Alphington oval was a hive of activity with many games being played out at home. Under blue skies and glorious sunshine it was a cracker of a weekend for sport. Enjoy the weekend’s team reports in this edition of the Weekend Wrap.

U/10 Blue Boys took on Brunswick Zebras this morning in a beautiful sunny home fixture. Despite coming out of the blocks slow, Alphington picked up their defensive intent later in the half, and strung together some nice pieces of play together to take a 3-1 lead into the break. The second half was full of strong tackles as both teams battled to take control of the game. Alphington managed to maintain their composure on the ball and create some more clear chances to run out 5-2 winners. Great job Bluetongues :)

Fantastic game from the U/9 Boys White team this morning! We had a tough time against Clifton hill when we last met, losing 5-2 after we dropped our heads a little. Today was a complete turnaround with great link up play all the way from defense through to attack. Also very good to see we held our nerve when Clifton hill came back, drawing level 4-4 and then a huge triple save that gave us back the momentum. Finished 5-4 winners and great to see all the smiling faces!

It was Sunday morning, one of life’s joys, as the sun shone down on another U10 Blue Girls home game. The support was wonderful from the crowd who were treated to some brilliant football from a well organised, fun-loving team resulting in another win. Bravo!!

U/8 Boys – Wow what a morning of football against Brunswick Zebra. Previous games against this bigger team had ended in heavy defeats. However from the whistle we were up for it, committed tackling and hard running. And using the ball well when in possession. It was end to end. With the score 3-3 with seconds to go, we scored and took the win 4-3 to jubilant scenes. Superb effort from each of the boys, couldn’t be prouder of their development.

U/11 Boys drew 2-2 against a bigger stronger Brunswick Zebras team. Full of admiration for the boys’ efforts. We’ve been outplayed by Brunswick Zebras in the past but not today. Top work lads.

U/9 Boys Blue – it was a hotly contested local derby vs the Yellow team. Friendships were put aside as the two teams went into battle. Two quick goals from the yellow team in the first 5 minutes meant the blues heads dropped. After the break with the Blues desperate to get a goal saw many a goal line scramble, but a quick counter attack from the Yellows gave them their third. Yellows came out the victors with a 4-1 win and the teams were all mates again.

U/10 Boys Yellow played at home this morning against Watsonia Heights FC. Today’s focus was effort, going hard and to win tackles and our passing to team mates! And all those boxes got ticket. Great team performance from every single player, Alphington took control from the get go and finished the game out with a convincing win, 7-1.

U/9 Girls played at home today in the beautiful August sunshine against Birrarung FC. With only one on the bench instead of the customary five it was a great effort by all to continually challenge their opposition. The girls continued to show their growing understanding of the game with more deliberate passing instead of the “see ball kick ball” which dominated our early season. Amazing effort girls.

The U/15 boys lost 2-1 away to Ashburton United in a great game against the 2nd-placed team. Playing their best football of the season, the Bluetongues just about had the best of the first half but fell behind to a well-taken opportunistic finish by the fastest player on the pitch just before half time. We conceded a second when caught cold straight after the second-half kick-off but dominated from that point onwards, pinning the opposition back in their own box for large parts of the half. A superb long-range effort got us back in the game but the strong, disciplined defence and stunning attacking moves weren’t converted into goals and Ashburton held on for the win.

U/10 Girls Yellow had a tough game versus Darebin Falcons away. The girls went behind 1-0 early and struggled to find their best football. A well taken strike from a solo run hit the bottom left corner to even the score 1-1. A second goal shortly after smashed in from close range gave the team a deserved 2-1 lead at half time after dominating possession. In the second half we hit the back of the net early on with a scrappy goal but were well held for the remainder by a stubborn Darebin to run out 3-1 winners. With no bench today, the girls ran out the game well and never gave in after going behind early. A trademark gritty effort by the team.

On a beautiful sunny Sunday, the over 55 Legends took the long trip to Frankston for a lunch time kick off. The Bluetongues dominated the first half v Frankston Pines, going in 2-0 up at the break. We then started very slowly in the second half, conceded an early goal and had to work hard to maintain our lead. A third goal helped settle the nerves, and the team won 3-1. The game ended on a bad note, when a Frankston player headbutted one of our players in the closing stages. The action was inexcusable and the Frankston player was rightly sent off. The team is looking forward to returning to Alphington for a home game next week.

U/12 Girls Blue switched on from the outset hosting Pasco Vale. After 2 free kicks on the edge of their area we punished them with powerful finishes and well worked corner kicks. The girls took on board a lot of mid week drills and executed them with spirit today. Outright 4-0 winners and a game played with great passion. Coaches and parents very proud 💛💙

O/45s played bottom of the table Melbourne University. We started slow, our normal high standards missing under the impression this game was formality. The Uni lads did well frustrating us, also creating the odd chance, keeping us on our toes. However our class shone through in the end, we kept patient and got our deserved goals. Final score 6-0 win to the Bluetongues. Tough game against the runaway leaders next.

The U/12 Girls Yellow team hosted La Trobe University SC in a highly anticipated matchup at home. The first half was a thrilling back-and-forth affair, with both teams creating scoring opportunities, but neither could find the back of the net, resulting in a 0-0 halftime stalemate. In the second half, the Yellow team came out with renewed energy and applied sustained pressure on the opposition, maintaining possession and pushing forward. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to capitalise on their chances. Just as it seemed like the match was heading for a hard-fought draw, La Trobe University SC launched a well-timed attack and scored with only three minutes remaining. In the end, the Yellow team’s valiant effort to level the score came up just short, resulting in a heartbreaking 0-1 defeat.

O55s UTD had a top of the table clash with Burwood and came away with a hard fought 2-0 win. Best team effort for the season.

Thanks for reading – have a great week! GO BLUETONGUES! 🔵🟡⚽️🦎