Result: Glebe 2 lost to Sutherland 6
Half-time: Glebe 1 Sutherland 2
Penalty corners: Glebe 4 (1 goal) Sutherland 3 (1 goal)
Scorers: Will Brine, Paul Jowett
Glebe players: Clark Foster, Chris Farrugia, Tony Wark, Paul Jowett, Marley Seebacher, Andrew Cheong, Cameron Johnston, Adam Campano, Zane Goodridge, Will Brine, Brad Goodridge, Aiden Najdzion, Darren French, Lachlan Hall, Ken Wark coach, Terry Kelly manager, Sam Bagley (spectator)
Unavailable players: Sam Bagley (patella), Oliver Tordoff and Simon Wark (knee).
Pre-match prediction:
On 22 April 2023, Sutherland beat Glebe 5-2 at Cintra Park, Concord.
Sutherland is currently fourth on the competition table with 33 points from 11 wins and 4 losses, and Glebe is currently eighth on the competition table with 12 points from 4 wins and 11 losses. There are 11 teams in the competition. Sutherland has scored 48 goals and has had 24 scored against it, with a goal difference of + 24. Glebe has scored 18 goals and has had 63 goals scored against it, with a goal difference of – 45. Based on past performances Sutherland would be expected to beat Glebe by 4-5 goals, with Glebe scoring one goal, putting the predicted result in today’s game as a Sutherland victory 5 or 6 to 1.
The Glebe team has a competitive lineup for this game and if the aimless back and side passing is eliminated and the tackling is early and often, I think it will be a close contest. My prediction is for Glebe to lose 3-1.
Match Report:
Sutherland was a skilful team and had a couple of experienced players who capitalized on 3 or 4 Glebe defensive lapses, took their goal-scoring opportunities well and was the difference between the two teams. Sutherland scored four goals from Glebe’s errors of judgment, rather than scoring from well-constructed passing movements. For the most part, Glebe competed well, tried hard, and did their best. The game was definitely not a one-sided affair.
It was a beautiful day for hockey with a blue sky, a few white, fluffy clouds, little wind and a temperature of 20°C.
The game started with Sutherland skilfully passing the ball around and looking dangerous in attack. For the first 7 minutes, Sutherland was camped in Glebe territory, made 4-5 circle penetrations, and had 2-3 shots on goal which were well saved by Glebe goalkeeper Clark Foster. Glebe did well to stay in the game and prevent Sutherland from scoring. Glebe was tackling relentlessly to contain the Sutherland attacking raids. Sutherland had 60% of the territory in the first quarter.
Eight minutes into the first quarter Sutherland crashed the ball into the Glebe circle from 35 metres out from the inside right alley, where it caught a Glebe defender’s foot and it was awarded a penalty corner. No goal ensued.
Andrew Cheong was taking a good position as centre-half and Sutherland was finding it hard to come through the centre of the Glebe defence. Chris Farrugia and Brad Goodridge were tackling constantly and making Sutherland work for every metre they gained. With four minutes remaining in the first quarter Sutherland broke quickly down the left wing. The ball was transferred across the face of the Glebe goal where it hit a Glebe player’s foot and a penalty corner was awarded.
The first shot was saved by Clark Foster, but the rebound fell favourably for a Sutherland player who hit the ball high past keeper Foster, Glebe 0 Sutherland 1. In the first quarter, Glebe made no circle penetrations and did not have any shot at goal. Glebe was very much on the defensive finding it hard to compete. The score at the end of the first quarter was Glebe 0 Sutherland 1.
Seconds after the second quarter started Glebe had a golden opportunity to score. Centre-half Andrew Cheong, from midfield around the centre of the field, quickly passed the ball to Tony Wark on the right wing. Tony quickly passed the ball across the face of the Sutherland goal where Lachlan Hall was lurking, being pressured by the Sutherland goalkeeper. A scramble in front of the Sutherland goal ensued, but Lachlan was unable to push the ball into the net.
Two minutes into the second quarter Sutherland broke quickly from 20 metres inside its own half on the righthand side of the field and the Sutherland winger was five metres clear of the nearest Glebe defender. Chris Farrugia gave chase and got to the Sutherland forward as he was entering the circle, just as goalkeeper Clark Foster, who had left his goal was approaching the Sutherland forward. Chris did not allow the forward any room and the ball deflected off Clark just wide of the Glebe goal.
Six minutes into the second quarter a Glebe defender was taking a 15-metre hit in the inside right position. He decided to hit the ball across the top of the circle to a teammate in the inside left position. A wily, older Sutherland forward read what the Glebe defender was going to do and picked off the pass. The Sutherland forward walked into the Glebe circle and hit the ball past Clark Foster. The 15-metre hit was a high-risk, low-reward pass that was slapped rather than hit hard, the direction of the pass was telegraphed prior to the hit being taken, but even so, it showed excellent anticipation by the wily old Sutherland forward to make this interception, Glebe 0 Sutherland 2.
Midway through the second quarter Glebe won its first penalty corner for a bad Sutherland tackle inside the 22m area. Aiden Najdzion’s push-out was slightly off target and stopper Will Brine stood up and trapped the ball on his forestick, moved the ball into the circle, and cracked a hard shot at goal. The ball took a deflection off a Sutherland player’s stick and went into the back of the goal, Glebe 1 Sutherland 2.
Brad Goodridge was having his first game back after his hamstring tear and was playing well. Fortunately, he got through the game without any muscle troubles. Glebe was getting into the game and was pressuring the Sutherland defence. Eleven minutes into the second quarter Chris Farrugia crashed a ball from 40 metres out into the Sutherland circle and the ball bobbled about in the circle. This tactic was effective for Glebe.
With 2 minutes remaining in the second quarter Glebe worked the ball from 5 metres inside the Sutherland half in the midfield via Andrew Cheong, Zane Goodridge, and Lachlan Hall to Darren French five metres directly out from the Sutherland righthand goal post. Darren’s tomahawk shot went into the side netting. The second quarter was much better than the first for Glebe and the team had 4 or 5 red-hot scoring opportunities. The score at half-time was Glebe 1 Sutherland 2 and Glebe was still very much still in the game.
Glebe started strongly in the third quarter and was immediately on the attack. Tony Wark had a cracking shot at goal from the inside left alley on the top of the Sutherland circle that was well saved by the Sutherland goalkeeper. A hard shot from a Glebe penalty corner a few minutes later was well saved by the Sutherland goalkeeper.
A few minutes later a Glebe side pass was intercepted by a Sutherland forward who ran into the circle and hit for goal. His hit went wide. Seven minutes into the third quarter a Sutherland raid which started inside its own circle went the full length of the field before a Sutherland forward had a shot at the Glebe goal. Clark Foster saved the first-up shot, but the rebound fell to another Sutherland forward who hit the ball into the back of the net, Glebe 1 Sutherland 3.
Sutherland had 55% of the territory in the third quarter and was creating more scoring opportunities than Glebe, but Glebe was hanging on and had several scoring opportunities of its own. The score at the end of the third quarter was Glebe 1 Sutherland 3. Wing halves Marley Seebacher and Darren French were playing strongly and combining attack with defence. Zane Goodridge was covering a lot of territory, passing well and providing the link between the defence and the attack. Paul Jowett always looked dangerous when he got the ball in the forwards and his tackling back often disrupted attacking bursts from the Sutherland wing-halves. A Glebe comeback seemed unlikely, but at 1-3, it was still possible. Glebe had shown it could create goal-scoring opportunities in the first three quarters.
About one minute into the fourth quarter, Glebe was trying to get the ball from a 15-metre hit up the field. A fullback trying a high-risk, low-reward push-pass to a teammate 8 metres away, who was immediately tackled by a Sutherland forward. The Sutherland forward won possession of the ball strolled into the Glebe circle unopposed and hit the ball from the top of the circle past Clark Foster into the Glebe goal, Glebe 1 Sutherland 4.
One minute later, almost immediately after the hit-off following the previous goal, a Sutherland forward picked off a back pass, strolled into the Glebe circle unopposed and hit a hard tomahawk shot into the roof of the Glebe goal. The aimless back pass, telegraphed and passed slowly to a teammate is a dangerous tactic against wily, experienced forwards who have been around for 20 years and read oppositional players’ body language perfectly, Glebe 1 Sutherland 5. It was disappointing to have conceded two soft goals within minutes of each other.
The option taking by our defensive players when trying to break the opposition press needs a major overhaul. It was a major weakness of the team all year, which is why the team had the worst defensive record of any team in the competition. Take away the defensive lapses and the score would have been Glebe 1 – Sutherland 2.
Six minutes into the fourth quarter Glebe won its fourth penalty corner. A Cameron Johnston flick at hand height was easily saved by the Sutherland goalkeeper and the ball dropped down for Tony Wark to have a stand-up backstick shot at the Sutherland goal that went wide of the goal. This was an excellent scoring opportunity for Glebe. Glebe was making circle penetrations with relative ease and I had the feeling that another goal was possible.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, Sutherland had a sustained period of 10 minutes where it was pressing the Glebe defence hard. The Glebe defence was up to the task and denied Sutherland any real goal-scoring opportunities. Adam Campano was playing well as were Will Brine, Marley Seebacher, Darren French and Aiden Najdzion.
With three minutes remaining in the game, Glebe started to press up and try and find a way through the crowded Sutherland defence. This tactic left Glebe exposed to a quick counterattack, but with the score at 1-5, it was a reasonable option. A Sutherland forward spotted that all the Glebe players were inside the Sutherland half of the field and delivered a long overhead upfield to a Sutherland forward with no Glebe player within 15 metres of him. This Sutherland forward ran towards the Glebe circle unopposed. He pulled the ball to the side of the advancing Clark Foster and tomahawked the ball into the Glebe goal, Glebe 1 Sutherland 6. This Sutherland goal was another example of how Sutherland preyed on Glebe’s defensive lapses. Sutherland did not have to create goals with any teamwork of its own when it fed off the poor option-taking of the Glebe defenders.
A minute later Tony Wark positioned one metre from the lefthand sideline on halfway passed a quick ball along the sideline to Aiden Najdzion, who immediately passed the ball along the sideline up to Lachlan Hall 30 metres from the Sutherland backline two metres from the sideline. Lachlan hit the ball across the face of the Sutherland goal. The Sutherland goalkeeper advanced towards the ball, as did Paul Jowett. The ball hit the Sutherland goalkeeper’s pads simultaneously with Paul laying a touch on the ball.
The ball fortuitously fell directly behind the Sutherland goalkeeper, into the path of Paul Jowett who tapped the ball into the Sutherland goal for a Glebe goal, Glebe 2 Sutherland 6, which was the final score of the game.
If the defensive lapses were taken out of the game, Glebe played well and extended the Sutherland team. Option-taking is always a risk-reward assessment and today I think Glebe’s decision-making on this matter was flawed.
The team enjoyed playing today, tried hard and certainly was not outclassed. Our final record was 4 wins and 12 losses from 16 games, which placed us eight on the competition ladder out of 11 teams.
Tony Wark played his 400th senior Club game today. Congratulations Tony. In addition, Tony played 188 Junior games for Glebe. He commenced playing juniors for Glebe in 1988. He has had three years in Europe and five years in Victoria between 1988 and 2023.
I would like to congratulate the team on an excellent season, which ended today. The team was a credit to the coach and the GDHC, always doing its best with zeal, commitment and to the best of its ability.
Good luck for the off-season.
Harry Wark
Report on the Glebe v Sutherland Third Grade game played 1230 hours, 26 August 2023 at the Sutherland Synthetic Turf, Sylvania.