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Champs Premier League Round 8 (catch-up) August 21st, 2010 Island Bay vs Stop Out 1-0 loss Our final match of the season was our catch-up fixture against Island Bay at Wakefield Park. A victory would see us finish the league in 2nd spot so the boys were all aware of the importance of the match and the goal infront of them. Right from the outset everybody at the ground could see that the pitch was close to unplayable. We could string 3 passes together and this really hampered us. The first half was one of few chances but both Jake and Fifii wasted clear cut opportunities so 0-0 at halftime. The second half didn’t get much better as a spectacle and unfortunately for us after a goalmouth scramble Island Bay scored with 5 minutes to play and held out for a 1-0 victory. Man of Match- Jason Tipping A disappointing end to what has been a hugely successful season for the team and the club. Hopefully the disappointment of not winning the title this year will serve as a huge incentive going into 2011. Champs Premier League Round 18, August 14th, 2010 Stop Out vs Miramar Rangers 2-3 loss (S Gulley, J Theron) With 2 games to play we looked to close out the season on a high. With this being our final match at home we looked to maintain our unbeaten record at Hutt Park. A bright opening half hour of positive passing football saw us take a deserved lead when Steve placed home with his right foot. Having dominated early without more goals Miramar gradually got back into the match and right on the stroke of halftime equalised after we failed to clear a routine corner. The second spell again started brightly and after some lovely passing Jake fired home a fine finish for another lead. 2-1. We then lost Luke W through a head clash and while we looked to re-group Miramar hit us on the counter to equalise for 2-2. The last 15 minutes was one way traffic with the Miramar goal being constantly peppered but without any result. The sucker punch came after Tony dropped a cross when under slight pressure and the ball bouncing across the line off the Miramar strikers back! 2-3 fulltime. Man of Match- Jason Tipping
With news filtering through that Island Bay had earlier beaten Waterside Karori 1-0 left the boys gutted with our first loss of the season at home. We later found out that Upper Hutt were confirmed as League winners with a come from behind 2-1 win against Marist.
Champs Premier League Round 17, July 31st, 2010 Stop Out vs Waterside Karori 2-2 draw (B Winyard, S Gulley (pen) The all important top of the table clash with Waterside Karori was a must win match for us as we close in on our title charge. A damp pitch after a wet week saw a different Hutt Park than in previous weeks. We started the game very well and got the ball down and tried to get the ball moving which was pleasing to see. Early opportunities fell to Brenton who unfortunately couldn’t find the target on this occasion. As in so many matches this season we were punished for our profligacy and Wharfies took the lead after 20 minutes when their striker surprisingly found himself in on goal after another ricochet on the edge of our box. 1-0 halftime. With our season on the line we came out all guns blazing after the break and Brenton found the net after 15 seconds of the second half! We played with a lot more structure and started moving Karori around which was what was required but just as we got on top Wharfies regained the lead from a set piece which wasn’t cleared properly. We then found our best passage of the match and got at Wharfies and after Jamie was upended in the box Steve cooly slotted the pen for 2-2. We then had another great chance to get the winner but Brenton just couldn’t quite turn the ball in from Jakes low cross. 2-2 final score. Our unbeaten home record remains but in order to win the title we now need results to go our way. Man of Match- Regan Steele Champs Premier League Round 16, July 24th, 2010 Kapiti Coast United vs Stop Out 4-0 win (M Fifii 2, S Gulley (pen), F Aden) Another difficult away fixture against a team in the relegation zone. Kapiti are always difficult opponents at Weka Park but today simply wasn’t going to be one of those days. A beautiful day and a superb playing field was just the tonic we needed for this match and we got into our passing rhythm straight away. After a lovely team move Jamie clipped through to Steve who delicately lobbed in to Fifii to volley home a left foot strike that saw us take the lead in the 5th minute. 10 minutes later we were awarded a pen when Jake was upended BUT amazingly the keeper saved Steves pen! This didn’t faze the boys and we maintained control of the match and in the last minute of the half took a greater advantage when Fifii scrambled home the 2nd after a corner wasn’t cleared. The second spell was more of the same. Controlled passing football and another pen. Brenton was the player brought down this time. Steve showed great character and stepped up again and dispatched his kick with ease to give us a 3-0 lead 15 into the second half. We grabbed a fourth when Fisum slotted under the advancing keeper to grab his 1st for us this season. So a 4-0 win away from home was made so much sweeter after we had heard we had gone 3 points clear at the top of the table. Man of the Match- Michael Fifii Champs Premier League Round 15, July 17th, 2010 Stop Out vs Western Suburbs 5-2 win (M Fifii 2, B Winyard, A Sheikh, S Gulley) It was great to be back at home for what we knew would be a strong Western Suburbs team at this stage of the season. In the relegation zone Wests are always a difficult team to play and this once again proved to be the case. It was best to forget the start we made in this match as we found ourselves down 2-0 after 15 minutes. Poor marking and individual errors allowed a fired up Wests to take control of the match. We suddenly awoke and played some superb football and found a goal back when Fifii tapped home after some superb build-up work. 1-2 down. We then found an equaliser when Fifii latched onto a through pass to beat the keeper to the ball and get us level at 2-2. A third quickly followed when some fine bulid up play saw Brenton tap home to get our noses infront at 3-2 halftime. The score really should have been greater but both Fifii and Brenton missed 1 on 1 chances they both know they should’ve taken. We targeted closing the game out by scoring early and hopefully trying to get our goal difference up. This didn’t materialise and it was only 15 minutes before the end we put the game beyond Wests when Abass found a great shot to beat their keeper with a super strike from outside the box. This rubbed off on the other players and Steve rounded off a fine day for us with a similar strike to make the final score 5-2. 3 points was the key today as we keep chipping away at the top of the table. Man of match- Luke Wilson Champs Premier League Round 14, July 10th, 2010 Marist vs Stop Out 3-1 win (M Fifii, J Theron, B Winyard) Kilbirnie Park was the venue for a difficult away fixture and if ever there was a potential banana skin match this was definitely one of those. Extremely poor conditions with a heavy pitch, uncut grass, and no width were always going to be huge factors for us to overcome but this was addressed and we had prepared well for them during the week by training in a near blizzard!!! Our first half performance in this match was brilliant. We looked to get at marist right form the get go and early chances fell to Fisem, Justin and Fifii but we just didn’t see the ball cross the line and had to call upon Tony to pull off a great save to keep the scores level at the break. What was excellent was to see us composed at halftime and not get frustrated and wait for the opportunities to arrive. We thought we had scored when Justin burst through to slot home only for the ref to consult his assistant with the ball on the centre circle to disallow the goal. This almost served as a catalyst and we were determined to push on now. Only a minute had passed when Steve put in a super free-kick to find Fifii spring up to head home a lovely goal for 1-0. Marist were playing very direct and bombing things into our box and after a long ball from a free-kick we failed to mark up properly and they found an equaliser for 1-1 with 15 mins to play.This was a huge test of character with our season on the line but these players responded admirably. Marist were only on level terms for about 2 minutes when Fifii with some excellent wing play beat 2 players and crossed magically for Jake to power home a fine header for 2-1. We then hit them on the counter and Justin slipped Brenton in to finish well to give us a 3-1 win. The character shown today was awesome. Man of Match- Michael Fifii With 5 games to play we sit top equal and can only hope to win this league if we win every match from here on in. We are determined to give it our best shot and leave nothing to waste. We look forward to your continued support in helping us get across that line. Champs Premier League Round 13, July 3rd, 2010 Stop Out vs Island Bay 8-0 win (J Gulley, J Theron, S Gulley 4 (2 pens), R Steele, M Fifii) Having let ourselves down the previous week we did alot of soul searching and re-igniting the flame to find the hunger for success and what a turn around we got in the space of seven days. Back on our home field and a very good week of training behind us we took on Island Bay who had won their previous 5 matches. Right from the first whistle we were up for it. Winning every challenge and showing maximum commitment we proved that we could fight for the shirt and play our brand of football. The midfield 3 of Steve, Damo and Justin dominating and the front 3 of Jake, Brenton and Fifii were always causing major problems and this brought about a sublime first half performance that saw us with a 6-0 halftime lead!!! Goals to Justin with a neat header, Jake a clinical finish, Stevie a collectors item backheader and a thunderbolt rocket, with 2 well taken pens saw me scratching my eyes in disbelief!!! We talked about continuing to mount the pressure and not concede in the second half and the team completed a comprehensive victory after Regan hit a screamer outside the box and Fifii delightfully lobbed the keeper with a beautiful finish for 8-0!!! This was Stop Outs biggest win since 2004 and a victory that has boosted our goal difference that may be crucial come the end of the season. Man of Match- Steve Gulley Champs Premier League Round 12, June 26th, 2010 Upper Hutt vs Stop Out 2-0 loss Harcourt Park was the venue and a place where we have already been this season in the Chatham Cup. Damp, boggy conditions greeted us in this all important match which we had prepared well for. With Steve suspended, Abass away and Brenton injured, we dipped into our big squad and this allowed players to step up and prove themselves. We started this game well and attacking Upper Hutt with a 3 prong attack. Both Fifii and Fisem got at them early in very trying conditions and allowed us to create a few half chances. Jake narrowly headed wide after doing well to meet a far post cross. We then fell back into the trap of playing in wrong areas and this allowed Upper Hutt to pressure us. After failing to deal well with the ball in our box a soft shot found its way into our net through so many bodies and 1-0 down after 30 minutes. We re-grouped at the half and tried to play the ball in the opposition half and with more width and penetration. No clear cut chances came though and midway through the second spell we were once again punished on the counter attack when Fifii failed to deliver a cross and dispossessed. 2-0 down. It was clearly a day where nothing went right for us and the harder we tried the worse things became. We only created 1 clear chance when jake put in a lovely teasing cross which beat all 3 of our players in the box. 2-0 final score. Man of Match- Scott Henderson Champs Premier League Round 11, June 19th, 2010 Stop Out vs Kapiti 5-2 win (S Gulley 2 (1pen) J Theron 2 M Fifii) Another home fixture against top scoring Kapiti was never going to be easy and with other top 4 teams not involved this week it allowed us to put pressure on the leaders by getting a victory. Our start was superb in this match and immediately we got the ball moving and stretching our opponents. 15 minutes in and with Fifii being alert was too quick for the defender and upended for a penalty which Steve confidently converted for 1-0. With both fullbacks pushing forward regularly we were well on top and soon after Steve added a 2nd after some great wing play and overlapping from Scott. 2-0 after 30 mins was a fair reflection on the game. Kapiti were always a threat aerially and after a long throw in and slack back post marking saw us gift another soft goal. 2-1. We regrouped and kept attacking and regained our 2 goal lead after Jake slammed home a wonderful strike after Fifii slipped him in on a tight angle. 3-1 halftime. The second half was much of the same with alot of keepball and midway through the half we added a 4th when Fifii rounded the keeper to place home into an empty net. 4-1. Our 5th came when Fisem found a glorius long pass for Jake to lob the keeper for 5-1. We slacked off in the last 15 minutes of this game and didn’t play out the full 90 minutes properly which has been of concern all season. We conceded again in the 92nd minute after some poor marking from a free-kick for a final score of 5-2. Man of Match- Ethan Morta Champs Premier League Round 10, June 12th, 2010 Stop Out vs Naenae 3-1 win (J Theron 2 M Fifii) We returned home to the Park we love so much looking to get our season back on track after a run of away fixtures. After a strong opening period of play from Naenae we quickly got into our passing game and moving the ball all over the pitch. With no goal to show and some desperate scrambling Naenae then pounced on some slack marking to take the lead. This woke us up and after 30 minutes we found an equaliser after another fine build up saw Fifii beat his marker and coolly setup Jake for the easiest of tap ins. 1-1 halftime. The call was for more patience and intelligent runs in attacking areas. 5 minutes into the second spell we took the lead after an interchange of passes in midfield say Fifii free to setup Jake for another 1 on 1 which Jake slotted home to steady our nerves. Naenae never gave up and continued to fight and scrap for every ball but with 20 to play we grabbed a third goal which put the result beyond them after Fifii produced a lovely turn with his back to goal to slot home from an acute angle and 3-1. The winning margin could well have been greater after chances to Steve, Regan and Fisem late on but what was most important today was the win. I was extremely pleased with our level of play and the heart shown to remain unbeaten at home this season. Man of the Match- Jake Theron and Michael Fifii At the halfway stage of the season we sit in a very good position to mount a real title challenge. Winning home matches is of huge importance if this is to happen so we look forward to your continued support and seeing as much red and gold around the scene at home games helps this happen. Champs Premier League Round 9, June 12th, 2010 Stop Out vs Naenae 3-1 win (J Theron 2 M Fifii) We returned home to the Park we love so much looking to get our season back on track after a run of away fixtures. After a strong opening period of play from Naenae we quickly got into our passing game and moving the ball all over the pitch. With no goal to show and some desperate scrambling Naenae then pounced on some slack marking to take the lead. This woke us up and after 30 minutes we found an equaliser after another fine build up saw Fifii beat his marker and coolly setup Jake for the easiest of tap ins. 1-1 halftime. The call was for more patience and intelligent runs in attacking areas. 5 minutes into the second spell we took the lead after an interchange of passes in midfield say Fifii free to setup Jake for another 1 on 1 which Jake slotted home to steady our nerves. Naenae never gave up and continued to fight and scrap for every ball but with 20 to play we grabbed a third goal which put the result beyond them after Fifii produced a lovely turn with his back to goal to slot home from an acute angle and 3-1. The winning margin could well have been greater after chances to Steve, Regan and Fisem late on but what was most important today was the win. I was extremely pleased with our level of play and the heart shown to remain unbeaten at home this season. Man of the Match- Jake Theron and Michael Fifii At the halfway stage of the season we sit in a very good position to mount a real title challenge. Winning home matches is of huge importance if this is to happen so we look forward to your continued support and seeing as much red and gold around the scene at home games helps this happen.
Champs Premier League Round 8, June 5th, 2010 Wellington United vs Stop Out 5-4 loss (J Theron, B Winyard 2, S Gulley) We travelled to Newtown Park on a great day for football. No wind or rain to speak of having had so much of it in previous weeks. Going into this match our preparation was fantastic and we were ready for the challenge against the current Premier leaders. The match didn’t start so well though when after a minute we found ourselves down 1-0. Ethan got caught out with a ball in behind and after a cross rebounded off the post their shot went in off Jamie for an unfortunate own goal. The next 25 minutes from us were superb. We got the ball down and moved them all over the park with some great passing football. From a midfield free-kick Steve found the dangerous Jake who headed over their advancing keeper for 1-1 after 10 minutes. Our best passing move of the day resulted in our second goal also. After some patient build up play all 3 central midfielders combined and Justin slipped in Brenton for a clinical left footed finish and a 2-1 lead. With 10 minutes to play we conceded a needless free-kick and after some sloppy marking conceded an equaliser to a great volley for 2-2 at halftime. A super b half of football was played and we looked to keep attacking them in the second half to get the win. Only 5 minutes into the second half we mysteriously found ourselves down when a penalty was given after it was their player who initially handled inside our area. Penalty converted and 3-2 down. The character displayed by the players was excellent. We continued to push forward and attack them. Steve then nailed a bullet of a free-kick into an empty net having spotted their keeper behind their wall. 3-3 with 25 minutes to play. On top and pushing forward we took the lead after Brenton headed in at the far post from Steve’s free-kick. 4-3 up with 20 minutes to play. Wellington Utd bombed forward looking to exert pressure but we snuffed out any real danger and played on the counter with our pace up top. 2 minutes into injury time and with the ball in the opposition half the linesman flagged for an off the ball incident in our box and a penalty was given after Tony had retaliated to their striker! The resulting penalty was almost saved and 4-4 in the 92nd minute. Miraculously the ref found more time to play. A long ball forward wasn’t dealt with properly and their strikers shot rebounded off the inside of the post into the path of their striker to slam home the winner. 5-4 final score. Man of Match- Brenton Winyard This was a massive bitter pill to swallow having come so close to victory. Although we ultimately cost ourselves the match through our lack of discipline lady luck certainly wasn’t on our side on this day. An own goal, 2 penalties against didn’t show the true reflection of this match. Champs Premier League Round 7, May 22, 2010 Waterside Karori vs Stop Out 3-1 loss (J Theron) It was back to league football after last week’s cup round with a tough fixture against league favourites Waterside Karori. Kick off was delayed 15 minutes with markings required to the pitch. The delay to the game saw us get off to a very poor start. 5 minutes in and 1-0 down after some indecisive defending and loose marking. We got into the match well and controlled possession and our front 3 looked to get in behind the big Karori defence. Jake came close after the keeper exited his box but could only drag his shot wide of the target. The pleasing aspect was that we were moving the ball quickly again and our decision making was alot better than in previous matches. 1-0 down at halftime. We targeted more ball security and moving Karori around after halftime and thats exactly what we got. 2 minutes into the half and we were back on level terms after a superb move involving Fifii, Jamie and Justin whos lovely pass saw Jake finish clinically into an empty net. This 15 minute spell was the time we should’ve put Karori away but didn’t. Chances quickly fell to Brenton who shot just went wide from a tight angle and Jake through 1 on 1 with only the keeper to beat. Karori then found a great volley to break our dominance and take a 2-1 lead against the run of play. Although we pressed and pressed to get an equaliser it just wasn’t meant to be our day when with 3 minutes to play Karori found a 3rd goal to kill off the match. The difference in this match was the taking of opportunities. We missed ours while Karori took theirs. The difference in footballing styles was contrasting. Karori direct and aerial. Stop Out calculated and methodical. This result will hopefully spur us on to better things in the coming weeks and will hopefully give us the resolve to get back to winning ways. We are still in the title race which will go down to the wire this season. Man of Match- Jamie Mason Chatham Cup First Round, May 15th, 2010 Upper Hutt vs Stop Out 1-0 loss Harcourt Park was the venue for a clash of the 2 current leaders in the Premier League in the First Round of the Chatham Cup. Big Al came in to the team for his first match in the top team this season and Hamish joined Fifii in attack. The match was very different from the tough encounter at Hutt Park earlier in the season. Both teams tried playing some good football which suited us. We had spells in the first half where we dominated and after a lovely Abass deft pass Fifii dragged his shot wide of the target. 0-0 halftime. The second half was very different. Possession and corner after corner was with us. Our passing game was stretching Upper Hutt but unfortunately no clear cut chances. Our best passing move saw Abass burst through from midfield and after trying to scoop the keeper has his shot saved. With the game headed towards extra time their striker managed to wriggle his way between our defenders and having ‘pinballed’ his way on the edge of our box unleashed a cracking strike in the 90th minute to win the game. As disappointed we were after the match, we still see the big picture. There were many good performances again which is superb for the team moving forward. Man of Match- Scott Henderson Champs Premier League Round 6, May 9th, 2010 Western Suburbs vs Stop Out 0-3 win (B Winyard, S Gulley (pen), J Gulley) Endeavour Park was the venue for a Sunday fixture against Western Suburbs for our 6th match of the season. We had prepared as though we were playing Wests first team which was the best way to go into the match. We welcomed Jamie Mason in for his debut in Stop Out colours on a bright beautiful day for football. The game started at a rapid pace and of high quality. Wests using their quota of 3 re-graded players played some very good football and caused us some problems at times but our patience and structure allowed us to stay in control of things. With 5 minutes to play in the first half a superb Abass through ball saw Brenton expertly chip their keeper to give us a 1-0 halftime lead. The second half was simply superb from our team. Quick passing football opened up Wests time and time again and after Abass was upended in the box, Steve tucked away the penalty for 2-0 early in the half. Our midfield was in full control of the game by now and with Brenton and Fifii tireless upfront we stretched Wests at ease. Another fantastic passing move saw Brenton play in Justin who clinically finished after a well timed run into the box for 3-0. This result allowed us to return to the top of the table having played a third of the seasons matches. Man of the Match- Michael Fifii Fisum Aden was used as a second half substitute and this was Fisems 50th appearance for the Stop Out First Team. Congrats Fizz. Champs Premier League Round 5, May 1st, 2010 Stop Out vs Marist 1-0 win (J Theron) We welcomed newly promoted Marist to Hutt Park for our 5th league match of the season. We prepared for a difficult match as Marist showed good form leading up to the match. Fifii was joined in attack by Jake Theron who was making his debut for the club. Matchday rain meant for a slippery surface and our start wasn’t the sharpest in this match. But with our lively front pairing we caused immediate problems and chances fell to both players early on. Midway through the first spell we found some dominance and after a lovely clipped ball from Ethan, Jake composed himself to delightfully chip the oncoming keeper for 1-0. We started the second half searching for the second goal to kill off the game but after only 10 minutes we found ourselves down to 10 men after Jake was mysteriously given 2 yellow cards in the 1 incident. We quickly re-grouped and called upon all of our mental and physical capabilities to hold on to the result which was testament to our spirit. Another crucial 3 points allowed us to jump top equal on the table after 5 rounds. Man of the Match- Luke Wilson Chatham Cup Qualifying Round, April 25th, 2010 Stop Out vs Kapiti Coast United 1-1 (4-2 pens) (B Winyard) The Chatham Cup qualifying round allowed us the opportunity to give squad players a chance to play first team football. We started the match really well and got into our passing game midway through the half. 15 mins before halftime Stevie G found Brenton with a diagonal pass and his lob header beat the keeper. We should’ve really gone into halftime 2 or 3 goals up but some great keeping and average finishing meant we were only 1-0 up. The second spell began with more superb passing but unfortunately for us no end product. Justin and Brenton twice went close to securing the tie. Kapiti then seized their opportunity and after a freekick found a header that tied up the scores. 1-1 fulltime. The 30 minutes of extra-time were played out with more dominance from us and after some great team football both Brenton and Phil will only know how they didn’t manage to score! So to penalties we went and the players stepped up. Steve, Abass, Johnny and Mike H confidently dispatched their penalties while Jack saved twice from the penalty spot to ensure our progress. This was a real team effort and we deserved to progress. Strong performances from Hamish upfront, Johnny, Abass, Mike in midfield, Luke and Ethan at the back were all instrumental today. Man of the Match- Jack Kemp Champs Premier League Round 4, April 17th, 2010 Stop Out vs Upper Hutt 1-1 draw (S Gulley pen) Our fourth match of the season and already a crucial match. Previously unbeaten and top of the table Upper Hutt visited Hutt Park flying high and full of confidence. A win would’ve seen us go top of the table. We finally welcomed Michael Fifii into our team for his debut in Stop Out colours. We talked about starting the match well as in all our previous matches this season we were the first to concede. The first half saw us play some terrific football in a derby type atmosphere with no quarter given. As well as some excellent football we stood firm and matched Upper Hutt in the physical areas. Although we showed the greater share of possession and midfield dominance we just didn’t show the patience required to break down a stern Upper Hutt defence. 0-0 halftime. The second half started much like the first for us with some slick passing and lots of possession. Our superior fitness levels were creating more space and with Fifiis pace we always looked dangerous. With 15 minutes to play Fifii latched onto a defensive lapse and nipped in to be brought down for a penalty which Stevie G confidently dispatched. 1-0. Upper Hutt were getting frustrated and were soon reduced to ten men after a second bookable offence. We looked to play out the last 10 minutes in control and by keeping the ball. Amazingly luck had turned on us and after a long ball over the top and a momentary lapse in marking we were caught square and Upper Hutt equalised in the 90th minute to make the final score 1-1. This was a bitter pill to swallow as we were by far the better team on the day. Man of the match- Justin Gulley After four rounds we sit second equal on the table with 2 wins a draw and a loss. After major disruptions to the squad with players in the NZFC and Dallas Cup we sit in a superb position to Champs Premier League Round 3, April 10th, 2010 Naenae vs Stop Out 2-3 win (B Winyard, J Gulley, D Fussell) A short trip to Naenae Park was the venue for our third match of the year. Having lost to Naenae in pre-season we knew we had to be up for a tough battle which is always the case in any local derby. We welcomed back our Dallas Cup Feds players who helped strengthen our squad. Our start to this match was nothing short of dreadful. Naenae took the match to us and found themselves 2-0 up after 15 minutes. Poor marking and poor team defending were more to blame than any individual error. Abbas who also returned to the squad this week, replaced the injured Madden and after a goalmouth scramble Brenton curled a delightful left foot shot into the top corner of the net to reduce the deficit to 2-1. We re-grouped at halftime and looked to get back to playing our way. Only 2 minutes into the second half we got the equaliser when Justin claimed to have scrambled in the final touch to Damon’s downward header from an Abbas corner. We were now moving the ball quickly and stretching Naenae at ease. From another corner we found our 3rd goal. Damon rose well above anyone in the area to score a superb goal and give us a 3-2 lead. Possession and smart defending saw us come away with a well deserved 3-2 win in the end. This was a potential ‘banana skin’ match but the greater desire for victory proved too much in the end and for that I’m extremely pleased. Man of Match- Damon Fussell Champs Premier League Round 2, April 5th, 2010 Stop Out vs Wellington Utd 3-1 win (SGulley 2 (1 pen) H Patrick) We welcomed Wellington United to Hutt Park for our second match of the season on Easter Monday. With a first round loss we knew that a result from this match was important to get back on track. Brenton returned to the starting line up from work commitments and we employed an attacking formation with 3 strikers. We started very tentatively and almost still hung over from the Miramar game. It took a magnificent diving save from Tony from a rocket shot which was bound for the top corner to wake us up. An unlucky bounce for Luke W which was more ball to hand saw the ref give them a penalty in only the 10th minute and 1-0 down. To be fair we really rode our luck for the rest of the half and were relieved to go in at only 1-0 down. The second spell was completely a different story however. Right from the outset we manipulated possession and pegged them back. Stevie G made the breakthrough with a cheeky near post free kick for 1-1 which got us rolling. Our passing game was back to full swing and the midfield in complete domination. Madden then elegantly scooped their central defender to set Hamish clear who calmly rounded the keeper to slot home our second. 2-1 up with 15 minutes to play. Although Wellington pushed to get something out of the match we kept possession and played out a perfect 15 minutes and another wall pass saw Hamish clear 1 on 1 only to be bought down by the keeper for a penalty. Stevie G dispatched the pen to complete a 3-1 victory. Our superior fitness levels were a huge factor over the Easter weekend and the players realised this as the effort shown was just reward for all the work done in pre-season. Man of Match- Steven Gulley Champs Premier League Round 1, April 3rd, 2010 Miramar vs Stop Out 3-0 loss Our first match of the season saw us visit Miramar at Dave Farrington Park. Always a difficult opponent and with their first team having played a day earlier this match was going to be no different. We started the game very positively into a stiff breeze by keeping possession and absorbing any real Miramar attack. This quickly changed after we gifted Miramar the first goal. Tony failed to clear a routine back pass and only managed to find their striker who accepted the present. 1-0 halftime. Early into the second half we conceded another goal. A far post volley saw Miramar take a 2-0 lead which proved too much for us to overturn. Miramar controlled the match from this point and although we fought hard right through to the final whistle we couldn’t break Miramar down. A third goal 2 minutes from time after we had pushed players forward trying to get something out of the match completed a miserable first up 3-0 loss. What was pleasing was the maximum effort of the player’s right to the end. Nesho Malivuk, Hamish Patrick, Scott Henderson, Derek Waldegrave, Troy Peek, Nathan Canton and Phil Cleworth all made their first team debuts for the club. Man of Match- Michael Madden |
Training will continue Tuesday's & Thursday's throughout February and March.