May 20, 2023
The Dingoes made their second trip of the season out to Bardon to meet with the Dirty Dragons. Daniel was named captain, and Coach JP reinforced the team's focus on accuracy during the pre-game warm-up. The team huddled together just before kickoff and chanted, "1-2-3 Westside." Pumped up, the boys ran onto the pitch.
The game was intense in the first 10 minutes. Ben saved two goals, and Harlem took two strikes at the Dragons' goal. Diego's skills were on display, with excellent footwork and a solo run weaving through the defensive lines.
Although the boys conceded a goal halfway through the first half, they responded immediately with a shot on target. Harlem then scored a left-footed goal, sneaking it past the keeper at the near post. Max had a good first half, chasing the ball, passing, and even tackling on occasion, which is uncharacteristic of him.
The Dingoes were eager for a goal, with the score level at 1-1. Our midfielders did an excellent job of winning the ball back, leading to an attack that resulted in Harlem scoring a second goal, bringing the score to 2-1 in favour of the Dingoes just before the halftime whistle blew.
As the second half began, Diego, Braxton, and Harlem all took shots but were unfortunately unable to score. The Dragons responded by putting pressure on Daniel and Joel to clear the ball, but the attack was relentless, and they equalised, bringing the score to 2-2.
The game was intense as both teams pressed to take the lead. During a routine goal kick, a Dragon striker seized an opportunity and scored, placing them in the lead by one goal.
It was an end-to-end match. The Dragons kept up the pressure, forcing Ben to make two truly impressive saves that were applauded even by the opposition's parents. Joel did not stop running and could be seen all over the pitch, from clearing the ball in defence to assisting with attacks. In the final minutes, Diego beat two defenders and squeezed a cross into the danger area where Joel was waiting. Joel took the ball on the bounce with an impressive volley-like technique but was unlucky not to score.
The Dingoes put in a fantastic effort giving the sideline spectators a nail-biting finish.