Match Report

Round 13

FJFC U-14 Blue 10.6 (66) d Doncaster 6.3 (39) at Schramms Reserve, Sunday, July 18, 2010 There were some of us who thought that in years of ferrying boys to and from footy matches, that we had never played at the very circular Schramms Reserve in Doncaster. The quality of the home-made egg and bacon pies on sale this time would certainly have stayed in the mind if we had consumed them on some other bitterly cold winter Sunday. But the Roys had other reasons to remember the venue, for a contest that on this Sunday started as a lop-sided match that came perilously close to Fitzroy snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It started in the manner many of the boys' games have gone this year: there was strength and purpose across the ground, in the key positions and through the midfield. Josh and Kent both snared early goals with strong and creative play. Al was in fine form and Ahmed, back from the golds, was running free. Charlie looked unstoppable in the ruck and Jesse showed the importance of tenacity and courage in the tackles. Connor couldn't hang on to a goal square mark, but Jaquan pounced and kicked the Roys' third for the quarter to set up a 20-point lead. It was tough, grinding footy but the Roys kept working hard and finding their man. The Roys started to take control in the second quarter, with cleaner touches and making space forward of the ball. Ahmed kicked the first of the quarter, then Pat, streaming through the centre found Connor who marked and was given a 15m penalty that led to another major. Doncaster pulled one back but Al, Josh and then Connor goalled again, after being on the end of a Mo free, that gave the Roy's a huge half-time lead. Something must have happened in the sheds during the long break. Certainly, the weather turned nastier - from cold and miserable, to cold, wet, windy and miserable. Scoring became harder, but even so, the Doncaster Cats looked like they had been transformed by the break. They came out with more purpose and intent and started to win the ball. The Roys' possessions started to dry up: the kicks to position or leading forwards disappeared. The creative handballs stopped. The strong marks went south. And Doncaster kicked two goals to creep a little closer. Maybe it was the third quarter blues, but the Roys seemed to have lost their focus a little. They added four behinds on the scoreboard. It seemed to be worse at the start of the final quarter. The Cats looked like the Roys of the first half and they denied the Roys space, wrapping them up and slowly choking their handballs and long kicks. The defence was feeling the heat, especially after Doncaster added not one but three goals. Mu was trying hard but the home team had a sniff and they were playing like winners. Somehow Josh conjured a tackle in the centre of the ground that led to Pat shooting it forward where Wiz ran on to it and with his curving, long left-foot kicked the Roys' first goal since the second quarter. Moments later Kent laid an expert bone-cruncher to stop what looked like a certain Doncaster forward foray. The tide appeared to be turning and when Ahmed goalled from a free, the Roys were home. It was a close-run thing. but the boys steadied just in time.

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