For those who were there, it was a battle to be sure – one which pitted our determined Sunshine Coast Storm FC U13 boys against the Killarney United FC, at the main Shirley Macey #1 pitch under threatening skies.
With everyone on the sidelines prepared for a wet uncertain day, our boys looked outplayed in the first 15 minutes of the game as the Killarney squad linked passes effortlessly, sending a message to the Storm to take control or this could all go south very quickly.
After a lot of physical contact and some serious wakeup calls, including the first goal from the Killarney boys, something deep inside the Storm FC collectively awoke and started to play the game like we knew they could, strong shoulder-to-shoulder soccer with a lot of great ball control.
Time and again the two teams seemed bent on making this day theirs, wanting it more with each passing minute, looking for weaknesses and capitalizing on sloppy play from the other side. It was a real soccer game in every way.
As the first half exploded onwards, our wicked warriors tied it up with a brilliant pass forward followed by a sweet long-range goal to give the game a half-time tension only a coach could love.
The second half literally became the centre of the universe for players and fans alike. As the sunshine burned through the cloud cover to give everyone a smile, our collective eyes would not leave the field. With hard-won balls all over the field, seriously diligent defensive plays, many interesting calls from the ref and a gritty style of physical soccer that usually is reserved for the men’s league here on the Coast, our Storm boys truly went all out to put in another fantastic goal, making it 2-1.
The Killarney attack in response was intense, to say the least, but not to be outdone, this was the local boys’ day and they put on a display for all to see from both ends that will be applauded for some time.
With only a minute to go on a well-earned drive to goal, two Killarney players collided with our Storm assassin, leading to a very memorable penalty shot from outside the box, sealing the day beautifully at 3-1.
It seems these young men are collectively on to something great, the coaches are seeing results, the proof is in the pudding, and the teams that face them are learning the hard way that the Storm is only getting better with each game.
