Backhouse Bob Coffs Harbour Nsw

Nearpost Local: Day 1 Update From The Girls Under 14 and Under 15 ...

"Soccer is as much art as science. The game should be played attractively as well as effectively. Soccer is a game of skill, imagination, creativity, and decision making. Coaching should not stifle, but enhance those elements. Neither should politics or alternative interests.” Bobby Howe, former U.S. Soccer Director of Coaching Both the ACT Under 15 and Under 14 teams made a good start to the championship today. The Under 15s outclassed the Northern Territory to win 14-0 with goals from Talia Backhouse(4), Eloise O'Brien(4), Monica Cerro(2), Olivia Gurney(2) and Leanne Pompeani(2). The NT team laboured under the handicaps of a small and dispersed population base and had only played together as a team for two days prior to the start of the Championship, but despite these difficulties they did not stop trying. The Under 14s played South Australia, the most comparable team in terms of population and metropolitan concentration, and won 4-2 in an engrossing game. ACT started strongly, with Hayley Armstrong threatening in front of the SA goal. After 10 minutes she connected with a well-placed chip from Ruth Kravis to open the scoring for the ACT. SA responded quickly to take advantage of a defensive error that left an open goal for Lauren Steer to tap the ball into and even up the score. SA dominated the remainder of the first half, applying sustained pressure to the ACT defence, with a free kick from Roxanne Dodd striking the woodwork, but ACT managed a counter-attack which exposed weakness in the defence, allowing Melissa Leary to take the score to 2-1 at half time. SA had another narrow miss from a free kick outside the penalty area after the break, but the speed of the ACT strikers allowed  Samantha Roff to take the score to 3-1, when she latched onto a loose SA goal kick and Caitlin Cantrell extended the lead to 4-1 after dribbling past two defenders and finishing well.