U16s Newcastle Jets stand tall in Wollongong, 1-0 win over South Coast Flame

In cold and windy conditions and on a field not fit for football of this standard, the u16s Newcastle Jets defeated South Coast Flame with greater ease than the 1-0 score line would indicate! Dominating play throughout the game, the Wollongong side was reduced to only one goal scoring opportunity throughout the match.

Fielding a squad without three regular players who were “playing up”, the Newcastle Jets dominated possession and goal scoring opportunities but lacked the ability to finish off their moves. The single goal in the match came late in the first half with a nice solo run and shot from just inside the box after the South Coast defense failed to challenge for the ball in time.

Apart from physical fatigue from playing their third match in seven days, mental fatigue was evident in the players due to their inability to stay composed when finishing moves. They dominated open play as well as goal scoring opportunities throughout the second half.

This situation was not improved after the match when as many as eight players were forced to “play up” into the u18s, some with a bare 10 minute break between games! Indeed the u18s team boasted only two outfield regular players and their goal keeper. The rest were u16s, the majority of whom had just put in an 80 minute shift in their own age group.

The effect of all this was the collection of only 7 points for the Club Championship and the possibility of perhaps missing out on promotion to FNSW Boy’s League One next season!

Players of all age groups have less than 24 hours to recover to play out the wash out match from Round 11, four months ago, against Prospect United in Sydney on Sunday!

On a positive, most of the U18s “playing up” today at Speers Point for the U20s will be available for tomorrow’s match in Sydney against Prospect United SC.