Round 12
A very welcome return of the sun this weekend. At 12 degrees at 9am, it was positively balmy after the last 2 weekends of rain and bitterly cold winds. At home the canteen was rocking, and games on all pitches meant there was some great soccer on display.
U7 Lightning
The sun was finally shining and warm for our game vs Vasse, and what an epic game! Lots of action at both ends, hits and hilarious misses. The sportsmanship and inclusion shown by all of our players has been a joy to watch blossom, amazing work Lightning!
Player of the day with thanks to Burger Baby was Alfie Collins, well done!
U7 Shadows
The Shadows enjoyed a fun, high energy game against their friends from FMR Thunder. The teams were evenly matched and everyone showed great passing and team work skills. The Shadows kept strong formations to pass the ball around the ground, resulting in goals from Kai, Ted and Harry. Jimmy, Elkie and Kaden were amazing defenders throughout the game as well. Jimmy and Kai were both named Players of the Match, as Jimmy’s defense was unmatched and Kai’s speed helped the Shadows to keep the ball in their forward half for much of a game. Amazing effort Shadows!
U8 Falcons
The difference a week makes! With sunshine above them the Falcons started on fire today with a few rapid early goals. The Dunsborough Knights lifted and a competitive game was enjoyed by all. Matt is headed off on holidays for the rest of the season, great season Matthew. Players of the day today were Lenny and Ashton who both showed great teamwork and energy.
U9 Messi Kids
The Messi Kids started the game against the Warriors with immense energy and focus. Their passing networks were crisp, accurate, and involved every single player on the pitch. This team chemistry allowed them to completely dominate possession and finish the first half firmly on top.
The match marked the end of an era for the team as they said goodbye to Quinn. Having been a core part of the squad for three years, his presence on the field will be deeply missed. The team played with extra heart to ensure his final send-off was memorable.
Luke was named Player of the Day for his outstanding work on the field and giving it a go in goal anchoring the team's brilliant play.
We wish Quinn and our manager Krista well for their future adventures.
U9 Raptors
The Margaret River Raptors faced the Dunsborough Stars today in what was undoubtedly one of the toughest and most physical games the team has played this season.
From the opening whistle, it was an absolute battle. The Dunsborough Stars were strong, physical and relentless, but the Raptors showed enormous courage, determination and grit throughout the match. Despite the pressure and physicality, the boys never stopped fighting for every ball and continued to back themselves right through to the final whistle.
The Raptors got themselves into the lead with an amazing strike from Isaac, following a fantastic cross into the box. It was a brilliant example of the work the boys have been putting in at training, particularly their focus on getting quality balls into dangerous areas. The hard work on the training ground is clearly starting to translate onto the pitch.
Ezra was relentless throughout the game, covering huge amounts of ground and constantly putting pressure on the opposition. His running and work rate were outstanding, and he never gave the Stars an easy moment.
Eddie showed tremendous strength in attack. Against a very strong and physical Dunsborough defence, Eddie continually challenged for the ball, held his ground and looked to create opportunities for the Raptors.
Then came a fantastic moment from Ollie, who produced a cracking finish into the top corner. It was a superb goal and demonstrated the quality the Raptors can produce even when playing against a very determined and physical opponent.
At the other end of the pitch, Will was outstanding in goal. He pulled off some great saves when the pressure was on and repeatedly stood between the Stars and the back of the net. After another impressive performance, he might just have to change his name to “The Wall”!
Aston once again showed exactly what he brings to the team. He was constantly running, never afraid to get stuck in and put in some strong tackles when they were needed. His energy and willingness to compete for every ball were crucial in such a physical contest.
Leo has been working hard on developing his left foot, and that hard work paid off in a huge moment for the team. Leo scored the equaliser with a brilliant strike right at the whistle, ensuring the Raptors finished the game level after an incredibly hard-fought contest. It was a fantastic reward for his persistence and determination.
Leading the team from the front was Bo, who delivered another solid performance as captain. Bo led by example, remained composed in the middle of the battle and did a fantastic job of keeping the team together during a very demanding game.
Lochie was another player who gave absolutely everything. He fought for every ball, never gave up on a challenge, put in some serious tackles and also contributed in attack. His willingness to keep competing until the very end was exactly what the Raptors needed in a game like this.
It was also fantastic to welcome Caolan back to the team after his long break overseas. Caolan immediately showed his strength in defence, standing up to a very physical Stars attack and making several crucial tackles when the team needed them most. His return was a welcome boost for the Raptors.
Overall, this was one of the toughest games the FMR Raptors have faced all season. The physicality, intensity and determination from both teams made it a true contest from beginning to end. What stood out most was the grit and determination of the Raptors. Every player contributed, every player fought for the team, and nobody gave up. Whether it was Isaac’s outstanding strike, Ollie’s top-corner finish, Leo’s late equaliser, Will’s saves, Bo’s leadership, Ezra’s relentless running, Eddie’s strength, Aston’s tackling, Lochies never-say-die attitude or Caolan’s strong return to defence, the entire squad showed what it means to play for each other.
The final result was a hard-earned draw, but the performance was a huge credit to the boys.
🏆 Man of the Match: Ezra, who was a thoroughly deserving Man of the Match. His relentless running, incredible work rate, courage and determination were on full display throughout the game. He never stopped working, never backed away from the physical contest and continued to give everything for the team until the final whistle.
A fantastic team performance from the Margaret River Raptors in an absolute battle. What a game!
U10 Mavericks
It was spectacular day at Gloucester Park on Saturday. A tight match between MUSC team 2 and MR Mavs allowed these three players to shine through. Angus Collins, Zephr Dodd and Flynn hardy very deserving winners of the Mavs POD.
U11 Hornets
Two first half goals by Dunsborough despite several good saves from hornets goalkeeper Arlo G. Great passing from Chase resulted in the hornets first goal by Josh.
Quick goal by Decky got the second half started for the Hornets. Huge boot from the backfield by Harvey resulted in a go ahead goal for theHornets.
Third goal by Dunsborough mid second half tied it up. Unlucky penalty shot resulted in a goal for Dunsborough.
Player of the game goes to Sam for great passing. Thanks to the sponsor of the week GOLF GARDENS
U11 Dragons
The Dragons were at home again this weekend, enjoying some unseasonably sunny weather for our third and final match against the Dunsborough Fire.
It was a strong and physical contest, with the Dragons having to work hard throughout the game to fend off the Fire. There were some great passages of play, with the team creating plenty of scoring opportunities. While at times we could have moved the ball more effectively, every player had a shining moment and demonstrated the skills they have learnt and refined throughout the season.
As we head towards our final games, the Dragons will be looking to keep lifting our game. Staying engaged, being mindful of our positioning and remaining switched on will help us finish the season in a strong position.
Our players of the day today were Finley and Jack! Thanks to Burger Baby and our very own FMR canteen for the vouchers.
U11 Serpents
The Serpents took on the Capel Pups in a hard-fought game, with the Pups starting quickly and scoring three straight goals. But the Serpents held their heads high, coming back to level the score with some brilliant defending and an incredible volley from Jonnie, while Noah wrapped up a hat-trick. POD went to Thiago for his brilliant defending, which anchored the comeback, with a special mention to Zephyr and Jonnie for their non-stop running throughout the game. Thanks to Golf Gardens for the POD voucher!
U12 Storm
What a well-deserved win! U12 Storm worked incredibly hard against MUSC, running from box to box, covering the pitch and, importantly, covering for each other throughout the match.
If we had enough vouchers, everyone would have deserved one this week! The whole team put in a fantastic effort and should be very proud of their performance.
Our POD, proudly sponsored by Golf Gardens, went to Sylvie, who shone with her fantastic work rate and some fabulous goals, helping lead Storm to victory.
Well done, Storm! What a team effort! ⚽👏
U13 All Stars
It was an exciting game for our All-Star team today, with some fantastic performances from the players. Isaac started the game as goalkeeper and did an outstanding job in the first half, making an impressive save just 10 minutes after the game began and preventing the opposition from scoring.
At 28 minutes into the first half, Kai Field found the back of the net, scoring a great goal for our team and giving everyone plenty to cheer about. The parents were enthusiastically supporting the team from the sidelines, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
In the second half, our new goalkeeper, Reef, stepped up and delivered a remarkable performance. He made several excellent saves, helping to prevent the opposition from adding seven more goals to their score.
It was a wonderful team effort, with the players showing determination and enthusiasm throughout the match. The parents continued to cheer loudly and encourage the team right until the final whistle.
Well done, All-Star team! What an amazing effort!
U17 Mustangs
The Mustangs faced the Australind Leopards this week at home. It was a thrilling match with our team playing well with some great passing getting the ball up to our forwards. Charlie, Will, and Digby led by always the always calm and skilled Reef played with skill and intelligence in the back, thwarting the Leopards forwards and moving the ball back to our attackers.
Sid and Ethan worked their feet off with their skills and footwork running rings around the opposition. Ollie leading play in the mid and Reef perfectly stole the ball to give us another forward play. Alex was keeping ball in down the line, and running the long balls down. Good footwork by Kelani to move the ball through the field to Kai who scored the first goal of the game. Alex had a run, but shot was saved.
In our defensive end, Riley was doing a great job in goals. Charlie, Will and Reef applying good pressure on the Leopards attackers. A great pass by Richard gave Kai another chance but saved by keeper. We had a chance on the Corner with a great header by Reef but went over. Reef and William thwarted a Leopards forward chance with a great header by Will. An Alex and Kai combo gave us another chance, but went wide.
A penalty gave Australind their first despite Riley’s valiant attempt to save the shot. Got hands on, but went through to even the score. A pass from Richard, tp Ethan who passed up to Kai who scored to give us back the lead at half time. The Mustangs learnt from last week and came back out with intensity from the whistle. Digby, Kai and Alex all had shots, but were saved by the keeper.
A pass up had Digby and Kai working together. Goalie came out to take on Digby and Kai knocked it in. An intercept by Jay to Ethan gave him a shot but was well wide. A blinder of a shot by Aust rallied bounced off the top post and was saved by Riley. Kelani got a chance after a banger of a shot, but went over the top. Kai had another chance but keeper blocked. Ethan got the rebound and fought his way through the pack to score.
A real team effort from the back with some great passing up by multiple players gave Ethan another chance, but was saved by the keeper. Another good team effort for Kai but shot saved. A bit of a misunderstanding in the back gave Australind a clear run to score their second. Kelani had a shot of a throw in from Sid which was saved but Digs got the rebound and found the net for his first goal ever!! Whoo hoo! A penalty to us had Jay taking a solid shot which was on target, but just a bit high and went over. Not long after the whistle blew giving us the win 5-2.
Great result for the team who worked hard the whole 90 mins of play and didn’t give an inch. Kai got a hat-trick, Riley had a great game in goals and the teamwork on display was awesome. Players of the Day went to Will who didn’t stop working all game and backed himself with some great plays, and Richard who was calm and composed with an excellent game as a wing-back. Well done Mustangs!