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17/08/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Southern Districts:
- 15 August 2010

The last game of the season for the Metro 12's today. With the finals out of reach, they were playing for pride against one of the top teams this season, Southern Districts, at Bill Anderson Ovals, Kemps Creek.

Southern Districts defeated our boys in the Centenary Cup earlier in the year, and finished up winning the Cup grand final for 2010. This was not a team to take lightly.

Unfortunately for Southern Districts, no one seemed to tell our Tiger's boys that they should be careful against them, as from the opening whistle, the Tigers team were taking the game right up to them with grit and determination.

With our ever reliable TVK being out with injury, our defence showed no signs of weakness, with the likes of James, Gangster, Wii-Man, Pat and Fisher standing strong in front of the always safe hands of Josh. Our midfield of Chrispy, Luke B, Ditch and Sam were being asked to work very hard today, with Ben, Cal and AP being dangerous and looking for opportunities up front.

Both teams showed talent and strength, and Southern Districts looked a little shocked at the standard of football that they were asked to play against the Tigers. The first half finished without troubling the scorer, and a well earned break was given to both sides.

The second half showed promising signs for Tigers as a couple of cracks started to appear in the Southern Districts defence. Whilst always dangerous, the Southern Districts team were being asked again and again to defend their line. A change in goalie saw Josh walk from the field with generous applause from both spectators and players, and a revved up Jono take up the role of ultimate defence for the team in his inimitable style.

In the middle of the second half, the crack finally appeared. Under continuous pressure, a set of well timed and well judged passes by the Tiger's players found Ben bolting down the right hand side of the field. Ben had been caught off side a couple of times previously due to his endless enthusiasm, but the assistant referee had no cause to raise his flag on this occasion.

As he loomed up to the goalie, he placed a well aimed chip that slightly grazed the goalie's outstretched fingers, but was no obstacle for the ball going into the goal. 1 nil to Tigers.

The Southern District team pulled out all the stops, with attack after attack being snuffed out by Tiger defence. With only a couple of minutes to go, tension was running wild, resulting in some over enthusiastic banter from the Tiger's bench. But this wasn't going to dampen the Tiger spirit and with the clock showing nearly 2 minutes over the usual finish time, the whistle blew an end to the game, and an end to the season, with the Tigers defeating Southern Districts 1 - 0.

The only negative thing to happen today was an awkward fall in the dying seconds resulting in Pat fracturing a bone in his arm. But the day was owned by the Tigers team today.

I take this opportunity to thank all coaching staff and parents for their dedicated support over the season, but especially the players, who showed pride and fantastic football skills throughout the year. I wish them well in their future footballing endeavours.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

17/08/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Illawarra:
- 7 August 2010

A washed out Sunday game the week before saw a Saturday replacement match against Illawarra at Hooka Creek Park (Macedonia Park) at Berkley.

That simply meant a really early start to the day. Being a Saturday, the Tiger's 12's were affected by the requirement for players to play for their school, so a couple of our players were unavailable. A great warm-up of the team by Ian today saw them pumped for play. However, it was going to take more than enthusiasm against Illawarra. And Illawarra were certainly on their game today.

From the start, the Illawarra boys were playing a strong, physical game, with long kicks sending our players up and down the field more times than they really hoped for. Illawarra pushed their chances and capitalised twice in quick succession, being 2 nil up half way through the first period.

At this point, the Tigers boys woke up to the play that they had to do to take this game up to Illawarra, and the game started to turn. As always, Luke B was a source of annoyance to his opponents by his hard play and never say die attitude. And it was Luke B who pumped a cracker of a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced fortuitously to Cal who was always there looking for work. Cal said thank you for the gift by putting the ball into the net to bring the game back to a 1 goal deficit. No further score from either side occurred between then and the halftime whistle.

The second half was a game of chance, with both sides taking turns to see what they could do. Having few subs (TVK coming off with leg problems, and Pat straining a thigh muscle), the boys showed grit and determination in keeping a continually challenging Illawarra side scoreless in the second half.

Unfortunately, our boys were also denied any scoring opportunities too, and that's the way it ended with Illawarra winning 2-1. Whilst beaten on the scoreboard today, the Tigers spirit and pride certainly didn't get tarnished following that performance.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

06/08/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Central Coast:
- 4 August 2010

After being washed out on three previous occasions, the game against Central Coast at Mills Park finally occurred under lights tonight. Both teams had played each other before and were looking forward to the match. Unfortunately, as the season is fast concluding, a Wednesday night game was our only option, and this meant that both our Lukes were unavailable due to school commitments. This was going to make it tough.

From the start, the boys were playing well, looking good, but lacking the fire in their bellies that they had over the past couple of games. Central Coast were pushing at every opportunity and at the ten minute mark put together a nice passage of play to put them a goal ahead. The boys rallied after this, and whilst they didn't allow Central Coast to score again in the half, they were frustrated by strong defence which denied them any scoring opportunities either.

The second half was virtually a replica of the first, with a goal from Central Coast and no strong opportunities capitalised by the Tigers boys. And whilst the final score of 0-2 to Central Coast pretty much summed up the game, our boys were not disgraced, and will hopefully lift from this experience in their last three games of the season.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

17/08/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Canterbury:
- 25 July 2010

Today was an exceptional winter's day at Mills Park for the clash against Canterbury. There is a history between these two sides as Canterbury had a win over our boys in the final of the Centenary Plate this year. Both teams remembered this and were set to do battle.

From the start it was obvious why both teams made the final, as the style of football being displayed today delighted the crowd with sharp passing, tough defending, and flashes of attack that put the hearts in the mouths of the spectators. By the 14th minute both teams were poised to convert hard work to points, and it was the Tigers that drew first blood.

From near our own right corner, the ball was passed efficiently up the field to Chrispy, who dodged a player and put a lovely through ball to a rampaging AP, who outran his opponent and put a well judged kick into the right side of the net to go to a 1 nil lead. Both teams returned to the middle and continued their high standards, where equal skills from both sides made the 1 nil scoreline unaltered at the break.

The second half started in a blaze of glory where the Tigers pushed their dominance into their opponent's half. A free kick 15 metres outside the box saw AP float the ball into the goal square to Ditch, who got control and pushed it through to Sam, who knew exactly what to do, and the score went to 2-0.

But as the infamous commercial used to say 'But wait, there’s more!' At the 13th minute of the second half, Sam featured again with a great through ball to Cal, who simply flew across the park and took on the goalie with ease and pumped the ball into the net to go to 3 nil.

Whilst there was some great play after this, Canterbury knew that the day was going the Tiger's way. The final whistle drew a very memorable game to a close with the Tigers taking the day 3-0 in a game that showed a greater display of football skills than the display of musicality in the sheds singing the team song.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

22/07/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs St George:
- 18 July 2010

A crystal clear winter's morning greeted the boys in their game against St George at Peakhurst Park. They were looking for a change in their fortunes today as they had trained hard all week, as well as played the 14 year old girls Project 22 team on the previous Wednesday night to help hone their football skills.

From the kick off, the teams were pretty even. St George played a no nonsense style of football which was both skillful and physical. The back line of Gangster, Fish, Pat and James were pressed on several occasions, with Johno keeping them on their toes from the goals. Our mid field of Ditch, Cal, Crispy and Ben were being asked to do a lot of running as the game swung from end to end.

In about the 10th minute, our two strikers combined when Luke B put a great through ball to AP who took it off to the left and crossed it back to Luke B who cracked one into the keeper. The keeper could only rebound it and the ever present Ben made no mistake in drawing first blood to the Tigers. But St George was not a team to give up. Some 3 or so minutes later, a free kick was awarded outside the box. St George placed it high and out of reach to level the score.

But again, Tigers went hunting and again, a great through ball came to Luke B's running feet who took it forward and finished it into the bottom right corner to again take the lead. However, just before half time, a mighty lucky strike from about 10 meters inside the Tiger's half saw the St George player put it again high and scraping the bottom of the cross bar to bring the first half to a 2 all close.

The Tigers, though down on players, were not down on spirit. With the ever running Wii-Man on the park, as well as the great assistance of our 11's player Mathieu, several boys were able to have a couple of sits through the game. Even Johno gave the goal square up to the ever reliable Josh, who was called upon to defend numerous shots in the second half, and didn't disappoint. Mind you, there was no rest for Johno either, as he did a Superman-like change from goalie to field player late in the second half.

Both teams knew that the next goal was vital, and both teams pushed each other. However, in about the 12th minute, Mathieu found the ball at his feet and crossed it to AP, who chested it just outside the goal square, then volleyed it into the top left corner with his ever reliable left boot to bring the Tigers boys a 1 goal lead.

Whilst both teams were running subs quickly, and time was quickly going, Luke B sealed St George's fate with a punishing shot from the right corner of the box that, whilst the keeper covered it, its power pushed it underneath his arms for a delicate roll into the net. Though the Tigers were again pressing forward with the view of getting another goal, the referee had other ideas and called it quits to see the Tigers win 4-2.

Whether it was the first win in a few weeks, or the cupcakes celebrating Crispy's birthday after the game, the team song had plenty of feeling today.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

13/07/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Eastern Suburbs:
- 11 July 2010

The soccer gods were not looking favourably at our team today with our match against Eastern Suburbs played at Frances Oval Blacktown for this round.

The ominous signs were there when we could only field 11 of the regular team. Thankfully (and gratefully as well), three of the 11's team stepped in to assist. A big thank you to Mathieu, Alen and Peter for being available.

In the first 10 minutes, the Tigers were looking good. They were passing well, had drive and took the game up to the opposition. However, a couple of quick opportunities presented themselves to Eastern Suburbs, and they capitalised on this to go two goals ahead at half time.

During this period, it seemed that the ball was always bouncing awkwardly away from us and into the Eastern Suburbs possession, that the 50/50 balls seemed to run our opponent's way, and the run of the game was against us. In saying this, our hunger for the ball was not as intense as Eastern Suburbs, and as they say, "you make your own luck".

A half time rev up seemed to reignite the Tigers. Five minutes into the second half, a glorious through ball from Luke B saw Ben charge down the right hand side, who then deftly centred it to a rampaging AP who struck a blow back for the Tigers, 1-2.

However, just when the run of the game was going our way, the soccer gods struck another blow. An extremely dubious penalty (one in which the Eastern Suburb's coach even apologised to the Tiger's coach for) gave Eastern Suburbs a chance to go further ahead, which they did.

This seemed to deflate the boys, who then let a couple of further goals through their grasp and were basically playing for the whistle to blow. This, when it finally did, saw Eastern Suburbs come up winners 5-1.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

07/07/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Macarthur:
- 04 July 2010

Another home game at Mills, another beautiful day and another tough game for our boys, this time up against Macarthur. The boys from down south are always tough opponents, and today was to be no exception.

It was a fairly even start between them with both teams sizing each other up. Neither team could gain any ascendency over the other, with tight defending and physical challenges from every player. Unfortunately, due to a slight tap in the goal box, the referee had no alternative but to award a penalty against the Tigers in about the 12th minute. This was converted and took some wind out of the Tiger's sails. Some ten minutes later, further pressure from Macarthur saw them forge ahead a further goal before the half time whistle.

A rally by the Tiger's boys at half time saw them come out with a bit more fight. Whilst Macarthur were still looking good, they were certainly not having it their own way. At about the 8 minute mark, a beautiful ball from Pat was delivered to a running AP who got around his opponent and put the kick onto his always reliable left boot and the Tigers were back into the game at 1-2. However, whilst this raised the Tiger's hopes, it also recharged the Macarthur team who, with about 7 minutes to go, placed another goal against their name. Even though the Tigers were pushing hard at the end, the final score remained at 1-3 in favour of Macarthur.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

05/07/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Bankstown:
- 27 June 2010

A glorious winter's day greeted the boys at Jensen Park Sefton for their game against Bankstown today. The field was looking in excellent order and the boys were pumped up for a good game.

From the start, the passing and ball movement was very good, with a number of attacking runs coming from both sides. It was obvious that both teams were on their respective games today and the spectators were being treated to some very good quality football.

A couple of strikes on both sides narrowly missed their targets, and both sets of midfielders were earning their money, as the ball was being pushed from one end of the field to the other. Half time came with both teams unable to cross each other's line, but not from lack of trying.

The second half was no different, with the ball being transferred from player to player in a frenzy of diverse moves. Unfortunately, one slight lapse of concentration by the Tigers found Bankstown jumping on their opportunity and scoring in about the 10th minute.

Again, the play started with both teams pushing each other, however, the main enemy of the Tigers, the clock, halted the game before anything further could be scored.

Whilst the boys were disappointed in the result at the end of the game, they were not unhappy with the style of play they showed, and the commitment they put into the game.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

22/06/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Southern Branch:
- 20 June 2010

Hot after a game against Nepean two days prior, our boys had their first game against the Southern Conference teams, starting with Southern Branch at Parklands.

Given that the opponents had to travel anywhere between 2 to 5 hours to get to the game, the start was scheduled at 1.00pm. Whilst the day was beautiful, the pitch was dry and crumbly with the ball bouncing high and running quickly.

From the start, the game was poised evenly. Both sides were playing a very entertaining game with a lot of passing and attacking runs. In about the 10th minute, a dubious call for a handball in the box (similar to the Harry Kewell World Cup call 12 hours earlier), found Southern Branch with a penalty, which they converted to open the scoring.

Feeling very much like how the Socceroos felt (although still with 11 players), our boys reignited their hunger for the ball. Our defensive line of Fish, Pat, James and Gangster were playing a delaying game which nullified the Nepean attack, which allowed Sam, Luke B, Chrispy and Ben the chances they needed to turn defence into attack.

This continual run of good play saw a corner for the Tigers team in about the 15th minute. Luke B, in his inimitable style, floated a glorious ball into the box to the waiting Captain in Sam, who made no mistake in burying the ball deep into the Southern goal to bring up the equalizer.

Some 5 minutes later, a free kick was given near the left corner of the Southern end of the ground. Again, Luke B. pinpointed a kick into the square to find a lurking A.P. who headed it into the goal to take the lead 2-1.

The second half started where the first half left off. Southern Branch certainly lifted to the challenge and in about the 10th minute exploited the right side of the field and scored a well placed equaliser to level the score.

The game then see-sawed with both teams looking at scoring at every opportunity, and with 2 minutes to go, the Tigers got their chance. Running the right hand side, the ever attacking Cal would not take a backward step in heading for the opponent's goal, resulting in a hard kick that, whilst partially blocked by the goalie, had enough sting on it to cross the line to bring the lead back to the Tigers.

A tense time was had for the last couple of minutes of the game, especially as we thought the ref had lost his watch, however, with great relief, the final whistle was blown and the Tigers received a well deserved win 3-2.

Whilst it hadn't been heard for a long time, the boys showed that they had not forgotten the team song as it rocked the change room walls.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

22/06/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Nepean:
- 18 June 2010

A hard day at the office was all that could be said for the Tigers boys in their clash against Nepean.

The game was played under lights at Garside Park in Granville, as a catch up match for their rained out game a couple of weeks prior. Whilst the night was cold, the pitch was in good condition for a tough game against the boys from the mountains.

From the opening whistle, the Nepean team were out to settle their Centenary Cup loss to the Tigers and were continuing to pump the ball down to the Tigers goal area, and thwart our attempts at attack. They opened their scoring in the 2nd minute of the first half. Whilst our boys rallied, continual pressure let another goal into our net just before half time.

The second half was better with the boys trying to exploit the wings a little more, however, the Nepean defence was up to the task, allowing very few shots at goal by our strikers. In the dying minutes of the game, their continued attack gave Nepean their third goal for the game, and that's where it stopped with the final whistle giving Nepean the game by 3 goals to nil.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

25/05/10: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Eastern Suburbs:
- 23 May 2010

Result 0-0

The team should all be very proud of themselves after this weeks fantastic effort against the leaders of the table in our group, Eastern Suburbs. This was never going to be an easy match... and what a result!!!

We took to the field with the challenge to do our best and play hard to maintain a tight game. Scoring would have been fantastic but we had to defend strongly against an attacking Eastern Suburbs team. As a team, the boys played an amazing game of Football. Every boy deserves a special mention this week, with some having their best game of the season. The intensity was high, the pace was extremely quick and we had to be on our toes for the full 50mins.

We created our opportunities and were just unlucky with two attempts in the second half that could have provided us with a winning goal. But in fairness, Eastern Suburbs also had a number of opportunities they were just unable to convert. The dynamics of the team this week stepped up again to another level. Every player was attacking and coming back to defend every ball. The tight control and our efforts fighting for the ball as aggressively as the opposition just proved too much for them to be able to get a goal. Ball control and that never give up attitude kept the game without any goals.

Special mention this week to Alen and Tyrell in the middle for continuing to fight for possession and control and to Alec on the right wing for that speed which he closed down his opponents every time.

Playing as a team we were able to keep Eastern Suburbs to a 0-0 draw. An amazing result. I was asked by an Eastern Suburbs parent after the game where were we sitting on the table. His feedback was that was one of the best games he had seen from an opposing team against Eastern Suburbs this season. The coach also said it was great to see the boys playing football and not booting the ball from one side of the field to the other. Congratulations BOYS and to the coaching team!!

A Special Thank you to Philippe Cordier for his assistance with the referee duties. Another job well done.

Next week Nepean... so good luck team.

Report by: Nick Agosta, 11 Metro's

25/05/10: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Blacktown:
- 16 May 2010

Result 3-0
CONGRATULATIONS, CONGRATULATIONS ON A WELL DESERVED VICTORY

With the return of our Coach Matt and a point to prove after Pluim Park, the Tigers arrived with plenty of excitement. The talk amongst the boys was these are the games we have to win. Blacktown are no easy team so taking nothing away from them the challenge was for our boys to make it 2 from 2 against them.

The first half began with the polished look our professional sons take to the field each and every week. The game commenced evenly paired with both teams aggressively challenging for the early goal and leadership in the match. It quickly became a match of control and the momentum lead to the first goal which was scored by Peter Xenos. From around the 18 yard box, with a view of an open goal the attempt was on and he scored to open the score 1 -0 in the middle of the half. The team continued with the boost in confidence of the early goal to really dominate the remainder of the half with control and ball skills to have a number of attempts on goal. A few balls passed a little further back to our oncoming strikers could have easily had another 2 goals scored. The team had lifted and was ready for the second half.

The second half commenced with an eager Blacktown looking to catch us off our guard and score an early goal. This resulted in an early attack in the early few minutes that resulted in a fantastic save by our Goalkeeper Julian Di Ciano that kept the Tigers with the lead.

Again, this was the eye opener for the boys to really keep control and momentum with us. We started to control and pass the ball around the park and dominate possession. A number of opportunities started to come our way again for our strikers in the second half. The opportunities seemed endless! As a team we continued to break play and take these opportunities forward to our strikers and the new found confidence was there to take those shots on goal we have been lacking for some part of this season. These continued attacks led to 2 more goals being scored by Pius and Xenos in the second half to end a fantastic 3-0 win for the Tigers.

Report by: Nick Agosta, 11 Metro's

25/05/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Eastern Suburbs:
- 23 May 2010

Overcast and rainy patches were the order of the day at Mills Park against Eastern Suburbs. The ground looked good and the boys were pumped for a good game. Unfortunately, it was not to be today.

Opportunities in the first half were not taken and decisions by the boys were either not as sharp today, or simply a case of choosing the wrong option. This was disappointing, as their intensity was quite high for the first half, and they were camped in the Eastern Suburbs half for a good majority of the first 25 minutes. However, when Eastern Suburbs finally got the ball back from our boys, they headed down the field to cause havoc, making our boys flustered and stretched. Goals for Eastern Suburbs came from corners and broken play, so that at half time, the score line was 0-3 in favour of Eastern Suburbs.

The mood in the shed at half time was still pretty good, with the boys not willing to concede defeat. However, the second half saw a tough battle, with little result. Another two goals Eastern Suburbs, again from broken play, saw the score jump to 0-5. They boys were seeing the writing on the wall, but still pushed ahead to get a consolation goal with about 8 minutes to go. A great through ball saw Jono flying through the centre to draw the goalie and score in the left corner.

No further goals occurred and the game finished with Eastern Suburbs taking the day by 5 goals to 1.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

15/05/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Granville:
- 9 May 2010

Another Mills home game. Another beautiful sunny day. And another tough game against a team that always plays well against the Tigers, Granville. A 4 nil loss against this team did not enter our boy's heads, and with it being Mother's Day, both teams wanted to impress their respective mums with a good game.

And that's just what happened. From the kick off, a quality game was watched by all spectators. Our defence and attack were equally matched with Granville's, with plenty of runs, passes and opportunities for both teams. First goal however was given to Granville at around the 12 minute mark. Talking it up within the team, the Tigers kept their heads and continued a quality game until the half way mark, with no further change to the score.

The second half again gave the spectators great entertainment, with both the teams running hard. A bulldozing run by AP saw him pushed over in the box by over zealous Granville defence. This gave Luke B a great opportunity to equalize the score, which of course, he did.

But don't write off the Granville boys. With 10 minutes to go, Granville forged ahead with another goal. Then, a touch of magic occurred. Again, Tigers were not giving up and continued pounding on the Granville door saw a corner from the right hand side. Luke B placed the ball on the spot, and curved the ball from the spot around and into the left hand side of the goal. His trademark celebration of a diving forward roll followed by a cart wheel was marred by the influx of excited Tigers players surrounding him.

Whilst more chances occurred, it didn't worry the scorer any further with a final score of 2 all being a fitting way to end what was an entertaining game.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

15/05/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Manly:
- 2 May 2010

Parklands Oval was finally given over to football use after the extended cricket season, and was the scene of the Tiger's first home game at this oval, against Manly. In the first round, Manly took the prize by 2 goals to nil. How were our boys going to bounce back from that?

The start was certainly not what the Tigers wanted, as on the 55th second of the game, Manly found the back of our net. All spectators thought that it was going to be a long game. However, nobody told the Tigers players that. Strong play by our boys saw the ball continually in the Manly half, with a number of strikes narrowly missing the goal. Continued pressure finally paid off with a strike from AP being narrowly saved by the Manly goalie, only to go to the feet of a lurking Gangster who was very keen to get an equalizer, and was in the right place at the right time to do so. Then just before half time, the Gangster featured again by also having a great shot narrowly stopped by the diving Manly goalie, and Cal, who was pressing forward as always, made no mistake by giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead at half time.

The second half had the boys in very good spirits and pushing their advantage up to Manly. A great passage of play saw the ball passed back to Ben just outside the box. An expertly placed lob over the top of all the players crowded in the box gave Ben a goal against his name, and a further goal to the team.

But Ben was not the only marksman in the team. With a few minutes to go, Luke B noted the goalie positioned off his goal line, so his choice of a pinpointed volley was perfectly executed and resulted in another goal to the Tigers.

By the end of the game, the Tigers were deserved winners by 4-1, and showed that, if they play to their potential, they can be a force in 2010. Unfortunately, their skills as football players didn't necessarily continue through to their singing ability, but what the team song at the end of the game lacked in lyrical elegance, it made up for in enthusiasm. Certainly, it was a great birthday present for Pat, and no cake remained by the time the team left the dressing sheds!

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

15/05/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Gladesville Hornsby:
- 23 April 2010

A first night game for a few of the Tiger's boys saw them play on the Friday night of the ANZAC weekend against Gladesville Hornsby at Mills. Their opponents were runners up in the recently played Centenary Cup, only narrowly defeated by Southern Districts. This team was not going to be easy to play.

And it didn't take long for Gladesville Hornsby to stamp their mark on the game with a first goal in the first ten minutes. Their second goal came from a free kick which was just out of reach to bring the half time score to 2 nil. Clearly, this team was a class outfit, but this didn't deter our boys.

The second half saw Tigers rally and put up a more concerted effort, with a few good runs, however, Gladesville Hornsby's defence was up to the task. One further goal saw Gladesville Hornsby increase their lead. However, the Tiger's showed great heart in continuing to take the game up to their opponents by a late goal. Ditch put through a great ball to AP, who went with his right foot this time to place the ball into the top right corner.

This showed great courage by the boys in the face of certain defeat to never say die. Whilst the final score favoured Gladesville-Hornsby 3-1, we were all proud of the team's ability to keep up the pressure for the entire game.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

15/05/10: Metro League 12s - Northern Tigers Vs Central Coast:
- 18 April 2010

A beautiful day greeted the team at Pluim Park for the clash against Central Coast. Due to various matters within the club, Central Coast didn't get to the Centenary Cup like our boys did, and were keen to have a game.

From the start, the Tigers’ heads weren't in the game. An average warm up and a shakey start is not what you should have against a side like Central Coast. Their first goal was a lob that was pin point accurate scraping the bottom of the crossbar. Their second goal, 5 minutes before half time, started the slide to which the Tigers couldn't get on top of.

After half time, the Tigers had a better half, however, a further two unanswered goals by Central Coast saw the team drop their heads. Their usual aggression wasn't there today, and the final whistle was a welcome sound to see Central Coast win 4 nil. Was it the tiredness from the competition (where they were runners up for the Centenary Plate), we will never know until the return match is undertaken.

Report by: Mal Partridge, Manager 12 Metro's

21/04/10: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Vs Central Coast:
Away – 18 April 2010

Result 0-0

This week we made the trip to the Central Coast to play Central Coast Lightning.

In what was a much better united team performance, the boys played to their previous winning form. Central Coast not an easy team to beat and whom had a 1-1 draw against Granville the previous week, were always on the look out for that winning goal. Some great defensive play by the defenders kept Central Coast limited in their breaks of play. Some very excellent team work allowed the Tigers to turn from a defensive play into an attacking position that provided us with our share of opportunities.

The game was aggressively played in the middle with the winner of the ball, allowing his team the opportunity to get first points on the board. Unfortunately this week, we were just unable to get the ball into the goal net. One very last attempt by Nicholas Yasbic from just outside the 18yard box missed by just inches from being the winning goal we had fought all game for. Just a metre closer to the goals was all that was needed to carry the ball just out of the keepers reach.

A much better team game played by all players with use of the ball and the width of the park to make our opportunities count.

So where to from here I hear you ask???
Well we are through all seven teams in our group in what has been an excellent result for our Tigers team moving from Small Side Games to the larger field format. So boys, now we need to step it up another gear for the next 7 games as we play everyone again. We know the teams we can beat and the teams we will have a good showing against. So with the entrusted support of some of the parents I have spoken with, get ready for some tougher calls from this reporter... the good, the bad and the result!!!

Boys, we all look forward to this 50mins of football every week, so let's hit the park, eager, motivated and with the never give up attitude of the Northern Tigers each week. That ball is always ours, we need it to score the goals so we get the result, we need to chase, use the space on the park and finish off the attacking moves with winning goals. Above all... Play Fair and Enjoy the experience first.

This Friday Night under lights
This week we play Ryde-Gladesville at Mills Park. For your info team, last weekend they had a 0-0 draw against Nepean. Nepean was our second win so far this season out at Richmond and we won that game 1-0 in what was a very hot morning. So on the day with the right team spirit, the right passes and the opportunities you create, I bet you we can beat everyone in our group. Over to you boys.

Report by: Nick Agosta, 11 Metro's

18/04/10: Metro League 11s - Northern Tigers Vs Eastern Suburbs:
- 11 April 2010

Well this was a special week! We had the Easter break, the clocks were wound back 1 hour for daylight savings and a full day of football for all those Under 11 Metro players that wanted to see the other teams play. As a bonus to our parents, we even had a late game start at 12pm and all this at the wonderful Francis 2 Oval in Blacktown. We had it all... except our game plan on the day...

The boys played Eastern Suburbs and, although they rank top of the table in our competition, we really never fired up as a team for this one.

The boys took to the field in the usual manner that makes us as parents so proud. Unfortunately this week, we were outplayed. Eastern Suburbs brought with them the speed, eagerness to get to the ball first and the confidence that comes from leading and scoring early goals. In what appeared to be a breakdown in the teams confidence and communication with each other, it was just a difficult game to control. The midday heat had an effect on the boys as well.

This was a game our boys could take valuable lessons and learn from. With three consecutive goals the score was 3 - 0 at half time.

The second half saw the team a little more relaxed, and with the half time breather and an opportunity to regain their thoughts we played a little more TIGERS style of football in the second half. We managed to keep Eastern Suburbs scoreless for most of this half with only one final and last goal scored by the opposition in the last few minutes of play. Final score Eastern Suburbs 4 – Tigers 0.

The boys had been bought back to earth in what is a tough competition. In what I am sure will be a very good learning experience for our team this season, we now look forward to playing Central Coast this week.

Boys - back to training, Easter break is over and bring back the early game. Okay maybe the Central Coast game could be 10 or 11am… haha...

My closing comments to the boys this week:
Remember who you are and what your team can do. Play your game and not worry about that of your opponents and above all have fun. On any given day with the right opportunities and mindset, any team can beat another. Till next week.

Oh, by the way... I found the article that Eastern Suburbs players were reading before our game. I will have copies at training this week, it's all mindset. Good Luck boys.

Report by: Nick Agosta, 11 Metro's