Noah's thunderous goal shakes the sidelines

UNDER 8s By KIM FLACK EUROA Thunder came out firing in their latest under 8s match, making an impact from the first whistle. The team set the tone early with strong defending, and a booming tackle from Noah at halfway brought a loud cheer - or was that thunder? Noah was in everything, sending in corners and later landing a looping high ball goal that left the crowd buzzing. Darcy found his rhythm with a one-two effort, his second touch hitting the back of the net. Skylar dazzled with some classy dribbling through the middle before letting fly with a powerful shot. Rex doubled up from the Lightening as the goalkeeper for the Thunder and was quick with his throw-ins all game. Despite Euroa's early dominance, the opposition hit back with a goal of their own, keeping the game alive, but Patrick responded with a crowd-pleasing header. Euroa racked up nearly 20 shots on goal in the first half, only to be denied time and again by some sharp goalkeeping. The half time message from coach 'Hooly' was, “stop and pass it", although he is sometimes left wondering how what he says and what our little players hear are two different things. Darcy wasted no time scoring within the first minute of the second half and then Will then pounced on a keeper throw-in, danced past two defenders, and coolly slotted it home. Moments later, Will’s persistence paid off again and he was then joined by Darcy, after about 13 attempts to get the ball forward. A final flurry saw Will, Darcy, and Skylar link up beautifully for a near miss and a fitting end to a fun, action-packed game. Darcy Bodycoat was awarded play of the match by coach Julio for his continuous running, tackling and scoring. UNDER 10s By DAN GODSMARK COMING off the King’s Birthday bye week and a win, the Euroa team was primed and ready for the next challenge, St Luke’s. What started as a chilly morning soon heated up as the action kicked off, and new signing Bradley replaced the three players unavailable for the match. With Bradley’s father having experience living in the United Kingdom, it was clear it wouldn’t take many games for him to find his feet. The play began in the usual fashion for Euroa, dominating field position and peppering the goals with some strong strikes. Hunter, in goals, was only challenged once or twice, the defence looking rock solid. With the game poised for a breakthrough, it was a well-placed ball outside the box to Teddy that opened the scoring and, as usual, he didn’t disappoint. William C gave his all in the contest and was dynamic on the throw-ins. Max looked more like a player with several seasons under his belt than someone in only his second game. Teddy had a few good chances to find his range again, and the kids found themselves 2-0 up, a position they hadn’t experienced this year. While Euroa looked to be creating the better chances, St Luke’s had some strong players and it didn’t take long for them to respond, slotting a goal past a shocked goalkeeper after some loose checking. At half-time, the team came in, having conceded the last goal of the half but were unfazed. Coach Dave’s instructions were clear: keep the ball wide and avoid turning it over. The kids executed unbelievably well, with William H leading the midfield charge and crossing the ball into the box. Teddy was unable to connect, but Motunui followed through and found the back of the net. All the momentum was going Euroa’s way, with solid defensive efforts from Owen and Ritchie, who continue to be reliable in holding their positions and making it difficult for the opposition to find any traction. Anakin chased down every ball and was his usual harassing self. Teddy slotted another goal and his celebrations are getting bigger each week. To cap it off, Hunter also got on the scorers’ sheet, and the game was put on ice. Rowan’s efforts around the ground were one of the catalysts for such a dominant performance. St Luke’s managed a couple of late goals, but Euroa never looked in doubt. The improvement from the kids is noticeable and the results are starting to show. With a final score of 5 to 3 in Euroa's favour, Bradley and Max took out the gameday awards. UNDER 12 By HAYLEY ROWAN AFTER a well-earned bye last week, the Euroa under 12 boys were back on the pitch and ready to go as they faced their friendly rivals from Nagambie in what turned out to be a tightly contested match. The game began with high intensity as both teams showed they meant business. Nagambie struck first, getting on the scoreboard early but Euroa wasted no time hitting back - not once, nor twice, but three times. Jasper had lit up the field with his second hat-trick of the season, drawing cheers from the sideline. Nagambie were not going down without a fight, and a slick free kick and a fast break later, it was 3 to 3 at halftime. The energy was palpable as both teams returned to the pitch, determined to break the deadlock. The second half had everything: tight defence, exciting runs and several near misses, some denied by the offside flag waving just in time. Although Jasper was not finished, putting Euroa back in front 4 to 3, Nagambie dug deep, scoring two late goals to take the lead and ultimately the win, 5 to 4. The match was full of positives with the boys demonstrating strong teamwork, rotating through defence, midfield and striker roles with confidence, and always with smiles on their faces. It was football played in true community spirit, with respect, mateship and plenty of heart. This week’s awards went to Owen, Jayden, and Jasper.