Result: Glebe 0 lost to Briars 6
Half-time: Glebe 0 Briars 5
Penalty corners: Glebe 1 (0 goals) Briars 5 (2 goals)
Scorers: nil
Glebe players: Clark Foster, Chris Farrugia, Zane Goodridge, Adam Campano, Aiden Najdzion, Oliver Tordoff, Marley Seebacher, Lachlan Hall, Tony Wark, Darren French, Will Brine, Jamie Travis, Craig Martin, Ken Wark (coach), Terry Kelly (manager)
Unavailable players: Andrew Cheong, Cameron Johnston, Sam Bagley (patella fracture), Brad Goodridge (hamstring injury), Simon Wark (knee), Clayton Herbst.
Pre-match prediction and analysis:
There are several key players out for today’s game, which will slightly dint Glebe’s firepower, but their replacements are experienced players who have had plenty of previous third-grade experience.
Briars is fifth on the competition table with 28 points from 9 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses. 39 goals for, and 27 against, with a goal difference of +11. Glebe is eighth on the competition table (out of 11 teams) with 12 points from 4 wins, 10 losses, 18 goals for, and 57 against, with a goal difference of -39. The AI analysis predicts a Glebe loss of 1-4, with Glebe scoring from a penalty corner.
If the team plays well and continues on from where it left off last week a close game is possible. Earlier tackling, earlier passing, keeping the ball wide, no shots at goal from impossible angles, and limited use of the side and back pass will be required for Glebe to stay in the game.
Match Report:
Briars were a skilful, competent, and well-drilled team. The score was a reasonable reflection of the talents and capabilities of the two teams. It was one of Glebe’s more forgettable performances. The team gameplan was poor, the trapping was ordinary, the enthusiasm level was low, the tackling was without conviction and the execution of our goal-scoring opportunities was below average.
The game got off to a bad start for Glebe, with Briars scoring within the first 30 seconds of the hit-off. Briars made three passes from the hit-off and attacked down the right wing. The ball came across to the penalty stroke spot in the Glebe circle to a Briars forward, who pushed the ball into the Glebe goalkeeper’s pads. The rebound fell fortuitously for a Briars forward a few metres out from the Glebe goal and he pushed the ball past Clark Foster into the Glebe goal, Glebe 0 – Briars 1.
For the first five minutes of the game, Glebe never got out of its own half. Glebe’s trapping was poor and edges off a Glebe stick frequently presented running opportunities for the Brairs forwards. In the tackles some Glebe players were using the stick like a magic wand, waving it around in the air, with no determination, grit or strength in the tackle.
Briar’s players were allowed to run with the ball and achieve operating speed before a Glebe player stepped up to make the tackle. Glebe’s tackling was too late and too tentative and no pressure was made on the Briars player with the ball. Briar’s defenders were allowed to pick their passes and do what they liked with the ball. The Glebe forwards needed to step up and make the early tackle, put the Briars fullbacks under pressure and not let them pick and choose when, where and how they would pass the ball.
Six minutes into the game Briars worked a good passing movement from 20 metres inside its own half to 15 metres outside the Glebe circle in mid-field. A Briar’s half crashed the ball, hit-and-hope style into the crowded Glebe defensive circle, where the ball hit a Glebe player’s foot and Briars was awarded its second penalty corner. From a direct hit at goal from the penalty corner, Briars scored its second goal, Glebe 0 Briars 2.
In the middle of the first quarter, Glebe engaged in pointless, aimless, frustrating, and at times dangerous back and side passing that did nothing to create gaps or outmanoeuvre the Briars press. This aimless back and side passing persisted for the first two-thirds of the game. From the sideline, the ball was often turned back infield to a Glebe player under pressure who was frequently on toast when he received the ball. From these turnovers, Briars broke quickly and looked dangerous. In the last 5 minutes of the first quarter, Briars were creating circle penetrations almost at will and Glebe was under intense pressure.
The Glebe defenders too often used the back pass when the much better option would have been to take the ball to the line, draw a Briars forward and then crash the ball through the gap created where the Briars forward came out of the press, to tackle the Glebe fullback coming forward. The crash ball down the sideline was what was needed to get the team out of trouble, but Darren French was the only defender who would use this option. The Glebe forwards were reluctant to run at pace with the ball on the stick, draw a Briars player and then pass to a teammate upfield.
Too often the younger Glebe forwards make good metres using their speed but then attempted to take on a Brairs defender when a pass to a teammate would have been the much better option. What is more the option they took to try and work the ball past the Brairs’ players’ outstretched stick was to take the ball along the turf to his forestick side. Invariably the Brairs defender dispossessed the Glebe forward. When engaging a defender with the ball on your stick the default manoeuvre is to take the ball to the defender’s back stick (left side) and accelerate with the ball. To repeatedly take the ball on the stick to the defender’s forestick side, with the ball on the turf and repeatedly get dispossessed is poor option taking.
The Glebe forwards needed to run fast with the ball, draw a Briars’ player and then fire off a bullet-like pass to a teammate in space. There were too many meandering, cross-field runs, beating three defenders and eventually losing the ball without any ground gained. Zane Goodridge made several incisive runs down the righthand sideline just before the end of quarter time, linking up with Anthony Wark on a couple of occasions. The score at the end of quarter time was Glebe 0 Briars 2.
Briars broke well from defence, with excellent passing movements using the full width of the field and bullet-like passes to the stick. Three minutes into the second quarter Briars broke from 30 metres inside its own half with a rapid passing movement to 15 metres inside the Glebe half in the inside left alley. A Briars’ half then crashed the ball into the Glebe circle where it hit a Glebe defender’s foot and Brairs was awarded its third penalty corner. Clark Foster stopped the initial shot, but the rebound hit Will Brine on the foot and Briars’ fourth penalty corner was awarded.
From this corner, the ball was slipped left of the battery, where a Briar’s player got in a hard hit unopposed, which sneaked just inside the goalpost to Clark Foster’s left, Glebe 0 Briars 3. Briars were pressing the Glebe defence and the Glebe team reverted to the aimless back pass, side pass routine. Seven minutes into the second quarter, one of these side passes was disrupted by a Briar’s forward. The ball was transferred quickly down the leftwing and across into the Glebe circle where the ball was deflected in the Glebe goal from four metres out, Glebe 0 Briars 4.
Turning the ball inside from a sideline hit on your own 22 metres line is a risky business and, for the most part, the risks of using this option outweigh the rewards. Glebe was tending to run one-out and run when a bullet-like pass to the stick of a teammate would have been a much better option. There is a time and place to have a one-out run, but some of the team’s forwards do not read the game well enough to know when to run and when to pass. Their reading of the game is still developing.
In the middle of the second quarter, Briars broke quickly down the left wing and after a fluent passing movement the ball was crossed to the penalty stroke spot in the Glebe circle where a Briars forward deflected the ball past Clarke Foster into the Glebe goal, Glebe 0 Briars 5. Glebe was under pressure, although the team never gave up and battled on, although the defence was somewhat rudderless and the attack disorganised. Aidan Najdzion and Oliver Tordoff covered a lot of territory in mid-field, working hard in trying to defuse Brairs’ attacking raids.
Darren French powered a few cracking hits from half-time towards Tony Wark in a high attacking position. This tactic looked like Glebe’s best option for scoring. Unfortunately, Tony could not control a few of Darren’s rockets, when if he had done so, he was in for a 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper. Will Brine pulled off a few desperate tackles in defence which got the Glebe team out of very tight situations. Adam Campano and Chris Farrugia were trying hard and reading the game well. Marley Seebacher played as a wing half and is improving every game. It is a big step from under 17 to third-grade Premier Division and playing in this grade is good for Marley’s hockey development.
The score was Glebe 0 Briars 5 at half-time and Glebe was looking like it would be beaten by double figures for the second time this season. Glebe needed more energy, more enthusiasm, better trapping of the ball and a better game plan if it was going to do better in the second half.
The third quarter started with Briars on the attack. Left half Craig Martin threw a few long overhead flicks from deep defence which relieved a lot of pressure. Jamie Travis was energetic up front and relentlessly harassed the Briars’ defenders. Six minutes into the third quarter Brairs broke quickly from defence, 10 metres inside its own half, down the left-hand flank, using a series of well-executed passes. The Glebe defenders were struggling to get back in defence. The ball was crossed towards the penalty stroke spot in the Glebe circle where it was deflected past Glebe goalkeeper Clarke Foster, Glebe 0 Briars 6.
In the middle of the third quarter, Lachlan Hall passed the ball from halfway to an unmarked Tony Wark 20 metres outside the Briars circle. It was a good pass and if Tony had controlled the ball, he would have been into the circle for a 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper. Unfortunately, Tony fluffed the relatively simple trap. He was dreaming of what he was going to do after he had the ball under control rather than concentrating on getting the ball under control.
Glebe’s passing was often wayward and passes were not fast enough and not early enough. This allowed Briars to intercept many Glebe passes. Glebe played without possession for a lot of the time, but Chris Farrugia, Darren French, Will Brine and Craig Martin tackled strongly and Briars were finding it harder to penetrate the Glebe defence. Marley Seebacher was beginning to use the big hit down the sideline to good effect, as was Will Brine. This allowed Glebe to play more of the game in Briars territory., and this territorial improvement greatly reduced the number of Briars’ circle penetrations.
With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, a Briars’ forward at the top of the circle in the inside right position had a free shot at goal. Glebe goalkeeper Clarke Foster made a confident save. Clarke saw a lot of the ball in today’s game and his positional play was excellent. The score at the end of the third quarter was Glebe 0 Briars 6.
For most of the game, Glebe had been under pressure in defence with a few half-chances and forays into the Briars’ circle. Glebe would have had only five or six circle penetrations in the three-quarters of play. Glebe lacked zip-zip and seemed to be a bit flat.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Glebe was managing to keep the ball inside the Briars’ half and for the first time built a bit of sustained pressure. Four minutes into the fourth quarter the ball came quickly to an unmarked Tony Wark on halfway in the leftwing position. Tony sprinted down the lefthand sideline and passed the ball across the face of the Briars’ goal to an unmarked Aiden Najdzion on the penalty spot. Unfortunately, the ball hit Aiden’s foot and an excellent goal-scoring opportunity went begging. Glebe had three excellent goal-scoring opportunities in today’s game, without converting any of these great chances into goals.
Briars made a few quick breaks from defence which looked dangerous, but the Glebe tackling had improved and the stick was being used less like a fairy’s wand and more like a tool to dispossess an opposition player. Brairs did not have a penalty corner in the second half, which reflects the fact that Glebe was gaining more territory and tackling better. Will Brine and Marley Seebacher were using the crash hit down the sideline to good effect and it was a good pressure-relieving tactic, gaining Glebe a lot of territory. The aimless, purposeless back and side passes were fewer in the fourth quarter, and the defenders were more inclined to draw a Briars’ attacker before hitting the ball forward. Finding holes in the Briars’ defensive formation became easier using this tactic.
With six minutes remaining in the game Glebe, after a few minutes of sustained pressure, won its first and only penalty corner of the game. The push-out was not straight, which forced the stopper, Will Brine, to attempt a stick stop in the standing position. His shot at goal was a good one, but it was deflected wide by the Briars’ first runner. Glebe’s ball trapping was still poor and this frequently prevented Glebe from maintaining pressure on the Briars’ defence.
The fourth quarter was Glebe’s best quarter of the game, Briars was held scoreless in this quarter and Glebe won the penalty corner count 1-0. The Glebe team never recovered from its poor start but did get better as the game progressed. We had no cards today, which was encouraging, but we found it hard to settle into our usual pattern of play and I am sure the team can do better. I am sure the players tried hard to do their best. Some days are sunshine and some days are rain. I think today was one of our rainy days.
My prediction is that we will do better in the last game of the 2023 season next week at the Sylvania turf, Sylvania against Sutherland, with a start time of 12.30 pm.
Report on the Glebe v Briars Third Grade game played 1530 hours, 19 August 2023 at the Olympic Turf, Homebush.