Umina vs BUFC Fs

Despite the recent downpour, Saturday found F-grade running on to a completely dry pitch at Umina. With just one substitute player, the team was preparing for a hard slog against a team that was near the top of the table.

Umina kicked off, but within a few minutes some superb tackling in the centre from Tek Tea and Chris Peers saw the ball at Terrigal’s feet and pressing hard on the Umina goal. Strong centreing kicks from Justin O’Malley Jones, Trevor Husk and Steve Head on the wings saw Terrigal miss at least four attempts at goal and the game see-sawed until, around the twentieth minute, Brett ‘Sevens’ Fenton took a superb long pass from Jason Bush and nailed a goal.

Much heartened by this success, Terrigal were full of talk and kept the pressure on Umina throughout the first half, only faltering in the last ten minutes, when the pressure in defence came off a bit and Umina were able to get their passing game going. This resulted in a corner kick, and Umina managed to plug one home from a foot out from the goal line.

With the ‘flu keeping him in goal, Brendan McCarthy had a superb game, challenging attacks and saving several goals and providing effective return kicks that put the Terrigal forwards in attacking positions.

Half time saw the game drawn, but Terrigal were pumped, as their game plan of ‘kick it long’ appeared to be paying off.

Shortly into the second half, Anthony Broadbere had to come off with a leg injury. Reduced to ten men, Terrigal braced themselves for the onslaught, but minutes later Chris Peers and Tek Tea took it upfront and the Umina goalie advanced beyond his line to take the ball. Marched off with a red card, the numbers were levelled.

Sustained pressure and solid defence from Ryan Bush, his brother Jason and Adam Chandler, kept the ball down the far end for much of the second half, with every raid from Umina soundly defeated. Adam Chandler played his usual superb game, despite coughing out a spare lung before he went on, before copping a knock to the knee that saw him helped off the field. Now down to nine, things were looking grim, but lo and behold, after swallowing a cup of concrete, Adam ‘Lazarus’ Chandler was back on only minutes later.

With ten to go, a long ball from Jason Bush put Justin O’Malley Jones into the corner and a superb cross from him saw Brett ‘Sevens’ Fenton score for a second time.
With everyone fired up, the team was surprised when the final whistle blew, and Terrigal had their first win for the season.

Final result: 2-1 to Terrigal.