DEVONPORT STRIKERS V’s BURNIE UNITED

Under 18 match report

Saturday April 30, 2011

When the game kicked off, Devonport got off to a great start. The Strikers held the ball deep in Burnie’s half, making a few half-chances on goal.

When the game progressed, it was clear that Devonport had dropped their level of play compared to their great start. This was made all the more obvious when Burnie scored from a one on one with the keeper, after a pass that left Devonport’s defenders scratching their heads in disbelief.

The rest of the first half was evenly contested – no major chances were had by either team until the final minutes. Joshua Harris slotted one in the net after a rebound, but celebrations were cut short when the offside flag was raised late. Outrage from the sidelines ensued – players and spectators from both teams were baffled by the decision.

At halftime it was clear that Devonport were in trouble. 1 – 0 down is never a good prospect despite the misfortune that Devonport faced so far. All credit to Burnie, but Devonport cannot afford to concede simple goals like this, as Rod Andrews pointed out.

The second half began with some very even play once again. For one reason or another Devonport clearly were not playing to their full potential, but both Devonport and Burnie exchanged strong attacking plays.

Frustration mounted when offside after offside was called against the Strikers. To everyone who was watching the game, it was clear that Devonport were being affected by a series of dubious decisions made against them. Devonport’s attacks were stunted time and time again by a series of controversial refereeing decisions, not only offside’s.

Despite some very close chances on the Burnie goal in the dying minutes, Devonport were not able to score. Brady Grey showed desperation all over the ground to cap off an excellent game for him.

The final score stood at 1 – 0 to Burnie United. This is a disappointing result for Devonport, who wanted to claim some points with a game in hand. Although many would argue that Devonport were hard done by, it doesn’t change the fact that we conceded a goal which should never have been a goal.