Pictures: THOMAS MILES
SOCCER returned to the South East on Sunday, as the opening round of the Limestone Coast Football Association pre-season cup saw teams hit the road to kick off the year.
All games were played away this week, with the closest venue in Millicent, which saw the hosts suffer a 7-0 defeat to a new-look Apollo side.
Reigning premier International made the trip to Naracoorte for a 4-2 win, while Gambier Centrals visited Portland for a 4-1 victory.
At Millicent, Apollo boasted some new and old faces within its senior ranks, as well as the permanent inclusion of some former Under 17’s.
Tobbei Kennett has returned to the club after a stint at Inter, while Patrick Wilondja also made the transition from the black and blue during the off-season.
Apollo co-coach Jamie Stephenson said the two added depth to the young side and provided flexibility to positions on the field.
Stephenson said they both played well on Sunday, while the team as a whole was also strong and should only improve as the season progresses.
“There were definitely some positives from the game, but match fitness and sharpness is still to come,” he said.
“We have a new team to be honest, we have four or five new players in both senior grades.
“With not many competitions around as far as other leagues go, it is hard to get any games with other teams during the pre-season.
“You can only really play yourself internally.”
However, Stephenson was pleased with the team in its first hit out for 2019.
He said the clash started off as a close battle, but once Apollo was able to score it “opened the flood gates”.
“Millicent really give it everything they have, but unfortunately they don’t have the skill levels of teams like Centrals and Inter,” Stephenson said.
“They will give that 100pc for the first 20 to 25 minutes and the longer they keep you scoreless or keep it close, it sort of gives them a sniff.
“The first 15 or 20 minutes were close, but once we got those first couple of goals, we were able to push away with it a bit more.”
With an eventual seven-goal victory, Stewart Wallace led the charge as he moved forward to score four goals for the match.
He was joined by former Under 17’s Adam Richards and Bailey Musci, who made an impact with two and one goal respectively.
The two were part of last year’s undefeated Under 17 team and Richards also captained the side, while Stephenson was coach.
They are also no stranger to the senior stage, after player shortages in 2018 saw Apollo rely heavily on its junior talent.
In terms of a best player on Sunday, Stephenson said he was mostly impressed by the team effort.
However, he said Wallace could not be overlooked for his solid performance in several positions.
“Tobbei Kennett got a half under his belt which was good, but Stewie Wallace kicking four goals cannot be ignored,” Stephenson said.
“To play in two or three different positions on Sunday, he is going to be one of our key men again this year.
“There wasn’t a standout, but with Stewie Wallace kicking four, you’d probably have to give him three votes on the day.”
Stephenson hopes to see the team effort continue throughout the year, with the goal to cause an upset or two in the top order.
Inter and Centrals boast some of the best players in the league, but Stephenson said they may be in for a shock in 2019, as it will be a different Apollo they face.
“A team of champions does not necessarily beat a champion team,” he said.
“We definitely want to make sure that when Centrals and Inter finish the game with us, whether we win, lose or draw, we have given them a good run.”
Looking to the season ahead, Stephenson is excited for what it may bring.
“The club is starting to look really healthy and starting to take shape and we are really looking forward to the year,” he said.
“The difference for Apollo this year is we have got some good attacking quality.
“We know the talent Stewie Wallace has and with Tobbei and Patrick and a few of the other boys, there are three or four players who can swap each other’s positions.
“We had Stewie playing in the central defensive midfield and then he went up forward and scored four goals on Sunday.
“It is nice to have a bit of shape and be able to change it up if we are struggling against a team like Inter or Centrals, who are going to be very strong again this year.”
In the other games of the round, Inter and Centrals also started their years with victories.
Matt Bueti and Christian Cella picked up from where they left off last season and scored two goals each in Inter’s 4-2 win over Naracoorte.
The result is surely closer than the 2018 champions would have liked, while the match was also littered with card penalties.
Three yellow cards were given out during the match, while a Naracoorte player also received a red card penalty.
It was a less eventful encounter for Centrals, as it claimed a 4-1 win over Portland.
The goals were shared around, with Jayden Breuker, Lewis March, Henry Shoemark and Mitch Thomson all finding the back of the net for the 2018 runners-up.
They will now look forward to a meeting with Apollo at Webb Street this week, which will likely be the match of the round.
Inter will enjoy the bye this week, while Blue Lake will make its 2019 debut against Naracoorte at Malseed Park and Millicent will host Portland.
