Round Twelve Men’s Premier Division Match Review, Sydney University v Pennant Hills Demons
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Written by Lachlan Scott
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First Quarter
Pennant Hills and Sydney Uni are both sitting securely in the top 4 after the mid-season break but a win here practically locks in a finals berth. A loss means harder matches ahead to hold off some very hungry teams coming up through the middle of the ladder. The Demons have a few debutants looking to prove themselves in this crucial match up, Alex Van Veen and Michael Weathers, hopefully they can hold their own against a very established Students side.
Sydney Uni strike first with a long bomb to Hughes as he steams out from the goal square. He takes a ride on some unsuspecting shoulders and drags in a massive mark well within his range as the crowd roars at the spectacle. Taking his time with the run up, knows early momentum is important, and lets fly. The kick is low and fast, the goal umpire doesn’t move, first points on the board for the Students.
The Demons respond immediately with their trademark precise field kicking. Mitchell scans the forward line and spots Maguire charging out towards the 50. The kick hits him lace out well out of reach of his opponent. Maguire sends the Sherrin soaring, fists rising to meet it on the goal line, but it evades them by a hairsbreadth. Pennant Hills on the board as these two sides trade goals early.
Hiscox bobs up from nowhere to intercept and cut off a Demons kick out of defence. He searches for the next avenue to goal, kicks to the talls vying for position deep as the smalls swarm around them. The defensive fist wins out and the ball is spoiled forwards but Tang from nowhere, swoops in, snap across the body, Goal! Roving to perfection Tang puts the Students back in front.
Velthuis has been integral for Sydney Uni early, forming the mainstay of their defensive screen and intercepting any attempts by the Demons to exit their backline. He continues to pick out targets forward with terrific accuracy, this time he fires towards Hughes. He makes sure his teammate’s faith is well placed, soars over the pack and clutches the footy tight to his chest as he crashes back to earth. Showing off his textbook kicking mechanism, he slices the Sherrin directly over the goal umpire’s head. Goal Sydney Uni.
Pennant Hills stops the slide just as soon as it starts, Preedy launching a long penetrating kick across the forward 50 looking for Maguire. He runs onto it with a full head of steam, leaps over his opponent to tap it to his own advantage, collects off the deck and snaps across the body. Such an incredible performance deserves a goal, and the footy gods agree, the high up and under floating right through the big sticks. Pennant Hills stays in touch early with their second major.
Quarter Time Sydney University 3.3.21 – Pennant Hills Demons 2.2.14
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Second Quarter
Sydney Uni flies out of the gates again immediately from the bounce, driving long to their talls as they jostle for position. Kozlik zooms through from the side to collect the spoil and earns himself a free kick from high contact as a wayward arm catches him above the shoulders. The man on the mark is about 35m out but Kozlik backs up well into the midfield for his run up, distance never an issue. The kick is long and true, goal umpire waves his pride round flags and the Students strike first again.
Back to Back! Sydney Uni streams forward again, this time from a slingshot out the back of the contest, firing a piercing ball deep forward. The talls rise but it slips past fingertips and over the back, Hughes collects and fires of the handball in the blink of an eye. Gibbs latches onto it as he streaks past, one-two step, snap and goal! In less than a minute the Students have put two on the board, the Demons needing to respond quickly to stay in this.
And again Sydney Uni go forward from the centre bounce, Pennant Hill’s mids really under pressure here in the second. Chaos ball tumbles forward deep on the wing, rapid fire handball pinballing around in the melee. Every recipient just looking for enough breathing room to kick goalward and not finding it as the Demons pressure smothers any hopes. Finally it squeezes out the back to Lees, swinging across his body with a high up and under and is crunched immediately. The ball floats wildly as the goal umpire tracks it but it finds its home, another goal to the Students.
It’s an avalanche here in the second and so far, the Demons have no answer in this 7-minute period. Sydney Uni slices a kick across the forward line to wrong foot the defenders and create space. Hughes launches himself between three and clunks a massive mark, taking a mitt to the head for his troubles. He dusts himself off, shakes out the cobwebs and lines up. The kick is never in doubt and the goal umpire doesn’t move an inch, four in a row to Sydney Uni.
Finally some relief for Pennant Hills to staunch the bleeding. They grind forward, unable to utilise their precise kicking and switching to hard and close handballs to inch the contest forwards. Mitchell pulls the trigger and loops a high up and under kick from the back of the contest to Blow deep forward. He’s tangled up in contact and can’t clutch the mark. The ball spills down, and he soccers it from mid-air! Magnificent goal to Blow and a necessary goal for the Demons.
Hughes continues to cause headaches for the Demons backline, flying across packs to mark from nowhere multiple times. This time he looks to Gibbs at the top of the goalsquare, the kick spoiled down from the contest. Gibbs puts his body between his opponent and the ball, collects of the deck with ease and spins 180 to kick across his body. Demons defenders leap at it but a moment too late as it escapes their grasp and sails through for the 5th Sydney Uni goal of this term.
Half Time Sydney University 8.4.52 – Pennant Hills Demons 3.5.23
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Third Quarter
And were right back into it after the main break! Preedy wins the tap down for Pennant Hills and they scream forward through an aggressive handball chain. Matthews gets onto the end of it, kicking across his body as he spins towards goal, and straight through the big sticks. The Demons come out firing with a goal in the first 10 seconds!
Play seesaws between the arcs until Pennant Hills give up on their structured approach and thump it long down the corridor. Two kicks and they’ve cleared the length of the ground. Blow has snuck out the back and the quick transition catches the defence flat footed. He corrals the final kick inside 50, spins and streams into the goal square, making certain of the kick and slamming it home. Demons two in a row.
The Students can’t be hold off forever. After struggling in the opening 10 minutes the gears begin to click and they lock the ball forward with repeat entries. Finally it pays dividends as McLean barrels out from the goal square on a lead and tears down a classic mark through heavy contact. He weighs up his options and decides to kick for home, knowing he needs to shift the scoring momentum. The kick arcs perfectly from the boot and is never in doubt. Sydney Uni gets one back to maintain a handy lead.
The Demons defensive pressure is off the charts here in the third. All across the ground desperate smothers and bone crunching tackles shut down the Students movement and allow them to grind the ball forward even without possession. The final kick inside 50 comes to Blow who takes on 3 in the marking contest and earns himself a free kick directly in front 30m out. Blow certainly has his kicking boots on today and the goal umpire agrees as he kicks Pennant Hill’s third for the quarter.
And it’s the Demons turn for an avalanche of goals. The mids and wingers engage in a long-range battle up and down the grandstand side boundary. Flicking passes soar to the opposing packs only for it to be turned around and sent straight back. Finally the break comes and the Demons storm down the spine as the Students defence has drifted too close to the contest. Vidler stands his ground and marks through contact directly in front 40m out. His kick is on target from start to finish and zips through straight as an arrow. Pennant Hills with the ascendancy in the third, can they continue it in the fourth to claw back the win?
Three Quarter Time Sydney University 9.6.60 – Pennant Hills Demons 7.8.50
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Fourth Quarter
No 10 second goals here in the final quarter, both sides moving with slightly more caution given the scoreline and the chance for easy turnover scores. Pennant Hills looses a wayward kick out from defence and Goddard snaffles it up on the 50m arc to give the Students first look. He takes a lengthy run up and puts everything he has behind it. The ball comes crashing back to earth right on the goal line and fists rise to meet it but just a moment too late. Sydney Uni extending their lead and hoping keep it out of reach.
Bang Bang, two in a row! Straight from the centre bounce the Students strike again. Hiscox roves the tap to perfection and screams away from the contest to the 50m arc and lets loose a wild soaring kick. It easy travels the distance and makes the goal umpire work for it but stays between the big sticks. An incredible goal and suddenly the Demons have a lot to do in very little time.
Something’s happened behind the ball after the goal has been kicked and Hughes is gifted a free kick directly on the goal line! The Pennant Hills defenders will be kicking themselves here, an unnecessary and easy goal with the game on the line. Hughes makes it a certainty and all of a sudden, the lead is 27 points.
Wales initiates a switch down back for Pennant Hills, Matthews connects through the middle and thumps it long to Maguire who is well within range. His kick for goal is punched through and the Students waste no time bringing it back in straight down the spine. They’ve caught the defence off guard as it rushes to flood back, Picken using it to his advantage, gets into space and screams for the ball. The Students midfield obliges and put it straight onto his chest 30m out directly in front. His kick lands directly amongst jubilant fans behind the goals and Sydney Uni have wrapped this up in decisive fashion.
Pennant Hills land themselves a consolation goal as time remaining slips away from them. They grind the contest down into their forward 50 where the mids close in and shut down any easy movement. Angel performs a miracle and squeezes his way past two opponents to give himself enough space to snap. Its barely enough though as he’s crunched even before the ball leaves his boot, but it doesn’t matter. The kick is straight and true, floating through for the Demons only goal of the final quarter.
Sydney Uni puts a bow on it at the death, Picken leading out towards the boundary line and marking strongly in space. The kick is well within his range, even on tired legs, and he slams the ball at full force to send it well over the goal umpires head for the final major of the match.
A tenacious display from Pennant Hills today in a seesawing match, but not enough to shut down the Sydney Uni run of goals when it got started.
Full Time Sydney University 14.8.92 – Pennant Hills Demons 8.12.60
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Final Scores:
Sydney University: 14.8.92
Goal Kickers: I. Hughes 4, W. Gibbs 2, M. Picken 2, D. Goddard, J. Hiscox, M. Kozlik, N. Lees, C. McLean, N. Tang.
Best: Jack Dimery, Nick Lees, Jay Tang, Jack Hiscox, Izaac Hughes, Nathan Tang
Pennant Hills Demons: 8.12.60
Goal Kickers: M. Blow 3, H. Maguire 2, T. Angel, B. Matthews, M. Vidler.
Best: Jackson preedy, Mitchell Blow, Stephen Wray, Tim Wales, Alex Van veen, Harry Maguire
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