Back of the Net - Australian Football Reports and opinion: 2010

The views expressed here are the writers only and are not to be taken to represent the views of BOTN or its team!

Opinion: Football Tragics Trip to Hamilton, Newcastle - July 2010

- By Chris Dunkerley, for the BOTN team

(Home of Hamilton Olympic - BOTN photo by Chris Dunkerley)

A small party of the NSW chapter of the BOTN team took another hop at the weekend; this time north to Newcastle and the NNSW Football NBN league (as in June 2009). 4th placed Hamilton Olympic defeated Broadmeadow Magic 4-1 in a high quality game watched by a good crowd. More importantly it was a good day out, some good company, good food and beer, and another ground to tick off our list.

This trip there were four of us again but our mix had changed - but all men of the Shire - one from Sutherland Shire, one from Hornsby Shire, and two from Wyong Shire. This time it was the southern member of our party who had the longer journey by train.

(Heading off, one becomes two at Epping - BOTN Photo by Chris Dunkerley )
One of the delights of trips such as this is the train component, with the inter-urban lines from Sydney going through such wonderful scenery. For us a bonus on top of the reading we needed to do for study and community activities.

(Water views near Woy Woy - BOTN Photo by Mark Taylor )

(Tuggerah station 1 hour and 9 mins after leaving Epping - BOTN Photo by Chris Dunkerley )

(We met up with the others first, switching to motor vehicle for the drive to Hamilton - BOTN Photo by Chris Dunkerley ) Just down the road from the station we had a quick inspection of the Central Coast Mariners centre of excellence site, next to Club Tuggerah.

(Mariners CoE site - BOTN Photos by Chris Dunkerley )

Work proceeds slowly with the present financial climate but there are now several excellent training pitches that will allow the Mariners to end their five years of endless moving around and sub-standard pitches. Later there will be administration (club to move from nearby business park), sports science block, accomodation for visiting teams, and a small 2-3,000 seat ground. Club Tuggerah will be revamped, and becomes a Mariners members club with their season ticket.

Off we went to Newcastle, about an hour away, and after checking out the location of the ground (where the U23s were underway and a good crowd in) we stopped in Beaumont Street, Hamilton for some refreshments.

(Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton - BOTN Photo by Chris Dunkerley)
We settled on the Irish style eatery in the Northern Star Hotel, where the Guiness and Kilkenny were on tap, and that plus the $10 lunch special had attracted a goodly patronage.

(The tragics for this trip - BOTN Photo by our waitress )
With the beers, food, and football discussion we almost overstayed, so we had to head over to the ground post haste - pay our $8 entry - and try to grab some seats in one of the small stands that held some enthusiast fans from the two neighbouring clubs.

(The compact ground and stands - BOTN Photo by Mark Taylor )
We were impressed by the match day programme, stands and other facilities, the range and service speed of the Hamilton Olympic canteen, and the enthusiasm of the crowd. Of particular note were the Broadmeadow Magic fans in their team shirts and club scarves who added colour. How many other sub-HAL clubs have similar?

(A young Broadmeadow fan proudly showing off his scarf - BOTN Photo by Mark Taylor )

(The programme - BOTN Photo by Chris Dunkerley )
On to the game, and we have to say it was a fast tempo game of good quality and well worth our visit.
A short report and some stats and some photos are down below!

(Teams line up - BOTN Photo by Chris Dunkerley )

Good times ... dissecting play and commenting on the tactics ... whether we knew what we were talking about or not! Hey, we are football writers, not experts, and certainly not sports journalists. So reluctantly with notes and photos taken we made our way out of the ground and chatted on the car trip back toward Tuggerah station - another good day out indeed! Hopefully, more to come!

NBN State League 2010 - NNSW
No Magic Today
By Chris Dunkerley

Round 16
2:30pm, Sunday 18 July, 2010
at Darling Street Oval, Hamilton South

Hamilton Olympic FC 4
(Daniel Casciaroli 37', Daniel Ciarrocchi 39', Harry James 49', Joel Witherdin 83')
defeated
Broadmeadow Magic FC 1
(Peter Haynes 21'pen)

(Hamilton defending under last gasp Magic attacks - BOTN Photo by Mark Taylor )

In a fast flowing and competitive game at Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon, Hamilton Olympic defeated Broadmeadow Magic 4-1 to grab back second place on the table after Round 16, behind leaders Weston.

Hamilton were expected to be too strong for Broadmeadow given their repective table positions (Magic, a power-house of the NBN Leagie over recent years) languishing in 7th spot in the 8 team league (albeit well away from the spoon being held by Toronto Awaba) but it was the visitors from just-up-the-road who started stronger.

In the 4th minute a chance fell to Magic but the shot was blocked by Olympic 'keeper Ben Kelly.

They got their reward for enterprise when in the 21st minute a late tackle in the area saw a penalty awarded against Olympic. Peter Haynes stepped up and slotted it past Kelly (see photo down below). 0-1

Although it took some time, that eventually sparked Hamilton, though when they won a free kick on the left 25m out it didn't look a worry for Magic's defence who had done their job so far. Daniel Casciarou lifted the ball over the wall and with Harry James just not able to connect it may have distracted Magic's 'keeper Scott Carter enough to put him off, and the ball nestled into the back right side of the net. 1-1

Two minutes later Olympic had the ball in the net again when a nice curling early ball in by Casciarou was touched onto the top corner of the goal posts by a glancing Harry James header and a quick thinking Daniel Ciarrocchi was on hand to knock in the downward rebound. 1-2

It looked like it would be a close tussle as the teams took to the field for the second half but only four minutes in Harry James was lurking at the far right post as a cross from the left evaded all in the goal mouth and the veteran striker side-footed in in. 1-3

Three minutes later a fairly clear penalty against Hamilton was turned down and it seemed to affect Broadmeadow's focus, the game becoming a little more willing.

A surprised Joel Witherdin for Olympic found himself free on the left as a corner from the right in the 83rd minute came to him over on the left, and he steered a curling ball through a sea of legs and inside the left upright. 1-4

Magic did try to lift and drew two saves from Kelly in the dying minutes, as well as having a stinging shot go just wide with him beaten.

The BOTN team had enjoyed a new ground for some of us, and a good standard of play.

Crowd: about 700

Hamilton Olympic FC
Player listing : 1. Ben Kelly (gk), 2. Mathew Austin (c), 3. Kyle Hodges, 4. Daniel Ciarochi, 5. Matthew Tull, 8. Daniel Casciarou, 11. Harry James, 17. Denis Jajkovic, 19. Joel Witherdin, 23. Matthew Swan, 25. Andrew Swan, 21. Alex Provost, 27. Jesse Garvin, 22. Owen Kemp (rgk)

Coach: Michael Bolch

Broadmeadow Magic FC
Player listing: Scott Carter (gk), Jon Griffiths, Josh Piddington, Ben Higgins, Josh Castillo, David Baillie, Ben Hughes, Simon Mooney, Brad Waters, Peter Haynes, Ben Martin, Alex Palozzi, Philip Bures, Luke Virgilli, Alex Johnson-Young, Jay Richley, Tom Russell, Matthew Hoole, Chris Berlin, Nic Jovanovic (rgk)

Co-Coaches: Damien Smith / Robert Virgilli - Co-Coach