Ant's first half double and Hector's late penalty save earned us a valuable point against top four rival Jamberoo on Saturday. Jamberoo started the day in third, one point clear of us and that's how the weekend finished as well with the fifth placed Russell Vale being tonked 4-0 by top placed IFS, who we meet at home this week.
It's shaping as a crucial fortnight in our bid for the finals, first against IPS and then Russeell Vale, but we will enter it with more confidence following a solid performance.
Ant's first came in the opening 15 minutes as he worked a one-two with JB and buried the ball in the far corner with the outside of his left foot. Matt C, returning after a month of hamstring problems, set up the second. He beat his man down the left, took the ball to the byline and put in a perfect left-foot cross for Ant to head home.
Jamberoo had scored 45 goals before this game and were always going to be a threat, albeit one we dealt with brilliantly in the opening half.
They finished the half the stronger team and continued that into the next 45 minutes - appearing to have the edge in fitness. We clammed up and got stuck deep in our territory for long periods. It took some catastrophic refereeing to gift them a way back into the game. A Jamberoo forward tumbled theatrically outside the box under no pressure and a freekick was awarded. For the second week running the wall and keeper couldn't prevent the ball sailing straight into the net.
We had an excellent chance to restore the two goal lead when Ant and Andy had a two on one against the Jamberoo defence but Andy shot just over with Ant unmarked in front.
That was rare Chogs pressure, however, and Jamberoo soon added a second. As one of our subs suggested, it looked like we were sitting back waiting to concede a third when we very nearly did. GP skidded in to clear a ball in the box, the home players called "slide tackle" and the blind old coot in black pointed at the corner flag (while meaning to point at the penalty spot). Gary J was among the loudest complainers over the soft decision and the Jamberoo number 10 told him to quit his bitchin until after he put the ball in the net.
His shot was feeble - an insult to No. 10s the world over really - and Hector fell to his right and parried it in front. Gary J cleared it away to have the last laugh.
On the plus side, the passing and control was significantly improved and we stuck in a couple of nice goals. In the end it could have been a gut wrenching loss but we got away with a point that keeps us in the finals spots for now.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Hogs v Jamberoo
Hi all
So far we have Graeme D, Sean and Fergus out of Saturday's match against Jamberoo (not counting the two long term crocks). That would give us the full 16. If you are not fit or can't make it please get on here and let us know.
So far we have Graeme D, Sean and Fergus out of Saturday's match against Jamberoo (not counting the two long term crocks). That would give us the full 16. If you are not fit or can't make it please get on here and let us know.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
CHOGS 1 MAKOS 4
Two sloppy concessions early in the first half set the tone for a disappointing result on Saturday. The Makos, beaten 3-0 at home by the Chogs earlier this season, turned up with an exceptional new No.9 and missing the weak defensive link from the previous encounter.
Backline hesitancy opened the door for two goals in the opening quarter of an hour and the Makos shot 3-0 up soon after that, opening the door for a rout.
Gradually, however, we started to get back into the match but the Makos' passing was always superior as the Chogs rushed the ball. A couple of observers mentioned they had to count the Makos team so sure were they that the visitors enjoyed a numerical advantage.
A goal before the break seemed crucial if we were to stage a comeback but it never arrived, despite the insecure away keeper. Gary J nodded a corner just wide, Graeme D floated a free kick onto the top of the crossbar and Ant put the ball in the net only to be denied by a linesman's flag.
The second half involved a lot of huffing and puffing but the Makos extended their lead midway through. Michael was wrongly adjudged to have brought down the No.9 on the edge of the box. From the freekick the ball arrowed into the far corner with Hector standing behind his wall.
Any had a chance to open our account, blazing just over, and new boy Barton couldn't direct his shot at the target after passing the keeper. Eventually a consolation arrived. Andy won a battle down the right and crossed for Kev who was wrestled to the ground by the keeper. Kev dusted himself off and scored from the spot.
We were outplayed by a better team performance and we will all realise we can play much better.
Backline hesitancy opened the door for two goals in the opening quarter of an hour and the Makos shot 3-0 up soon after that, opening the door for a rout.
Gradually, however, we started to get back into the match but the Makos' passing was always superior as the Chogs rushed the ball. A couple of observers mentioned they had to count the Makos team so sure were they that the visitors enjoyed a numerical advantage.
A goal before the break seemed crucial if we were to stage a comeback but it never arrived, despite the insecure away keeper. Gary J nodded a corner just wide, Graeme D floated a free kick onto the top of the crossbar and Ant put the ball in the net only to be denied by a linesman's flag.
The second half involved a lot of huffing and puffing but the Makos extended their lead midway through. Michael was wrongly adjudged to have brought down the No.9 on the edge of the box. From the freekick the ball arrowed into the far corner with Hector standing behind his wall.
Any had a chance to open our account, blazing just over, and new boy Barton couldn't direct his shot at the target after passing the keeper. Eventually a consolation arrived. Andy won a battle down the right and crossed for Kev who was wrestled to the ground by the keeper. Kev dusted himself off and scored from the spot.
We were outplayed by a better team performance and we will all realise we can play much better.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Sound off...
It was pleasing to see a good turn out at training tonight and it was a pretty sharp and enjoyable session. At this stage we have Fergus, Sean and Phil as well as the two long term crocks absent from the 21 for this week leaving us with 16. Matt is in doubt after a medical, um, "procedure" so in reality we should be playing with 15. There is still plenty of time for things to go wrong though.
Please email THZero or leave a note here or fill out the when i'm away section if you are missing and not on this list.
Please email THZero or leave a note here or fill out the when i'm away section if you are missing and not on this list.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
'Andy player that!
A debut goal from Andy W and season firsts for Michael and Kev gave the Chogs a much needed 3-0 victory over Fernhill on Saturday.
Taking over the No.10 shirt, AW made a promising start in his first outdoor match in four years, showing impressive pace and a strong left foot. Skipper John was also on board for the first time and immediately brought some calm and authority to the Chogs midfield.
Neither provided the "biggest" eye opener of the early stages - that honour goes to Deano, who chose an interesting place for his nervous prematch wee - the centre spot of the neighboring field. Ant, I wouldn't know how to cap that fine.
After the toss, the Chogs, a surprise 1-0 loser in the home match against this team, found themselves running up hill into a strong and persistent wind in the first half with two subs. The opposition were well manned, with four subs, and the early stages were a close battle before we edged ahead.
A high ball held up in the wind and the Fernhill keeper collided with a defender, spilling the ball. Kev was standing by to pass the ball into the empty net.
It was important to lead at the break and the running was much easier down hill and with the wind behind us in the second term. Their keeper dealt well with a few long shots while our defence found it easier to clear their lines with the help of the wind.
Hector was barely troubled, making one special reflex save however, but midway through the half we eased further ahead. Andy took the ball with his back to goal and pivoted to swing a cool shot into the far corner with his left foot. He contributed to a late third as well, pressuring the keeper and defence into more confusion which allowed Michael to move in and shoot into an empty net.
Fergus's day ended early with a recurrence of his groin strain, hurt as he thundered a long range effort off the Fernhill bar.
With Ant, GP, GJ and MC due back next week, along with the other newcomer Barton, the feeling is that the mini-slump has been left well behind and we have the personnel to compete strongly with the other leading teams.
Well played guys.
THZero
Taking over the No.10 shirt, AW made a promising start in his first outdoor match in four years, showing impressive pace and a strong left foot. Skipper John was also on board for the first time and immediately brought some calm and authority to the Chogs midfield.
Neither provided the "biggest" eye opener of the early stages - that honour goes to Deano, who chose an interesting place for his nervous prematch wee - the centre spot of the neighboring field. Ant, I wouldn't know how to cap that fine.
After the toss, the Chogs, a surprise 1-0 loser in the home match against this team, found themselves running up hill into a strong and persistent wind in the first half with two subs. The opposition were well manned, with four subs, and the early stages were a close battle before we edged ahead.
A high ball held up in the wind and the Fernhill keeper collided with a defender, spilling the ball. Kev was standing by to pass the ball into the empty net.
It was important to lead at the break and the running was much easier down hill and with the wind behind us in the second term. Their keeper dealt well with a few long shots while our defence found it easier to clear their lines with the help of the wind.
Hector was barely troubled, making one special reflex save however, but midway through the half we eased further ahead. Andy took the ball with his back to goal and pivoted to swing a cool shot into the far corner with his left foot. He contributed to a late third as well, pressuring the keeper and defence into more confusion which allowed Michael to move in and shoot into an empty net.
Fergus's day ended early with a recurrence of his groin strain, hurt as he thundered a long range effort off the Fernhill bar.
With Ant, GP, GJ and MC due back next week, along with the other newcomer Barton, the feeling is that the mini-slump has been left well behind and we have the personnel to compete strongly with the other leading teams.
Well played guys.
THZero
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Who's in?
Hi all
I think we need to count some numbers for Saturday’s 3pm kickoff against Fernhill (down the coast end of
John, can you let me know if Barton will play? And if he has an email?
Ok we have two new players signed up
Andy Warrington and Barton Coyle.
I think both are available. As Andy is a striker he can take over the No.10 shirt (I know, I would have retired it if it had been up to me) and I have No. 15 spare. If you appear in the wrong list below please let post here or email THZero asap.
At the moment we are showing 13 available.
John, Shane, Tony, Ant, Sean, Graeme P, Matt, Gary J.
In: Graeme D, Pete, Kev, Fergus, Gary H, Ian, Phil, dean, Michael, Mark, Andy, Barton, Dave.
Towradgi
Does anyone know if Towradgi has any shower facilities? My annual shower is just about due.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The AFL's annual injury report makes interesting reading
"Well I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my (pelvis) that it didn't hurt.... And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad so I had one more for dessert...." I've been having some dark moments lately but it could be that I'm listening to too much country music. Like the one about the old soccer player whose crop failed, dog died and just when he thought things couldn't get worse he suffered osteitis pubis chasing the bank man offa his land
In fact, on Sunday morning I spurned a coldie and kicked back with a few pancakes, only to choke on one at the most unsavoury vision outside my window. Yes, Fergus Rourke, a grown man with at least one brain, was running around kicking a football in a three-aside game. Man, what was that about? It must be addiction. How else to explain it when he had the previous week off knowing that last week's bye would give him two good weeks of rest for his long running groin problem. Of course you can all tell what happened next . . .
Having been there myself - a three-time victim of the same recurring groin injury three years ago before an eight week rest put it to rights, not to dwell on the current state of my wreck of a body - I am full of sympathy. I was still trying to digest it (Fergus's participation, not the pancake) as I kicked back in my Qantas seat on the way to watch another old crock (H Kewell) in action in Brisbane. A glance at the Sunday paper uncovered an interesting yarn from the AFL about injuries. I've put a link here for those who are interested (check out the full report in PDF form next to The Age's news story) . In summary, hamstrings and then groin strains and osteoitis pubis are the most disruptive injuries in the AFL. Each club on average lost players for 23 games last season because of hammies and 18 games for groin and OP injuries. Both these rates were higher than for cruciate ligament injuries, where there is, at least, a well defined path to recovery. The most interesting stat, for me, was that a whopping 38 percent of groin and OP cases in AFL teams were RECURRENCES. "Groin strains recur within the season at almost twice the rate of any other injury," the report found. "The recurrence for groin strains is 38%, for hamstrings 22%, for ankles 20%, for quadriceps strains 18% and for calf strains 9%."
At the ground, I got in early from the bar to watch the teams warm up. They had the cones out and did some similar contested games to the Chogs - including a fast paced and technically excellent 5v5 two touch contest between backs and forwards. They did all the syncro dynamic stretching and bounding, and no one yelled shit at them while they did it.
Anyway, for those who want to have a look the link is
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/missing-in-action/2008/05/28/1211654122495.html?page=2
Meanwhile, Matt is out this week (I think everyone will be sheltering indoors to be honest) but hopeful of returning from his hammy injury a week later. John and Ian have meanwhile been doing some recruiting, with details to follow soon.
In fact, on Sunday morning I spurned a coldie and kicked back with a few pancakes, only to choke on one at the most unsavoury vision outside my window. Yes, Fergus Rourke, a grown man with at least one brain, was running around kicking a football in a three-aside game. Man, what was that about? It must be addiction. How else to explain it when he had the previous week off knowing that last week's bye would give him two good weeks of rest for his long running groin problem. Of course you can all tell what happened next . . .
Having been there myself - a three-time victim of the same recurring groin injury three years ago before an eight week rest put it to rights, not to dwell on the current state of my wreck of a body - I am full of sympathy. I was still trying to digest it (Fergus's participation, not the pancake) as I kicked back in my Qantas seat on the way to watch another old crock (H Kewell) in action in Brisbane. A glance at the Sunday paper uncovered an interesting yarn from the AFL about injuries. I've put a link here for those who are interested (check out the full report in PDF form next to The Age's news story) . In summary, hamstrings and then groin strains and osteoitis pubis are the most disruptive injuries in the AFL. Each club on average lost players for 23 games last season because of hammies and 18 games for groin and OP injuries. Both these rates were higher than for cruciate ligament injuries, where there is, at least, a well defined path to recovery. The most interesting stat, for me, was that a whopping 38 percent of groin and OP cases in AFL teams were RECURRENCES. "Groin strains recur within the season at almost twice the rate of any other injury," the report found. "The recurrence for groin strains is 38%, for hamstrings 22%, for ankles 20%, for quadriceps strains 18% and for calf strains 9%."
At the ground, I got in early from the bar to watch the teams warm up. They had the cones out and did some similar contested games to the Chogs - including a fast paced and technically excellent 5v5 two touch contest between backs and forwards. They did all the syncro dynamic stretching and bounding, and no one yelled shit at them while they did it.
Anyway, for those who want to have a look the link is
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/missing-in-action/2008/05/28/1211654122495.html?page=2
Meanwhile, Matt is out this week (I think everyone will be sheltering indoors to be honest) but hopeful of returning from his hammy injury a week later. John and Ian have meanwhile been doing some recruiting, with details to follow soon.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
HOGS BBQ
Greg has asked that CHOGS participate with the after game BBQ on Saturday 7th June as we're all playing at home. Dependant on the weather, fingers crossed it's rained off because of our injury list, we'll all stay behind for some food, beer and bonding.
Looking at the table we're only 3 points from the top, we are still in the chase and nothing will be decided until the last game of the season.
I'll be collecting money from everyone to help our strikers get some contact lenses.......couldn't help myself!
See you all Saturday weather permitting.
Social Dave
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