United Go Down in 9 Goal Thriller

On Saturday 10th August Murray Bridge United travelled away to play against Angkor at their home ground in the Parafield High School. United lost the last game 1-7 against this team and improvement was need on that last performance. The game kicked off on time and started as predicted with Angkor knocking the ball around well and holding a lot of possession. The first 15 mins had both teams doing well, but being unable to create any clear cut chances on goal. Josh Margetts, this week found himself in an unfamiliar following role, to attempt to take Angkor’s best player out of the game, which he did very well, especially in the first 40 minutes of the clash. After 15 mins the game began to open up with players finding their feet and some tiring as both teams battled hard to break the deadlock. This happened on 25 mins when a long ball was played down the right line for Scott Graham and he made the ball right in the corner, cutting the ball back well for Dylan August. August had one touch before playing a diagonal ball to Lucas Ragazzo, who did well with no space to kill the ball with his first touch and hitting the ball well into the top corner of the net to make the scores 0-1. Angkor lifted after this and continually won corners, which United continued to keep out. On 40 mins, Angkor won another corner and this was hit in perfectly. With Angkor’s danger man rising the highest to head home. 1-1. The centre backs Harley McFee and Lloyd Oppelaar did an amazing job in the first half keeping everything organized and not letting Angkor have any chances on goal from open play in the whole first half. Also United’s wide men in Kane Oppelaar and Stuart Bradshaw looked to have plenty of run in their legs.

The second half could not have started any worse for United, with Angkor taking only 1 minute to score after a good run down the left. 2-1 and United knew they had to lift. Which they did and going forward they were creating half chances, but continued to be unable to create clear cut chances on goal. On 55 minutes, the task became much tougher for United, when Angkor again got on the scoresheet as they caught United napping with some good play. 1-3. But all this did was make United lift their game to another level and they pressed further forward, with Angkor’s centre backs under constant pressure throughout the contest, a lot of these occasions were started by long balls forward from Andrew Beaven in goals. On 65 mins, United were given a chance to get back into the game, when Stuart Bradshaw won a high ball in the box, only for his defender to go through his back. The whistle went with the ref pointing at the penalty spot. August was the taker and hit the ball well into the right of the net with the keeper having no chance. However, the whistle blew again and August was ordered to re take the penalty after a couple players entered the box before the penalty was hit. So again he hit it, this time not as good as the first, but the ball hit to the right again, with the keeper diving the wrong way. 3-2. With plenty of time left, United knew the game was there for them to take and McFee was having one of his best halves, with almost every attack by Angkor being cut out by his run and reading of the play. Thompson Brinkworth and Nathan Whitehead did their jobs all day out wide at the back and were solid when under pressure. But against United’s momentum Angkor again scored from inside the box to increase their buffer to 2 goals. 4-2. On 75 mins, Bradshaw received the ball about 25 yards out on a slight angle, only for his marker to again foul him with the ref calling for a free kick. Scott Graham stepped up for his 2nd free of the day, this time hitting a powerful effort into the right side of the net. The keeper had no chance whatsoever and United were coming. But again United let themself down with Angkor putting the result seemingly beyond doubt when they quickly replied to make the score 5-3. United players did not drop their heads, much to their credit and August and Graham, continued to get the ball in midfield, whether it being through an interception or play from the defence. On 80 mins, Josh Margetts received the ball deep in United’s half, with his amazing vision he hit a 40 metre diagonal through ball into the path of Graham who ran onto the ball and ran it into the box before finishing well with his left boot and the ball roll into the bottom right. 4-5. United again felt they had momentum, but this was dragged away from them again when with 8 minutes to go Bradshaw was shown his 2nd yellow and given marching orders. The 2nd was seemingly for nothing, but it must be obeyed. The game continued at high pace with Ragazzo having one last half chance which the keeper saved with ease. The final whistle blew with United falling just short or any points. Best players were, McFee, Graham, August and Margetts.





United Reserves Go Down Against Skilled Opponents

The team had a different dynamic from the outset this week with Keeper Fintan Heaney forced out of keeping duties and his father Chris Heaney stepping in to fill the void. From the starting whistle, it was easy to see Untied were up against it, with Angkor’s zippy forwards looking dangerous constantly and always getting into the box with the ball at their feet, but they continued to not put the ball away. Until they went ahead on 15 mins. United’s midfield of Naimat Nasiry, Bahati Onesphor, Ryan Lewcock and Shane Barton-Ancliffe worked tirelessly and had to from early on with Angkor’s touch and skill on show. However, United’s defence did well with Alex Albanesi and Stuart Bartlett in centre back, keeping the damage to a minimum. Nasiry found himself having 2 chances from distance. One of those seemed although it had gone in from the sidelines, only for the keeper to make a lunging save and the play being called to play on. Angkor put 2 more goals in to make the score 3-0 at the half time break.

The second half began where it left off with Angkor finding time and space on the ball. United continued to work hard as a group to keep them at bay, but Angkor twice finished well early in the half to make the scores 5-0. With the result beyond doubt, United’s players needed to make something happen to feel as though they didn’t drive all that way for nothing. Fintan Heaney came off the bench and made that happen, when he capitalized on the ball bobbling in United’s attacking box and hitting the ball passed the keeper, it looked like he finished it with the bottom of his foot. The team celebrated that goal with only 15 mins to play. Angkor never let up and regained their 5 goal buffer soon after. The final whistle went with the scores at 6-1 and united are still bottom of the league on goal difference only. Best were, Nasiry, Albanesi, Onesphor and Bartlett.