What a day of action.
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Cobram Roar’s final home match day of the Albury Wodonga Football Association regular season lived up to all expectations.
Both the senior men’s and women’s teams had days to remember, with the Division One men coming from behind to down title rival Albury United and the Division Two women securing top spot with a clinical win.
In the Division One men’s competition supporters were treated to a cracking 90 minutes of action.
It was goal for goal throughout the contest with Tarkyn Hyde scoring two and Anthony Corso one to see the scores locked at 3-3 at half time.
Early in the second half a fantastic run from Corso led to an own goal being scored, with the home side doing enough to get over the line.
Cobram coach Vince Iannucci said it was a mistake that let the opposition score their first goal.
“We just weren’t quite tight enough in the middle for the other two goals,” Iannucci said.
“That’s because of the formation we were playing, so they sort of got a free run and had guys in the middle with too much time.”
Iannucci explained that Anthony Corso was “unplayable”, while Tom Corso and Hyde also performed well.
He said that whatever happened in the final two rounds, the club had accomplished what it wanted to.
“The club’s in a good spot,” he said.
“The ladies won the championship, the under-14s and under-16s look like they’ll win their championships, the reserves are in the finals.
“I think we might only have one side that is not playing finals this year, so as a club we’re in a good spot.”
Next week the Roar will face an away trip to tackle Twin City.
– Daniel Webb
Division Two men
Cobram Roar 1 drew with Albury United 1
The Division Two men took on Albury United, who were two spots above on the ladder. A great start from the Roar team saw them take control early but unable to break the deadlock.
Going into the second half 0-0, the message was to stay in the game. A lapse in defence saw United take the lead early in the second half. Some great defending saw the team stay in the game, then Conor Dodson got himself on to the ball outside the box and placed it neatly in the top corner, with the final result 1-1.
Division Two women
Cobram Roar 9 defeated Albury United 0
The club welcomed Albury United this weekend, with a chance to secure top spot and become league champions.
Marlie Noonan had a great game and started the ladies off with a wonderful strike from outside the 18-yard box to beat the United keeper and it wasn't long after that she got her second in the half. The women continued to move the ball around and show their dominance on the pitch — player of the match went to Hollie Percy, playing her best game of the season. The Roar had a corner and it was Kylie Wooden with a great header to give the Roar women a 3-0 lead at the half-time break.
The women were one step closer to being league champions and they had no intention of slowing down — Marlie scored her third and Laydah netted three within 10 minutes. The highlight of the game was Brenda scoring her first goal for the season with a class strike from a free kick from 25 yards. It wasn't long before Brenda got her second goal, with the women playing great football and keeping a clean sheet. With the league now secured, the women will now focus on the finals.
Under-16
Cobram Roar 5 defeated Albury United 0
The boys came up against a determined Albury United team in damp and foggy conditions and again took time to find their feet and play their best soccer. The fog lifted at half time and so did the boys’ enthusiasm and standard of play. The boys started playing as a team and came away with a well-deserved 5-0 win. Next week comes the big test against Twin City.
Goals: Luke Goodin 2, Jake Kalz 2, Jake Brincat 1
Under-14
Cobram Roar 9 defeated Albury Hotspurs 1
Whilst the rest of the club played at home, the under-14s travelled to Albury to take on Hotspurs at Lambert Park. The team moved the ball well and played well as a team to secure the win and stay in the hunt for a league championship.
Six goal scorers in all: George Wile 3, Reuben Haley 2 and Ted Thomas, Sam Hurlston, Nick Russo and Ian Dimble 1.
Under-14 Girls
Cobram Roar 7 defeated Wangaratta 0
Roar came out strong with a solid offensive focus, which saw Roar lead at half time, including an own goal from a corner, 4-0. Roar continued the momentum in the second half as Wangaratta fought back hard; however, solid teamwork and great passing kept Roar in the lead, winning 7-0.
Goals: Luana Mete 2, Alexis Iddles 1, Ella Janssens 1, Gemma Janssens 1, Lora Owens 1, own goal 1.
Under-13
Cobram Roar 0 lost to Albury United 9
Despite some great passages of play, Cobram Roar were 6-0 down at half time. The second half saw the team come on to the pitch more organised, creating more opportunities. However, Albury United were strong in defence and Roar were unable to convert their chances into goals.
Under-12
Cobram Roar 1 lost to Albury United 2
Cobram Roar knew they had to face a top team at home, but the boys arrived feeling pumped and ready to go. The game kicked off and Cobram was in great passing form trying to get on the board early. Ten minutes went by and Albury scored the first goal of the game, making it 1-0, but the boys kept their heads up, staying in the game.
The second half started and Cobram had some work to do, with great work ethic from Owen Stubbs putting pressure on the defenders. Shortly after, Albury got its second goal, making it a 2-0 lead. Not long left in the game and Sam Osborne scored to get Cobram on the board, but with little time left Albury got away with a win.
Cobram did their best and with only two games remaining before finals, the boys are looking to finish the season strong.
Daniel is a passionate sports fan and proud Tasmanian.