Round 12
Round 12 and the sun was shining! Nice to have a dry game day after a few wet cold ones. It was the FIFA Cup Semi Finals for a number of our FIFA aged teams and good to see a number of them winning their games and heading to the finals.
U7 Falcons
It was back to a repeat of week one challenging the GMAS Grasshoppers. Passing and dribbling excelled amongst the Falcons today with a few goals thrown in for a good day on the pitch. Archer and Owen stood out with player of the days but the whole team was rewarded thanks to the canteen for their superb team work.
U8 Magic
It was a sunny midday game in Busselton for Magic’s Round 12 clash against the GMAS Wolves. The Wolves came out hard, formidable in both attack and defence - one of our biggest challenges yet this season. Our Magician’s rose to the test with some fantastic moments all over the pitch.
Oleg starred in goals during the first half, pulling off some brilliant saves. Remi took over in goal for the second half, putting his body on the line to stop countless shots - all with a big smile on his face. Amazing effort after a strong first half in defence.
Mo was lively in attack with some close shots on goal and also dropped back into defence when needed, giving Remi strong support in the goal square. Mason also came agonisingly close with powerful shots, while Charlie broke through the defence for a thrilling run that hit the post - an unlucky miss. Sav pushed forward in attack and really went for the ball in the second half. Elbi was strong in defence with some great spoils, holding the line and keeping the Wolves at bay. Mason was tireless through the centre, kicking into space and linking up play. The passing and teamwork across the whole field were a real highlight.
Mitchell had some strong close shots on target in the first half and then used his blistering speed late in the second half to sneak through the wolf pack and score a terrific goal for Magic.
Our Player of the Day went to Oleg, who was brilliant in goals and all over the field in the second half - never giving up, chasing every ball, making tackles, and contesting play with fantastic energy and determination. A great effort from Magic - so many positives to take into next week!
U9 Legends XI
Legends 11 took on Capel Cubs in a rare hot winter’s day in Capel. The team found their groove in the second half with a comprehensive performance, securing the win with some goals straight out of the Arsenal play book. POD went to Jangchub for saving an amazing shot goal and scoring a brilliant game of his own. Special mention to Hutch for POD from previous week for all round commitment
U9 Raptors
Congratulation to Bodhi Woods and Jed Naylor who scored Football Margaret River canteen vouchers as players of the day for the Under 9s Raptors in their game against Vasse Mulgas. The Raptors went down 5-1 in a fast-paced game at Rapids Landing but lifted in the second half to pressure on their opponent. There were some impressive defensive moves and several promising shots at goal. Well done team and keep up the good work.
U9 Mavericks
It was a cracking day in Capel and the mighty Mavs put in super effort against the Capel Pups. Our players of the day went to Chloe and Kyra.
U10 Strikers
The Strikers put on an impressive display in a physical clash against the Vasse Adders on Saturday. Early goals from Chase, Arlo G., and Mateo gave the home side a flying start, setting the tone for a dominant performance.
Midfielders Josh, Miles, Arlo D., and Jake controlled the centre, constantly turning defence into attack, while defenders Sam and Archer were rock-solid at the back. Goalkeepers Osiris and Jake kept their cool, making key saves when Vasse managed to break through.
Despite Vasse sneaking in a couple of goals, the Strikers came out even stronger in the second half, sealing a well-earned win. It was a great team effort on a beautiful morning, with Josh and Miles named Players of the Day for their standout work in midfield.
U10 Dragons
The sun returned this weekend as the FMR Dragons travelled to Capel to play the Capel Cubs.
In the first half, the Dragons dominated possession and controlled the game from the first whistle. A mostly attacking play kept the Cubs under constant pressure. In the second half, coach Jimmy mixed the team formation up, giving players a chance to challenge themselves in different playing positions. It was really fun to watch the team adapt to their new positions and showing their versatility.
Every player had a moment to shine and overall it was a really fun match. Our players of the day for this round were Finny, who claimed his first hat-trick of the season; and Connor, who put the coach’s advice into action and played a clever game of football. Also a shout out to our players of the day from the previous round, Harry and Tim! Thanks to Witchy Pies, Golf Gardens and our very own FMR canteen for the vouchers.
U10 Serpents
What a fantastic effort from the Serpents today! The team played with great spirit and showed wonderful cooperation on the field. POD went to Elsie, who was a defensive star and showed incredible bravery when challenging for the ball, and Thiago, who never gave up chasing every opportunity. Thank you to Yahava and the FMR Canteen team for their ongoing support of our young soccer stars. Great job everyone - you should all be very proud!
U11 Roos
Great weather at home! The Roos applied pressure and made space. The subs got to be assistant coach and help coach Jay to assess what was happening on the pitch. Looking for all the strengths each player was putting forward. Second half the Roos really gained confidence as a team. Coach Jay was really happy with all the players. With a great discussion on everyone’s strengths lead by the players. As a team they thought Pema deserved POD. He played a great game and showed great sportsmanship.
U11 Storm
The sun was shining brightly today as U11 Storm took to the field. With the best weather we’ve had this end of the season, everyone rose to the occasion and played their best match yet. From the first whistle, every player showed fantastic teamwork, passing the ball and communication. They kept Vasse Venom on the ropes. The Scoops Farm POD goes to Zephyr Thomson for consistently doing all the small things that make the magic happen.
U12 Legends
Another FMR Derby in the Cup Semi’s with the Legends meeting the Stars. Both teams played their hearts out hoping for the win, but it was the Legends who took out the honours to progress to the Cup Finals.
U13 Wyverns
The Wyverns played two games this week. First up was Monday night against the U14 Development Squad. The Dev Squad scored the first goal and soon after a second. Benji saved a third goal in the first half. Challenging conditions, very wet grounds, windy and cold but all team members impressively braved the conditions powering on throughout the entire match. Michael smashed a goal from far right toward the end of first half. 1:2 half time score to the Dev Squad. Within 5 min of second half Oscar scored a goal assisted by Alby and penalty goal to Michael making it 3-2 to The Wyverns. Within a few mins of the final whistle the girls scored their 3rd goal resulting in a draw. A really good challenging match overall. Player of the match x3 to Alby, Benji and Banjo thanks to the FMR Canteen.
The second match of the week was on a beautiful morning in Margaret River set the stage for an exciting derby between the FMR Wyverns and FMR Stingrays in the Cup Semi, with the match kicking off at 9 am. The first half saw both teams attacking regularly, but the Wyverns took control early, scoring three goals. This allowed them to focus on defending in the second half, where the pace of the game slowed. It was great to witness two strong teams from Margaret River. In the end, the Wyverns won 6-1. Coach Gary highlighted two standout players. Despite being unwell all week, Nigel received a Witchy Pies voucher for his solid contribution to the game. Milo, whose attacking and pressure on the Stingrays’ defence stood out, was awarded a Golf Gardens voucher for his impressive efforts. Bring on the finals, FMR Wyverns are ready!
U14 Rockets
It was the semi-final cup—and what a match! The FMR Rockets gave everything they had, and then some. With no subs on the bench, every player stayed on the pitch from start to finish, showing incredible heart and teamwork. After the Gladiators scored two early goals, Dom responded with a brilliant strike in the first half, and the Rockets went into halftime trailing just 2–1—still in the fight and full of belief.
The Gladiators had speed and subs, but the Rockets never stopped pushing. Darcy gave the crowd a moment to remember with a mighty free kick that smashed into the net, sparking hopes of a comeback. Charlie was a true wall in goal, making save after save and keeping the team in it for as long as possible.
The Rockets never gave up, even as the score stretched their effort was nothing short of heroic. Sometimes it’s not meant to be, but their fight was unforgettable. Though the final score was 6–2, the Rockets walked off proud.
Player of the Day went to Dom and Charlie for their standout performances, and the whole team showed grit, courage, and real spirit—exactly what the game’s all about. Well done, Rockets. It’s always an incredible experience to watch you play. Shout out to Coach Jay for his dedication, cadence, and steady belief in every player on that pitch.
U14 Warriors
Today was a much anticipated match as we were playing the Cornerstone Blackhawks who beat us 2:0 last week. Declan put the team at ease by scoring the first goal of the game and from then on it was an exciting, adrenaline filled game.
Warriors did amazing team work and everyone did their part with a special mention to Declan, Sophia, Kalani and Arlo doing brilliant long bombs but player of the match went to Gabe who did a brilliant job at mid field position.
Warriors worked incredibly hard but in the end the Blackhawks were unbeatable today.
U15 Tigers
The Margaret River Tigers Under 15s put on a determined display in their match against the Busselton City Lions on Saturday, falling just short in a narrow 3-2 defeat.
The game was physical from the outset, with both teams showing intensity and commitment. The Tigers dominated possession in their attacking half throughout much of the match but were unable to fully capitalise on their opportunities. The Lions opened the scoring early with a penalty just outside the box, followed quickly by a second goal to put the Tigers on the back foot. Despite the early setback, Margaret River stayed
composed. Persistence from Levi, Alex and Arie created attacking chances, and their pressure eventually paid off when Alex found the back of the net to bring the Tigers back into the contest. The defensive trio of Charlie, Emilie and Mia held firm under pressure. With a standout performance from Mia today.
In the second half, Arie continued to push forward with intent, while Luca applied great pressure on the opposition midfield. The Lions extended their lead again through a second penalty, despite strong resistance from the Tigers’ backline.
The Tigers continued to fight hard, and their efforts were rewarded when Alex slotted his second goal to bring the score to 3-2. Despite a late surge and several attacking chances, the Tigers couldn’t find an equaliser. It was a gutsy effort from Margaret River, who showed resilience and teamwork throughout the game.
YL Blaze
YL Derby – Cup Semi Final
Saturday was always going to be a hard fought contest, as both teams were keen to make it to the Cup finals in September. Blaze was on fire in the first half. Our passing and movement of the ball was on point. Neither team was able to get an early goal. Henry made some strong saves at our defensive end - one with his boots, another one was punched over and a number of shots went wide. Up our attacking end, both Kai and Lisa took early shots went over or wide. Cas was solid defensively, winning his tackles and moving the ball forward. Lisa was strong up front giving us chances and taking shots. (She didn’t flinch when later in the game she took a close ball direct to the face. Ouch.) William had a blinder of a game in defence blocking balls and was an early contender for the “Toberlone Tackle for a great sliding tackle on old team mate Stirling. Poom was also giving it his all, making it hard for the Wanderers to get their shots off.
A great play up from Cas, to Lisa, to Sonny to Kai to give us the corner. Sid took the corner, with a kick across the goals and header from Kade went straight in to give us our first to the roar of the Blaze parents on the sidelines. Tilly was putting good pressure on, and Scarlett was her usual composed self until coming off with a knee injury. Digby and Charlie were working hard up the lines, and Jahli was slotting in with some good passing and runs with the ball. The ball was spending even time in each half, but the Wanderers next run up broke though to even the score.
A steal by Sonny in our defensive end, and a rough tackle by Wanderers gave us a free kick. A strong kick up by Henry, header by Wanderers, but Sonny got the ball, passed to Jahli, to Cass, to Charlotte, back to Jahli to Sid who did not miss and lined up the goals with a strong shot that went straight in the corner. 2-1 to us as the whistle blew on the first half.
The second half was just a tough. An unsafe tackle gave us a free kick in front of goals, but Sid couldn’t break the wall to convert. Wanderers had a good chance but Charlie was able to clear it. They got it back and took a shot but Henry punched it over. Unfortunately for us, they did convert from the corner to even the score 2-2. Asha was staying strong and not making it easy for them with some good tackles despite being pushed to the ground more than once, and she, Kai and Lisa continued to make plays in our forward half. Wanderers had a shot saved by Henry. A solid block by Poom followed not long after, but the rebound gave Wanderers a shot that went in to give them the lead. 2-3. Another strong save from Henry denied them another goal. Sid had a kick across the box, but no one able to get their heads on it. Asha took a shot from the rebind but went wide. Wanderers next run up beat the defenders, with the final score 2-4 to them in what was a tight, rough contest.
Coach Matt said after the game that we left it all out on the pitch, and our development is going from strength to strength. We are playing well and with spirit to the final whistle and he couldn’t be prouder of the team. Said we will forge on and will get another chance against them in a couple of weeks in a league game. Matt said there was no POD today, as everyone contributed and every one put their all in. Was a total team performance, but the Toblerone Tackle goes to Will - that was an epic tackle. Top top draw. The Maltesers also came out for a “Goal of the Season” contender, which went to Sid for his impressive shot. He took the touch and delivered it. Perfection.
Well done Blaze. You played with heart and you can be proud of the way you conducted yourselves on the pitch.