THE South East Women’s Football Association boasted four teams in the SAJSA Country Championships held in the Blue Lake city over the weekend.
The association fielded two Under 13 and two Under 16 sides, with some positive results coming from the tournament.
The Under 13 and Under 16 Blue teams had already represented their region at the State Championships earlier in the year and they finished with the best results on the weekend.
With the Under 16 Blue team finishing as state champion back in June, it finished runner-up, while the Under 13 Blue side claimed the champions trophy.
Under 13 Blue
THE Under 13 Blue team was led by coach Thomas Dowling and finished the championship in first place over reigning champions Adelaide Hills by goal difference alone.
The team played a total of five games, three on Saturday and two on Sunday, against the five other teams in the division, including the SEWFA Red side.
Whyalla was the first opponent of the event and despite a strong start from both teams, SEWFA stormed away to an eventual 14-nil win to set up the tournament.
Next up was the reigning title holder Adelaide Hills, which was billed as the championship decider and SEWFA Blue knew it had to play well as a team to compete.
Both teams started well and with Adelaide Hills taking the lead partway through the first term, SEWFA scored the equaliser just before half time.
Another goal to Adelaide Hills after the break kept spectators on the edge of their seats, but SEWFA held firm to prevent further score and converted again late in the game to draw at full time.
Emotions were mixed in the next clash, as the two SEWFA squads faced off.
That saw the Blue team with a 14-1 result to tighten its grasp on the top of the ladder.
On the second day, Port Pirie was the first opponent and SEWFA Blue claimed the honours 9-0.
The final clash was to be the decider for the championship, as a win against Sunraysia was a must to hold onto top spot.
The speedy running skills of Kate Seaton and Lara Jolly put pressure on the Sunraysia defence right from the first whistle.
They were supported on the left flank by the strength of Isla Dickson and Leonie Robertson, while Evany Rex and Yasmin Elliott were strong in the midfield.
The backline of Olivia Gwilym, Leah McDonnell, Amber Lindquist and Reily Seidel held strong and with goalie Maddie Smith behind them, not a single goal was conceded in the 6-0 win.
By half time SEWFA Blue had a four-nil lead, while the second half saw the tough contest continue.
A further two goals sealed the deal for SEWFA and hence earned it the championship title.
SEWFA Blue’s plus 42 goals was more than enough to secure the win from Adelaide Hills, which finished with plus 20.
Under 13 Red
DESPITE a sixth-place finish, it was a good weekend of soccer for the Under 13 Red team.
The girls adapted to their new team and structure quickly.
With four losses and a draw for the carnival, the closest match was a nil-all result against Whyalla, while a close 2-0 loss to Port Pirie capped off the weekend.
Siena Ashcroft was strong in goals for the Under 13 Red team and a goal from Ruby Shepherd in the third game against SEWFA Blue fuelled the side’s fighting spirit.
The defence line was strong and passing improved throughout, but despite a number of good runs from the forward line, the team was unable to score another goal.
Spectators all agreed the scores of the matches did not reflect the effort and calibre of the team.
Under 16 Blue
THE SEWFA Under 16 Blue team faced four opponents and finished the championships in second place with two wins, a loss and a draw.
Saturday’s first opposition was a strong Adelaide Hills squad, but SEWFA claimed a 3-1 victory to start the carnival on a high.
The afternoon match against Sunraysia saw a 2-0 defeat, with SEWFA unable to convert its chances.
Sunday’s first match was against the SEWFA Red team, which was a competitive game not reflected in the 5-0 win to the Blue team.
The final match was against Broken Hill, which held with it a chance to claim the title.
Despite a dominant performance, that control did not convert into goals and the final score of nil-all saw SEWFA Blue runner-up for the championship.
Goalkeeper Kali Langley had a strong tournament and was assisted by Darcey Allen, Ellie Seaton, Alexis Lunnay and Anna Smith in defence.
Captain Lauren Frost led by example and was the midfield general with support from Adele Wilkinson and Annaleise Canala.
And in the forward line, Letitia Izzo, Ella Doody and Alex Jolley were tireless and always threatening.
Chelsea Frost and Emily Edwards played in multiple positions and were dependable.
Under 16 Red
VARIED levels of experience made up the SEWFA Under 16 Red team, which finished fifth in the five-team division.
It consisted of some players who were new to representative soccer, but was a good chance for them to develop their skills.
The first game against Sunraysia was a learning curve for the team, as it became familiar with the playing styles of teammates and which positions worked best.
The 5-0 loss was not indicative of the game as a whole and there were many glimpses of the potential within the team.
Despite the scoreline, there was an optimistic feeling in the team after the game, which carried into the next match.
An early goal from a scramble saw the side go down to Broken Hill 1-0 in a game witch saw SEWFA connect better as a team.
Sunday morning was the game players had been waiting for – SEWFA Red against SEWFA Blue.
The match was played with good spirits from both teams and while Blue won 5-0, it was the strongest game Red had played.
Players were tired going into the final game of the weekend against Adelaide Hills, but full of resolve.
They conceded early when Adelaide Hills scored off a throw in, but quickly pulled themselves together to keep a tight defence for the rest of the game.
The play flowed constantly from end to end and before the end of the first half, there had been chances to score for both teams.
In the second half play shifted more towards the Reds’ attacking end as several scoring opportunities arose without success.
With less than five minutes to go, Michaela Thompson cleared the keeper’s head from outside the 18-yard box to level the score at one-all and draw the match.
The team showed great character and walked away with memories and developed skills.
