Maryborough Goes Down Fighting against Warrnambool
Maryborough’s Under 13’s Squad played one of its best games as a team yet, even though they lost the Game 5-2 at Warrnambool on the weekend.
Maryborough coaches asked the playing group to put pressure on the Warrnambool defenses early, something Warrnambool are far from used to. The move paid dividends with Billy Giannacopoulos kicking from just outside the 18-yard box what is undoubtedly the best goal we have seen from him this season.
With a goal against them Warrnambool rallied and pushed forward unrelentingly with the Maryborough’s defenses under great pressure. Maryborough did well managing to keep Warrnambool out of it most of the half until Warrnambool’s ever reliable Pat Karras was able to draw two defenders out to him to put a cross in that was converted to beat keeper Jacob McDowell who kept wonderfully the first half.
A quick goal followed just before the half time whistle that caught Maryborough’s back line short of breath.
The second half saw a change in keeper for Maryborough and a different strategy being played out by both teams. Maryborough had to attack being a goal down, playing a single sweeper and three defenders.
Unfortunately that move was quickly taken advantage of by the Warrnambool team who is a very fit group and was able to outrun Maryborough’s defenders scoring three consecutive goals before a change of position on field by Maryborough saw the goal run stopped and some more attacking play transpire.
In the dying minutes Dylan Rendell broke through with a left footed goal that gave the team a lift of spirits that carried them to the end of the game.
Maryborough’s best were D. Rendell, M. Gibbs, B. Gianacopoulos, J. Clifford and R. Brennan.
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