonathan and Nick before the young referee put lips to whistle to signal the half.
With a well deserved 5-0 score line, the Coach demanded for composure and to continue the elegant football that the boys displayed in the first 25 mins.
The second half saw Riversdale apply more pressure on the ball and a tighter game resulted. However, following advantage given for what surely was a penalty for Rovers, Alexander found the inside right post for Rovers' sixth goal. The game then opened up further with flowing runs from end to end and Spiros and Jack T creating more opportunities. Rovers' attacking gusto was somewhat tempered by the Offside rule with many of our enthousiastic goal-seeking players caught out on several occasions. At the other end, our defence was tested with Dion having to make a few saves from shots across goal, however Christian, Michael and James S.'s tireless efforts on the wings and Benny's distribution from the back line allowed for James M, Jonathan and Nick to combine for Rovers' seventh and last goal.
A beautiful display of football from the boys reminiscent of their emphatic win at Ringwood City 2 weeks ago. If the boys can sustain this type of football week in week out, they will certainly be the team to set the tone for the league.

Goals: Stefan Cicmil (3'); Stefan Cicmil (15'); James Megas (16'); Jonathan Stiliadis (19'); Nick Thyssen (25'); Alexander Humbert (30'); Nick Thyssen
(43')
Team list: Dion, James S., Ben, Christian, Jack S., Jack T., Stefan, James M., Alexander, Jonathan, Nick, Spiros, Michael.

Round 4 - U13 B Boys

2009-05-19T22:14:00.004+10:00

Doncaster 1 - Boroondara 0

An exciting game with a few touch-ups which our boys were up to whilst still playing with good spirit. We were unlucky not to come away with a bigger score line. Great effort from the whole team.

Goal scorer was Steven Sercia which was rewarding for his numerous forays.

Liam gets a special mention for great positioning and was unlucky not to score also.

Comments from the coach:

Totally agree with Clives comments on the game, it was once again just dominated by our boys.
Steven Sercia (alias-little man BIG HEART), Liam Cooper Smith (alias-The Quiet Sniper), Nick Kasapidis (alias-Mr COOL) were on fire up the forward line, but were so unlucky not to put them away.
What can I say about Todd McCarthy, he was punched and kicked behind play so many times but yet kept his cool and played like a champion sticken-it right up the opposition.
The back line was once again indestructable Steven Burton(alias Captain-Courageous), Chris Dama (alias The ROCK) Branford Seeto(alias TBA??? stay tuned), Christian Granville-Smith (alias Steam-Train) all tuff and loyal to each other as is the rest of the TEAM.
One other player that stepped up in a BIG way was Derek Bucoy, after a heart to heart we had before he went on.
He did everything that was asked of him, he was fearless, determined and chased hard in the middfield he is now (alias The KID) ask your dad who the kid is.
As for the rest of the team you were all brilliant - outstanding and don't be disheartend, be assured you will be christened by the end of the season with an alias.
You guy's deserve to be CHAMPIONS you all carry yourselves so professionally on the field as a TEAM keep going boy's and ENJOY the game.

(FROM YOUR NUMBER 1 SUPPORTER) bye for now and good luck.

Gonna miss watching you play

Round 4 - U15 Girls

2009-05-17T23:13:00.002+10:00

Our players put on another great display today at Anderson Park but unfortunately went down 1-0 to Berwick City. Our commitment, tackling and passing was again a highlight and the girls certainly deserved more from the game than the result shows.

Berwick had a very talented forward line but our defence was superb except for a very unfortunate soft goal. Thanks to Rachel who agreed to play a central defender role which is not her natural or preferred position but she did a great job in strengthening and adding pace to our defence. We went down 1-0 after about 15 minutes and despite having many chances to score for the remainder of the match we missed some clear chances including one on one opportunities against the goal keeper. We are creating great opportunities but need to convert these to goals! This is something we will need to work on and I am sure as the season goes on the girls will rectify this and become a formidable team that takes its chances. We also need to work on our throws from the sideline as foul throws resulted in more than 8 turnovers in the match which is unacceptable and shows a lack of concentration under pressure, especially given all the girls have the know how and have practiced this often at training.

Highlights from this weeks game:-
The defence made up of various players throughout the match was brilliant. Well done Liz, Rachel Narin, Ellen, Katherine, Christina, Adriana and Holly
Well done to the Jernigan twins for their confidence, commitment and contribution when given their chance on the pitch.
Great running and fighting spirit of all the girls who never gave up.
I will talk to Lee this week about working at training on our shooting and goal finishing...if we can get this right we will start to move up the ladder and challenge the top teams

See you all at training on Tuesday 7pm at Donvale Reserve.

Round 4 - U15 A Boys

2009-05-17T23:10:00.001+10:00

U15A Whitehorse vs Doncaster Rovers 17th May

Terrara Park looked in good condition with little wind and overcast conditions. It was time to match it against one of the top teams that had scored 14 goals in the first three games. In an unusual pre-game report it appeared as if the ref in his Sunday casuals was “booked” by the ref from the other game for not being correctly attired. Is this the first “white card” we have seen?
The game started out with both sides passing the ball around, however it looked like Rovers had better intensity at the ball and were passing with more accuracy. Soon the Whitehorse defenders were under pressure with several forward moves going unrewarded, with shots by Elliot, Drew and Michael P. Down back Luke was steady in goal, Chris T & Daniel were defending stoutly, Mitch was playing in an unfamiliar role at right back and Elliot on the left, whilst Chris S was sweeping and providing excellent cover for his defence. In midfield, Alex, Drew and Matt V were more than holding their own winning many one on one’s and setting up some good forward thrusts. Up forward Nick V and Michael were getting into the play with some good forward moves with many shots on goal, although they lacked power.

It looked like the usual Rovers game was coming unstuck in front of goal with most of the play, but no reward. With a couple of minutes to go another good forward thrust by Alex and a fumble by their goalie allowed Michael P to pounce on the lose ball for a tap in from 1 metre. This was a well deserved goal and it looked like Rovers would be up at half-time. However a soft free to Whitehorse just over the half way line, and a lack of concentration resulted in a long free kick which deceived Luke and found the top corner of the net for the equalizer. This took a bit of steam out of Rovers at half-time.

Half-time score: Whitehorse 1 : Rovers 1

The second half started out with Rovers again on top in most positions and putting pressure on the Whitehorse backs. Being second to the contest did not help Whitehorse and they soon earned the displeasure of the Ref with a red card for bad language. Rovers kept on attacking and shots went wide or high, letting Whitehorse off the hook. York on for Matt D and Steve was on for Mitch. Steve was providing plenty of contest and a lot of drive down the right side. Alex and Drew were controlling midfield and the defenders were on top mopping up any forward moves by Whitehorse without too much fuss. Rovers had a couple of free kicks but the balls went wide or high. Finally, Alex got around a couple of defenders in the corner to pass to Matt V right in front, bang a goal and we looked home.
Unfortunately Whitehorse got the ball forward to a Rovers three on one but we gave away a free kick for falling over and again No 3 for Whitehorse put away a goal that should not have happened. Poor positioning of the wall resulted in a free kick which found the bottom left hand corner.
Again we had squandered our chances and conceded two silly goals which cost us the three points.
Whitehorse were penalized for a couple of late and crude tackles, the complaining went on and on which resulted in another Red card. They were down to 9 men and with the extra pressure Rovers attacks mounted. Whitehorse kept complaining to no avail, Rovers mounted another attack but the Ref’s whistle beat them. It was easily the best display of the year by the boys and shows what we can do if we “have a crack.”
Scores at full-time: Whitehorse 2 : Rovers 2

ROVERS - keep up the good team play, the goals will surely come!

Round 3 - U13 A Boys

2009-05-12T21:47:00.000+10:00

U13 A Doncaster Rovers 5 - Glen Waverley 0

After the bitter dissapointment of the result from the week before, the boys got off to a flying start when with the game only 30 seconds old Damien played a lovely through ball for Harry to run onto, who neatly tucked it away. 1 - 0.

After contunually pressing forward and missing numerous chances the second goal came six and half minutes after the first, when Christopher crossed the ball to find Cam who clinically finished with a header. 2- 0.

Glen Waverley were feeling the strain with the repeated forward attacks and at the eight and half minute mark a cross from Josh was met with a superb header from Ben who made it 3 - 0.

In the next 10 minutes the wheels fell off Doncaster's game. All the disciplined things were forgotten, teamwork was lost and the structure of the team collapsed. The passing and possession game for which Doncaster players worked so hard over the summer to put together, went out the window. It was therefore no surprise that the next goal on the 18 and half minute mark came by way of an individual effort when a Glen Waverley goal kick found Chris. What occurred next caught not only the Glen waverley players off guard but all who were watching, when Chris on the volley hit the ball straight back into the net for an astounding goal. 4 - 0.

The last six and half minutes of the first half were played out in a lack lustre manner.

Doncaster came out in the second half hoping to improve the standard of their play from the first half but dissapointingly it wasn't to be. For the next sixteen minutes most passages of play were scrappy with only glimpses of what Doncaster are capable of shining through on occassions. One such effort started on the left side when the ball was worked from Doncaster's backline into their attacking half where an interchange of passess between Miles and James worked the ball forwards with the last pass from Miles putting James through, who slotted the ball low into the bottom of the net for a 5 -0 scoreline.

The next highlight didn't arrive for another five minutes and when it did, Doncaster unfortunately weren't rewarded for it. Cam broke down the left hand side and after working his way deep into the attacking half sent a beautifully directed cross into the box with his left foot where James leapt high to powerfully head downwards sending the ball into the net but only to be called offside.

At the whistle all that could be said is; Doncaster may have got the result but their play lacked the usual team cohesion.

Cheers Jack.

Round 3 - U11 A Boys

2009-05-12T21:13:00.000+10:00

"Thrilling finish at Anderson Park see Doncaster Rovers through"
Doncaster Rovers 2- South Melbourne 1

Another sunny day welcomed our team as they prepared for their toughest challenge yet, South Melbourne at Anderson Park. Despite a growing list of injuries, it was a confident start for the U11As, with promising play by our midfield Jack S., Jonathan, Stefan and James M. ultimately leading to a move forward in the 11th minute that Alexander neatly slotted past the keeper for the first goal. James S., Christian and Nick were holding stalwart in the back, and despite three or four clear chances for Doncaster, the score line remained unchanged by the half time. The second half however saw our boys let South Melbourne back into the game. The opposition was determined to get to the ball first and they mounted increasingly dangerous attacks.
Spiros, Tilghman helped support the team and tough spirited play by our backline Ben, Christian, Jack T., and a spectacular display by Dion in the goal square managed to keep South Melbourne in check. However it was only a matter of time until South Melbourne finally broke through with the equalizer 5 minutes from the end. In a nail biting finish with the ball moving up and down the pitch frenetically, Stefan broke away on the right wing past 2 defenders, and with a deft dummy, scored the winning goal in the very last minute. Doncaster 2- South Melbourne 1. A gritty tough game lacking some of the finesse we are growing accustomed to see from our boys, but they stuck to it and ground out an important result.

Best on ground: Ben Papas
Goals: Alexander Humbert (11'); Stefan Cicmil (49') Team list: Dion, James S., Ben, Christian, Jack S., Jack T., Nick, Stefan, James M., Alexander, Jonathan, Spiros, Tilghman.

Round 3 - U13 B Boys

2009-05-11T21:50:00.004+10:00

Rovers 6 defeated Whitehorse 0

Comments from the coach

On today’s game, I was pleased with today’s performance the boys passed and moved the ball well and scored some very good goals. The boys took on board what we said at half time and showed exactly what we have been working on in training and applied it to the game. Overall it was a good team performance and I’m sure if the boys keep working hard we will get better each week.

Belated comments from the coach for last week’s game

I was really happy with the way the boys tried to pass and move the ball around the field especially in the first 20 minutes it was great to watch. We created a lot of chances which we didn't convert and on another day we could have scored 5 or 6, however with only having one sub some boys got tired and this probably effected the score line. The boys are playing the way we want them to and with each game they will improve and become a very good team.

Round 3 - U15 A Boys

2009-05-11T21:34:00.001+10:00

U15A Doncaster Rovers vs Glen Waverley 10th May

Mothers Day could not have been better with a sunny afternoon and not too much wind, just a breeze really. It was our turn to play on the “top” pitch at Anderson Park, which was in good condition, allowing for a free flowing game at both ends of the ground. It was nice to have a real coffee and a choice of hot snacks before the game as well.

Glen Waverley had come to play with some good aggressive attacks on the ball and long through balls that the backs with Luke in goal, Chris T, Daniel and Elliot, and York sweeping were able to neutralize. Some of the passing from the Rovers boys was average with many turnovers throughout the first half. The play was a bit congested with the wings coming in on the centres, this allowed GW to block up any attacks easily and put pressure on the ball carrier. In the midfield Chris S, Alex, Drew, and Steve were getting plenty of play but their passes were going to the sidelines as this was where the space was. Really the forwards should have been out wider, creating more space in the central corridor where Matt V and Matt D would have room to move.
Several good attacks gave Rovers a chance with 4 corners in the half but none of the kicks in really troubled their keeper, only Chris’s shot and another from Drew gave the keeper any concerns.

Half-time score: Rovers 0 : Glen Waverley 0

In the second half Rovers had a lot of the play but now were hanging onto the ball for too long and allowing GW to come up and pressure them into silly mistakes. Michael Pal came on for Steve who was injured and started to put more pressure on the backs. Michael put in a great cross to Mitch but the shot was overcooked and went high. Mitch soon had another chance at goal but again went high. Dion and Nick V came on and had some chances but could not convert, it was just one of those days. Chris had the best shot at goal when he ran through the middle of the ground and hammered a ball that just swung wide of the upright, the keeper had no hope to stop it. Nick V had a shot and Dion had a shot but again nothing. Late in the game a terrific cross came in but the forwards stepped over the ball when all it needed was a tap in. It was very frustrating on the boundary as all our opportunities were just squandered time and time again. The boys just seem to put pressure on themselves by not taking opportunities when they come around.
GW even had a couple of late chances but good work in the goal by Luke kept them at bay.

Next week will be a real test of how we can play under more pressure, hopefully the teamwork can improve with a bit more talking and commitment at the ball and passes at the feet.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 0 : Glen Waverley 0

ROVERS - keep trying, the goals will surely come!

Round 3 - U15 Girls

2009-05-11T07:02:00.000+10:00

As expected the girls game today was a tough and hard fought encounter that unfortunately saw our girls go down 4-3 away to Kensington. It was a very entertaining game in which both sides played fast flowing attacking football. Our girls were fantastic and if you got points for being the more dominant side that played much better football then we certainly would have won but as we know its the score board that counts and Kensington certainly made the most of their chances with a very skillful and fast striker who scored a hat trick.

Despite discussion at our pre - game team briefing about being focused and not conceding an early goal we went down a goal within the first 15 seconds without our girls even touching the ball .. I do believe Lee has training drills to prevent this from happening again so girls bring your running shoes at Tuesday nights session. As we pushed forward to recover the situation we found ourselves 2 goals down as the same Kensington striker pounced on a counter attack and slotted the ball home with sharp precision giving our goalkeeper no chance of even contemplating a save. We went into half time 2-0 down despite playing some great football and doing most of the attacking. We were moving the ball around beautifully but our failure to finish and have composure inside the penalty area was costing us dearly.

We came out fighting in the second half and I must say the determination and fighting quality of the girls to contest and win the ball won the admiration of all the parents. Persistence paid off and about 15 minutes in Rovers finally scored after an absolutely blistering solo run by Kelsey who nicely slotted the ball home and yes the girls were back in the game. The girls continued to push for the equalizer and were on fire coming close to scoring several times but as often happens in football a quick counter attack caught us off guard and we were 3-1 down and stunned. We fought back and Jordy bounced on a chance and slammed the ball home but yet again Kensington scored when we failed to clear the ball in defence despite easily getting there first...we did not follow our golden rule of defence...if in doubt put it out! We continued to push forward coming close several times and missed clear chances from some lovely floated corners from Natasha. After some brilliant passing moves we scored again late in the game with Natasha drilling home a well placed shot from the edge of the area. We continued to push forward as Kensington hung on but unfortunately the clock beat the girls but they could be very proud of their effort as everyone had given their all... a great display for their mums on mother day.

A couple of special mentions:-
Natasha from U16 Girls team for a great game and for supporting us as several of our girls were unavailable or injured
Holly for a great game in goal and for making several fantastic saves when Kensington only had the goal keeper to beat.. getting off your line and attacking the ball well Holly
All the girls were determined in their fighting qualities, especially Ellen, Jordan, Kelsy, Carmen and Catherine who never gave up running or tackling. Some of the girls showed real courage taking very heavy knocks and bruises.
Izabella & Jordy for some great passing in midfield... great composure on the ball combined with good vision
Trevor (Jordan's dad) for his first time as our Linesman, bit different to AFL but no worries...
Lets make sure we get Kensington sorted at home later in the year.

Glad to hand the reigns back to Lee, see you all at Training 7pm Tuesday night.

Regards,
Andrew

Round 2 - U11 B Boys

2009-05-06T07:21:00.001+10:00

Match Report Doncaster Rovers U11B v F.C. Bulleen. Sunday 3rd May.
The day was bright and sunny with a little cool edge that was just perfect for football. The venue had been changed to the synthetic pitch at the Darebin Sports Centre so it was a great surface to play on. The game was expected to be tight as F.C Bulleen always field a capable side regardless of age and we were not wrong.
From the start it was pressure from Bulleen who seemed the first to the ball and strong. Our defence were having to work hard with several attacks stopped by timely tackles from Matty Holmes and Jack but they kept coming.
The first real Doncaster attack was around 8 minutes in when Anthony Stefanos passed through to Christian only for the Ref to blow for offside. For the next 6 minutes it was end to end play with Doncaster finally waking up and were giving as good as they were getting.
On 14 minutes we had our first real chance when Christian finally broke passed his defender and crossed; Bulleen cleared out to Matty H whose long high ball into the box was cleared to James. He passed to the left to Anthony S who shot just the wrong side of the left upright. Oooh close.
Bulleen responded with a jinking run from their number 11 closed down by a great tackle from Matty H. Jason Lo got in the act with some good combination work with Aaron and James which resulted in few corners. These were smashed into the box by Matty Vernes trusty right foot but still we couldn’t break the deadlock.
Just before half time James received the ball from a throw in close to the box, turned and his snap shot was saved by the keeper. In training that would be five push ups!
Half time 0 – 0
From the start of the second half Bulleen were quickest again. A break through the centre was ominous but was well defended only to see more pressure over the next few minutes down both flanks.
On 7 minutes one attack saw their number 13 hit a high ball into the goal area and our coach Andy say to me that’s a goal. If we didn’t have tall goalie Kirk in place that may have been right but he stretched high and batted the ball off his goal line then had the presence of mind to follow up and hit the ball away before the Bullen striker could pounce. Great save Kirk!
The next 5 minutes was almost a mirror of the first with all of the boys helping out in midfield and the beleaguered defence. Stefano, Jonathon M and N and Lachlan tackled hard and on 13 minutes the ball went through centre to the right wing with Christian who struck a shot past one defender and through the legs of another which the unsighted keeper had no chance to stop.
1-0
This gave the boys the boost they needed and we had several attacks down both wings with Anthony D showing flashes of strength and speed only to be thwarted by sheer defensive numbers.
On 16 minutes Mathew V punched another corner across and James only had to tap in but somehow managed to push it wide.
Bulleen were not out of it and they pressured hard in the last few minutes with a shot landing on top of the net and a clearance off the line by Aaron which saved the day for Doncaster.
The whistle blew to end the game and Doncaster deserved a well fought victory.
Well done to all of the team, great passing, solid defence from Matty H, Lachlan, James N and the sweeper Jack and great running in midfield and attack.
The coach was pleased with the way the guys supported each other and played to his game plan. Bring on Glen Eira!

Round 2 - U13 C Boys

2009-05-05T22:03:00.001+10:00

Boys U13C win 2-1 vs Croydon

Well the Under 13C’s did it again – we won 6-0 at home last week, and won 2-1 this week away to Croydon City Arrows. And we remain top of the ladder!

In many ways this week’s win was more impressive and more pleasing than last week’s 6-0, as we had to fight to come back – and that’s exactly what these boys did!

We started well, with some great passing and team play. With sustained team pressure, and camping in the Croydon half, Alex Overmars scored for the boys in the first half. In hot sunny conditions the boys were glad when half time drinks came and we were ahead. We should have been 3 goals up, but the Croydon goalkeeper had a great game and kept a lot of our shots out.

Croydon stepped it up a bit in the second half, and got an equalizer (damn pomme coach!). Our boys heads went down initially after that, but with some “encouragement” from the sidelines, and a great save by Simeon Aloneftis in goals which kept us in the game at one point – we then stepped it back up again and pushed forward and had Croydon defending like crazy.

After sustained pressure, the ball finally broke free in Croydon’s penalty box, and Sean Wales stepped forward to convert for the Under 13Cs. Now we were back in the lead at 2-1 ahead! The victory lap after the goal was the fastest some of the boys had run all game!

With the coaches blood pressure finally restored, the whistle at the end was a great feeling for the boys (and me!) – high fives and the victory song “huddle” resulted. Fans were cheering in the terracing!

Special mention also goes to Alex Overmars who clashed heads with Sam Bertuna and had to come off with a blood nose – shows the determination of these 2 great little players as they tried to get the ball in the net yet again.

Good goalkeeping, great defence, tireless midfield, and attacking forward play. We’re not getting complacent as I won’t allow that to happen, but if you want some entertainment, come and see the Under 13 C’s next week at Anderson Park at 11:20 am when we take on Glen Waverley.

Mike McKinstry, U13C Coach

Round 2 - U11 A Boys

2009-05-05T22:00:00.002+10:00

The Under 11A’s have started the season well with two (2) victories under their belt. The first round saw the U11A’s win against Nunawading 4-2 at home and this week the boy’s capitalised on their hard pre-season training with Peter Haloulos the U11A’s coach.
This week’s game started on a very brisk morning against Ringwood City but it did not take long for our boy’s to warm up and settle in to a rhythm with a magnificent strike from Jonathon Stiliadis in the 6th minute of the first half to put Rovers ahead.
All the boy’s concentrate well and we saw another three (3) goals by half time with goals from Stefan Cicmil, Nikolas Thyssen and another by Jonathon Stiliadis. The first half was being controlled on the right wing were Jack Samman was in control.
The second half was better than the first with Jack Samman taking full advantage and control of the game on the right. The Rovers then realising the right wing was the path to success they exploited it and started piling on the goals with Jonathon Stiliadis scoring another two (2) goals to complete his hat trick plus one for good measure. Alex Humbert also scoring a hat trick in the second half with Stefan Cicmil adding to his tally from the first half with one more, and not forgetting a great strike from James Megas for his goal.
The final score Doncaster Rovers 11 – Ringwood City 1 with Jack Samman being awarded “MAN of the MATCH”

Round 2 - U13 A Boys

2009-05-05T21:59:00.000+10:00

What difference a week makes! Coming off of the high of completely out-playing Richmond, the 13A's travelled to league new boy's, Melbourne Phoenix, for a top of the table clash at Parkville.
The match began with Doncaster taking the upper-hand and playing solid, attractive football. For the first 20 minutes, Melbourne were pinned in their half, with Rovers creating a number of good chances and half a dozen corners, but failed to score. Melbourne then scored with a break-away goal against the run of play.
The second half saw both teams battling for dominance, with Melbourne resorting to some gamesmanship with shirt-pulling, fouling, etc, unfortunately the very inexperienced Referee struggled to keep command of the game and the match deteriated, with Melbourne shouting the loudest and getting the decisions. Julian broke through, competed fairly for the ball and slotted it away only to be pulled back for a foul. Then, at the other end, a swan dive from a Melbourne forward was rewarded with a penalty. A good game ruined by the man in black! On a positive note, the whole team made a terrific effort to compete and play good football, with Ben and Chris outstanding at the back and Ash making some brave saves at their forwards feet. We look forward to welcoming Melbourne back to Anderson Park later in the season. That will be a cracker!

Cheers Trev.

Round 2 - U15 Girls

2009-05-03T22:28:00.001+10:00

What a difference a week makes, the weather today, unlike last week, was superb for football...as were our players as they put on another solid display at home against the Brunswick Zebras. The girls had a resounding 3-1 victory creating many chances and dominating the possession for most of the match.

The girls in defence played well enabling the midfield to dominate proceedings with nice free flowing passing and attacking in the first half. Doncaster Rovers went in 1-0 at half time thanks to a nice finish by Rachel who carefully squeezed her shot between the goal keeper and the post. After some good words of wisdom from Coach Lee the girls came out stronger in the second half and were very quickly up 2-0 after another great run and finish by Rachel. The best was yet to come as our defender Liz drove home a great and exciting third goal. We did concede a late soft goal and missed lots of chances to go further ahead with our shooting, composure on the ball and our ability to kick with both feet letting us down at times. Something for the girls to sort on the training track I am sure...

A couple of other highlights from today were:-
Both Jordan Moloney and Sarah Jane Jernigan played their first game with the team. Their work ethic was fantastic, great game and well done to both girls
Holly for her improved goal kicking, I think she nearly made the half way mark on one kick - Well done Holly, I know you have been practicing this and the hard work is paying off.

Coaches match review - Lee thought all girls played well but gave special mentions to Liz, Narin and Rachel for their exceptional performances today
Courage, hard running and tackling by all the girls and for playing the game with good conduct and spirit
Thanks to Alice, Carmen and Jordy for going on the bench for the U16A girls team after our game. The girls all got a run at various times in the second half playing well and with confidence as they supported the U16 girls to a 8-0 win against the Casey Comets.

Congratulations to the girls and their coach Lee for another great performance, they are now second on the Ladder but it is early in the season and next week we have a tough game away to Kensington, a team the girls were defeated by twice last year.

See you all on the training pitch this week.

Regards,
Andrew

Round 1 - U13 A Boys

2009-04-27T19:14:00.000+10:00

Doncaster 4-0 Richmond

Sunday's season-opener against a spirited Richmond started as frenetic affair, as both teams tried to impose their strengths against each other. Doncaster settled first and started to knock the ball around and after 10 minutes a cross-field ball from Ben was controlled by Cameron, who took a step forward and unleashed a superb drive from 25 yards, into the the roof of the net. Doncaster continued to apply pressure and following a sweet turn and cross by Nadeem, Cameron was on hand to tap in a second.
As the first half was coming to an end, another cross was knocked in, but Richmond could only clear to the edge of the penalty area, where Damien was waiting to hit a left footed shot passed the Richmond keeper.
The second half started with Richmond showing more vigour and after 7 minutes were rewarded with a penalty. As the kick was taken, Ash in goal made a great save, and held onto the ball. Doncaster then picked up the pace and started playing some very nice football. Getting back on top, a number of good chances were created with James and Julian both coming close, until a run from Damien from just inside Richmonds half saw their defence part like the Red Sea, then from the edge of the area, slotted the ball into the top right-hand corner.
The whole team played extremely well, competing for every ball and playing some nice two-touch manouvers. The back four looked very solid, the midfield battled all game and the forwards ran tirelessy, creating openings that were exploited to good effect. Well done boys !

Round 1 - U15 Girls

2009-04-27T19:10:00.003+10:00

Congratulations to Lee and the girls today in a hard fought and well earned 2 goals to 1 win against Peninsular Strikers at Frankston in, what I would have to say, were the worst football conditions I have seen for quite some time...gale force winds, bitterly cold and wet. If the parents thought it was cold in the stands under cover by the club rooms spare a thought for the girls out on the park who were expected to play football in these unbelievable conditions. The opposition however were not aware that we had a wee man from Scotland in charge who thought the weather resembled a mid summer day back home as he guided the girls to their first win of the season.

The girls fought and ran hard and it was great to see their determination to be first to the ball or lay in some solid tackles. With the wind behind us Adrianna and Carmen calmly took their chances after some nice team work to give us a 2-0 nil lead at half time. The second half was all about defending the lead as Peninsular Strikers and a gale force wind persistently tested the girls. Whilst the Strikers got a goal back the Rovers were also unlucky not to score as we had a couple of close chances. It was unreal to watch the girls attempt to take goal kicks as the wind blew what should of been a stationery ball back towards them. When the final whistle blew the girls were very happy to take a 2 -1 win and to get shelter from that wind!

Training is on again at Donvale reserve this Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm.

I will send the seasons fixture and a roster of game duties for parents later this week. Thanks to Jim (Ellens dad) for bravely accepting the linesman duties today.

Next Sunday we play at home against Brunswick Zebras at 1.45pm.

Catch you all at training during the week.

2009 Rego Day & AGM

2008-12-02T20:37:00.003+11:00

Sunday 7th December

2009 Registrations 10am-11.45am

Annual General Meeting from 12 noon

Anderson Park clubrooms
117 Anderson Creek Road
East Doncaster

Under 14 Girls

2008-09-02T13:03:00.001+10:00

Under 14 C North West Girls

The scheduled match v Bulleen will go ahaed tonight at Veneto Social Club at 6.30PM

Round 18 - U14A Boys - Match Report

2008-09-01T18:09:00.000+10:00

U14A Knox vs Doncaster Rovers 31st August

Proudly sponsored by Wet Water Pools

We were all looking forward to the last round of the year, it was a pity it had to be against Knox, the standout team of the season and they were out for revenge after Rovers held them to a draw in our previous encounter. The day was sunny but a strong wind was blowing down the ground making it easier to attack the south end.

Rovers were short of players with Chris away, Drew & Nick Vass injured and Jansen off the radar. To make up the numbers James from the B team filled in and did a terrific job.
Rovers started out into the wind but Knox had most of the play with good ball control and passing into space all over the park. Even so Rovers did their best and the defence were holding out well with Luke a shining light all day. Niki, Joel, Elliot and Matt played a tight defensive unit with Michael Pic shoring up any breaches in the defence. Knox had a couple of long range shots that Luke took cleanly and booted the ball well into attack. In the centre Alex showed good ball control and was backed up by Phil and Dion to make the odd forward move to Michael Pal and Steve who really had their work cut out against a big, fast and well drilled defence.
In a five minute period Knox banged in two very good goals that were hard to stop. For the rest of the half Rovers had enough of the general play but did not really press the keeper.

Half – time: Knox 2 : Doncaster Rovers 0

After the break Rovers came out and to their credit were still determined to play the game out and contest every issue. Even though Knox had the strong wind Rovers put their opponents under pressure and had a couple of chances with some good runs by Alex making the Knox defence look a bit shaky. All the boys were putting in and they received several free’s for their efforts. Niki had a free about 20 metres out and almost buried the goal of the year with a terrific hard kick that just caught the cross bar.

Another feature of the half was a number of fantastic saves pulled off by Luke who even had the opposition applauding. Knox had at least 6 good shots on goal that were saved but we still allowed a couple of “soft” goals in for the half. Still the game was played at a very good standard and was a pleasure to watch as both teams really tried hard to create play and use the ball well. It was a pity some of the Knox supporters did not share the sense of sportsmanship the Rovers crew have come to enjoy. It might not be so enjoyable in Super League for Knox if they cannot take the occasional loss. All the boys finished the game off giving it their best shot and that is all as parents we can ask. Well played boys, even a loss can be honourable.

Scores at full-time: Knox 4 : Doncaster Rovers 0

GO ROVERS! .......... Look forward to an even better year next season and congratulate yourselves on a great leap forwards this season.

Round 18 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-08-31T23:09:00.000+10:00

Proudly sponsored by
ATOMICA COFFEE

Beaumaris pull a fast one!

Saturday 30 August (away)
v. Beaumaris.

The squad on duty:- Kirk, Jonathon M, Jonathan S, Jeremy, Anton, Jason, James, Yanni, Jacob, Alex, Matthew, Lachie, Ari, Jonathon N and Josh.
Having received a phone call during the week asking us to play a different Beaumaris team from the one we beat 8 – 0 earlier in the season, which we agreed, we arrived to find that obviously they feed them on spinach down there near the beach!
We were met by rather a different proposition in the fact that nearly all their team looked like they had started shaving!
Undaunted by this, we kicked in to the wind in the first half, but despite having a couple of chances and defending resolutely, we entered the break 4 – 0 down.
We were not going to lie down.
Despite soon conceding another, to all the boys’ credit, we responded with terrific determination. Our 3 leading marksmen all got on the scoresheet, Alex, Josh and Yanni all finding the net. Despite several other close misses, we finished losing 5 – 3, but with our heads held up high.
Congratulations to all the squad on a fantastic season, and have a great break over the summer.
Thanks to everyone for their support over the season, Jim for being team manager and refereeing, Patrick for helping with training, Toli and Vicky for the shirt sponsorship, Patrick and Soula for the training jacket sponsorship, and Greg for his camera work over the season.

No training this week, you all deserve a few months off

Season:- P 17 W14 D1 L2 Gls For 81 Gls Ag 19.

C’mon the Y1s

Round 17 - U14A Boys - Match Report

2008-08-26T21:20:00.000+10:00

Doncaster Rovers vs Glen Waverley 24th August

Proudly sponsored by Wet Water Pools

On an overcast but fine day it was a pleasant change to watch the game in relative comfort without the biting wind of recent weeks. Rovers started without Alex and Steve so only had one lad on the pine. Rovers started the game with most of the play as the defence were on top where Luke, Matt, Nik, Michael Pic and Joel were on top. Across the centres Chris, Phil, Dion and Drew were putting in passes to Nick Vass and Michael Pal who were attacking the goals. GW were able to resist for the first 15 minutes but most of their play was wild kicks out of defence to anywhere allowing the ball to come back every time.
After several good build ups by Rovers that were saved by the keeper, finally the boys ran forwards with Drew passing to Dion who tapped across to Michael Pal for a quick strike into the back of the net. The ball remained in the GW half as several corners were taken by Chris and then Elliot who substituted Chris. On one corner Nik put in a good header but it went straight to the keeper. The passing to the feet was a feature of Rovers play as they had possession for most of the half, with several good passages of play and were in complete control of the game. After several through balls Drew was able to run past his opponent and at the keeper, his shot from the box was deflected by the keeper straight to Michael Pal who again slotted the goal from 3 metres out.

Half – time: Rovers 2 : Glen Waverley 0

Rovers kept on where they left off with good runs down the right by Matt who combined with Drew and down the left where Chris was unpassable and Elliot also had several good runs. On one run the ball was taken in by Elliot and Chris finished off the scrambled play in the box with a goal, only to be disallowed by the Ref. The Ref said later he should have allowed it! At least he was good enough to admit his mistake.
Shortly after Elliot made one of his “trademark” runs down the left wing past several GW players to beat the keeper for a good goal. All the team was well on top and contributing to great teamwork all over the ground. Obviously the defence had it too easy as several of them buttered up to play in the next game U15A against Richmond, where Luke was B.O.G.!! But I digress, because this report is about the U14A’s.
Several more chances went begging due to off-side and a couple of shots that went to the keeper. However for the most part the game was good to watch as the skill level of all the boys has definitely picked up since the start of the season. We now look forward to a good display against Knox to finish off the season.

Full-time: Rovers 3 : Glen Waverley 0

GO ROVERS !

Round 17 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-08-24T22:06:00.001+10:00

Proudly sponsored by ATOMICA COFFEE

Season nears the end.

Saturday 23 August (home) v. Berwick.

The squad on duty:- Kirk, Jonathon M, Jonathan S, Jeremy, Anton, Jason, James, Yanni, Jacob, Alex, Matthew, Matty, Lachie, Ari and Josh.

After a full and comprehensive workout prior to the game, the boys were primed for their last home game of the season.
A few tactical changes, and no camera man to cover the action, we began brightly and were soon in front. Neat work down the right from James, Matthew and Alex, set up Josh to slot home the opener.
We continued to play well when we looked to pass the ball quickly, and soon doubled our lead when a similar move down the left. Alex again put Josh in for his second.
James looked composed at the back, and we went in 2 up at half time.
Despite our efforts in the second half, we let Berwick back in to the game, and they deservedly pulled one back.
However, we managed to apply some pressure and Alex grabbed our third. A few near misses in front of our goal were overcome, and a 3 – 1 victory was sealed.

Thanks to everyone for their support.

Training on Wednesday, 4.30pm at Anderson Park.

Next week, away v Beaumaris, 11am kick-off, Balcombe Park Reserve, Mel 86 C4.

Season:- P 16 W14 D1 L1 Gls For 78 Gls Ag 14.

C’mon the Y1s

Round 1 - U10 Blue - Match Report

2008-08-19T21:22:00.001+10:00

DATE: 16.8.08

OPPONENTS: MOOROOLBARK

LOCATION: ANDERSON PARK

TEAM EFFORT PAYS OFF

The blues were keen on revenge against Mooroolbark especially on our home ground.
It was great to welcome back John and Peter to the team
who were sporting their Mediterranean tans and jumped straight back into the thick of things.
A few of the boys were away, Michael overseas, Damian unavailable, & Corey busy welcoming his one day old baby sister into the family. (Congratulations to the family)
Christopher turned up hoping to play but the fever he had kept him from going on the pitch and so he supported his teammates from the sideline.
Due to Mooroolbark’s strong requests to play the off side rule our boys were caught a little off guard with this new restriction but with some reminding from the sideline they adjusted well and did not let that keep them from some very strong attacks up forward.
Marko was again brilliant in goals and stopped everything that our opponents threw at him with confidence and good judgment when meeting the ball.
Ethan and Billy did not allow Mooroolbark to have a clear run towards our goal, while Alexander and Stefan cleared anything loose that could have been a threat.
Declan and Justin defended well and also pushed the ball forward, while Peter on his return game got involved with a lot of the play and supported his teammates with confidence.
Tim created some great plays giving chances for some good attacks and Jake did a lot of running with the ball passing and crossing cleverly towards the forward line.
James threatened to score on several occasions out running his opponents well and Jack was making good use of space he created to fire some shots in.
It was James and Jack that combined on a corner kick in the second half that sealed the victory. James gave a nice pass to Jack who then cleverly dribbled around Mooroolbark’s attempts to defend, and with a great strike put the ball in the back of the net putting Doncaster ahead 1-0.
The visitors picked up the pace and desperately tried to equalize but the blues were equal to the task and also stepped up a gear not only defending with urgency but also threatening to score again. The full time score stayed at Doncaster 1 Mooroolbark 0.
The whole team played well cleverly passing and crossing, combined with some strong and solid defense and great tackling.
A big thanks goes out to the teams family’s and friends
that encouraged and supported the boys from the sideline constantly throughout the game.
The biggest support came from the Blues themselves that showed that strong teamwork in the end pays off.
Well done boys you should be proud of your efforts in such a tough game.
See you all at training on Wednesday 5.30pm at Donvale.

Manuel

Round 1 - U14A Boys - Match Report

2008-08-18T20:02:00.000+10:00

North Caulfield vs Doncaster Rovers 17th August

Proudly sponsored by Wet Water Pools

This was the “make up” round but not the “kiss and make up” sort. It was good to arrive at the grounds to sunshine and a dry pitch with some grass on it. Pity about the lazy wind, it had the ice in it for sure as all the spectators could attest to.
Rovers started out into the wind and from the start had most of the general play with the defense on top with Luke, Matt, Nik, Michael Pic, and Joel repelling anything that came their way. In the centres Chris, Phil, Alex, and Drew were sharing the ball with some good passes and up front Nick Vass and Steve were keeping the defense on their toes. After about 10 minutes of end to end play Alex charged down a kick just forward of the centre and dribbled forwards around another defender to run at the goalie and get the ball past for a terrific goal.
North Caulfield had a couple of opportunities as the ball was going long distances with the wind, one free kick from 20 metres out went straight into our wall and was easily repelled. Rovers then went forwards and got the free but Nik’s shot just went over the bar. Nth Caulfield kept attacking and received two corners from play where Rovers should have at least forced the ball out wide for a throw in. On the second corner Luke went up for the catch but the bal just carried through his hands to drop for a simple tap in by the alert NC player, as the Rovers defense stood motionless and watched.
Just before half-time Michael Pal came on for Nick Vass and Elliot replaced the injured Chris, who had a twinge in the hammy.

Half – time: North Caulfield 1 : Doncaster Rovers 1

After the break Rovers came out determined to put another score on the board and attacked the ball with more intensity, this resulted in several free kicks to Rovers as Nth Caulfield was under more pressure. Alex took the first free but only chipped the ball slowly to the keeper. The next free taken by Nik lobbed the ball neatly just over the wall, allowing Alex to run onto the ball and lob it over the goalie into the back of the net.
There were several good passages of play by all the boys as they contested every issue, Pala forced a corner with good bodywork over the ball. Elliot had several good runs down the left. Alex put in a good cross that Steve almost got a head to. Michael Pic and Joel were solid down back and Matt was on top on the right.
However the save of the day had to go to Matt’s dad Gary who ran out of the park twice to rescue the only good ball Nth Caulfield had to play with!!
Nth Caulfield were pressing to make the equalizer and had a couple of chances but Luke was up to the task on one occasion and the ball well wide on the other. In the end it was a well deserved win by Rovers to get back into third position on the ladder. We had enough play to get at least one more goal but could not make the space on the forward line to put the ball away. Keep up the good play boys and take your chances.

Scores at full-time: North Caulfield 1 : Doncaster Rovers 2

GO ROVERS! .......... Keep up the good team play!

Round 16 - U9 Yellow - Match Report

2008-08-13T22:36:00.001+10:00

Saturday 9th August v Mooroolbark.

Fourteen Zip could easily have been more!

An early start at Mooroolbark saw the team faced with what can only be described as a tiny pitch!! Compared to the last time we faced Mooroolbark at their home ground when we played on a full pitch and scored 19 goals, this was an exercise in containment which could have been deliberate or just a coincidence. Either way the result was a very tight ground where there was little space for the boys to spread the ball around.
Did this stop us? No way! Straight from the off the ball was passed out to the right side and was fed through to Christos who raced down the side and hit a looping cross straight into the net! 1-0. Within a minute more pressure resulted in a stab shot from Jack at near range to make it 2-0 and by 4 minutes Dion had made it 3-0.
We all thought another big haul was on its way but we had to wait until the 7th minute for the next one. Dion passed through to Jack who flicked the ball to Tillman whose shot was initially stopped but followed up with some neat skill and slick goal. 4-0.
Multiple attacks were often interspersed with groans of OOH or yes yes NOOOO as the ball went to the left, right or hit the woodwork. The ref was also interesting as he openly coached his kids from the pitch, moved the ball forward and wasted as much time as he could in between shots.
At 11 minutes an attack came from the left into Jack in mid field who fed the ball across to Christos who was having another best on field game. He crossed into Tillman who dragged the ball back and slipped a short ball to Dion who slammed home from 2 metres. Once again his acrobatic celebration was a joy to see! 5-0.
Any attacks set up by Mooroolbark were being quickly dealt with by a solid Aaron and Michael and Cheney in goal only had one or two touches.
On 14 minutes we had the start of a Josh one two. A throw from Michael on the right went all the way through the players and was met by Josh waiting on the goal line for an easy tap in. He followed this up with a quick tackle from the kick off, a jink passed two players and an extra long range shot that should have been saved but somehow went passed the keeper for 7-0.
To round off the first half Michael stepped into a loose ball to ram home the eighth and Jack picked up the ninth after absolutely great work from Alexandre on the left whose tenacity won two hard shin bone jarring tackles. Great work Alexandre!
The half time whistle surprised us all as it arrived at 18.30 minutes rather than the usual 20 but it didn’t really matter.
Half Time 9-0.

The second half started off as a scrappy affair with plenty of chances but no real finishes worth noting. The deadlock was broken at 6 minutes with Jack slotting home his hat-trick with a volley from close range from a great cross from Christos.
At 11 minutes a corner on the right was stopped at the post and came back to Christos who lofted another great cross into the heart of the goal line. A Mooroolbark defender couldn’t do anything but deflect the ball into the net and I was already writing down Own Goal when the ref awarded a penalty.
This surprised several of the parents and both myself and Rob mentioned to the ref that penalties were not awarded in under nines. It was a mistake I made myself against FC Bullen Lions and was just pointing this out as a helpful comment. What we were then subjected to was nothing short of physical and verbal intimidation by the ref and Mooroolbark parents to which they should be ashamed.
Enough said on this as Dion took the penalty and converted after the keeper saved the initial shot. 11-0.
The second half went much to plan and a further two goals were added by the ever sharp Cheney on 12 minutes (excellent flip by the way Cheney!!) 13-0.
On 15 minutes the last goal was added by Dion for his fourth of the game after a great breakthrough shot by Tillman was parried by the keeper.
The second half was once again cut short at 18.20 minutes but by that time we were all looking forward to our warm cars and coffee!
Final score 14-0. Goals for 165 against 4! Won 15 Lost 0. Only 100% record left intact at Doncaster Rovers.
Train Hard, Play Fair and Have Fun.

Round 16 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-08-10T18:47:00.002+10:00

Proudly sponsored by ATOMICA COFFEE

Rovers net a bag full!!!!.

Saturday 9 August (away) v. Hampton.

Down to only 12 due to holidays and illness, we travelled to Hampton looking to notch a double figure score line.
The squad on duty:- Kirk, Jonathon M, Jonathan N, Jeremy, Anton, Jason, James, Yanni, Jacob, Alex, Matthew and Josh.
Most of the play was in the Hampton half as we battled up the slope in the first half. With the offside rule causing the referee many headaches, we eventually went ahead through Alex’s chip which was seen over the line by Yanni’s head. A neat move down the left set up Jason to slot home his first goal of the season. Despite Josh hitting the woodwork twice, the score remained 2 – 0 at half-time. Our aim was to hit the back of the net more often in the second half.
This we did. Almost continuous pressure soon saw James add 4, Josh 2, Jason one more and Jonathon M his first goal too.
A 10 – 0 victory and a good team performance.
Thanks to everyone for their support.

Training on Wednesday, 4.30pm at Anderson Park.

Next week, home v Bulleen, 12 noon kick-off.
Season:- P 15 W13 D1 L1 Gls For 75 Gls Ag 13.

Round 15 - U15A Girls - Match Report

2008-08-04T17:50:00.003+10:00

Doncaster Rovers vs Sandringham Sunday 3rd August 2008

The game began at a frantic pace as both teams tried to show strength and take the upper hand from the outset. Unfortunately this resulted in a kick to kick by both team’s defenses in their endeavors to clear their lines and by-passing the midfield all together.

The ball retention and distribution by the Doncaster girls got better with time with some great balls played through to Siobhan Gray and Demi Mihaloudis, however the support was lacking and attacks were broken down by the very strong Sandringham defense. Both teams had great changes to break the deadlock in the later minutes of the first half however it wasn’t to be.

The very speedy Siobhan Gray managed to stretch the defense by getting to the by line and crossing the ball hard and low finding its way to the back stick and hitting Brianna as she powered towards goal (who had just previously came on for Demi Mihaloudis). If only the connection was with the knee or foot the deadlock would’ve been surely broken. Within minutes one small lapse of concentration in our back line introduced a clear-cut opportunity for Sandringham from a long ball over the top of our defense. In the one-on-one, Christina K came quickly off her line and diving to the opposing striking feet resulting in an exceptional save.

The half times address by head coach Bill Mihaloudis did wonders far the girls as the second half was all Doncaster’s. The intensity and eagerness to win the ball in all areas of the park was evident from the first whistle. Sandringham were put under immense pressure and were constantly on the back foot. Young Kariah (Squirt) who had come on for the hard working Siobhan gave Doncaster pace and width on the right hand side of the park.

As early as the 7th minute of the second half the very strong and dogmatic Renee Zebic drove a diagonal scorching shot hard and low from the for right hand side of the 16 yard box into the left hand corner of the Sandringham goal, 1-0! and it was on.

As mentioned the intensity was incredible by all, the opposition wasn’t allowed any time on the ball, which inevitably led to errors and gave possession back to the Doncaster girls. Any long balls into our defense where dealt with by the fast improving Emma Jones, Yianna Cocotsi, Melanie Feore and the days captain Tessa Sernio who was simply ‘brilliant’, equally Supryia Lal who came back from a lengthy injury was impressive as she nullified the opposition’s fastest and most dangerous attacker Ashley Whittaker.

In a game there are always defining moments or acts of bravery that simply clarify who wants something more and who indeed will be the winner. Our other, very young member of our team Natasha Lusi (who had come on for Melanie F - slightly sick) was simply inspirational in her tackle against the sandy striker (almost twice her size) to prevent a goal, which she indeed did, as the ball was eventually cleared to retain 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, Natasha had to be substituted as a result of pain to her ankle but the acknowledgement by all her teammates, coaches and parents was overwhelming. This brought about further belief to all! So much that in the 20mins a ball spilled out to midfielder Elise Kyrgios (outside the 16 yard box) who flicked the ball up and with a singular motion volleyed a looping shot high out of the goalkeepers reach and into the net. It was amazing how nobody injured themselves in the celebrations. Confidence and belief in one self can sometimes result in extraordinary outcomes. Equally within 5 minutes of this incident Renee Zebic won possession, beat two opposition players and as she stretched, a most wonderful strike on goal resulted with the ball smacking in the roof of the net in the top left hand corner of the goal. Indeed it was Doncaster’s day 3-0!!

Substitutions followed in the final 15mins and once more further examples of eagerness to succeed and better one self were seen in Johanna Coterill on the left wing who constantly took on players, out little notorious goal sneak Lia Privitelli who showed her close control and ability to come away with the ball from tight areas, Siobhan Gray who with fresh legs carried out a sublime turn and shot only to narrowly miss scoring. Similarly Demi and Kariah re-entered the game with great tenacity.

This years top scorers Melissa Maizels also did exceptionally well but was well marked constantly by two defenders throughout the game. Louise Burridge came on for Emma Jones in defense and added to keeping a clean sheet for the day!

The game was nearing completion when Christina Katsambanis showed her class and her extraordinary improvement as a keeper this year when you consider that she has been playing as a defender all her junior year. In closing it would be a sin not to mention what I call a ‘complete performance’ by a player in any given game. Tesa Sernio in sweeping position was simply brilliant. The decision making with clearances, passing, talking to back line were spot on. In the second half Doncaster Rovers had most of the possession, structure and poise and in most instances it began from Tessa.

We would also like to remind all Doncaster Rovers supporters that this coming Saturday 9th August our fundraising for “The Brazil” experience is continuing with dinner dance at ‘St Haralambos Church Hall, Cnr Church and Porter Street Templestowe 6.00pm – 11.30pm. All welcome, please ring John Kyrgios 0412 540 077 for tickets.

Played with score out of 10:

Christina Katsambanis 8, Melanie Feore 6, Emma Jones 7, Supryia Lal 6, Tessa Sernio 9, Elise Kyrgios 8, Renee Zebic 8, Siobhan Gray 6, Melissa Maizels 5, Lia Privitelli 6, Demi Mihaloudis 6, (Brianna Mirabella 6, Yianna Cocotsi 5, Natasha Lusi 6, Kariah White 6, Johanna Coterill 6, Louis Burridge 5).

By John Kyrgios (Assistant coach)

Round 15 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-08-02T20:31:00.000+10:00

Proudly sponsored by ATOMICA COFFEE

Learn to lose with dignity.

Saturday 2 August (home) v. Nunawading.

After the 8 – 0 away win earlier this season, we were out to top our total.
A full squad on duty:- Kirk, Matt, Jonathon M, Jonathan N, Lachie, Jeremy, Anton, Jason, James, Jonathon S, Yanni, Jacob, Alex, Matthew, Ari and Josh.
We started brightly and applied plenty of pressure. We were soon on the board with Jonathon S bagging two well taken goals. With good contributions all over the ground, Josh and Alex added one each to take the lead to 4 by half-time.
Most of the action from Nunawading came at half-time. Our cameraman had to change his focus to the other side of the pitch and the coach was asked to join him rather than having the peace and quiet away from the vocal supporters on the far side.
Undisturbed, we banged in 5 and should have had more. The final result a 9 – 0 win. Alex grabbed 4, Josh 2, Jonathon S 2 and James 1. Just like Buddy’s quest for 10 in a game, we also just fell short of double figures. Perhaps we should play Collingwood too!!
Thanks to everyone for their continued support this season.
Training on Tuesday, 6pm at Anderson Park.

Next week, away v Hampton, 11.00am kick-off at Cheltenham Park Melway 86 G1
Season:- P 14 W12 D1 L1 Gls For 65 Gls Ag 13.

Round 14 - U9 Yellow - Match Report

2008-07-30T22:25:00.000+10:00

Saturday 26th July v Brighton.

Twelve Goal Haul keeps the 100% record and 144 goal tally!

Without Cheney and Aaron the boys were once again without a substitute but they were up to the challenge. Brighton started well showing that they were not going to be a push over and attacked from the off. Doncaster however replied and within a minute Alexandre pounced on a Spyros pass to make it 1-0.
Within another minute Spyros made it two when Michaels throw-in from the right was fed through by Josh and Spiz toe poked it home 2-0.
Then less than a minute later shock horror a Brighton attack down the left was not stopped by the defence and a left foot shot went through Dion’s legs 2-1. Three goals in the first three minutes!
Play was moving at a fast pace with attacks going both ways. Brighton players were hard in the tackles but Doncaster was moving the ball well. The boys were spreading the ball left and right and were rewarded in the fifth minute with a free kick on the left. Tillman lined up to take it and a communication breakdown saw Alexandre hit the ball straight at a defender. Luck would have it that it rebounded back to Tillman whose pass into Jack saw him hit the ball straight at the keeper and Alexandre played poacher to snatch his second and Doncaster’s third 3-1.
Play was getting very competitive in the mid-field and Brighton were working hard down our left side of defence. Several attacks were being handled by Ryan and Michael but some of the mid-field were slow to get back and support which was making it harder than it should have been.
On 9 minutes a quick break from the centre saw the ball go to Jack on the left. He looked and saw Tillman inside and with a flick of his right foot the ball went through and Tillman made no mistake burying it in the right hand bottom corner. 4-1.
Doncaster added the fifth goal on 11 minutes when a corner was whipped in and saw Jack side foot saved by the keeper and the rebound hit against the bar by Josh. The ball fell to Spyros who stabbed home at the near post from two meters. 5-1.
The half finished off with Jack finishing off a great run by Josh slotting home a neat side foot goal to make it 6-1.
The second half started with Brighton challenging hard for the ball again but the boys were motivated by a stirring half time speech from Peter and had better shape. Dion who had switched with Christos in goal went on one of his twisting runs down the right and passed into Tillman who unselfishly passed across to Josh who unluckily saw his shot hammer against the woodwork again and was slotted home by Tillman 7-1.
The game came alive then with Doncaster pushing hard and once again an attack down the right finished when Jack passed into Tillman whose shot was saved only for the fast paced Ryan to slide in and push it past the keeper. 8-1.
After 5 minutes another right side attack saw Tillman snatch the ball from the keepers grasp and Dion snuck in for the loose ball to make it 9-1.
Five minutes passed with Jack now in defence making some timely tackles and accurate passing out to mid-field and beyond and the boys passing left and right spreading Brighton out. A corner was taken by Alexandre from the right and it slide by all of the players to find its way into the net for a great solo goal and his hat trick! 10-1.
On twelve minutes Brighton broke from mid-field. Spyros was last man in defence and hit his clearance ball straight at the Brighton attacker. The rebound fell directly in front of him and he was bearing down on goal when Spyros managed to recover and put in a timely tackle.
On fifteen minutes a pass from Alexandre to Jack in defence was cut out and Brighton were away. The player shot from long distance and the ball hit the cross bar only to rebound against Christos as he turned and end up in the net! 10-2! First time this year we have let in 2 goals.
Doncaster responded in great fashion with a quick pass from Michael to Dion who once again twisted through and finished coolly 11-2.
The boys wrapped up the game when Josh who was still looking for his first went one on one with the keeper. His close effort was saved and Tillman calmly controlled then stabbed the ball home for Doncaster’s twelfth and his Hat Trick 12-2.
Goals for 144. Against 4.Won 13 Lost 0. Only 100% record left intact at Doncaster Rovers.
Train Hard, Play Fair and Have Fun.

Round 14 - U10 Blue - Match Report

2008-07-28T18:36:00.002+10:00

DATE: 26.7.08
OPPONENTS: ASHBURTON
LOCATION: WARNER RESERVE ASHBURTON

THE SCORE NOT AN ACCURATE REFLECTION

The Blues gathered at Warner Reserve for the return clash against Ashburton, as did their parents and loyal supporters. The last time these two teams met they had a tough battle which ended up in a 2 – 2 draw.

While Christopher and Peter were still enjoying the hot overseas weather, Jack and Michael were feeling the effects of the Melbourne flu season and were unavailable to play.

Both teams started off well and shared equal possession of the ball.
Marko in goals had a relatively quiet first half but when he was required to perform he did.
Billy and Ethan were excellent in the defensive wings and shut the opposition down each time they attacked.
Damian and Corey also gave our opponents headaches not allowing them to approach our goal easily. Justin rejoined the squad fully recovered from his jet-lag and along side Declan they both cleared the ball well and also distributed it up forward.
Alexander chased the ball hard and put in a big effort to make sure our boys kept possession of the ball.
Stefan again had some big clearances and helped to put the ball in our forward line regularly.

The first half finished with both teams yet to score but Doncaster having a lot of the possession and almost scoring on several occasions.

During the second half the Blues continued applying pressure and retaining possession of the ball.
Tim did a lot of running with the ball up forward a had a few good shots on goal as did James who threatened to score on several occasions and was very unlucky not to put the ball in the back of the net at least three times.
Jake took charge of the right wing, running the ball up forward and distributing it towards the opposition’s goal area.

During an Ashburton attack the ball bounced the right way for them and with a strong long range volley strike the ball lobbed up to the far corner of our goal at the highest point making it an unstoppable ball for Marco and I’m sure for any Under 10 keeper.
Being 1-0 down the Blues picked up the pace and persisted to put the ball in our opponents goal area and had a few more very near misses on goal.
Unfortunately the clock ran down before our boys could
convert one of the near misses into a goal and the final score read Ashburton 1 Doncaster 0.
The Blues put in an excellent performance and demonstrated some of the skills that they have learned this season with some great passing, strong defending and clever attacking and it’s a credit to them that only one solitary goal separates these two teams to date, given the fact that Ashburton have only lost one game so far for the whole season.
The final score was not an accurate reflection of how well Doncaster played.

Training is as per normal Wednesday 5.30pm at Donvale Reserve.
See you all there.

Round 14 - U14A - Match Report

2008-07-27T22:56:00.000+10:00

U14A Doncaster Rovers vs Whitehorse 27th July

Proudly sponsored by Wet Water Pools

On a cool and wet day Rovers were at home to Whitehorse in a battle for second position on the ladder. This was one day where it was good to be under the grandstand. Rovers went into the game without Jansen, at least we had three on the pine.

The game started out with solid defence by both teams and good passing allowing build up’s into the forward half. At the back Luke, Michael Pic, Nik, Joel, Matt and Elliot were able to diffuse any forward moves by Whitehorse and pass off to the mid-field where Chris, Phil and Alex were controlling play and creating forward moves for Steve and Michael Pal. The Whitehorse backline was under more pressure and their sweeper came under notice several times with interceptions and clearances.

Rovers did have their chances as Chris made a few good runs down the left but shot just too late, at least we got the corners. Alex had the best opportunity after a good through ball allowing him to run at the keeper out of goal, however Alex side stepped the keeper but this allowed the sweeper to close and the opportunity was lost. Whitehorse also attacked with a couple of free kicks, one producing a header that just went past the goal.
Steve and Michael Pal were putting the defence under pressure but no real openings eventuated.

Half-time score: Rovers 0 : Whitehorse 0

The second half started out with both defences on top although Rovers were putting on forward pressure with a nice cross by Drew creating space but nobody ran onto the ball.
Both teams were passing to the feet but now Whitehorse were creating more forward space as defenders dropped off their men. There was also some pulling and pushing that gave Rovers several free kicks but on most occasions Rovers fell into the offside trap allowing a simple free to Whitehorse. Phil, Alex and Chris were still still pumping the ball forwards but the Whitehorse boys were always in the way. With more build ups for Whitehorse eventually a couple of players were free to pass allowing a close range shot on goal that gave Luke no chance.

Dion came on for Drew and Nick Vass came on for Nik D to give the boys a boost but most of the will to win had been knocked out already. It wasn’t long before more poor marking allowed a second shot on goal from inside the box to really finish us off.
The boys kept on trying but the Whitehorse boys were running on adrenalin and Rovers could not make any headway on the scoreboard.

Boys, keep the heads up, do not let this hiccup affect our performances over the next five rounds. Maximum effort should reap rewards.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 0 : Whitehorse 2

GO ROVERS !! – Next week is another opportunity to improve our game.

Round 14 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-07-27T22:23:00.000+10:00

Proudly sponsored by ATOMICA COFFEE

Eastlink makes life so much easier

Saturday 26 July (away) v. Casey Comets.

New the Eastlink and a later kick-off at 10am, eased the trip down to Cranbourne as we put our week’s rest to the test, aiming to finish the season strongly with 6 wins.
Minus 3 of our squad, we started brightly, finally putting in to practice what we have learnt this season.
We moved the ball around well, used the wings, looked strong in defence and capitalized on our pressure. By half-time we had grabbed 3, Yanni 2 and Alex 1.
However, we started the second half like we had eaten a 3-course meal at half-time rather than the vast supply of oranges. On more than 1 occasion, Casey ran straight through us, fortunately only getting 1 back.
We managed to regain our composure with the midfield of Lachie, James, Jonathon and Matthew providing the opportunities for Yanni, Alex and Josh to round off a 6 – 1 victory.
It was great to see us respond and the flexibility we again showed at the back, changing positions to accommodate our interchanges. Kirk, Jeremy, Jacob, Jason, Jonathon M and Jonathan N all kept Casey out as they came in to the game in the second half.

A much better performance, well done boys. We look forward to the DVD of the game courtesy of Greg.

Training on Wednesday, 6pm at Donvale Reserve.

Next week, home v Nunawading, 12.00am kick-off at Anderson Park.
Season:- P 13 W11 D1 L1 Gls For 56 Gls Ag 13.

C’mon the Y1s

Round 13 - U14A Blue - Match Report

2008-07-22T08:17:00.000+10:00

U14A Brandon Park vs Doncaster Rovers 20th July

Proudly sponsored by Wet Water Pools

On a typical winters day with a cold wind favouring the south end the boys set out to play Brandon Park on a damp but good pitch. Many parents had travelled down Eastlink to arrive in record time, in fact Nick Vass’s grandparents had arrived so early they were in time for breakfast!

The squad was still depleted with the absence of both Jansen & Drew due to injury, but welcomed back Joel after a couple of weeks.

Kicking with the wind it did not take Rovers long to dominate the play with good passing at the feet a feature all over the ground. Chains of passes forwards kept the BP goalie on his toes as several shots went long with the wind. Eventually Chris passed across to Steve who passed back to Chris who calmly slotted the ball in from close range. First goal to Rovers. In midfield Phil, Chris, Alex and Dion were well on top creating many chances for Steve and Nick V who were creating a lot of play also. In Defence, or in reality across the midfield, Matt, Nik D, Elliot and Michael Pic were repelling any forward moves by BP and making some good runs forward to keep up the pressure.
In a run against play BP scrambled the ball forwards with the ball holding up into the wind Luke could not reach the ball before BP tapped the ball in to level the scores. With Rovers players first to the ball it did not take long for further strikes at goal but all went over the top. Elliot was having a blinder down the left wing and after a couple of passes between Elliot and Steve, Elliot had a great opportunity to cross the ball, and with the advantage of the wind, the ball went over the keepers outstretched fingers into the net. When it is your day you always take them! Soon after Nik D and Alex both had shots at goal and Phil a header that just missed.

Half – time: Brandon Park 1 : Doncaster Rovers 2

After the break Rovers kept up the teamwork with many instances of excellent team play keeping the parents hands warm with applause for the good efforts. A great run by Matt up the right wing allowed Nick V to pass across to Alex who had time to weigh up his shot and place the ball wide of the keeper for a great team goal. Not to be outdone by good work on the right wing, Elliot ran from the half-way line on the left wing beat two men then “rifled” a shot so hard into the net the goal posts lifted up 100mm!! This was definitely GOAL of the Day!

Michael Pal replaced Dion and was soon under notice with some good passes and crosses that kept BP all at sea like a ship without a rudder. Shortly after Alex opened up the defense with a good pass to Phil who stopped, propped and went Bang for another Rovers goal. I think Phil was taking lessons from Rooney (aka Elliot)!!

Joel replaced Alex and then Dion was reintroduced to replace Nik D who was intent on discussing the games finer points with the Ref. Rovers kept on pressing with good teamwork and passing to the feet all over the ground as every player contributed to the excellent display that was well appreciated by all parents at the ground. Boys keep up your style of play and listen to Steve because your improvement through the year is great to witness. A rewarding future is in your hands if you maintain your efforts throughout the season.

Scores at full-time: Brandon Park 1 : Doncaster Rovers 5

GO ROVERS! .......... Next week the big one to decide second place!!

Round 13 - U10 Blue - Match Report

2008-07-21T23:52:00.001+10:00

DATE: 19.07.08
OPPONENTS: GLEN WAVERLEY
LOCATION: ANDERSON PARK

A COMMANDING WIN BY THE BLUES

The team gathered at our home ground for our official team photos. It was good to see Justin back from his jet setting trip for our photo session but the jet lag took its toll and he retired for the day for some well earned rest.
After our squad faced a sea of paparazzi and media, they were ready for some action on the park.
There was an initial scare for the Blues in the first few minutes where the opposition threatened to score but we regained control of the ball and started passing it well.
Declan did well with some good clearances in the backline and nice passing in midfield as did Alexander applying pressure in defense and later on having a couple of shots on goal up forward. Corey and Billy controlled the backline well cutting off the oppositions attacks as did Ethan who rejoined the team this week and applied his usual pressure. Stefan again controlled with some big clearances when Glen Waverley were pushing forward and contributing around the park.
James had a few very near misses on goal which had the near capacity home crowd on the edge of their seats.
The first half finished with a score of 0-0 as it did the first time these two teams met in Round 2 (3/5/08).
The second half started off with both teams firing and playing with a purpose.
Damian did a lot of running applying pressure in midfield but helping out in defense and up forward. Michael gave the opposition headaches with his strong challenges for the ball. The Blues did some great passing and created many chances but also kept the pressure on.
Jake once again ran up and down the right wing with a lot of possession of the ball and running well around his opponents. Maybe the chocolate crackles his mum provided for his birthday are his secret weapon. Tim also ran well with the ball on the left wing and with a great pass provided to him by Jack he opened the score 1-0 to Doncaster. Jack played well up forward and had a few cracking shots on goal but the ball just didn’t go over the line. Marko showed good control and commanded his troops well especially during the opposition’s corners where our packed defense made it hard for them to score. He also gave the crowd some worrying moments during Glen Waverley’s attacks but in the end had some good saves and distributed the ball well.
James made some fine passing runs and created some nice plays. He had at least five great shots on goal that should have gone in, one even hitting the post with the ball then rolling across the length of the goal just in front of the line but the ball just didn’t find the back of the net.
With a fine run past a few opposition players and a clever shot on goal Tim scored his second for the day. The whole team played well and with some nice passing and running with the ball, combined with some big clearances were able to finish with a final score exactly the same as the first time these two teams met of Doncaster 2 Glen Waverly 0 even though it should have been at least a few more goals Doncaster’s way.
John Peter and Christopher in Greece will no doubt be happy with this news whilst they work on their tans.
Well done boys, keep up the good work.

See you all at training. (Wed. 5.30pm)

Round 12 - U9 Yellow - Match Report

2008-07-16T21:52:00.001+10:00

Saturday 12th July v Ashburton.

Strong Opposition but still no match!

The teams looked evenly matched in the size and physique area and the game started off very even. Ashburton were not intimidated at all and were attacking quite freely. Our midfield in Ryan, Jack and Cheney were helping the defence mop up initial early attacks and turn them into Doncaster offensive moves.
The boys once again were lacking structure to start off and the game was getting bogged down in the Ashburton half with no real chances coming for the first five minutes.
The deadlock was broken when an attack down the right saw Josh pass to Ryan who slotted the ball in for Alexandre to hammer home. 1-0.
Once again Doncaster were having the majority of the ball with many chances either going at the keeper or wide as the boys overran the ball.
Cheney made it 2-0 on 9 minutes when a nicely floated corner came in from Alexandre straight through to Cheney who easily converted.
Although there was a great deal of attacking it was not all one a way street. Ashburton were having several attacks of their own but it was good to see the Doncaster defence handling these quite easily especially when they were backed up by the midfield boys. One such example was a great corner by Ashburton which was headed clear by Jack to Cheney who passed forward to Christos who passed forward to Josh only for the ball to go just wide of the net. A great sweeping move.

Half time 2-0.

The second half was going to be easier just because we were now playing downhill.
After a few minutes the boys created a goal from nowhere with a superb move. Christos to Dion who moved it inside to Jack whose side of the foot flick found Josh to hammer home. 3-0.
Within a minute, Josh became provider from the right with a low cross which was met on the volley by Jack for Doncaster’s fourth. 4-0.
The boys were in the zone from then on and several attacks resulted with excellent work down both wings by Cheney, Josh and Christos backed by solid graft in the middle by Jack, Dion and the ever running Ryan.
The only slight scare we had was when Ryan had been switched into goal and Ashburton had an attack down the right. Just when you thought Aaron had it covered he managed to sneek a cross in which was met by a looping shot. At one point I thought it was in but Ryan reached up his right hand and batted it away.

Round 12 - U14A - Match Report

2008-07-14T18:10:00.001+10:00

U14A Doncaster Rovers vs Manningham 13th July

Proudly sponsored by Wet Water Pools

On a cool and cloudy day with a cold Northerly breeze keeping the extemities numb Rovers were set to give Manningham a game without Joel, Jansen and Dion, as well as Phil still coming good.The boys started out with purpose and were soon dominating the game, kicking with the wind. Some good passing and linking up down the right between Drew and Alex and then Chris saw a corner result. Chris took the well weighted kick and Nik D connected with a good header only to see the ball rebound off the right post. Any balls that came into the midfield were quickly controlled by Chris, Alex, Steve and Nik D, while up forward Nick V and Michael Palomares were under notice with good pressure at the ball.
Steve had a long run, but dribbled too far forwards and the keeper neutralised the attack. Shortly after Steve had another chance but shot directly at the keeper. The pressure was mounting. Phil was brought on to replace Michael Palomares and had an immediate impact. A good corner by Chris put the ball right in front where it bobbled around off a couple of defenders allowing Phil time to pounce and put away our first goal. It looked easy.
The defenders were well on top with Drew, Nik D, Matt, Elliot and Michael Piccoli feeding the ball forward with well placed passes to advantage, however the forwards could not find the goals. Whenever the ball went closer to goal Luke was well placed to clean up any miss-kicks that occurred. Alex hit the crossbar with a chip that bounced down only for the keeper to grab. Michael Pal had a couple of chances that both went wide. Then a few optimistic long shots all went over the top, before Alex had a great run from the wing and beat his man as well as the keeper but his outside of the foot flick sailed right across goal and out! Drew came off injured and was replaced by Michael Palomares, leaving the team with only eleven boys, for the rest of the game.

Half-time score: Rovers 1 : Manningham 0

The second half started out in the same manner with Rovers playing confidently but not showing any respect to Manningham who had the wind. A back pass by Manningham was picked up by the keeper, and the resulting free allowed Alex to drive in a good shot high into the right corner of the net for Rovers second goal.
From here on Rovers played without any enthusiasm and started ball watching as mentally the game was already over. Manningham seized on a couple of Rovers bad defensive errors with an across the goal defensive lob coming unstuck to quickly goal and bring a draw back into contention. Rovers were still going forwards from time to time with long range shots off target or straight to the keeper. In one of the play of the days Nick Vass ran the ball forwards and passed right to the feet of Michael Pal in the clear, but he rushed his shot and the opportunity went well wide. Rovers defense came under more attack and looked less than comfortable with a couple of close calls, before the ref blew his whistle for only the fourth time of the day!

Scores at full-time: Rovers 2 Manningham 1

GO ROVERS !! – sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards!

Round 12 - U10 Blue - Match Report

2008-07-14T18:09:00.000+10:00

DATE: 12.07.08 OPPONENTS: MOOROOLBARK LOCATION: ESTHER PARK RESERVE MOOROOLBARK

JUST NOT OUR DAY

With John and Peter now in Greece, and with Christopher and Justin still overseas, and with Ethan
unavailable, it was always going to be a difficult match against Mooroolbark.
The condition of the ground at Esther Park Reserve certainly didn’t make things easier.

The Blues started of well, but with a momentary lapse of concentration in our defense Mooroolbark were able capitalize on it and take an early lead 1-0.
Our boys worked hard and had a lot of possession of the ball but were unable to get the ball in the back of the net.
Mooroolbark had another opportunity in front of goal just before half time and with a well hit strike made it
2-0 down for Doncaster.
The second half started with a lot of promise for the Blues. Marko was kept very busy in goals making some excellent saves and clearing the ball well. Billy, Declan and Stefan did well protecting our goal and pushing the ball to the wings and to our midfield. Corey showed great improvement by clearing the ball well and contributing both in defense and up forward at different stages of the game.
Damian and Alexander applied a lot of pressure in midfield but still helped out in defense and up forward.
Michael made his presence felt with some great clearing
which helped push the ball towards our forward line.
Tim and Jake did a lot of running on the wings and distributed the ball with some great passing to our strikers. Jack and James created a lot of opportunities and had quite a few shots on goal, most of them only just missing the target. The one time we did put the ball over the opposition’s goal line after a great combination between Tim and James it was only to be disallowed by the referee. The Blues threatened to score many times but the ball just did not reach the back of the net.

Stefan and Jack showed the crowd what the Rovers are made of by recovering well and quickly, after both having taken heavy falls then throwing themselves back in the game and giving it their all.
Just before the final whistle blew Mooroolbark took advantage of an opening and scored making the final result Mooroolbark 3 Doncaster Rovers 0.
The Blues played well and had a lot of great moves and passes, and created many chances but unluckily were not able to score. It just wasn’t our day.

Round 12 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-07-13T17:06:00.002+10:00

Proudly sponsored by ATOMICA COFFEE

Normal service is restored

Saturday 12 July (away) v Bulleen 1.

With the coach back after his 3 week scouting mission to England to look for the new Kewell or Cahill, during what could be said as many shopping expeditions to the high street, and his tour of Wembley to line up playing one of Rovers games there if they can accommodate their growing fan base, the only surprise on his return was his right-hand man, Carlos, had jumped ship to fill Big Phil’s boots as Portugal head coach. Obviously his impressive record of played 2 won 1 and his recruitment of numerous assistants on the sidelines had CQ their prime candidate.
Having a full squad available for the first time this season, pre-game photos were subsequently taken.
Acclimatising to the somewhat arctic conditions and bouncing back from last week’s first loss, we began slowly, but ground our way in to the game, taking the lead through James’ superb strike from the edge of the area. We remained solid and held our formation well, Jacob contributing very well down the right side.
With the wind at our back in the second half, we dominated possession and the pressure told when on his return, Josh added a second, followed shortly afterwards by Ari’s chip over the keeper for the third. Jonathon S hit the bar as we looked for more goals.
Despite Bulleen adding a 29th minute consolation, we ran out 3 – 1 winners. Again, defensively we looked strong, Jeremy commanding as last man in front of our goalkeeper, Kirk. Matty, Jonathon M, Anton, Jonathon N, Jason and Lachie all made telling contributions. James, Jacob, Jonathon S, Matthew and Ari each supplied the run and fight in midfield, whilst Alex, Yanni and Josh all applied pressure to the Bulleen defence.
Well done boys.

Training on Thursday, 6pm at Donvale Reserve.
Next week, home v Bulleen 2, 12.00am kick-off at Anderson Park, team official photo at 11am.
Season:- P 11 W10 D0 L1 Gls For 49 Gls Ag 11.
C’mon the Y1s

Round 11 - U12C - Match Report

2008-07-08T20:26:00.008+10:00

Clear blue skies but a cold day up in the mountains.

A draw against Sherbrooke Rangers where the boys were unlucky not to convert a number of opportunities.

The game started positively with a well constructed play finishing with Aaron scoring a goal in the fourth minute. Good to see some reward for Aaron’s consistent midfield work over the season in defence and feeding the team’s strikers.
The game then locked down as Sherbrooke Rangers displayed determination and high work rate to fend off a number of spirited attacks. Sherbrooke equalised in the 18th minute and the teams went to half time with a goal each.

In the second half, Sherbrooke attempted to use local knowledge and long kicks with the downhill slope to break through the boy’s defence which held consistently keeping Sherbrooke from scoring another goal. Unfortunately Sherbrooke’s defence was also successful in fending off our boys striking up the right flank leaving the final score at 1 goal each.

Round 11 - U10 Blue - Match Report

2008-07-08T20:17:00.001+10:00

DATE: 05.07.08 OPPONENTS: BORONIA LOCATION: BORONIA

UNFAIR RESULT FOR THE BLUES

The Doncaster Blues completed their first round of games with an unfair defeat by 0-3 at the hands of Boronia. The score line by no means is an indication of how the game was played. The Blues dominated in both halves but were unable to find an opening against a very tight and patched Boronia defense. With Marko in goals, not having a lot of work but clearing the ball our wide where both Ethan and Billy were pushing it out wide to Jake and Alexander, the Blues put together many good moves. In the centre, Tim was covering a lot of ground, and was being helped on many occasions by Stefan and Damian who had a great game in the centre of our defense.
Peter, James and Jack started for the first time as a three man strike force, but were unable to get a clear cut chance to put the ball in the net.
Corey and Michael helped also a lot in both halves, but it was the home team that scored first in the second half and when the Blues went all attacking to get one back, the home team scored twice on two counter attacks making it 3-0.

Overall, the Blues showed a lot of improvement in their first round of games. They now are a lot more aware of their role on the park; they are passing more efficiently and are a lot more confident with the ball. I believe that if they keep up the hard work they can only benefit as individuals and get great results as a team.
Our record for the first round of games was;
Played: 10
Won: 5
Drawn: 1
Lost: 4
Goals Scored: 28
Goals Against: 24

Great effort!

John

Round 11 - U9 Yellow - Match Report

2008-07-08T11:26:00.001+10:00

Saturday 5th July v Whitehorse.

The best game yet – a passing masterpiece!

A full squad was welcomed by brilliant sunshine for this fixture against Whitehorse. Last time we faced them the result was 12-0 so the boys were talking up a good score.
Straight from the kick off Doncaster attacked but they were lacking the shape and often got in each other’s way. Whitehorse were struggling to clear and the first corner was given after a few minutes. The cross was firm and after the ball did its best interpretation of pin ball Jack jabbed the ball home for his first.

Three minutes later continued pressure was repaid with Tillman grabbing his first of the day with a strong shot wide of the keeper and he followed up no more than a minute later when a weak goal kick went straight to him 15 meters out. He slid to his right and slotted home to the left. Score 3-0.

The team was beginning to gain shape with some great passing moves down both wings. Josh and Christos were linking well and the crosses were raining in. The Whitehorse keeper who was as tall as Tillman was providing a formidable wall to get past and made some great stops but even he couldn’t stop Spyros on 12 minutes when he ran towards him and hit the roof of the net.

A great move from midfield saw Michael pass wide to Alexandre on the left who passed forward to Spyros. He couldn’t find a way through and passed back, the following cross was controlled by Tillman who stroked home his Hat trick. Once again Tillman followed this goal up two minutes later to make it 6-0.

The skill levels were starting to show now with a fluid move starting with Alexandre passing to Jack who flicked to Tillman who pushed out wide to Christos. Christos was having his best game of the season down the right and drove a cross in for Spyros to hammer home. What a goal. 7-0.

The half was closed out with consistent work by Christos deep in the right corner. Three times he tried to cross and his persistence was rewarded with a cross to Tillman who made it 8-0 and netted his fifth!

Half Time 8-0.

The second half started off with Tillman in goal but with the instruction to move the defence forward. What we therefore had for ten minutes was a one man defence, two man midfield and a six man attack! No wonder the pressure was repaid after 4 minutes with a corner going straight through to Jack who slotted home the 9th goal.

Two minutes later Dion’s fast pace and shear strength in the tackles forced the ball through legs to Jack again to slot his hat trick and Doncaster’s 10th.

A rare move up front for Whitehorse was faced with Aaron and then Tillman dribbling out of defence before hoofing the ball out wide right for an amazing attack. I have to say, regardless of age, these boys were moving the ball as good as I have seen. The ball finished going out for a corner. With the parents going wow, Jack curled the corner in and Dion came racing in to the near post legs up high and glanced the ball in off his left foot. His celebration was one to see, running away arms in the air kissing his hands it was almost as good as Alexandre’s cartwheels in the 19-0 from last season.

While the parents were still talking about the last goal, slick passing down the right again saw Michael send in great cross to the keepers feet only to see it slip through his legs into the net for Doncaster’s 12th goal.
Cheney was playing an absolute blinder as well. So fast he was past people before they knew and if he did lose the ball he was back defending before anyone had a chance.

One attack saw the ball come from defence with Aaron passing to Dion, he passed through to Cheney on the mid right who had three players converge on him. He saw Michael ahead and slid the ball through two players, Michael had a selection of players to go to and passed to Alexandre whose excellent shot was saved by the keeper. Wow what a move!

The guys were in the zone, that’s all that can be said as attack after attack came in from left and right. Tillman was replaced by the ever eager Michael in goal and he took control of midfield and moved the ball like a pro. The relentless pressure (have I said that before?) was rewarded in the 20th minute when a fierce cross came in from the right, Josh in attack connected with the ball back across the goal for Jack to snap an instinctive volley straight into the back of the net for his fourth of the game. 13-0.

The game was finished off two minutes later when Dion’s pressure was rewarded with an individual goal and yep the wonderful celebration was there again.
Final Score 14-0.

Without doubt a game of skill beyond the age group. The coach needs to be congratulated on the way the boys worked as a team and moved the ball so fluently. With 113 goals scored so far this season I believe a target of 200 may not be out of the question. Bring it on!

Train Hard, Play Fair and Have Fun.

Round 11 - U14A - Match Report

2008-07-07T13:37:00.000+10:00

U14A Casey vs Doncaster Rovers 6th July

Proudly sponsored by Wet Water Pools

Parents travelled from all parts of Melbourne and surrounds in the middle of school holidays, to travel down the new Eastlink and find the Casey ground in relatively good condition with a stiff north breeze favouring the clubhouse end.
With Nik D, Joel and Jansen all missing, it was up to the rest to step up and keep the winning feeling alive.
Unfortunately the boys started out like they were all on holidays, showing little interest in attacking the ball, leaving it up to somebody else. The malaise was quite contagious with players stumbling and fumbling the ball in midfield and in attack.
The 3 - Day training camp attended by no less than 8 of the squad, appeared to be taking its toll, with players appearing leg weary.
Luckily Drew, Phil and Matt, who had been thrown into defense, were more than holding their own and clearly beating their opponents. Casey hardly had a sniff of the ball in attack, as they once again relied on long bombs to forwards, who were not quick enough to run onto the ball.
Michael Piccoli, Elliot and Luke cleaned up any loose balls, but forward passes went too long with the wind.
Not much was happening apart from in the midfield, where Alex was working hard and creating opportunities for the forwards.
Casey took the first free kick and really tested Luke who could only deflect the ball out. From the resulting corner another strong kick had Luke pushing at the ball which dribbled out for Casey to swoop and bang in their first goal. Ouch, things were not looking good!
Casey were pushing us around with little sympathy shown by the ref, in fact Casey were getting the free’s! A foul on Dion in the Penalty area, after a blatant push, went unrewarded.
Several forward runs from Steven, Alex and Nick Vass, created some good scoring opportunities, but poor finishing was becoming costly.
One final chance of the half, came when Michael Palomares hit the cross bar after a pin-point cross from Steven.
Half-time score: Casey 1 : Rovers 0

Steve really had to fire the boys up at half time with an inspirational speech, it went something like “Wake Up!!”
A reshuffled formation in the second half, into a 4-4-2 structure, saw Phil push into Midfield, alongside Chris. This provided an opportunity for both players to make attacking runs from midfield
Rovers, who were now kicking into the wind started to dominate with all players now having a go. Even when the attacks went wide, Casey were under more pressure. Nick Vass had a shot, then Michael Pala’s left foot shot went straight to the keeper. With a well deserved free Drew passed right to the feet of Alex who passed straight to Steve and GOAL. Good play boys.
The ball was soon down the other end however, where Michael Pic’s challenge on a Casey striker resulted in a free’kick. The resulting kick was headed out by Drew but straight to a Casey player who nailed it. Ouch again, the boys had some work to do.

Michael Pic soon redeemed himself, after receiving a quickly taken free kick from Drew. Michael’s great through ball found Phil, who worked around a couple of defenders to crack the ball from 15 metres out, leaving the goalie and the opposition (players and supporters) speechless! Just quietly this was a nice change. By the way, Goal of the day!

Rovers continued to attack with good ball movement to the feet which was leaving Casey breathless as they struggled to keep up any tempo. Chris, Phil, Alex and Dion were now dominating in midfield.
Shortly after Michael Pal took on his man literally with a good hug and shot past the keeper for our third goal.
Just a small matter of etiquette Michael, you should score the goal then hug your team mates, not hug your opponent then score the goal!
Nevertheless, we were now 3-2 up, full of confidence and running.

Just to finish Casey off, a good through ball to Steve allowed him to get past his man, dribble past the keeper and finish with a smart tap in to seal the game.

A great result in the end, particularly given the lack of playing personnel, the reshuffled structure and the heavy training schedule experienced during the week.
It just goes to show that through hard work and commitment, we can succeed.

Well Done Boys!!!!!!

Scores at full-time: Casey 2 : Rovers 4

GO ROVERS !! – Not bad for half a game of football!

Round 11 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-07-07T13:35:00.001+10:00

Doncaster Rovers U10 Yellow 1s

Saturday, 5 July (home) vs DRSC Yellow 2s

Y1s fall short of 10 in a row

"Who'd be a coach" were the thoughts from the manager's dug-out as the Y1s nine-game winning streak came to an end against intra-club opponents the Y2s.

With Atomica Coffee Manager of the Month, Andy Exley, on seemingly the longest holiday in history, the Y1s pursuit of 10 consecutive wins was always going to be a tough ask against a team determined to square the ledger after they fell to the Y1s earlier in the season.

As so it proved with the first half opening on an even keel, both sides looking to crack the defences of two of the more miserly back lines in the league. The early signs were encouraging for the Y1s with Yianni, Alexander, Jonathon S and Ari exchanging some neat passes on the left to put our opponents under pressure. Despite peppering in and around the 18 yard box, we couldn't quite find the final pass or shot on goal to finish off the good lead up work.

Some 15 minutes in and we started to fall back in the contests, allowing our opponents space and time on the ball. It wasn't too long before we were punished for failing to clear what seemed like an innocuous foray from the Y2s, the ball bypassing three of our players before landing at the feet of a Y1 attacker in front of goal to slot home.

1-0 down and we needed to raise the intensity if were going to get back in the game. The boys come out in the second half with instructions to pick up the tempo and attack the ball with more vigour. Jeremy, Jason, Matt V, Lachie and Jonathan M were rotating across the backline looking to repel the Y2s attack, while James, Matt V, Jacob and Jonathon N were doing their best to find an opening for our forwards.

As the match progressed we were lacking our usual spark all over the park to really trouble our opponents and, with 12 minutes remaining, another defensive lapse saw our opponents chip in for a second and ultimately deciding goal. There was nothing Kirk could do with either of the goals.

We played out the game to the end but it wasn't to be. A jaded-looking Y1s going down 2-0 for their first defeat of the season. We welcome back Josh next week who will add the physical presence we've missed in the past couple of weeks and, of course, Andy who can well and truly have the hot potato that is U10s coaching!

Thanks to all the parents who chipped in with words of encouragement for the boys throughout the match, and to Memo and Patrick who helped from the bench.

Next week: Away match against Bulleen, 11am kick-off at Veneto Club Bulleen

Season so far: P10, W9, D0, L1, Gls For 46, Gls Ag 10

C'mon the Y1s

Round 10 - U10 Blue - Match Report

2008-07-03T21:03:00.001+10:00

DATE: 28.06.08 OPPONENTS: CROYDON LOCATION: HOME

ANOTHER GREAT WIN FOR THE BLUES!!!

The home “drought” finally ended for the Doncaster Blues last Saturday after a great performance with a
2-1 defeat against Croydon. This is the 5th win for the Blues this season and the first one at home.

Although the visitors struck first in the early minutes of the game, the Blues gradually found their momentum and started to create chances for a goal. With Marko in goals again having a fine performance and a tight defense with Stefan, Alexander, Ethan and Michael in a new role. The boys covered every potential danger and our midfield began to push forward.

Tim, doing a lot of hard work, with Peter by his side and out wide Jake going up and down and Declan working his way forward. It was a matter of time before a forward line came up with the equalizer.

Jack and James always threatening to score finally did it just before half time making it 1-1, after a move that was created with great passing from the defense to the mid-field and finally to Jack who made no mistake.

In the second half with fresh legs coming onto the park like Billy, Damian and Corey who all had a great game and really put in the effort, it was obvious the Blues dominated. After taking a lot of shots with James, Jack Peter and Jake it was a well planned corner between Declan and Tim that produced the win for the Blues. Finally, Tim passed it to Declan putting it past the visitor’s keeper making it 2-1.

Congratulations to a great effort.

Unfortunately, Christopher and Justin weren’t there to celebrate with the rest of the boys but I am sure they will be very pleased with our first win at home.
Well done team!

John

Round 10 - U12B - Match Report

2008-06-30T21:37:00.001+10:00

Rovers 12B V Bulleen

The undefeated Rovers Team travelled to Veneto Club to take on 3rd place FC Bulleen, who had only lost won game for the season and were keen to make up ground on our boys. The boys were instructed to chase the ball hard from the outset, and to establish a dominant stance in the game early.

The boys did not disappoint, with some intense pressure in the opening 30 seconds of the game forcing Bulleen into conceding an own goal. The pace of our forward line continued to make opportunities for the team, although on occassions our defence looked a little exposed. This forced a switch in gameplan With Harry moving from Striker to a holding midfield role, which worked wonders as he consistently repelled the Bulleen attacks.

There were some great opportunities to extend the lead, with the highlight being Josh's long range attempt that went just wide of the upright. The chance to extend the lead before half time did eventually come however with some excellent pressure by Stephen forcing a goalkeeping error leaving the goal exposed for a 2-0 lead at half time.

The boys were warned that Bulleen would give everything they could in the second half, however the manner in which some of the opposition players, coaching staff and parents conducted themselves in the second half was very dissappointing. The great positive that did come out of it however was how our boys managed to keep their composure and not lose their focus. Despite Bulleens physical presence and us having to do a lot more defending in the second half we had a chance to bury the game with a late penalty. Despite the missed penalty our boys managed to hang on and keep a clean sheet once again.

The game showed two very contrasting teams, and their different approaches to the game. The boys can be very proud of their on field performance, resilience and sportsmanship.

Final Result: Doncaster 2-0 Bulleen
Scorers: Own Goal, Stephen
Goal of the week: Stephen

Round 10 - U14A - Match Report

2008-06-30T21:34:00.000+10:00

U14A Doncaster Rovers vs Caulfield North 29th June

This was the game where the boys were looking for some consistency and some respect on the ladder from a team above them on points but whom we missed playing the first time around.
The day was cool and overcast with a bit of wind favouring the south end on the main ground.
With Rovers kicking into the wind the game opened up with most of the play in Rovers forward half, with good runs by Jansen and crosses into the box a feature with the odd save by their keeper. Every time the ball was lofted into the Rovers half Nick D, Michael Piccoli , Joel and Chris had little trouble mopping up and passing the ball back to the centres where Phil, Alex and Matt were passing forward to keep the pressure on. All the play was in the Caulfield half with Steve putting in a good cross to Alex who headed the ball just over the bar. Drew was also under notice with good play beating three defenders in the right corner but his cross was pushed back out by the defenders.
All the forward pressure resulted in corners with Chris lobbing the ball nicely into the box where Alex tapped across to Steve whose turn and volley found the back of the net for our first goal. It was a relief to be on the board after a lot of build ups and set the boys into motion. Soon after Jansen put in another good run down the right and crossed to Phil who flicked the ball to Alex for a simple tap in as the goalie was motionless. Shortly after Phil put in another good pass to Jansen and with a good run he cracked the ball wide to the relief of the keeper.

Half-time score: Rovers 2 : Nth Caulfield 0

The second half started with loose play by both sides and the opposition were lacking in skills and attitude, could Rovers lift again and show the same application as last week?
This was soon answered emphatically when good forward play saw Drew beat his man and lay off a good pass to Michael Palomares whose excellent cross found Steve unmarked at the far post for his second and Rovers third. Dion and Elliot were introduced to give Chris and Phil a rest, and were immediately in the action. Elliot took the corners, one to Nick whose header just went over the top. The keeper managed a couple of saves, while at the other end Luke was not called into duty often but when required did the job with good timing and without fuss.
A feature of the game was the good passing by the boys usually to the feet of their team mates and really kept Nth Caulfield under the pump all day. Nick V to Michael to Jansen was excellent play but unfortunately Rovers had a few off sides that reduced the pressure on the defence.
Chris and Matt were back on and controlled the centre as Chris passed to Michael Palomares who passed to Steve for a good left foot goal (hat – trick for Steve). The boys continued to press and several chances went begging before a good corner from Chris set up Steve again for his fourth goal, a header that left the goalie stranded.

This game left no doubt that the boy’s new found belief in themselves is no one week wonder. The question in most minds was how could Nth Caulfield be above us on the ladder and look so weak in skills and application. You can have a bad day but unless they had five or six away on holidays they really were pretenders.

Scores at full-time: Rovers 5 : Nth Caulfield 0

GO ROVERS !! – Well done boys, you kept on going for the full game.

Round 10 - U12C - Match Report

2008-06-29T22:27:00.000+10:00

A scoreless draw against a determined Richmond team but perhaps a turning point for the boys’ maturity under pressure.

Following on from the last two games against tough opponents, the boys mental toughness continued to be tested in the first half of the match with Richmond’s determined game play unsettling the boys. Team cohesion lacked and Richmond’s goalie was never really threatened.
It was testament to the defenders high work rate and resolve that Richmond went into the break without a goal despite some threatening moments.

The beginning of the second half continued the theme of the first half before the boys settled and constructive play began to re-appear. The boys began to consistently threaten the Richmond goalie but were unable to get a decent strike at the goals. They were a little unlucky not to have hit their straps a little earlier and get a goal towards the end of the second half.

With the defenders keeping the boys in the game this week, special mention goes to Christian along with Christopher P. for their great covering runs. Their reading of play and zest in covering breaks by the opposition has stepped up a level over the last couple of games.

*** Coach’s comments – Jack Talia

A great effort by Bertan today in repelling various attacks down the right hand side. He was instrumental in winning a lot of the ball in the air with headers, stalling many Richmond advances forward.

Christian was fantastic in being dynamic by coming forward and being first to the ball denying the Richmond forwards the opportunity to get first use. His hard running to get back when our moves forward broke down was also a highlight especially in the second half.

A great game by Cameron in staying focused and being able to read the passages of play so well that his various clearances by foot saved us on a number of occasions. By coming off his line at critical times and playing the last defender he capped off a great all round game as keeper.

Round 10 - U10 Yellow - Match Report

2008-06-29T22:04:00.002+10:00

Saturday, 28 June (away) vs Sandringham

Win's a win at Sandy

With Atomica Coffee Coach of the Month on international duty in the UK, the Y1s travelled to the bayside suburbs in a bid to continue its unblemished record against an unknown quantity in Sandringham.

Talk on the sidelines prior to kick-off was that the home team would look to take it up to their highly-fancied opponents, with Sandy coming off a strong win the previous week against Casey Comets. Despite the build-up, the match started as a scrappy affair and never took off from there. A sticky, bumpy surface and two teams intent on crowding the ball made for a dour battle largely across midfield.

Despite the Y1s inability to find their slick passing game, a moment of class in front of goal had Doncaster one up after 10 minutes, when Alexander executed a deft flick over the advancing Sandy keeper following a smart cross from Ari on the left. With possession tilting slightly towards the home team, the Y1s were working hard to find their rhythm while a rotating backline of Jeremy, Jason, Lachie, Anton and Matt H managed to negate Sandy's attackers who were looking dangerous on the break. A second goal was needed to swing the pendulum in our favour, and it came 20 minutes in when Jonathon S broke through from a midfield scramble and ran into a one-on-one position with the keeper, slotting the ball home to take the wind out of Sandy's sails.

So, 2-0 at the break and it was a strangely subdued Doncaster Rovers that gathered for the half-time talk, the make-shift coaching panel under pressure to ignite the spark that has carried the boys to an impressive string of victories through the year. Perhaps they were yearning for the Exley touch, or were they in the midst of a mid-season trough?

The second half started much like the first, and it was clear we were going to have to battle for our win. Matt V, Jonathon N, Jacob, James and Jonathon S were trying to cover the vast spaces between attack and defence, while Yianni, Ari and Alexander were looking to make the most of the half chances that were coming their way. With Sandy looking dangerous from corners, Kirk was forced into action on a few occasions and looked solid in keeping out a couple of long range efforts.

A goal for Sandy would put them back in the game, but we managed to find the sealer with 10 minutes to play when Ari and Jonathon S exchanged passes on the left allowing Jonathon to break through and fire a shot toward the far corner. Yianni was on the spot to tap in and make sure of Doncaster's third and deciding goal.

It wasn't pretty, but our poise in front of goal was the difference between the two teams. A bit to work on at training next week, with a focus on keeping our shape and recapturing our fluent passing game.

Thanks to Memo and Patrick who assisted on the day, and to the other parents who made the early-morning trek to support the boys.

Next week: Round 11 home match against DRSC 2, 9am kick-off at Anderson Park.

Season so far: P9, W9, D0, L0, Gls For 46, Gls Ag 8

C'mon the Y1s

Round 9 - U10 Blue - Match Report

2008-06-27T13:39:00.000+10:00

DATE: 21.06.08 OPPONENTS: RIVERSDALE

LOCATION: RIVERSDALE

THE BLUES FIND FORM AGAIN…

After last week’s narrow loss (0-1) to Knox the Doncaster U10 Blues bounced back into their familiar form, winning away against Riversdale by 4-2. With a few changes in the middle of the park, with Declan and Tim making their presence felt and having out wide Jake who had a tremendous game and Alexander doing a lot of work on the right, it wasn’t long before James started to find the back of the net.
The Blues went up by 2-0 with goals coming from James and Justin. Riversdale managed to pull one back just before half time making the score line 2-1.
In the second half the tempo of the game went one gear up, with both teams playing great soccer. Our defense with Marko in charge, coming off his line on many occasions and with great clearances, made the job of Stefan (who had a great game), Corey, Damian, Ethan, Billy and Peter (who helped both in midfield and in defense) a lot easier. Christopher and Michael gave the Blues fresh legs and it wasn’t long before the Blues made it 3-1. A great counter attack with Jack making a great run and passing the ball to Tim, who made no mistake slotting another goal. Riversdale however didn’t give up, pulling one back and making it 3-2. However, it was Doncaster’s day with James scoring one more making the final score line 4-2.
Overall, it was a great performance from all the boys who put in a lot of effort and most of all there was a lot of constructive team play.

Well done!!!!