PS4 NPL NNSW Round 16:Hamilton Olympic win physical encounter with the Jets Youth 1-0

Without Grant Brown and Daniel Bird who were both suspended, Olympic took on the Jets desperate for the three points that would keep their chances for the Major Premiership, alive.

Olympic began well, controlled the game but the Jets were very mobile and covered every blade of grass of Darling St Oval.

Olympic probed the Jet’s goal with crosses and through balls but the defence stood their ground in deflecting every attack. The best opportunity in the 16^th minute when Swan rounded the defence from the left and put in a lovely cross which was cleared desperately for a corner before Kane Goodchild could tap it in for the opening goal.

By 21^st minute Simon Mooney feeds the ball to Tommy Spencer on the left who rounds his marker and plants the ball in the far corner of the Jets goal to open the score 1-0.

A few moments later the first disaster for Olympic struck when Danny Ireland, in an attempt to collect the ball, was clipped by a Jets player, resulting in him spraining his ankle.

Olympic continued to dominate play but the mobility and physicality of the Jets players prevented the creation of clear cut opportunities. Needless to say, the Jets team had little in common with the team that allowed Broadmeadow Magic humiliate them by 10 goals, two weeks earlier!

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Tommy Spencer, Olympic goal scorer

The second half began with a golden opportunity for the Jets to equalise when Kristian Brymora received a great ball from the left and with the keeper to beat, sent the ball over the cross bar instead of the back of the net.

Olympic took control of the game and began probing the Jets goal but again the Jets players held firm and prevented clear cut goal scoring opportunities.

By the 52^nd minute the second disaster for Olympic occurs when Richardson crashes into Jacob Bailey’s knee very late and after the ball was played! As a result the player was stretchered off with possibly a long term injury.

On the hour mark Kane Goodchild crossed from the right and Ben Koina darted through the Jets defence, screwing his shot inches above the cross bar!

A few moments later from almost the same position, Tommy Spencer was flattened inside the box in an attempt to block his shot from a Matthew Swan cross.

In the 75^th minute a cross by Tommy Spencer from the left finds the head of Ben Koina in the far post who sends a perfect header, only to be denied by an outstretched Jets goalie.

Three minutes from time Matthew Swan bursts into the Jets box, passes to Kane Goodchild who shoots low and into the corner, only to be denied again by the keeper!

Olympic collected the three points, remain undefeated, and are 1 point in front with two games to go before the end of the season. The attention of the Olympic faithful however will be with the news on the injuries of Jacob Bailey and Danny Ireland!